WICHITA, KANSAS — The Grand View University wrestling team, led by program founder Nick Mitchell, clinched the 2025 NAIA Championship by day two, with seven of 10 wrestlers advancing to the national finals. This victory marked the Vikings' 13th team title in just 17 years, solidifying their dominance in collegiate wrestling. The Vikings obliterated the competition, finishing with 209 team points, 60 points ahead of second place in a commanding team performance.

Grand View broke its own record with six individual national champions, including an all-Viking final at 125 pounds. The program also set a new NAIA milestone with 45 individual national champions in its history. Grand View University wrestling made a dominant statement at the 2025 NAIA Championships, with seven wrestlers advancing to the finals across eight weight classes. This remarkable achievement highlights the depth and skill of the Vikings, as 60% of Vikings reached the pinnacle of the national tournament in the 2025 tournament. 

Since its inception in the 2008-2009 season, Grand View University wrestling has achieved remarkable success. The team has won 13 national championships in the past 17 years, amassing an impressive 2,494.5 team points. This year, the Vikings produced 9 All-Americans, bringing their total to 146 All-Americans in just 17 seasons.

Nick Mitchell's 17-year head coaching tenure has been filled with incredible success. Under his leadership, the Vikings have claimed the top spot at the NAIA National Tournament 13 times, with only one second-place finish (2021). Mitchell's unparalleled success was further recognized as he earned his 9th NAIA Coach of the Year honor at the conclusion of the tournament.

 
TEAM SCORES 
 

1	Grand View	209.0
2	Life	149.0
3	Southeastern	119.5
4	Doane	73.0
5	Indiana Tech	70.0
6	Embry-Riddle	69.5
7	Providence	61.5
8	Corban	61.0
9	Southern Oregon	60.5
10	Central Methodist	51.5

 

SESSION V 

Whitt and Cockrell Finish Strong – Placing Matches  
It was a short but productive morning session for the Vikings. Dylan Whitt opened the day in the consolation semifinal against No. 2 seed Keller Rock of Embry-Riddle. Whitt came up short but battled to the final whistle. He dropped to the 5th place match, where a forfeit secured his 5th place finish at the NAIA National Tournament.
Jackson Cockrell closed his career in style with a dominant performance in the 7th place match. He earned a technical fall over the 11-seed, raising his hand one last time in a GV singlet.
 

NATIONAL FINALS MATCHES 

125 - 1-seed Aden Reeves vs 3-seed Gabe Gonzales 
In a clash of teammates that stretched from the practice room to the biggest stage, Aden Reeves and Gabe Gonzales left it all on the mat in the 125-pound NAIA National Championship match. The intensity was evident from the opening whistle. An early scramble forced Gonzales into a full split, but the sequence ended in a stalemate. As the first period wound down, Gonzales shot in on a double-leg attempt, but Reeves countered with a chest wrap to stave off the attack. Reeves struck first with an escape in the second period, putting him up 1-0. Gonzales responded with an escape of his own in the third, tying the match at 1-1 and setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Midway through the third period, Reeves secured the first takedown of the match, seizing control. Gonzales battled back with a late escape and pushed the pace in the closing moments. A stalling call against Reeves tightened the score, but Reeves managed to fend off Gonzales's final attacks to secure the victory.

Aden Reeves is the 2025 NAIA National Champion at 125 pounds.

141 - 1-seed Carson Taylor vs 3-seed Even Potter (Southern Oregon) 
Carson Taylor "CT" made his walk to the stage once again, this time as Grand View's newest five-time All-American. From the opening whistle, CT controlled the center of the mat and capped off the first period with a smooth low double-leg finish to lead 3-0.
CT started the second period underneath and quickly reversed his opponent to extend the lead to 5-0. He applied relentless pressure on top, drawing a stalling call before the period ended. Potter chose neutral to start the third, but CT wasn't content to coast. He capitalized on Potter's attack to push the lead to 9-0 before sealing a dominant 10-0 major decision.

After finishing 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 3rd, Carson Taylor is the 2025 NAIA National Champion at 141 pounds. 

