Grant Henderson is coming up on the 100-day mark in his new role as the leader of NAIA wrestling’s most dominant program, and there’s one thing that continues to surprise him most about being the Grand View head coach. 

“Just how (former Grand View coach Nick) Mitchell got anything done,” Henderson said. “You’re just so busy with day-to-day things. You’ve got guys coming into your office, of course. You’ve got conversations, phone calls and meetings, and your day gets away from you. It’s like, ‘How do you get all these tasks done that you’ve got to get done?’ It’s a lot of just figuring it out — how do I navigate this?

“(Mitchell) had such a system in place that it was pretty seamless for him. I’m lucky I can still call him … and I can bounce ideas off him.” 

Henderson is figuring it out, though, thanks to longtime Grand View assistant Paul Reedy at his side and regular communication with Mitchell, who entered the business world after announcing in October that he was stepping down after winning 13 national titles in the final 14 seasons of his 17-year run at the school. 

One thing that helps: Following the blueprint the Vikings used to reach unprecedented heights at the NAIA level. Grand View won 162 consecutive NAIA duals under Mitchell and captured a dozen NWCA National Duals titles. In what turned out to be the final act of the Mitchell era, the Vikings cruised to the national title with seven finalists and six NAIA champs.   

“I’ve been through (the system) as an athlete,” said Henderson, a two-time national champion for the Vikings. “It’s one of those where the wheel’s created and you don’t want to reinvent the wheel. But you’ve also got to be you and true to this team. There’s new guys on the team, so this team — like any other — is unique. It’s got its own design, its own things that are going on that we’re trying to make sure it’s top-notch. That’s the goal — run it in an efficient manner.” 

The Vikings are about to encounter their first marquee event with Henderson at the helm. The NWCA National Duals begin Friday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Grand View obliterated the field last year when it won 37 of its 40 individual matches, including 19 of 20 on the tournament’s final day. 

Grand View has once again claimed the tournament’s top seed. 

“I’m excited,” Henderson said. “I love duals. … I just love the idea of us getting to line up together and scrap. I’m pumped up. I’m excited for our guys. I told them today, ‘I hope it’s tough. I hope we get pushed. I hope we get put in some adverse situations and we have to overcome them.’ We don’t stray away from it, so of course I’m excited for our guys to hopefully have those challenges, and they are, too.” 

Here are four other NAIA storylines to follow this week at the NWCA National Duals. 

Young Programs, Young Leaders 

The NWCA National Duals showcase the explosive growth of college wrestling outside the Division I umbrella — and perhaps no division illustrates that better than NAIA. 

Thirteen of the 16 programs in this year’s National Duals have been launched since 2003 and five of them started competing in 2018 or later. 

The abundance of upstart programs has created an avenue for young coaches. Henderson is one of the recent NAIA stars who has risen to a head coaching role in short order. So, too, has Cornerstone head coach Denver Stonecheck, a three-time NAIA finalist and 2022 national champion for Life University and St. Thomas University coach Nosomy Pozo, who became Life’s first NAIA champ in 2018. 

Can Anyone Disrupt The Status Quo?

It’s been a two-team tug-of-war for the title throughout the past six years with Grand View battling Life in the NAIA finals every year since 2019. Grand View won five of those six meetings with Life coming out on top in 2024 when the Running Eagles snapped the Vikings’ 162-dual meet winning streak against NAIA competition. 

Meanwhile, five different programs have finished third at the National Duals during that time frame — Southeastern (2025), Menlo (2024), Doane (2022 and 2023), Reinhardt (2020) and Cumberlands (2019). 

Grand View claimed the top seed again this year, while Indiana Tech is seeded second ahead of Life. 

NAIA Stars On Display 

Eight of the 10 top-ranked individuals are expected to compete at the National Duals — Doane’s Ray Ray Harris (125), Southeastern’s Aaron Lucio (133), Providence’s Hunter Hobbs (157), Grand View’s Cam Robinson (165), Oklahoma City’s Tate Picklo (174), Doane’s Tyson Beauperthuy (184), Grand View’s Garavous Kouekabakilaho (197) and Central Methodist’s Austin Foye (285). 

Kouekabakilaho, a U23 World Team member, is one of three returning NAIA champs in the field this weekend. The other two are also from Grand View: 149-pounder Elijah Larsen and Robinson. 

Oklahoma City Stars On Display 

Oklahoma City supplemented its roster in a big way during the offseason when the Stars added Tate Picklo and John Wiley, a pair of high-profile transfers from Oklahoma. Picklo was the top-ranked 195-pounder in the country during his senior year at Mustang High School in Oklahoma. He was an NCAA qualifier for the Sooners and went 54-32 during his time at OU. 

Wiley, another Mustang High School product, won a pair of Oklahoma state titles and two Fargo titles before joining the Sooners. He got off to a big start with the Sooners, knocking off then-#6 Paniro Johnson of Iowa State in his OU dual debut. He compiled an 18-21 record with the Sooners. 

Picklo has quickly ascended to #1 in the NAIA rankings at 174, while Wiley is ranked third at 157. 

Oklahoma City could be unveiling another high-profile addition, as well. Retired MMA champion and Jiu-Jitsu legend Rafael Lovato Jr. has joined the Stars. The 42-year-old could make his debut with Oklahoma City this weekend — and it won’t be an easy opening assignment if he’s in the lineup. The Stars kick off the tournament against Central Methodist, which features top-ranked heavyweight Austin Foye. Oklahoma City will face Life or Corban in its second dual, which could mean a bout with #3 Antonio Garcia of Corban or #4 Gabriel Jacobs of Life.