Baker University head wrestling coach Jimmy May has had high expectations all year for the Baker University wrestling team, but the Wildcats exceeded his expectations at the NAIA Central Regional Tournament Saturday.
May went into the regional tournament expecting his team had the chance to place in the top five, but knew it would be a challenge because there were four other nationally ranked teams competing.
The Wildcats placed third, finishing behind top-10 teams No. 2 Grand View University (Iowa) and No. 5 Missouri Valley College, respectively.
May said his coaching staff was very proud of the 12 wrestlers’ efforts at the regional championships because it was a total team effort.
“It was the best performance of the season,” May said. “It was the toughest tournament we’ve been in for the two years that we’ve been a program. Last year, we didn’t have anybody place in the top four, and we had four this year.”
Ten out of the 12 wrestlers placed in the top six for their weight class for the Wildcats, including freshman Josh Haugen, 133 pounds, and sophomore Nathan Sommer, 157 pounds, finishing as runners-up.
“I was very impressed,” Haugen said. “We took third overall, so that’s pretty good I think.”
Baker scored 98.5 points, and placed ahead of Waldorf College, 86.5 points and No. 13 Oklahoma City University, 65.5 points.
Despite BU’s first-place finish, the team fell from the top 20 and is now receiving votes.
“Everything that happens outside of wrestling is very peripheral,” sophomore Parker Owen said. “What happens on the mat is what really matters. It doesn’t matter who else is talking about what.”
BU has faced many highly-ranked NAIA teams and NCAA Division I and II schools in order to be well prepared for the national tournament.
Twenty-six Wildcats qualified for nationals, but each team competing at the tournament is only allowed to have 12 wrestlers compete.
Baker will have a week off competing before taking its top 12 wrestlers to the national tournament March 3-5 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The team has already taken advantage of the extra time off by not having practice Monday and only conditioning Tuesday.
May is trying to make sure his team is well rested going into nationals, so each one of the 12 wrestlers has a chance to place in the top four of their weight class and become an All-American.
“All the toughest kids in the NAIA come together, so we know it is going to be a tough tournament,” May said. “Some of our kids have been there before, but we are just going to go up there and do the best that we can and take it one match at a time. Hopefully we can come away with our first All-American.”
