Sundgren is National Champ, Costanzo NCAA Coach of the Year
| Senior John Sundgren won the 157 pound national championship Saturday. |
KEARNEY, Neb. – The St. Cloud State University wrestling team capped off a record-setting season with a second place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships, as Blaine native and senior John Sundgren turned out a stunning tournament to win the National Championship in the 157-pound division Saturday, March 12 at the University of Nebraska-Kearney Health and Sports Center.
The second place finish (90.5 points) is the best in school history after the Huskies placed seventh in last season’s championships as head coach Steve Costanzo was named NCAA Coach of the Year.
The wrestling squad is also just the second team in SCSU athletics history to finish second nationally in NCAA tournament. The 1983 SCSU men’s cross country team was the first second place finisher in a NCAA tournament.
John Sundgren (16-3) shut out Dillion Bera (26-8) of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in a 4-0 decision in the championship round to claim the first SCSU wrestling national title since Gene Hanemann took the podium in 1995. Before Hanemann, the last Husky wrestler to win a title was Mike Rybak in 1967.
“It was really big for our program, but more importanly it happended to a guy like John. He is a fifth year senior and there’s nobody more deserving than him,” said Costanzo of his national champ.
In the final match of the tournament, sophomore Jake Kahnke (Shakopee) (28-2) lost a heartbreaking 4-3 championship match to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe Matthew Meuleners of Northern State. Meuleners recorded a takedown in the final minute of the third and held on to revenge two regular season losses to Kahnke.
Costanzo was named NCAA Wrestling Coach of the Year after leading the Huskies to a runner-up finish in the national tournament and a school record 19 dual wins during the 2010-11 regular season.
Costanzo has now coached 47 All-Americans and three national champions in his head coaching career. Sundgren was Costanzo’s first recruit at SCSU and is his first individual national champion.
The University of Nebraska at Omaha won their third straight national title with 102.5 points in part to three individual national champships.
For team results Click Here!
National title matchups
125-Trevor Franklin (27-2, Upper Iowa) dec. Alex Meger (24-10, Augustana College), 3-0
133-Todd Wilcox (35-3, Grand Canyon) dec. William Young (34-8, Newberry), 8-3
141-Mario Morgan (29-4, Nebraska-Omaha) dec. Dalton Jensen (28-4, Nebraska-Kearney), 12-5
149-Nick Walpole (41-3, Indianapolis) dec. TJ Hepburn (36-3, Nebraska-Kearney), 4-2
157-Jon Sundgren (15-3, St. Cloud State) dec. Dillon Bera (26-7, Wisconsin-Parkside), 4-0
165-Michael Lybarger (38-4, Findlay) dec. Zach McKendree (34-10, Gannon) 3-1
174- Ryan Pankoke (40-2, Nebraska-Omaha) dec. Luke Rynish (24-3, Wisconsin-Parkside), 3-2
184- Aaron Denson (33-6, Nebraska-Omaha) dec.Charlie Pipher (19-1, Western State) 6-4
197- Donovan McMahill (31-0, Western State) dec. Mitch Knapp (28-3, West Liberty) 9-3
285-Matthew Meuleners (28-4, Northern State) dec. Jake Kahnke (29-1, St. Cloud State), 4-3
2011 Division II Championships medal matches
3rd Place
125-McDonald (Newberry) pin Kochinsky (Shippensburg), 1:16
133-Jeremiason (Augustana) pin Link (Pitt-Johnstown), 4:45
141-Suarez (St. Cloud State) dec. Sherer (Augustana), 3-2
149-Herda (Augustana) dec. Means (Fort Hays State), 6-4
157-Ivanov (Nebraska-Omaha) dec. Shields (Mercyhurst), 5-3
165-Merritt (St. Cloud State) dec. Wilson (Nebraska-Kearney), 4-1
174-Carazo (Grand Canyon) dec. O’Grady (St. Cloud State), 7-6
184-Blanton (Newberry) dec. Nordgren (MSU-Mankato), 6-5
197-Broghammer (Upper Iowa) dec. Copsey (Augustana), by medical forfeit
285-Alexander (Western State) dec. Southwick (Ashland), 2-0
5th Place
125-Weakley (UNC-Pembroke) dec. Forstner (MSU-Mankato), 8-5
133-Cruz (Western State) dec. Pedretti (Upper Iowa), 11-9
141-Bagheri (San Francisco State) dec. Irwin (Indianapolis), 6-0
149-Horn (St. Cloud State) dec. Paukovits (Kutztown), 7-5
157-Bristol (Grand Canyon) dec. Dauphin (Central Oklahoma), 9-2
165-Williams (UNC-Pembroke) dec. Nelson (Augustana), 6-5
174-Mueller (Upper Iowa) dec. Henderson (Central Oklahoma), 2-1
184-Brunkhardt (Nebraska-Kearney) dec. Schultz (Upper Iowa), 6-0
197-Arizmendez (Grand Canyon) dec. McPeek (Adams State), 12-6
285-Dempsey (Pitt-Johnstown) dec. Escamilla (Nebraska-Omaha), 3-1
7th Place
125-Ulmer (MSU-Moorhead) dec. Matos (Gannon), 7-6 TB1
133-Graham (Central Oklahoma) dec. Zimmerman (Wisconsin-Parkside), 3-1
141-Savala (Chadron State) dec. Bachman (Pitt-Johnstown), 8-5
149-Dominguez (Nebraska-Omaha) dec. Jordan (Adams State), by medical forfeit
157-Edgington (Augustana) dec. Nolan (San Francisco State), 7-3
165-Kelly (Ashland) dec. Gille (UW-Parkside), 13-9
174-Becker (MSU-Mankato) maj. dec. Choi (San Francisco State), 8-0
184-Becerra (Grand Canyon) dec. Bradley (Limestone), 6-5
197-Stevenson (Findlay) dec. Baker (Nebraska-Omaha), 3-1
285-Elkins (Newberry) dec. Carey (CSU-Pueblo), 7-2
For a complete list of team scores and individual matches Click Here!