MOORHEAD, Minn. — The MSUM wrestling team will close their home dual schedule this weekend as the Dragons welcome fifth-ranked St. Cloud State to Nemzek Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. on Friday. MSUM will then host Minnesota State Mankato at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
MSUM will honor four seniors and a senior student manager on Friday night ahead of the dual with the Huskies. The seniors being honored are as follows: Samuel Grove (197 pounds) – Moorhead, Minn. – Major: MS in Counseling, Emphasis in Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Cody Dravis (165 pounds) – Park Rapids, Minn. – Major: Construction Management
Anthony Castro (174 pounds) – Rupert, Idaho – Major: Communication Studies, Event Planning and Promotion Emphasis; Andre Baguma (Heavyweight) – Fargo, N.D. – Major: Exercise Science, Health & Fitness; and Chloe Lear (Student Manager) – Pipestone, Minn. – Major: Elementary Inclusive Education.
The Dragons are 1-6 in dual competition and are 0-5 in NSIC duals this season. MSUM lost their most recent dual on the road to Minot State last Thursday. Jacob Davis led the Dragons in that dual with a 23-5 technical fall victory over Minot State’s Isaac Ortega. On Sunday, 12 MSUM wrestlers competed at the North Country Open hosted by Saint John’s University. Jonas Anez and Andre Baguma took runner-up honors at the open in their respective weight classes. Gunnar Mogen also picked up three wins in the open, finishing third at 149 pounds.
Jonas Anez leads the Dragons with 14 victories so far this season, followed closely by Clayson Mele (12) and Thomas Carrillo (11). The freshman Anez has won two matches by fall, one by technical fall and five by major decision so far this season. He is coming off a weekend where he wrestled in the Minot State dual Thursday, competed unattached at the Worthington Open on Saturday and the North Country Open on Sunday. Anez’s record in that four-day span was 5-3.
Anez leads the team in major decisions, but Gunnar Mogen leads the Dragons with five victories by fall so far this season. Mogen collected his fifth pin of the year at the North Country Open on Sunday against Ridgewater’s Taedon Nichols. Mogen also leads the team with two technical falls this season. Carrillo, Davis and Anez all have a technical fall on their ledger this season as well.
Kris Nelson is in his 14th season as head coach of MSUM wrestling.
Know Your Enemy
St. Cloud State is currently the fifth-ranked team in the country, according to the NWCA poll. They bolster seven nationally-ranked wrestlers in their probable starting lineup. That bunch is headlined by Abner Romero, who is the top-ranked 174-pounder in the nation. The Huskies also have ranked wrestlers at 125 (#7 Paxton Creese), 133 (#11 Sam Spencer), 141 (#11 Alyeus Craig), 149 (#8 Joey Bianchini), 157 (#2 Nick Novak) and 197 pounds (#10 Dominic Murphy). St. Cloud State is 9-1 in duals with a 2-1 NSIC record with their lone loss to seventh-ranked Parkside. Last weekend, the Huskies defeated Minnesota State Mankato 40-0 at home in a dual rout. Steve Costanzo is in his 17th season at the helm of St. Cloud State wrestling.
Minnesota State Mankato was previously ranked by the NWCA poll earlier this season but has since fallen into the receiving votes category. They are led by two nationally-ranked wrestlers in, seventh-ranked Darrell Mason (heavyweight) and 12th-ranked Brock Luthens (141 pounds). The Mavericks are 4-2 in duals this season with wins over Southwest Minnesota State, CSU Pueblo, San Francisco State and Simon Fraser. Mankato’s two losses came at the hands of St. Cloud State (40-0) and UMary (23-15). Jim Makovsky is in his 30th season as head coach of the Mavericks.
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MSUM Probable Lineup
125 – Clayson Mele (12-10)
133 – Thomas Carrillo (11-10)
141 – Hunter Hayes (4-12)
149 – Jacob Davis (3-5)
157 – Peyton Ringling (3-12)
165 – Jonas Anez (14-19) OR Cody Dravis (1-4)
174 – Anthony Castro (9-7)
184 – Brett Graham (3-6)
197 – Samuel Grove (5-9)
HWT – Andre Baguma (3-4)
St. Cloud State Probable Lineup
125 – # 7 Paxton Creese OR Ashton Clark
133 – #11 Sam Spencer OR Caleb Meekins
141 – #11 Alyeus Craig
149 – #8 Joey Bianchini
157 – #2 Nick Novak OR Blake Legred
165 – Anthony Herrera OR Jimmy Pierandozzi
174 – #1 Abner Romero OR Bryce Dagel
184 – Shaeden Scheidt OR Bryce Fitzpatrick OR Tyson Meyer
197 – #10 Dominic Murphy
HWT – Elijah Novak
Minnesota State Mankato Probables Lineup
125 – Open
133 – Isaiah Mlsna
141 – #12 Brock Luthens OR Max Schwabe
149 – Caleb Meunier OR Wilson Bastyr
157 – Drake Hayward
165 – Kole Marko
174 – Mike Smith OR Brody Nielsen
184 – Nic Leo OR Shane Gibson
197 – Max Villnow OR Dylan Butts
285 – #7 Darrell Mason
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