MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University wrestling team (2-1) will return to the mat on Wednesday, Jan. 11, hosting a triangular meet against Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) and Waldorf College (Iowa) at the PE Gym in Marshall. SMSU will square off with Dakota Wesleyan (2-4) at 4 p.m. and Waldorf (1-3) at 7 p.m. following Waldorf’s dual with Dakota Wesleyan.
The Mustangs will then travel to Gunnison, Colo. on Saturday, Jan. 14, to compete in the Western State Duals.
Holiday Break: The Mustangs have not competed since a Dec. 9 dual at NCAA Division I South Dakota State. By the time the Mustangs hit the mat on Wednesday they will have had just over a month since their last competition.
Tigers at a glance: Dakota Wesleyan, ranked No. 16 in the NAIA national rankings, enters the triangular meet with a record of 2-4 in dual meets on the season. The Tigers last saw action at the NAIA-NWCA National Duals. The Tigers went 3-2 at the National Duals tournament falling in the fifth-place match 27-15 to No. 8 Campbellsville.
Series notes: Southwest Minnesota State and Dakota Wesleyan will meet for the sixth time since the 2000-01 season. SMSU is 5-0 all-time against the Tigers.
Warriors at a glance: Waldorf carries a record of 1-3 into the triangular meet. The Warriors earned their first victory of the season against William Penn University on Dec. 6 and were last in action at the Dick Walker Invitational on Dec. 10.
Series notes: This will be the first ever meeting between Southwest Minnesota State and Waldorf.
Probable lineup:
SMSU
125 – Travis Borchert (5-4)
133 – Justin Reinsma (10-6)
141 – Ethan Hildebrandt (6-6)
149 – Codie Lane (5-5)
157 – Blaine Miller (5-5)
165 – Jacob Begin (9-4) or Travis Frederiksen (1-2)
174 – Trent Molacek (3-4)
184 – Micah Larson (5-5) or Andrew Rodas (5-6)
197 – Martin Hagen (8-4)
285 – Brian Rodas (0-0) or Cole Wilson (4-1)
Last time out: The Mustangs were last in action on Dec. 9 at NCAA Division I South Dakota State. SMSU lost the dual 20-18, falling to 2-1 in dual matches on the season.
Duals to finish: The triangular meet with Dakota Wesleyan and Waldorf will be SMSU’s final non-dual competition of the season. The Mustangs will compete in three duals at Western State on Saturday before beginning the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference portion of its schedule on Jan. 22.
Fast start: Jacob Begin (165, So., Anoka, Minn.) owns a record of 9-4 on the season after picking up eight straight wins from Nov. 12 through Dec. 3. Begin has since dropped three straight decisions all by just two points. He lost a 10-8 decision to unattached wrestler Orlando Ponce before falling 12-10 to Jared Wildeboer of Morningside and 8-6 to Dillon Reid of South Dakota State. Martin Hagen (197, Sr., Hanley Falls, Minn.) is 8-4 on the season after going 6-1 from Nov. 19 through Dec. 3. Hagen is coming off an 11-6 decision over Nick Mart of South Dakota State on Dec. 9.