11-time defending Northern Sun Champion has won 88 consecutive conference duals
BURNSVILLE, Minn. – No. 2 St. Cloud State Wrestling has been unanimously selected to win the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in the 2022 NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, earning all nine available first-place votes.
The Huskies have won the last 11 NSIC Championships while winning 88 consecutive conference duals dating back to 2011. Incredibly, St. Cloud State has not lost a home conference dual since February 14, 2010.
“With new faces in our lineup and some possible weight changes from our veteran wrestlers, we are excited for the challenge,” said head coach Steve Costanzo, “I am really excited to put the post-COVID era in the past and focus on what’s really important – the overall well-being of our student-athletes. This should be a very exciting season of collegiate wrestling for the Huskies.”
Under Costanzo, St. Cloud State has gone 99-5 in Northern Sun duals for a .902 winning percentage. SCSU has never finished less than three matches over .500 while earning a top-three conference finish in each of their 14 seasons as a member. 97 Huskies have earned All-NSIC honors and 13 have won individual awards.
141-pounder Joey Bianchini was named the Huskies’ Wrestler to Watch entering 2022-23. Ranked No. 2 at his class in the NWCA Preseason Rankings, Bianchini took Third at the 2022 NCAA Championships while going 30-1 with a 5-0 NSIC record.
“Joey has been one of SCSU Wrestling’s main catalysts over the past four years,” said Costanzo, “He is one of the toughest – physically and mentally – wrestlers that I have had the pleasure of coaching in my career. Bianchini is a leader by example and competes like a warrior. A strong leader on the mat, he also excels in the classroom. He is the complete epitome of what it means to be called a student-athlete.
St. Cloud State (81) earned all nine available first-place votes – as coaches cannot vote for their own team – to earn the top spot in the preseason poll. Augustana (73) received the Huskies’ first-place vote to place second followed by Northern State (56), Mary (53), Parkside (50), Upper Iowa (49) and Minnesota State (36). Southwest Minnesota State (24), Minot State (19) and MSU-Moorhead (9) rounded out the 2022 poll.
Information regarding single dual and season tickets can be found at scsutickets.com. For all the latest on St. Cloud State Wrestling, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.