College News

Vikings slated to face Dakota Wesleyan, Southwest Minnesota State

This week: No. 2 Augustana (11-1, 5-0 NSIC) will face a non-conference and conference opponent on the road this week, traveling to Dakota Wesleyan (1-4) on Thursday and Southwest Minnesota State (4-2, 0-2 NSIC) on Friday.  Both duals begin at 7 p.m.

Last time out: Augustana picked up another pair of conference dual victories at home last week, defeating No. 3 St. Cloud State and No. 7 Minnesota State.  The Vikings jumped out to a 12-0 lead and won six matches by decision to defeat the Huskies 18-13 Thursday evening.  Augustana’s seven wins by decision lifted the Vikings past the Mavericks 21-10 Friday night.

Northern Sun honors:  The NSIC announced Monday that Ty Copsey has been named Wrestler of the Week for his performance in the Vikings’ wins over St. Cloud State and Minnesota State last week.  Copsey, a senior from Glenwood, Iowa, notched two wins for against the Huskies and Mavericks. Both of his victories at 197 pounds locked up a win for Augustana, putting the Vikings ahead by more than six points. On Thursday against SCSU, Copsey blanked Luke Munkelwitz 4-0. He followed that by taking a 6-3 decision from MSU’s Pat Mahan on Friday. The senior is currently ranked No. 2 in Division II.

DateWrestler
Nov. 29Cody Lensing
Jan. 10Jason Jeremiason
Jan. 31Ty Copsey

Non-Division II contest:  Thursday’s dual with Dakota Wesleyan, an NAIA representative, will be the Vikings’ fourth contest this season against a non-Division II member.  The Vikings are 3-0 against non-Division II programs in 2010-11, having beat Division III-institution Augsburg 25-6 and NAIA-members the University of Sioux Falls 47-0 and Northwestern (Iowa) 42-0.  In fact, the Vikings have given up no points to an NAIA school this season.

The last time:  Augustana handled both Dakota Wesleyan and Southwest Minnesota State fairly easily when the programs met last season.  The Vikings ousted the Tigers 40-9 in Mitchell, S.D., and topped the Mustangs 36-6 at home.

The standings: The Vikings are in sole possession of first place in the NSIC standings as they are the only team with a blemish-free conference mark (5-0).  There are three teams with one conference loss–Minnesota State, Upper Iowa and St. Cloud State–two of which the Vikings have already defeated this season (MSU and SCSU).

Neutral site:  The Vikings’ lone loss the season came at a neutral site when No. 1-ranked Nebraska-Omaha edged Augustana 17-15 at the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  The Vikings are 5-0 at home and 3-0 on the road in 2010-11.

By the numbers:  Augustana’s 11-1 record has included its fair share of one-sided wins this season.  The Vikings have pitched shutouts twice and held opponents to just six points five times.  Augustana has outscored its opponents 343-92 this season.

A chance at history:  The Vikings have an opportunity to post the most dual victories by a squad in school history if they win out the rest of the season.  Augustana has four duals left, and a win in each would give the Vikings 15 for the season, breaking the previous record of 14.  Augustana reached 14 wins during the 2004-05 season–also under the guidance of head coach Jason Reitmeier.

Viking lineup: 

Wt.Wrestler
125Al Meger
133Jason Jeremiason OR Cody Lensing
141Sam Fischenich
149Nate Herda OR Chism Fink
157Austin Carmichael
165Gavin Nelson
174Matt Morris
184Tom Davies OR Brian Schultz
197Sean Derry
285Lance Peters OR Mike Roberts

Duals to finish:  From here on out, the Vikings’ schedule is filled with duals.  Augustana has no opens for the remainder of the season.

National news: Augustana climbed one spot and is ranked No. 2 in the latest NCAA Division II wrestling rankings released Jan. 19 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. The Vikings received 152 points.  Augustana had been ranked third in each poll prior to the Jan. 19 edition.

Date
Ranking
Oct. 213rd
Dec. 83rd
Jan. 43rd
Jan. 22nd

Who’s ranked: The Vikings had six individuals ranked in the latest NCAA Division II rankings. Defending national champion Jay Sherer gave up his No. 1 position at 149 pounds for the first time this season, falling to No. 4.  Marcus Edgington (157 pounds) and Ty Copsey (197 pounds) were both No. 2 at their respective weights. Gavin Nelson (165 pounds) and Carl Serck (174 pounds) were both No. 6, while Nate Herda (149 pounds) was No. 8.  To view the latest national rankings, click here.

