STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Saint John’s placed 10 wrestlers in the top six of their respective weight classes at the Wisconsin-Stevens Point Open on Saturday, Nov. 5, in Stevens Point, Wis.
None of the Johnnies’ three nationally-ranked wrestlers competed in the season-opening tournament.
Junior Nick Schuler (Roseville, Minn./Totino-Grace) won the 165-pound bracket with a perfect 5-0 record. He defeated the Pointers’ Jordan Schulte, ranked fourth nationally, 7-4 in the semifinal before pinning Ben Cox of Wisconsin in the championship bout. Fellow junior Chris Stevermer (Savage, Minn./Prior Lake) claimed fifth at 165.
Junior Mitch Hagen (Sunburg, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) and freshman Josh Willaert (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) posted matching 3-1 records at 184, though Willaert claimed second and Hagen finished third. Hagen lost to Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Sam Engelland, the seventh-ranked wrestler at 184 in the country, 3-1 in the semifinal. Willaert fell to Engelland via pin in 3:57.
Sophomore Alex Peck (Edina, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret’s) claimed fourth at 141 and freshman Evan Guffey (Wyandotte, Mich./Roosevelt) finished fifth at 133.
Junior Cody Socher (Delano, Minn.) fought back to finish fourth at heavyweight after losing a tough 4-2 match in overtime to start the season. He posted back-to-back pins to start wrestlebacks, followed by a 5-3 win and a forfeit, before falling to Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Anthony Edgren 4-3 in the third-place bout.
The Johnnies placed three in the top six at 149. Freshman Jamie Brazil (Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Cooper) made quite a first impression in his collegiate debut with a second-place finish. Sophomore Joe Hessing (Loretto, Minn./Delano) followed close behind in third and sophomore Ryan Arne (Orono, Minn.) took fifth.
The Johnnies return to action in two weeks at the annual Augsburg Open on Saturday, Nov. 19. The tournament is scheduled for 9 a.m. at Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis.
2011_Stevens_Point_Open_Brackets (Pdf)
125
Matt Hickerson: 2-2
Brian Waldron: 0-2
133
Evan Guffey: 4-2
141
Aaron Padrnos: 2-2
Scott Padrnos: 0-2
Alex Peck: 5-2
149
Ryan Arne: 2-2
Ochirbat Bayanjargal: 0-2
Jamie Brazil: 3-1
Joe Hessing: 6-1
Jesse Rodgers: 0-2
Jay Woiwor: 0-2
157
Devin Nanik: 1-2
Luke Newgaard: 0-2
165
Matt Rodgers: 1-2
Brandon Seppelt: 1-2
Nick Schuler: 5-0
Chris Stevermer: 5-2
174
Aaron Brasket: 2-2
David Rademacher: 1-2
Luke Ramos: 0-2
Sam Wiese: 0-2
184
Mitch Hagen: 3-1
Tyler Walsh: 0-2
Josh Willaert: 3-1
Heavyweight
Riad Abu-Smail: 0-2
Dino Saracco: 0-2
Cody Socher: 4-2