St. Cloud State University adds a national champion to their roster
By Matt Krumrie
It’s cliche, but it’s true: The St. Cloud State University wrestling program doesn’t rebuild - they reload.
Most teams would be ecstatic to be coming off a season that included: A 14-1 dual meet record, including 7-1 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, a second-place finish at the NWCA Multi-Division National Duals, a sixth-straight NCAA Division II Super Region V championship, and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division II national tournament.
And while head coach Steve Costanzo, staff, and team members are proud of what they accomplished last season, they are hungry for more. After all, the Huskies entered the 2022 post-season as the three-time defending NCAA Division II champions, winning titles in 2018, 2019, and 2021 (no championships were held in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic). SCSU also won national titles in 2015 and 2016 and has posted nine top-five team finishes at the NCAA tournament since 2011 under the direction of Costanzo.
The Huskies will have a few new faces in the lineup this season and some weight class changes with veteran returnees. The team returns three NCAA All-Americans in Joey Bianchini (141), Anthony Herrera (157), and Colby Njos (157), and four returning national qualifiers in Paxton Creese (125), Nick Novak (149), Jarred Head (165), and Dominic Murphy (174).