149  - 8-seed Elijah Larsen vs 11-seed Hagen Heistand (Concordia)
Elijah "Alaska" Larsen came out with a high pace, controlling the ties from the start. Midway through the first, he attacked with a high single-leg finish to score the first three points. Larsen ended the period on top, racking up over a minute of riding time.
A quick escape to start the second put Larsen firmly in control. His relentless pressure led to another takedown late in the period, pushing the lead to 7-0. In the third, Larsen stayed aggressive, securing another takedown to extend the lead to 10. A stalling call and riding time point sealed a dominant 12-0 major decision.

Elijah (Alaska) Larsen is the 2025 NAIA National Champion at 149 pounds. 

165 - 3-seed Cam Robinson vs 1-seed Jonathen Kervin (Indiana Tech) 
Cam Robinson found himself in a fast-paced, physical battle from the start. Despite firing off multiple shots, he couldn't break through Kervin's head-hands defense in the first period, leaving it scoreless.
Kervin earned an escape to start the second, but Robinson responded with a sharp sprawl and reattack, finishing with a high single to take a 3-2 lead after Kervin's late escape. Robinson escaped quickly to start the third, then brought the crowd to its feet with a slick super-duck to extend the lead to 7-3.
Kervin pushed the pace late, but Robinson countered with a takedown off Kervin's attack to seal the win. A late escape wasn't enough for Kervin, as Robinson secured an 11-4 victory.

Cam Robinson is the 2025 NAIA National Champion at 165 pounds.

174 - 1-seed Alex Reynolds vs 3-seed Kris Ketchum (St. Thomas) 
Alex Reynolds "Red", returned to the finals, determined to finish this season the same as the last. Ketchum struck first with an early takedown, but Red escaped and quickly answered with his signature double-leg to take a 4-3 lead at the end of the first.
Ketchum earned an escape in the second to tie it up, and the period ended in a stalemate. Red started the third on bottom and escaped 30 seconds in to regain the lead. He stayed aggressive, attacking with a single-leg but couldn't finish.
Red fended off Ketchum's late attacks and held on for a gritty 5-4 win.

Alex Reynolds is the back-to-back 2025 NAIA National Champion at 174 pounds.

197  - 1-seed Garavous Kouekabakilaho vs 3-seed Khalil Abdushshakur (LIFE) 
Garavous "GK" Kouekabakilaho returned to the national finals — this time with a special guest at mat side. For the first time ever, his mom was there to watch him wrestle in person.

GK matched the early hand-fighting aggression and struck first with a takedown to take a 3-1 lead after the first period. He escaped quickly from bottom in the second, extending his lead to 4-1 while using sharp fakes and hand movement to keep his opponent on the defensive.

GK started the third period on his feet and capitalized with a slick go-behind to push the lead to 7-1. After an escape, GK sealed the deal with another takedown to secure a dominant 11-2 major decision — becoming the Vikings' sixth individual national champion.

Garavous Kouekabakilaho (GK)  stands atop the podium for the second straight season — your 2025 NAIA National Champion at 197 pounds.  NAIA 125 
GABE GONZALES – 1^st PLACE // ALL-AMERICAN   
Champ. Round 1 - 3 Gabe Gonzales won by tech fall over Chase Ayers (Lindsey Wilson) (TF 16-1) 
Champ. Round 2 - 3 Gabe Gonzales won by tech fall over 14 Matteo Vargo (Cumberlands) (TF 17-2) 
Quarterfinal - 3 Gabe Gonzales won by tech fall over 11 Brody Gee (Saint Mary) (TF 20-2) 
Semifinal - 3 Gabe Gonzales won by major decision over 7 Allen Calderon (Indiana Tech) (Maj 11-3) 
NAIA 125 
ADEN REEVES – 1^st  // ALL-AMERICAN  
Champ. Round 1 - 1 Aden Reeves won by tech fall over Tyler Hisey (Indiana Tech) (TF 16-1) 
Champ. Round 2 - 1 Aden Reeves won by major decision over 16 Clarence Lee-Green (Lindsey Wilson) (Maj 13-5) 
Quarterfinal - 1 Aden Reeves won in sudden victory - 1 over 8 Anthony Hughes (Marian) (SV-1 9-6) 
Semifinal - 1 Aden Reeves won by tech fall over 13 Vonn Fenn (Southern Oregon) (TF 20-4) 
1st Place Match - 1 Aden Reeves won by decision over 3 Gabe Gonzales (Dec 4-3) 
 