Northern Sun rankings:  Augustana is ranked No. 2 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.  The Vikings accumulated 61 points in the conference rankings.  Individually, Jay Sherer (141 pounds), Nate Herda (149 pounds), Marcus Edgington (157 pounds) and Ty Copsey (197 pounds) each took the No. 1 position. Others in the top five included Al Meger (No. 3 at 125 pounds), Cody Lensing (No. 3 at 133 pounds), Gavin Nelson (No. 2 at 165 pounds), Carl Serck (No. 3 at 174 pounds) and Lance Peters (No. 4 at 285 pounds).  To view the complete conference rankings, click here.

Regionally speaking:  The Vikings are No. 2 in Super Regional Three after earning 56 points in the inaugural rankings released Dec. 9.  Jay Sherer,Nate Herda, Marcus Edgington and Ty Copsey were all ranked No. 1.  Others in the top five were Al Meger (No. 3 at 125 pounds), Cody Lensing(No. 3 at 133 pounds), Gavin Nelson (No. 3 at 165 pounds), Carl Serck (No. 4 at 174 pounds) and Lance Peters (No. 4 at 285 pounds).  To view the complete region rankings, click here.

#3 St. Cloud State Update

Upcoming Matches:
Feb. 4 – Northern State at SCSU, 7 p.m.
Feb. 5 – Mary at SCSU, 2 p.m.

www.stcloudstate.edu

HUSKIES HEADLINERS: 

  • #3 St. Cloud State University (15-2) will offer a special Youth/Prep Wrestling Weekend on Feb. 4-5. All youth (12th grade and under) will be admitted for just $1 to the SCSU wrestling matches on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5. The #3 ranked Huskies will battle NSIC rival Northern State University at 7 p.m. on Feb. 4 in Halenbeck Hall. The weekend of wrestling will be completed with a 2 p.m. home match against NSIC rival University of Mary. This special price to attend the matches is an excellent way for youngsters to check out some excellent NCAA wrestling action in Halenbeck Hall this weekend. As always, all SCSU students are admitted FREE to all regular season home wrestling matches in 2010-11.
  • WATCH ON THE WEB! The upcoming matches vs. NSU and Mary can be viewed on the web by going to this website:http://pennatlantic.com
  • Over 50 alumni wrestlers were on hand to celebrate Husky Wrestling Alumni Day at SCSU on Jan. 30. SCSU responded to the big crowd in Halenbeck Hall with a big 38-3 win over visiting MSU Moorhead. The victory tied a team record for dual wins in a season, as the Huskies are now 15-2 in 2010-11. The 15-win record was originally set by SCSU during the 1964-65 season. Wrestlers from all eras of SCSU wrestling were on hand for the event, which concluded with an evening social at DB Searle’s in downtown St. Cloud. SCSU opened its week with a tough 18-13 loss to #2 Augustana in Sioux Falls. A well-played match, Augie relied upon two OT victories in the dual to gain the edge. A highlight of that match was SCSU’s #5 John Sundgren win over #2 Marcus Eddington at 157-pounds. SCSU’s #1 Jake Kahnke gained a major decison win at heavyweight, while #2 Tad Merritt won at 165-pounds and Mic Berg won at 184-pounds.
  • The Huskies were ranked #3 in the latest DII Coaches’ Poll behind Nebraska Omaha. Here is a rundown of SCSU’s nationally ranked wrestlers in 2010-11: Jacob D. Horn (#4 at 149-pounds), John Sundgren (#5 at 157-pounds), Tad Merritt (#2 at 165-pounds), Shamus O’Grady (#7 at 174-pounds), and Jake Kahnke (#1 at 285-pounds). The poll was released on Jan. 19.
  • Junior Tad Merritt continues to lead the Huskies this season with 27 victories (27-3) and 11 pins. Merritt is ranked #2 in the nation.
  • At 285-pounds, #1 ranked Jake Kahnke is 19-1 this season for SCSU.
  • SCSU placed 3rd at the 2011 NWCA Division II National Duals on Jan. 8-9. The third place finish is the best in team history for the Huskies at the DII National Duals.
  • The St. Cloud State University wrestling team (14-7, 5-2 NSIC/3rd) captured 7th place at the 2010 NCAA Division II wrestling championships on March 12-13, in Omaha, Neb. This marks the Huskies best NCAA finish since capturing 7th place in 1983. This also marked the best finish for the Huskies at the NCAA tournament since Steve Costanzo took over as head coach in 2006-07. This marked the 8th time since 1975 that SCSU has charted a top-10 place at the NCAA championships. The 7th place finish is the best ever for the Huskies at the NCAA DII level. SCSU placed eighth at the nationals in 2009, 1986 and 1976. SCSU also placed third at nationals during the 1963 and 1965 seasons as an NAIA affiliate.
  • The Huskies qualified 8 wrestlers for the NCAA championships in 2010. SCSU wrestlers earning All-America status at the meet were Jacob Kahnke (4th place at 285), Tad Merritt (5th place at 165), Shamus O’Grady (6th place at 174) and Gabe Suarez (8th place at 141). This marked the first All-America finish for Kahnke, O’Grady and Suarez, while Merritt is now a two-time All-America award winner for the Huskies. The four All-Americans ties a team record for the Huskies, as SCSU also brought home four NCAA All-America honors in 1983 and 1975.
  • The Huskies will have two major targets on the wrestling room wall this season. First up is the 2011 NCAA Regional championships on Feb. 27 in Sioux Falls, S.D. This tournament serves as a qualifier for the other big date – March 11-12, which is the 2011 NCAA DII championships.

