ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Raiders hosted the GPAC Championships and battled through a competitive field, finishing sixth as a team with 66.5 points and qualifying a conference champion for the national stage.

#10 Noah Parmelee delivered the highlight performance of the tournament for the Raiders at 141lbs, capturing the GPAC title in dramatic fashion. In the finals, Parmelee trailed late and needed two takedowns to secure victory. Rising to the moment, he scored both in the closing stretch to earn a 9–6 decision and punch his ticket to the NAIA National Championships in Wichita on March 5–7. He reached the finals with dominant showings that included two technical falls and a decisive quarterfinal win. Parmelee's GPAC title marks the first GPAC champion for the Raiders since 2022 and en route to his title broke the single season match points record with 386 match points.

The Raiders saw multiple athletes place and contribute key team points:

• 149 lbs – Johnny Burnette (6th Place): Opened with a shutout decision in the quarterfinals before battling through the consolation bracket.

• 157 lbs – Cade Braun (5th Place): Rebounded from an early loss with a technical fall and closed strong with a major decision in the placement match.

• 197 lbs – Joel Arias (6th Place): Notched a major decision and a fall.

• 285 lbs – Jaxson Hildebrand (4th Place): Put together an impressive consolation run with back-to-back falls and a sudden-victory win to reach the third-place match.

Overall, Northwestern College showed resilience and growth throughout the tournament, highlighted by Parmelee's clutch championship performance and several placement finishes that underscored the team's competitiveness in conference play.

UP NEXT: Noah Parmelee will represent the Raiders at the NAIA National Tournament in Wichita, Kansas on March 5-7.