St. Cloud, Minn. – St. Cloud State head wrestling coach Steve Costanzo and his staff of assistant coaches have announced the newest class of Huskies student-wrestlers. Seven student-wrestlers have signed National Letters of Intent and will join the SCSU wrestling team for 2017-18. This group includes Josh Barzowski (Park Ridge, Ill.), Max McGowan (Gilberts, Ill.), Zach Muller (Woodridge, Ill.), Billy Pitzner (Jefferson, Wisc.), Brady Reigstad (Kandiyohi, Minn.), Noah Ryan (Mantorville, Minn.) and Garrett Vos (St. Bonifacius, Minn.).
“We are very excited to welcome the new additions into the Huskies wrestling family,” said Costanzo. “We continue to look for the right fit for our program and all of these young men fit that mold. I continue to be impressed by their accomplishments and look forward to working with them at a high level.”
Barzowski, hails from Notre Dame College Prep High School in Niles, Ill. He was a 2016 IHSA 152-pound 3A state qualifier and finished his junior campaign with a 33-9 record. This past summer, he placed first in the Illinois State Greco-Roman Championships and second in the Illinois State Freestyle Championships. Barzowski’s older brother Jake, is a member of the Huskies wrestling program. He is the son of Edward and Josephine Barzowski.
Muller, hails from Downers Grove South High School in Downers Grove, Ill. He placed sixth at the 2016 IHSA 3A State Championships. A multiple time All-American in Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, Muller placed fifth at the 2016 USA Wrestling Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D. at 285-pounds. In addition, he placed third at the prestigious Super 32 Championships this past October. He is currently ranked #17 in the country by WUSA Magazine and #7 by WIN Magazine’s best heavyweight wrestlers in the country. He is the son of John Muller and Cheryl Kakuska.
Milton High School and Jefferson, Wisc. native, Pitzner, will join the Huskies after his senior year. Pitzner was the 2016 WIAA Division 1 state champion at 170-pounds. He completed his junior campaign with an overall mark of 49-4. He is a two-time WIAA Division 1 state qualifier and a WIAA D1 Section E Champion. Pitzner has amassed 88 wins in the past two seasons. He is the son of Scott and Heidi Pitzner.
Willmar High School senior, Reigstad, finished as the 2016 3A MSHSL runner-up in the heavyweight division en route to a 40-4 junior campaign. He also finished fourth as a sophomore in the 3A MSHSL championships with a record of 35-10. In addition, Reigstad finished as the runner-up at the prestigious Minnesota High School Christmas Tournament in 2014 and 2015. He is currently ranked as the #25 overall senior heavyweight in the country by WUSA Magazine. He is the son of David and Jessica Reigstad.
Kasson-Mantorville senior and Mantorville, Minn. native, Ryan, captured the 2016 1A MSHSL state championship at 195-pounds. He finished his junior season with an overall record of 46-3. Ryan also placed fifth at the 2015 1A MSHSL at 182-pounds with a 36-11 mark. This past summer he placed second at the Northern Plains Regional Championships in freestyle and qualified for the USA Wrestling National Championships. He is the son of Dan and Kim Ryan.
Vos, a 2016 2A MSHSL state champion at 113-pounds, hails from Waconia, Minn. He had a junior year record of 37-2. He also placed first at the prestigious 2015 Rumble on the Red Championships. In his sophomore campaign, he placed fifth at the 2014 MSHSL 2A state championships with a record of 37-8. Vos is currently the #19 ranked wrestler in the country by WUSA Magazine for seniors at this weight class. He is the son of Len and Wendy Vos.
“We are very excited about this class,” said Assistant Coach Brady Wilson. “Their character, academic and athletic achievements are very impressive. I look forward to working with them on and off the mat.”
The Huskies will officially open competition on Saturday, Nov. 19 with a trip to the Finn Grinaker Open in Moorhead, Minn. Fans will want to mark Dec. 10 on their calendars as that day is the annual Holiday Inn/Huskies Open in Halenbeck Hall. The action begins at 9 a.m. that day in St. Cloud, Minn.