Meuleners named Wrestler of the Year; Costanzo named Coach of the Year
NSIC Wrestler of the Year
Matt Meuleners (285lbs, R-Jr., Norwood Young America, Minn. / Central HS
Northern State University
Meuleners was voted by the league coaches as the NSIC Wrestler of the Year after he won his second straight NCAA Division II national championship. Meuleners defeated St. Cloud State’s Jacob Kahnke in the championship match, scoring the match’s only takedown in the sudden victory overtime period to secure the win. With that win, his 32nd of the season, Meuleners becomes only the second two-time national champion in NSU wrestling history and the only one to do it in Division II.
He finished the season with a 32-2 record and won his last 26 matches. He won the Super Region #3 Championship was a first team DII All-Academic selection and is now a three-time All-American.
NSIC Rookie of the Year
Blake Sorensen (165lbs, Fr., Denver, Iowa / Denver HS)
Upper Iowa University
Sorensen was voted by the league coaches as the 2011-12 NSIC Rookie of the Year. Sorensen was the runner-up at 165 pounds at the NCAA Super Region #3 Championships, losing only to SCSU’s Tad Merritt (the NCAA’s Most Dominate Wrestler in 2012). He finished with a 21-12 record and won his class at the Brute Adidas Open and was third at the Loras Open. A national qualifier, Sorensen went 1-2 at the National Championships.
NSIC Coach of the Year
Steve Costanzo
6th Season
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State Head Coach Steve Costanzo was voted by his peers for the second consecutive season as the NSIC Wrestling Coach of the Year. St. Cloud State enjoyed its best seasons in team history as they placed second in the nation for the second straight year at the 2012 NCAA Division II championships; won the 2012 NCAA Division II Super Region #3 title and set a team record with a 21-0 dual meet record in 2011-12. The second place national finish tied for the highest national tournament finish for the Huskies in team history, and the Huskies took top honors for the first time at the elite NWCA National Duals in 2012. Coach Costanzo’s overall record at SCSU currently stands at 79-23.
To view the complete NSIC release click HERE
2011-12 NSIC ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
| Name | Wt. | Yr. | School | Hometown |
| Corey Ulmer | 125 | Sr. | MSU Moorhead | Ashley, N.D. |
| Trevor Franklin | 133 | Sr. | Upper Iowa | South New Berlin, N.Y. |
| Trevor Johnson | 141 | So. | U-Mary | Bismarck, N.D. |
| Nate Herda | 149 | Jr. | Augustana | Rock Rapids, Iowa |
| Winston Robbins | 157 | Sr. | Upper Iowa | Broadview, Ill. |
| Tad Merritt | 165 | Sr. | St. Cloud State | Canby, Minn. |
| Shamus O’Grady | 174 | Jr. | St. Cloud State | Coon Rapids, Minn. |
| Mitch Schultz | 184 | Jr. | Upper Iowa | Postville, Iowa |
| Lucas Munkelwitz | 197 | Sr. | St. Cloud State | Forest Lake, Minn. |
| Matthew Meuleners | 285 | Jr. | Northern State | Norwood Young America, Minn. |
2011-12 NSIC ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
| Name | Wt. | Yr. | School | Hometown |
| Cody Lensing | 125 | Sr. | Augustana | Mounds View, Minn. |
| *David Demo | 125 | So. | Minnesota State | Bozeman, Mont. |
| Jason Jeremiason | 133 | Sr. | Augustana | Marshall, Minn. |
| *Andrew Pokorny | 133 | Jr. | St. Cloud State | Bennington, Neb. |
| *Justin Reinsma | 133 | So. | SMSU | Slayton, Minn. |
| Chism Fink | 141 | Sr. | Augustana | Harrisburg, S.D. |
| Jacob Horn | 149 | R-Sr. | St. Cloud State | Ephrata, Wash. |
| Jacob Bennett | 157 | Jr. | MSU Moorhead | Apache Junction, Ariz. |
| Blake Sorenson | 165 | Fr. | Upper Iowa | Denver, Iowa |
| *Taylor Nagel | 165 | Sr. | U-Mary | Victor, Mont. |
| *Cody Quinn | 165 | Fr. | Minnesota State | Covington, Wash. |
| Carl Serek | 174 | Sr. | Augustana | Hudson, S.D. |
| Derek Skala | 184 | Sr. | St. Cloud State | Owatonna, Minn. |
| Sean Derry | 197 | So. | Augustana | Omaha, Neb. |
| Jake Kahnke | 285 | R-Jr. | St. Cloud State | Shakopee, Minn. |
| *Zach Rosol | 285 | Sr. | Upper Iowa | Nashua, Iowa |
NSIC All-Conference Criteria
The highest place-winner at the NCAA Regional Tournament from each weight class shall be named all-conference first team. The runner up will be named all-conference second team.
*Also, any wrestler that earns NCAA All-American honors will also be recognized as second team all-conference.
2012 NCAA ALL-AMERICANS
125 – Cody Lensing Sr., Augustana – 2nd Place
133 – Jason Jeremiason, Sr., Augustana – 5th Place
141- Chism Fink, Sr., Augustana – 4th Place
141 – Trevor Johnson, So., U-Mary – 6th Place
165 – Taylor Nagel, Sr., U-Mary – 5th Place
125 – David Demo, So., Minnesota State – 7th Place
165 – Cody Quinn, Fr., Minnesota State – 7th Place
285 – Matt Meuleners, Jr., Northern State – 1st Place
133 – Justin Reinsma, So., SMSU – 7th Place
133 – Andrew Pokorny, Jr., St. Cloud State – 2nd Place
165 – Tad Merritt, Sr., St. Cloud State – 3rd Place
174 – Shamus O’Grady, Jr., St. Cloud State – 4th Place
184 – Derek Skala, Sr., St. Cloud State – 1st Place
197 – Lucas Munkelwitz, Sr., St. Cloud State – 4th Place
285 – Jake Kahnke, Jr., St. Cloud State – 2nd Place
133 – Trevor Franklin, Jr., Upper Iowa – 1st Place
184 – Mitch Schultz, Jr., Upper Iowa – 5th Place
285 – Zach Rosol, Sr., Upper Iowa – 5th Place
The NSIC boasts 18 of the 80 All-American wrestlers in the nation.