Warriors MWR at GPAC Conference Wrestling Championship - 2026

ORANGE CITY, Iowa.- Waldorf University closed out the GPAC Conference men's wrestling finals with a strong second day surge, highlighted by podium finishes from Malachi Aispuro and Shiwoko Shiwoko and an automatic bid to the national tournament for Aispuro.

The Warriors sent 11 wrestlers into the conference tournament and used a solid opening day to position the team for a busy and competitive second day. Early wins at 125, 149 and 157 pounds kept multiple athletes in contention through the championship and consolation brackets, ensuring Waldorf remained a factor deep into the event.

Day two featured the bulk of Waldorf's matches and showcased the team's resilience in the consolation rounds. Aispuro opened his day in the semifinals but dropped a tough bout that pushed him to the backside of the bracket. He responded immediately, rebounding with a victory over Hastings and then avenging an earlier loss to Midland's Dylan Atherton by securing a first-period pin. That fall not only flipped a previous result but also provided one of the Warriors' most decisive wins of the tournament.

Shiwoko matched that intensity in his own bracket, putting together a strong run through the consolation side. He collected two wins on the second day and battled his way into third place, demonstrating consistency and toughness in elimination matches. Aispuro finished just one spot shy of earning automatic bid to the NAIA national championships, underscoring how thin the margin was at the top of the conference.

Aispuro's overall body of work this season ultimately proved decisive. Despite narrowly falling short in his true second-place bout, his performance at the GPAC finals, combined with a strong regular season, led coaches and selectors to vote him into the national tournament field. His third-place conference finish and first-period pin over Atherton were key elements in solidifying that at-large selection.

For Waldorf, the conference tournament served as both a measuring stick and a launching point. The Warriors demonstrated depth across multiple weights by advancing several wrestlers into the second day, with Aispuro and Shiwoko leading the way on the podium. Attention now turns to the NAIA national championships in Park City, Kansas, on March 5, where Aispuro will represent Waldorf on the national stage and look to extend the program's postseason momentum.