Augustana’s Copsey named NSIC Wrestler of the Week

BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced Monday that Augustana’s Ty Copsey has been named Wrestler of the Week for his performance in the Vikings’ wins over St. Cloud State and Minnesota State last week.

Ty CopseyCopsey, a senior from Glenwood, Iowa, notched two wins for No. 2-ranked Augustana against the Huskies and Mavericks. Both of his victories at 197 pounds locked up a win for Augustana, putting the Vikings ahead by more than six points. On Thursday against SCSU, Copsey blanked Luke Munkelwitz 4-0. He followed that by taking a 6-3 decision from MSU’s Pat Mahan on Friday. The senior is currently ranked No. 2 in Division II.

The Vikings beat No. 3 SCSU 18-13 and No. 7 MSU 21-10.

Copsey’s award marks the third for a Viking this season; Cody Lensing picked up the honor on Nov. 29, while Jason Jeremiasonwas the Jan. 10 recipient.

Augustana (11-1, 5-0 NSIC) travels to Dakota Wesleyan (1-4) on Thursday and Southwest Minnesota State (4-2, 0-2 NSIC) on Friday.

Border Brawl Pits No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 3 Wisconsin

This year’s Border Brawl hits new heights as Sunday’s Big Ten dual brings together two of the best teams in Division I college wrestling. In a rematch of a close, hard-fought battle at this year’s National Duals, No. 3 Wisconsin comes to Minneapolis on Sunday to take on No. 4 Minnesota at the Sports Pavilion. The Badgers narrowly edged the Gophers 19-17 in the consolation final on Jan. 9 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The Gophers (12-3 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) have been going strong since then however, leading the Big Ten with three wins over Indiana, Purdue and Illinois and going 4-0 overall (Iowa State) since the loss to Wisconsin. The Badgers (9-1-1, 0-0-1) are looking for their first conference win of the season after opening the Big Ten season with 19-19 tie with Illinois at home on Jan. 16. Wisconsin currently sits sixth in the Big Ten standings and picked up a 22-15 win over soon-to-be-conference foe Nebraska last Friday.

Follow the Action
Can’t make it to the Sports Pavilion this Sunday? Follow the action online. Gophersports.com will be providing live, streaming coverage of the Minnesota-Wisconsin dual in the Gold Zone. You can also follow the dual with a live blog throughout the dual and by following Golden Gopher Wrestling on Facebook and Twitter. A dual recap, photo gallery, interviews and more will be published on Gophersports.com following the dual.

Get Updates on Your Phone
Fans can get scoring updates from all of Golden Gopher athletics through the Twitter pages @GopherScores and @GoldenWrestling. Just find and follow the selected Twitter accounts, then set up your phone or mobile device to receive the text updates. If you are not already on Twitter, you will need to create an account.

Follow the Gophers
Want exclusive, up-to-the-minute access to Golden Gopher Wrestling? Follow the team online at twitter.com/gopherwrestling andfacebook.com/gopherwrestling for news, results and other exclusive content.

