Maximus Hanson of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa has committed to wrestling for Augsburg University following his upcoming senior season.
College Recruiting: state champion Braun to University of Oklahoma
Alex Braun of Woodbury has committed to wrestling for University of Oklahoma following his upcoming senior season.
Minnesota Unveils Full 2023-24 Schedule
MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota wrestling team announced its full schedule for the 2023-24 season on Monday.
The season officially kicks off Nov. 11 and features seven home duals inside Maturi Pavilion. The full season slate includes a total of 14 dual meets, as well as four tournaments. Start times and TV streaming coverage for the upcoming season will be announced at a later date.
The slate gets underway on November 11 when the Maroon & Gold travels to Fargo, N.D., to compete in the Bison Open, before kicking off the dual season at Bucknell on Nov. 16 in the first ever meeting between the schools.
Two days later, Minnesota will visit George Mason for a triangular with the Patriots and Morgan State. The second tournament of the season, the Daktronics Open, is slated for Nov. 19.
2023-24 Big Ten Wrestling Schedule Announced
Conference duals begin January 12 and culminate with Big Ten Championships March 9-10
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference office has announced the dates and opponents for the 2023-24 wrestling season. The schedule features eight conference duals for each of the 14 Big Ten programs and concludes with the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, to be held over the second weekend in March at Maryland.
All 14 teams will open Big Ten action Jan. 12-21. On opening night, Jan. 12, Maryland, Nebraska, and Rutgers will play host to Michigan, Iowa, and Indiana, respectively. The final regular-season dual will take place on Sunday, Feb. 18, with Indiana traveling to Northwestern, Iowa hosting Wisconsin, and Nebraska visiting reigning Big Ten Champion Penn State.
The Guillotine Events of the Week
Learning Lessons On The Wrestling Mat
On the Spot Q&A with Men’s Wrestling Head Coach Tony Valek
Once Tony Valek ’12, ’14 MAL became part of the Augsburg University community, he never left. From student wrestler to head wrestling coach, he remains invested in training the next generation of Auggies—helping them not only grow as athletes, but as human beings ready for life after graduation. Amateur wrestling website The Open Mat named Valek the 2022–23 NCAA Division III Coach of the Year for leading the men’s wrestling team to its 14th national championship in program history. Following last season’s tremendous success, Valek reflects on his Augsburg journey and what he loves most about coaching.
Q: How did you end up at Augsburg?
A: I’ve been involved in the Augsburg community for quite a while. My older brother, Ryan Valek ’06, actually attended and wrestled at Augsburg. The relationships with the coaches—like Coach [Jeff] Swenson—and the people ended up drawing me here. I wrestled at Augsburg from 2008 to 2012, and I really haven’t left. I was the graduate assistant coach for two years, and then I became a full-time coach in the 2014–15 season and have been here ever since. Continue reading at augsburg.edu →
SDSU Schedule Finalized For 2023-24
Seven home dates, including home duals against five Big 12 Conference opponents, highlight the 2023-24 schedule for the South Dakota State University wrestling team.
The Jackrabbits, who sent a school-record eight wrestlers to the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, open the home slate Nov. 17 by hosting the Dakota Showcase at Frost Arena. The four-team dual event also will feature in-state programs Augustana, Dakota Wesleyan and Northern State.
To close out the weekend, SDSU will host the day-long Daktronics Open on Nov. 19.
The remainder of the first two months of competition also will be a mix of tournament and dual competitions. In tournament action, the Jackrabbits are scheduled to compete in the season-opening Bison Open (Nov. 11), as well as make return trips to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 1-2) and the Soldier Salute (Dec. 29-30).
Final day wrap: Johnson defeated in repechage, USA ends Greco-Roman with 10 wins in 22nd place
BELGRADE, Serbia – Xavier Johnson, the lone U.S. athlete competing in Greco-Roman on the final day of the 2023 Senior World Championships, dropped his 63 kg repechage match on Sunday afternoon.
He was defeated by technical fall by Hrachya Poghosyan of Armenia, 8-0. Poghosyan scored an early takedown, lifted and threw Johnson for four points, and ended the match with a gutwrench in the first period.
Johnson, who had a 1-2 record for the tournament, placed 10th in the standings, scoring two team points for the United States.
The other two U.S. wrestlers in Group Three were eliminated on Saturday, Alejandro Sancho (67 kg) and Zachary Braunagel (87 kg).