Photo courtesy of Grand View Athletics: Carson Taylor of Grand View, a former Fort Dodge state champion, is the top seed at 133 pounds for this week’s NAIA national championships.

WICHITA, Kan. — Carson Taylor continues to chase the dream.

The Grand View standout opened his fourth national tournament with easy victories on Thursday. In his fourth season on the mat for the Vikings, the former Fort Dodge state champion earned the nation’s No. 1 seed at 133 pounds for the NAIA Championships.

“My mindset is to take it one match at a time and to make sure to only focus on what’s right in front of me,” Taylor said. “I’ve been concentrating on just having fun and making the most of it.”

The Vikings are at the top of the team standings after day one with Life. Grand View has won 11 of the last 12 national team titles.

Taylor (20-1) cruised in his first two matches on Thursday, winning both by technical fall. He defeated Cooper Mahaffey (16-11) of Oklahoma City, 16-1. In the second round, he dominated Nate Becker (11-4) of Lindsey Wilson, 18-2.

“This is my fourth year here and I love the venue,” Taylor said. “My experience here definitely helps take some of the nerves away.”

In Friday’s quarterfinal round, Taylor will match up with eighth-seeded Andrew Voiles (15-4) of Southeastern. Voiles had a decision and a major decision.

Taylor bounced back after a minor injury earlier in the year.

“I suffered a concussion that put me out of competition and practice for a while,” Taylor said. “It was really hard to sit out and do nothing for a few weeks, but it gave me the mindset to work harder than I had been and make sure to push it to the limit when I got back.”

Taylor is coming off a national runner-up performance last season. He was third as a true freshman and fourth as a redshirt freshman.

Taylor sports a 12-4 record at the national tournament, and is 98-16 overall in his career with the Vikings. He is a three-time All-American and three-time conference champion.

“This season has been going well for me,” Taylor said. “I feel better than ever. I’m so confident in my abilities that I know I can beat anyone in front of me as long as I fight and go hard.”

Quarterfinal action is Friday morning, with the semifinals will be at night. Championship matches are on Saturday.