Last Time Out
The Gophers picked up a pair of Big Ten victories last weekend with wins over nationally ranked opponents. The Maroon and Gold opened with the weekend with a 26-15 win over No. 23 Purdue in West Lafayette on Friday night before taking down No. 15 Illinois 25-16 on Sunday afternoon in Champaign. Against the Boilermakers, Minnesota jumped out to a 20-0 lead after picking up bonus points in the first four matches of the night (Sanders, D. Thorn, M. Thorn, Mincey). No. 8 Scott Glasser added a key 4-2 win in the 174 lbs. match over No. 9 Luke Manuel, and Tony Nelson shut the door with a 4-3 decision in the heavyweight match.

Sunday’s afternoon dual was a back-and-forth affair with the teams splitting the opening six matches. But a three-match swing for the Gophers (C. Yohn, Glasser and Steinhaus each picked up decision wins in three of the last four matches) overcame a small lead by the Illini and carried the Gophers to their Big Ten-leading third conference win of the season.

Next Up
Minnesota kicks off its first of two-straight road duals next Saturday in Columbus with a 6 p.m. CST contest against Ohio State. The Big Ten Network will broadcast the dual live. The Buckeyes take on No. 13 Michigan tonight at 6 p.m. — that dual can also be seen on the Big Ten Network. Ohio State currently sits in eighth place in the conference (2-6-0, 1-2-0), losing 33-3 to Iowa last weekend.

Match of the Meet
Each and every Gopher wrestling match is full of excitement and entertainment but this weekend one bout stands out among the rest. Sunday’s dual against Wisconsin will feature two of the top heavyweight wrestlers in the country in Tony Nelson and Eric Bugenhagen. And these two grapplers are well aware of each other.

Nelson, ranked ninth in the nation by Intermat, earned a close 2-1 decision over Bugenhagen in the final matchup between Minnesota and Wisconsin at this year’s National Duals. While Nelson earned the individual win, Bugenhagen prevented the Gophers redshirt freshman from scoring the bonus points that Minnesota needed to tie or win the dual. Nelson is on a three-match winning streak while Bugenhagen has not lost since wrestling Nelson — going 2-0 in dual action this month.

Robinson Celebrates 25 Years
The University of Minnesota will honor head wrestling coach J Robinson for his 25 years of service to the program during the Gophers’ dual against Iowa next month. Robinson has brought the program to a new level during his tenure including coaching the Gophers to the first three NCAA titles in school history (2001, 2002, 2007).

Johnnies Face In-State Rivals Tonight

The No. 6 Johnnie wrestling team travels to Perham for a trio of duals against familiar opponents tonight. SJU is scheduled to face St. Olaf at 4 p.m., No. 7 Concordia-Moorhead at 6 p.m. and No. 2 Augsburg at 8 p.m. The quadrangular will be held at Perham High School. – Concordia’s Live Blog/Live Results

Preview Video:
–Head coach Brandon Novak (1:04)

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: The Saint John’s backups posted a 31-11 victory over St. Olaf last week. The Johnnies jumped out to a 12-0 lead via a forfeit at 125 pounds and a pin from freshman Alex Peck (Edina, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret’s) at 133. The Oles’ Ryan Timmerman put the home team on the scoreboard with a technical fall, but freshman Joe Hessing (Loretto, Minn./Delano) gave SJU six more points with a pin in the ensuing match. St. Olaf rattled off two straight wins, its only other wins on the night, at 157 and 165 to cut the deficit to 18-12. Freshman Nick Schuler (Roseville, Minn./Totino-Grace) put the Johnnies back in the win column with an 8-3 decision at 174. The Oles were deducted a team point when Pesta shoved Schuler’s head to the mat at the end of the bout. Senior Dustin Raygor (St. Croix Falls, Wis.) tallied a major decision, 15-7, over Andrew Rudd at 184, while sophomore Mitch Hagen (Sunburg, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) posted an 8-5 decision. Freshman John Scepaniak (Avon, Minn./Holdingford) ended the dual with a 6-0 shutout win at heavyweight.

A LOOK AT THE OLES: St. Olaf lost its most recent dual to No. 7 Concordia-Moorhead 34-9 Jan. 21. Ryan Timmerman (141 pounds) and Joey Waples (165 pounds) tallied the only wins for the Oles. Timmerman recorded a pin 2:12 into the match against Concordia’s Ben Anderson, while Waples posted a 9-4 decision over Jordan Bendson. Timmerman and Waples also lead the team with records of 19-6 and 15-3, respectively.

