SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Southwest Minnesota State University wrestler, Cole Wilson won the true-fourth place match to punch a ticket to his third straight NCAA National Tournament. Southwest Minnesota State finished seventh in the tournament with 39.5 points.
Six Mustang wrestlers made it through the first day of the Super Region III Tournament, but Wilson was the lone Mustang to qualify for the National Tournament.
Taylor Curtis started things for SMSU at 125 pounds with an 8-6 decision, but suffered an 18-3 tech. fall in the quarterfinals. In the second round of wrestle backs, he recorded a 3-2 decision to advance.
Patrick Kelley fell in his first round at 157, 6-1 and received a bye his first round of wrestle backs, before receiving a victory by forfeit over in the second round.
Kegen Fingalsen won his first bout at 165 with a 6-2 decision. In the quarterfinal round he suffered a 6-3 decision, before rebounding with a 9-7 decision in the second round of wrestle backs.
Kyle Begin started with a pin at 2:07 at 174 pounds, but suffered a 5-3 decision in the quarterfinals. He responded with another pin in the second round of wrestle backs at 2:21.
Brody Goens won by a 14-2 major decision in his first bout at 184 pounds. He suffered a 19-7 tech. fall in the quarterfinals, but bounced back with a 12-4 major decision in the second round of wrestle backs.
Cole Wilson started the regional with an 8-1 decision, but lost a hard-fought bout, 1-0, in the quarterfinals. In the second round of wrestle backs, he recorded a pin at 1:44 to advance.
In the final day of the tournament, Taylor Curtis started off with a 3-2 decision to stay alive. He suffered a 6-3 decision in the consolation semifinals and a 6-3 decision in the fourth-place semifinal match to finish the regional in sixth place.
Patrick Kelley started the day suffering an 11-6 decision to finish the regional 2-2, before Kegen Fingalsen lost by a 2-1 decision to also finish with a 2-2 record.
Kyle Begin started off the day with a pin at 6:46 to advance to the consolation semifinals, but gave up a pin at 6:45 in the match to be knocked out contention of a qualifying bid. He finished fifth in the tournament after capping the weekend off with a 4-2 decision in the fourth place semifinals.
Cole Wilson began the final day with a 6-2 decision, but suffered a 5-1 decision in the consolation semifinal. Wilson kept alive with a 6-0 decision in the fourth-place semifinal bout and got some help to advance to a true fourth place match. In the qualifying match, Wilson earned a 7-4 decision to advance to his third-consecutive DII NCAA National Tournament.
Wilson will compete at the Division II NCAA National Tournament on March 11-12 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
2016 NCAA Division II Super Region III Qualifier Results
SMSU Individual Records at Super Region III:
125 | Taylor Curtis 3-3
133 | Antonio Meikel 1-2
141 | Cortez Arredondo 1-2
149 | Paul Norgren 0-2
157 | Patrick Kelley 2-2
165 | Kegen Fingalsen 2-2
174 | Kyle Begin 4-2
184 | Brody Goens 2-2
197 | Ashton Bartlett 0-2
285 | Cole Wilson 5-2