NAIA 133 
JACKSON COCKRELL – 7^TH PLACE // ALL-AMERICAN 
Champ. Round 1 - 5 Jackson Cockrell won by tech fall over Landon Bertsch (Marian) (TF 19-4) 
Champ. Round 2 - 5 Jackson Cockrell won by decision over 12 Freddy Barajas (Saint Mary) (Dec 4-2) 
Quarterfinal - 4 Aaron Lucio (Southeastern) won by decision over 5 Jackson (Dec 10-8) 
Cons. Round 4 - 5 Jackson Cockrell won by tech fall over Lane Scorpil (William Penn) (TF 22-7) 
Cons. Round 5 - Andrew Voiles (Southeastern) won by fall over 5 Jackson Cockrell (Fall 1:46) 
7th Place Match - 5 Jackson Cockrell won by tech fall over 11 Izaeah Beavers (Campbellsville) (TF 18-2) 
 
NAIA 141 
CARSON TAYLOR – 1^st PLACE // ALL-AMERICAN 
Champ. Round 1 - 1 Carson Taylor won by major decision over Cole McKinley (Lourdes) (Maj 14-1) 
Champ. Round 2 - 1 Carson Taylor won by major decision over 16 Tristan Bremer (Providence) (Maj 8-0) 
Quarterfinal - 1 Carson Taylor won by major decision over 8 Thomas Williams (St. Thomas) (Maj 11-0) 
Semifinal - 1 Carson Taylor won by decision over 5 Cade Manion (Oklahoma City) (Dec 6-1) 
1st Place Match - 1 Carson Taylor won by major decision over 3 Evan Potter (Southern Oregon) (Maj 10-0) 
 
NAIA 149 
DARNAI HEARD  
Champ. Round 1 - 6 Darnai Heard won by fall over Devin Griffin (Reinhardt) (Fall 3:33) 
Champ. Round 2 - 11 Hagen Heistand (Concordia) won by decision over 6 Darnai Heard (Dec 4-2) 
Cons. Round 2 - 6 Darnai Heard won by major decision over Steven Barnes (Concor-dia) (Maj 21-13) 
Cons. Round 3 - 6 Darnai Heard won by tech fall over 4 Jace Luchau (Cumberlands) (TF 17-1) 
Cons. Round 4 - 1 Nicholas Yancey (Campbellsville) won by decision over 6 Darnai Heard (Dec 9-8) 
 
NAIA 149 
ELIJAH LARSEN – 1^st PLACE // ALL-AMERICAN 
Champ. Round 1 - 8 Elijah Larsen won by injury default over Brayden Smith (York) (Inj. 3:00) 
Champ. Round 2 - 8 Elijah Larsen won by fall over 9 Bret Minor (Life) (Fall 6:22) 
Quarterfinal - 8 Elijah Larsen won by decision over 1 Nicholas Yancey (Campbellsville) (Dec 11-5) 
Semifinal - 8 Elijah Larsen won by major decision over 5 Victor Guzman (Cumberland) (Maj 10-2) 
1st Place Match - 8 Elijah Larsen won by major decision over 11 Hagen Heistand (Concordia) (Maj 12-0) 
 
NAIA 165 
CAM ROBINSON –  1^st PLACE // ALL-AMERICAN 
Champ. Round 1 - 3 Cam Robinson won by fall over Abe Hafez (Midway) (Fall 1:58) 
Champ. Round 2 - 3 Cam Robinson won by tech fall over 14 Jasitin Kubwimmana (Campbellsville) (TF 20-5) 
Quarterfinal - 3 Cam Robinson (won by major decision over 6 Turner Black (Cumber-lands) (Maj 20-7) 
Semifinal - 3 Cam Robinson won in sudden victory - 1 over 2 Keller Rock (Embry-Riddle) (SV-1 3-0) 
1st Place Match - 3 Cam Robinson won by decision over 1 Jonathan Kervin (Indiana Tech) (Dec 11-4) 
 