A LOOK AT THE COBBERS: No. 7 Concordia-Moorhead won eight of 10 individual matches against St. Olaf to record a 34-9 win Jan. 21. It is the fourth-straight dual meet win and fifth in the past six matches. Phil Moenkedick (184 pounds) recorded his 22nd victory this season to improve his record to 22-1. Moenkedick remained at No. 1 in the latest Brute-Adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III individual rankings. Justin Berns, who is ranked No. 5 at 157 pounds, posted his 18th victory to advance to an 18-3 record. Moenkedick and Berns each have 122 career wins and need three more to break the school’s all-time win record. The Cobbers’ other ranked wrestlers are Ben Presler (No. 7, 125 pounds), Daron Hohbein (No. 10, 133 pounds) and Ross Dankers (No. 5, 174 pounds).

THE LAST MEETING: Then-No. 3 SJU lost four matches and the forfeit to the No. 7 Cobbers, including two one-point decisions, but still held on for the 22-21 win at the National Duals a few weeks ago. Concordia jumped out to a 9-0 lead with a 7-6 decision over junior Chad Henle (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer) at 133 pounds, before seniors Chris Sandy (Spirit Lake, Iowa) and Minga Batsukh (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.) posted back-to-back pins to give SJU a 12-9 lead. The Cobbers’ then- No. 4 Justin Berns narrowly escaped senior Drew Larson (Willmar, Minn.) with a 5-4 win due to riding time. Then-No. 3 senior Matt Baarson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park) tallied his fourth consecutive major decision of the tournament (13-1) at 165 and junior Matt Pfarr (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) tallied a 4-2 upset of then-fourth-ranked Ross Dankers to build a 19-12 lead. Top-ranked Phil Moenkedick defeated junior Dustin Baxter (Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley) 8-3 to cut it to 19-15 with two weights to go, but senior Tony Willaert (North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) clinched the win with a 6-1 victory at 197.

A LOOK AT THE AUGGIES: No. 3 Augsburg (5-3 dual record) lost to No. 1 (Division II) Nebraska-Omaha, 21-12, in its most recent dual Jan. 20. The Auggies’ wins included Josh Roberts (No. 5, 125 pounds); Tony Valek (No. 3, 149 pounds), who upset No. 1 Esai Dominguez; Orlando Ponce (No. 5, 165 pounds); and Jared Massey (No. 2, 197 pounds). Other ranked Augsburg wrestlers include: Cody Hansen (No. 10, 141 pounds), Zach Molitor (No. 2, 174 pounds) and Brad Baus (No. 6, 184 pounds).

THE LAST MEETING: Then-No. 1 Augsburg scrambled out of a 15-12 deficit with a pair of wins at 197 pounds and heavyweight to defeat then-No. 11 Saint John’s 19-15 Jan. 14, 2010, in Collegeville. The Auggies jumped out to a 7-0 lead via a major decision at 125 pounds and an 11-5 decision at 133 pounds. The Johnnies answered with two consecutive wins to cut the deficit to 7-6. Batsukh defeated Jafari Vanier 4-2 at 141 pounds. Senior Drew Larson (Willmar, Minn.) then defeated Lucas Murray, 5-2. Augsburg’s Jason Adams earned a technical fall at 157 pounds to increase the lead to 12-6. SJU answered, however, and took control of the dual with three consecutive wins. Baarson improved his record to 14-2 on the year with a 4-3 upset win over then-No. 6 Orlando Ponce at 165 pounds. Pfarr tied the dual at 12-12 with an upset win of his own, an 8-5 victory over then-No. 3 Zach Molitor in overtime. Senior James Carlson (Royalton, Minn.) then gave the Johnnies their first lead of the dual with an 11-7 win at 184 pounds. Jared Massey re-gained the lead for Augsburg, 16-15, with a major decision. With the dual yet to be decided, the Auggies’ Andy Witzel, ranked No. 7, edged Cody Socher via a takedown in the final minute, 3-2.

