The St. Cloud State University wrestling team, which is scheduled to open its 2020-21 season on Jan. 7 with an NSIC match at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., has been selected as the number one ranked team in The Open Mat’s Division II preseason poll.
The Huskies earned 105 points in the The Open Mat’s poll, while Lindenwood was second with 69.5 points and Nebraska-Kearney was third with 57 points.
Individually, SCSU’s Garrett Vos (133-pounds), Jake Barzowski (157-pounds) and Kameron Teacher (285-pounds) all earned number one rankings in The Open Mat’s individual rankings for the Huskies. At 141-pounds, SCSU’s Joey Bianchini was ranked third and Garrett Aldrich was ranked #5 at 149-pounds for the Huskies. At 165-pounds, Devin FitzPatrick ranked second at 165-pounds and Noah Ryan was ranked #4 at 197-pounds.
SCSU won its ninth consecutive NSIC championship in 2019-20 with a 16-0, 8-0 NSIC record. The Huskies have won NCAA Division II team titles in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019 under the leadership of head coach Steve Costanzo. SCSU ended the 2019-20 season as the nation’s top-ranked NCAA DII team before the COVID pandemic halted competition at the 2020 NCAA championships last year.
SCSU has also captured first place honors at both the NWCA DII National Duals and the NCAA DII Super Region tournaments for the last four consecutive seasons.
The Huskies will return five All-Americans to its roster this season including Vos, Barzowski, Bianchini, FitzPatrick, and Ryan. A transfer from Notre Dame (Ohio), Teacher also gained All-America honors at Notre Dame prior to his transfer to SCSU. Of note, Vos, Barzowski, and FitzPatrick are all two-time All-Americans for the Huskies.
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