NAIA 165 
DYLAN WHITT – 5^TH PLACE // ALL-AMERICAN 
Champ. Round 1 - 4 Dylan Whitt won by tech fall over Blaze Sumiye (Providence) (TF 16-1) 
Champ. Round 2 - 4 Dylan Whitt won in sudden victory - 1 over 13 Travis Waldner (Montana State - Northern) (SV-1 4-1) 
Quarterfinal - 5 Anthony Federico (Southeastern) won by decision over 4 Dylan Whitt (Dec 13-9) 
Cons. Round 4 - 4 Dylan Whitt won by major decision over 15 Angel Hernandez (Keiser) (Maj 14-6) 
Cons. Round 5 - 4 Dylan Whitt won by decision over 9 Reese Jones (Life) (Dec 4-1) 
Cons. Semi - 2 Keller Rock (Embry-Riddle) won by major decision over 4 Dylan Whitt (Grand View) (Maj 13-3) 
5th Place Match - 4 Dylan Whitt won by medical forfeit over 5 Anthony Federico (Southeastern) (MFF) 
 
NAIA 174 
ALEX REYNOLDS – 1^st PLACE // ALL-AMERICAN 
Champ. Round 1 - 1 Alex Reynolds won by tech fall over Jevion Ross (St. Thomas) (TF 18-3) 
Champ. Round 2 - 1 Alex Reynolds won by tech fall over 16 Braylin Ruchti (Southern Oregon) (TF 18-2) 
Quarterfinal - 1 Alex Reynolds won by major decision over 9 Daniil Gorshkov (Embry-Riddle) (Maj 9-1) 
Semifinal - 1 Alex Reynolds won by major decision over 4 Shadrick Slone (Campbellsville) (Maj 13-4) 
1st Place Match - 1 Alex Reynolds won by decision over 3 Kris Ketchum (St. Thomas) (Dec 5-4) 
 
NAIA 184 
JAMEEL COLES 
Champ. Round 1 - 11 Jameel Coles won by tech fall over Jeremiah Voliva (Avila) (TF 19-3) 
Champ. Round 2 - 11 Jameel Coles won by decision over 6 Kyle Knudtson (Eastern Oregon) (Dec 8-5) 
Quarterfinal - 3 Tyson Beauperthuy (Doane) won in sudden victory - 1 over 11 Jameel Coles (SV-1 4-1) 
Cons. Round 4 - 16 Temuujijn Mendbileg (Dakota Wesleyan) won by decision over 11 Jameel Coles (Dec 9-3) 

NAIA 197 
TRAYVONNE JACKSON 
Champ. Round 1 - 6 Trayvonne Jackson received a bye () (Bye) 
Champ. Round 2 - 11 Gentry Smith (Southeastern) won by decision over 6 Trayvonne Jackson (Dec 4-2) 
Cons. Round 2 - 6 Trayvonne Jackson won by decision over 12 Trenton Blomquist (Embry-Riddle) (Dec 8-3) 
Cons. Round 3 - 6 Trayvonne Jackson won by fall over 14 Elias Corona (Southern Or-egon) (Fall 6:44) 
Cons. Round 4 - 8 Asher Ruchti (Southern Oregon) won in sudden victory - 1 over 6 Trayvonne Jackson (SV-1 5-2) 

NAIA 197 
GARAVOUS KOUEKABAKILAHO –  1^st PLACE // ALL-AMERICAN 
Champ. Round 1 - 1 Garavous Kouekabakilaho won by tech fall over Clay Guenin (Marian) (TF 18-2) 
Champ. Round 2 - 1 Garavous Kouekabakilaho won by fall over John Lovett (Reinhardt) (Fall 5:16) 
Quarterfinal - 1 Garavous Kouekabakilaho won by decision over 8 Asher Ruchti (Southern Oregon) (Dec 10-4) 
Semifinal - 1 Garavous Kouekabakilaho won by major decision over 5 Kasten Grape (Doane) (Maj 16-2) 
1st Place Match - 1 Garavous Kouekabakilaho won by major decision over 3 Khalil Abdushshakur (Life) (Maj 11-2)