Raider Wrestlers Impress at Missouri Valley invite

MARSHALL, Mo. – Eight Northwestern grapplers traveled to Missouri for the largest and most competitive tournament on the schedule. Luke Jenness was the highlight of the weekend, going 7-2 for a fourth-place finish, also compiling 81 match points.

"I'm really proud of the way Luke opened up on day two," commented head coach Rik Dahl. "He was pretty rigid and robotic on day one, and we knew he needed to be more offensive and aggressive to battle for a placement. He responded well to the challenge and became our highest placer since 2017."

Jenness opened the tournament with two pins, setting the tone for a strong weekend. Following a loss by decision, Jenness worked his way through the consolation bracket with a pin, two decisions, and a technical fall to reach the third-place match. In total, Jenness went 7-2 and defeated two top-20 opponents.

🤼‍♂️ What a weekend for the senior!

Fourth place overall, 7-2 record, and wins over No. 16 and No. 10-ranked wrestlers!#RaidersStandOut | @NWCWrestling pic.twitter.com/gN0QQzGWa3
— NWC Red Raiders (@nwcraiders) January 20, 2024

Jake Francksen-Small also put together a strong tournament, going 3-2 with three decisions, including a 4-0 win over conference foe Caleb Connor of Morningside. Additionally, Kaleb Lind won by fall in the first period of the tournament, also picking up a 6-2 decision over Briar Cliff's Christian Balmer, defeating Balmer for the second time this week in a rematch of Tuesday's dual. Also winning in his first bout was Johnny Burnette, earning a 21-4 technical fall.

"The rest of the team had some bright spots during day one," Dahl said. "Jake had some key wins, Kaleb tallied two wins, Johnny had a tech fall, and Braeden recorded a clutch win. The guys attacked well and we saw a lot of fight in every match."

Up Next: The Raiders will host a conference dual on Friday night, facing Jamestown at 7:00 p.m. in the Bultman Center.

Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut

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Players Mentioned

Johnny Burnette: 141; 5' 7"; Sophomore

Jake Francksen-Small: 174; 6' 0"; Senior

Luke Jenness: 184; 5' 11"; Senior

Kaleb Lind: 197; 5' 10"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Johnny Burnette
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: 141

Jake Francksen-Small
: 6' 0"; Senior
: 174

Luke Jenness
: 5' 11"; Senior
: 184

Kaleb Lind
: 5' 10"; Junior
: 197