Graceland Wrestling Edges No. 13 Central Methodist in Home Dual Thriller

LAMONI, Iowa — The Graceland University Yellowjackets men's wrestling team secured a signature early-season victory on Tuesday, Dec. 2, defeating No. 13-ranked Central Methodist University in a tightly contested 27-23 dual at the Morden Center.

The Yellowjackets opened strong at 125 pounds, where Christian Trujillo-Quintana delivered a high-energy performance, scoring a fall at 3:32 over Warren Taylor to immediately put Graceland ahead 6-0. Though Central Methodist answered at 133 pounds with Gavin Alexander's major decision (15-2) over Davion Wilson, the Yellowjackets quickly regained momentum.

At 141 pounds, Caden Lopez battled through scrambles before pinning Drew Cooper at 3:35, giving Graceland another six-point boost. Despite a setback at 149 pounds, where Alex Walker earned a fall in just 55 seconds over Payton Harger, the Yellowjackets stayed resilient.

The middleweights came through with critical team points. Invi Bella secured a forfeit win at 157 pounds, and Stephen Dickerson followed with a medical forfeit victory at 165, extending Graceland's lead. Bella later added an extra forfeit win in an exhibition bout.

The dual tightened at the upper weights. At 174, Central Methodist's Roman Garcia scored a fall at 4:59 over Jeraimiah Nyberg, cutting the margin. The Eagles added a decision at 184, where Griffin Ray defeated Chris Wohrley, 11-5, and a major decision at heavyweight with Garine Gibson's 10-0 shutout over Oran Varela.

But Graceland's decisive moment came at 197 pounds. KJ Fry went the distance with Cameron Cornman, emerging victorious in a high-scoring 19-14 decision that provided the final three team points and sealed the dual win for the Yellowjackets.

"We beat the No. 13 team in the country — which is awesome — but we still have a lot of work to do," said head coach Evan Hansen. "You always measure yourself against the conference's best, and CMU is certainly one of them," he continued. "But we really just want to continue to see how good we can be and keep fixing the small mistakes as we progress.

"A lot of things are going well for this program as the guys are buying in and trusting the standard and the process. The continuity and consistency of performing that way every night is the key."

Graceland's lineup, bolstered by emerging talent and depth, showed toughness across the board in both contested matches and tactical weight management. The Yellowjackets won five of the ten official bouts, including three matches by fall, one decision, and two forfeits, while limiting bonus points in key matchups to maintain their team score edge.

With the win, Graceland continues building momentum heading into one of the most anticipated events of the year. The Yellowjackets are scheduled to compete in the Conner/Oppenheim Doane Open on Friday, Dec. 5, with action set to begin at 9 a.m. CST at Fuhrer Field House in Crete, Nebraska. The Doane Open annually features elite talent from across collegiate divisions and will offer a major proving ground for Graceland's roster.

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