#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Scores Big Win Over #3 Augustana
St. Cloud, Minn. – – The St. Cloud State University wrestling team proved once again why it is the top team in the nation with a 26-9 dual win over No. 3 ranked Augustana College Friday night in its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference home dual of the season.
The No. 1 ranked Huskies (17-0, 4-0 NSIC) have now won 22 consecutive dual matches while avenging their last dual loss, which Augustana (9-2, 1-1 NSIC) handed them last January.
St. Cloud State has posted dual-match victories against five of the nation’s top 10 teams this season as SCSU started the match with a pin from junior and No. 1 ranked heavyweight Jake Kahnke (Monticello) and never looked back.
Kahnke is now 25-1 on the season after pinning his opponent in 4:24 to set the tone early.
Then sophomore Dylan Wright (Inver Grove Heights) handed Augies Cody Lensing his first loss of the season (10-1) with a 5-3 decision to improve to 13-9 on the season.
Junior Andy Pokorny (Bennington, Neb.) then earn a solid 9-6 win over No. 2 ranked Jason Jeremiason who was also previously undefeated (10-1) in the 133-pound match.
Pokorny made the scored 12-0 and earned his 14th win of the season (14-4).
Freshman Jay Hildreth (Council Bluffs, Iowa) kept things going with a 2-1 win in his 141-pound match to make it 15-0 in favor of SCSU at 149.
Senior and No. 1 ranked Tad Merritt (Canby) then fought up a weight at 174 pounds and made quick work of his opponent. He posted an 18-1 technical fall in the middle of the second period push the score to 20-9.
Senior Derek Skala (Owatonna) posted a 4-2 win over his opponent to improve to 19-2 on the season. He is currently ranked No. 3 in the country at 184 pounds.
Sophomore Mic Berg (Inver Grove Heights) put an end to the match with a 5-2 decision to improve his individual record to 14-7 this season at 197.
The Huskies will next compete against Southwest Minnesota State University at 7:00 p.m. in Canby, Minn. Saturday evening as the original home event was moved to the wrestling-rich high school and home to Merritt.
St. Cloud State 26 Augustana 9
125: Eric Forde, SCS, dec. Cody Lensing, AUSD, 5-3
133: Andrew Pokorny, SCS, dec. Jason Jeremiason, AUSD, 9-6
141: Jay Hildreth, SCS, dec. Chism Fink, AUSD, 3-1
149: Nate Herda, AUSD, dec. Josh Howk, SCS, 11-10
157: Marcus Edgington, AUSD, dec. Jacob R. Horn, SCS, 6-4
165: Matt Morris, AUSD, dec. Dan Dick, SCS, 4-2
174: Tad Merritt, SCS, tech. fall Thomas Davies, AUSD, 3:00 18-1
184: Derek Skala, SCS, dec. Jayd Docken, AUSD, 4-2
197: Michael Berg, SCS, dec. Sean Derry, AUSD, 5-2
285: Jake Kahnke, SCS, pinned Brian Schultz, AUSD, 4:24