Graceland Wrestling Topples No. 18 Saint Mary in Statement Win

LAMONI, Iowa – In a dominant showing on the mat, the Graceland University men's wrestling team delivered a resounding performance Thursday night, defeating the No. 18-ranked University of Saint Mary (KS) Spires in a highly contested dual meet.

The Yellowjackets claimed a 30-22 team victory, capitalizing on key falls and narrow decisions to outpace the nationally ranked opponent. With the win, Graceland improves to 1-0 on the season and 1-0 in Heart of America Athletic Conference competition, while Saint Mary falls to 0-1 overall and 0-1 in conference action.

The dual opened in explosive fashion at 125 pounds, where Christian Trujillo-Quintana secured a fall in 0:00 over Courtney Anderson, giving the Jackets a fast six-point start. Although Graceland dropped matches at 133 and 141, Payton Harger answered at 149 pounds, edging out a narrow 8-7 decision.

The Spires regained momentum at 157 before Stephen Dickerson responded for Graceland at 165 pounds with a fall in just 50 seconds, swinging the momentum back to the home side. At 174, Saint Mary's Micahel Ager picked up a 10-8 decision over Jeraimiah Nyberg, but Chris Wohrley put the Yellowjackets ahead for good at 184 pounds, pinning Luke Hancock at the 6:50 mark.

The teams split the final two bouts. Graceland forfeited at 197, but Oran Varela sealed the win with a 5-4 decision at heavyweight (285 pounds).

Head coach Evan Hansen praised his team's execution, stating, "The men beat the No. 18 team in the country tonight. We wrestled very well. We're constantly improving and continuing to work hard on both sides to see how good we can be."

On the women's side, Graceland also picked up a win in the lone bout of the evening. Hernandez earned a victory over Saint Mary's Faith James at 138 pounds, giving the Yellowjackets a clean sweep on the night across both programs.

The victory marks a strong early-season statement for a Graceland program aiming to climb the NAIA ranks. With dominant falls, timely decisions, and consistent energy across the lineup, the Yellowjackets made the most of their home mat advantage.

Up next, Graceland heads to the Grand View Open on Saturday, Nov. 15. Wrestling begins at 9:00 a.m. CST at the Viking Event Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

For more information on Graceland Men's Wrestling and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.