JOHNNIES STAY AT NO. 6; BAARSON RANKED NO. 1: Saint John’s stayed at No. 6 in the latest Brute-Adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III team rankings released Jan. 25. Five of the Johnnies’ starting 10 were ranked individually. Senior Matt Baarson (15-2 record) moved up two spots to No. 1 at 165 pounds despite not wrestling since the last rankings were released. He has won 13 of his last 14 matches, including each of the last seven. Baarson joins Concordia-Moorhead’s Phil Moenkedick (184 lbs.) as Minnesota’s other top-ranked wrestler in Division III. Senior Minga Batsukh (12-1 record) remained fourth at 149, junior Matt Pfarr (13-4 record) held steady at No. 4 in the 174-weight class, and junior Dustin Baxter (13-4 record) was seventh at 184. Pfarr started the season with a 4-3 record, but has won nine of his last 10 matches and each of the last six. Senior Tony Willaert (9-7 overall record, 8-5 record at 197) moved up one spot to No. 9 at 197 despite a loss in his last match. Pfarr and Baxter failed to move up the national rankings despite wins over nationally-ranked wrestlers from Division II St. Cloud State. Pfarr upset then-No. 6 Shamus O’Grady by a 6-5 margin, while Baxter posted a convincing 7-2 upset of then-No. 5 Mic Berg.

Wrestling Graduate Assistant Position

GRADUATE ASSISTANT: South Dakota State University is accepting applications for a wrestling graduate assistant. Responsibilities include working with all aspects of the wrestling program. In addition to a monthly stipend, 2/3 of tuition is waived. Cover letter, resume and transcripts with three references (include phone numbers) should be sent via email to Jason Liles, Head Wrestling Coach at Jason.Liles@sdstate.edu. Applications will be reviewed immediately.

Mustangs Host No. 10 Upper Iowa in NSIC Dual

MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University wrestling team will host No. 10 Upper Iowa University in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference dual on Friday night. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m. in the PE Gym on the campus of Southwest Minnesota State.

Follow us live: All NSIC wrestling matches are video broadcast live free of charge by New Media TV. Log onto www.northernsun.org/live.cfm to learn more and to watch the Mustangs when they are on the road! Or go to www.smsumustangs.com and click on the Live Video Webcasts tab on the right hand side of the page.

Bring on the NSIC: The Mustangs spent two months competing in open tournaments and in duals with non-conference teams before opening the NSIC schedule on Jan. 19.

Peacocks at a glance: Upper Iowa enters the dual ranked No. 10 in the NWCA Top 20 Poll. The Peacocks are 2-0 on the season and will wrestle Minnesota State on Thursday night in Mankato. Upper Iowa’s 2-0 dual record was put up against NSIC foes U-Mary and Northern State. The Peacocks defeated the Marauders 34-6 on Jan. 13 before downing Northern State 25-15 on Jan. 16.

The Peacocks have five wrestlers ranked in the top 8 in the latest edition of the individual rankings. Trevor Franklin, third at 125 pounds, Kyle Pedretti, first at 133 pounds, Mitch Schultz, sixth at 184 pounds, Carl Broghammer, sixth at 197 pounds and Zach Rosol, fifth at 285 pounds are ranked in the NWCA individual rankings released on Jan. 19.

Results vs. the Peacocks: Southwest Minnesota State is 0-6 all-time against Upper Iowa. The two teams first met during the 1991-92 season. Last season, Upper Iowa took eight of 10 bouts en route to a 35-12 win over the Mustangs on Jan. 29, 2010 in Fayette, Iowa. SMSU’s 12 points came from current Mustang Brian Rodas who won by fall and former Mustang Brandan Schunk who also won by fall.

Volkmann to Sign Autographs Sunday

MINNEAPOLIS — Former Gopher All-American and current Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Jacob Volkmann will be on hand to sign autographs on Sunday afternoon prior to the fourth-ranked Gophers’ dual against No. 3 Wisconsin.

A three-time All-American at Minnesota, Volkmann remains one of the best wrestler’s to ever don the Gophers singlet. His career record of 127-36-0 and 34 career pins each rank ninth all-time at the school while  Volkmann was an integral part of the first national championship team in Minnesota history. In his first-year on the mat for the Gophers, Volkmann fought his way to a fourth-place finish at the 2001 NCAA Championships as one of 10 All-Americans for the Gophers that year – a feat that had never been accomplished by a team at the national tournament up to that point. Volkmann followed up with a third-place finish at the national championship in 2003 and a fourth-place finish in 2004, the same year he claimed his first Big Ten championship at 165 lbs.

A native of Henning, Minn., Volkmann currently competes in the UFC lightweight division and holds 12-2 mixed martial arts record with a three-bout winning streak. His latest fight was a three-round split decision victory over Antonio McKee on January 1, 2011 at UFC 125: Resolution in Las Vegas.

Sunday’s dual pits two of the top wrestling programs in the nation against each other as the No. 4 Gophers host No. 3 Wisconsin at 2 p.m. at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis. The Gophers wrestling team will be signing autographs following the dual.