Minnesota State 34 University of Mary 0

Mavericks Blank Mary in NSIC Opener

Minnesota State Earns Second Shutout Win of the Season

Mankato, Minn. – The Minnesota State Mavericks opened Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference duals on Friday night as they defeated the University of Mary Marauders 34-0. The victory marks the second time this season the Mavericks have shutout an opponent as they also downed Waldorf, 49-0, to start the season.

Senior Andy Forstner, the number one ranked wrestler at 125-lbs, improved his record to 13-9 on the year as he defeated Matt Garcia by a 5-3 decision. The remaining two Mavericks who are ranked in their respective weight classes also came out victorious as senior Ben Becker, ranked seventh in the 174-lb weight class, won an 8-3 decision over Kurt Wiedrich, while junior Aaron Norgren, ranked third in the 184-lb class, won a 6-3 decision against Mary’s sixth-ranked Brady Anderson.

While the Mavericks showed their dominance throughout the night earning riding points in six of the nine matches, the most exciting match of the night belonged to freshman Paul Norgren and Tanner Beaman. Both wrestlers held strong as they didn’t allow a single point through the first three periods forcing the match into overtime. The longest match of the night would take three overtimes to determine a winner but it was Norgren who was able to earn the sudden victory with a two-point takedown.

Freshman Skyler Moore would set the tone early for the Mavericks as he earned a 16-2 win by major decision over Ryan Swelland in the 133-lb weight class. While leading 12-2 in the third period, Moore would earn a three-point near-fall and an additional riding time point before time expired ensuring him his seventh win of the year.

The Mavericks (5-2, 1-0 NSIC) look to carry over their momentum to tomorrow night as they are set to host Northern State University in the team’s second NSIC dual of the season. Action is scheduled to start in Bresnan Arena at 7:00 pm Saturday night.

Minnesota State 34, University of Mary 0
125: #1 Andy Fostner (MSU) dec Matt Garcia (Mary) 5-3
133: Skyler Moore (MSU) MD Ryan Selland (Mary) 16-2
141: Paul Norgren (MSU) dec Tanner Beaman (Mary) 2-0
149: Jesse Westphal (MSU) dec Landon Della Silva (Mary) 5-3
157: Tel Todd (MSU) wins by forfeit
165: Brendan Eichmann (MSU) dec Taylor Nagel (Mary) 6-4
174: #7 Ben Becker (MSU) dec Kurt Wiedrich (Mary) 8-3
184: #3 Aaron Norgren (MSU) dec #6 Brady Anderson (Mary) 6-3
197: Pat Mahan (MSU) dec Kriss McCleary (Mary) 8-1
Hwt: Nate Haynes (MSU) dec Austin Woo (Mary) 2-1

St. Cloud State 24 Saint John’s 12

#2 St. Cloud State Topples #6 St. John’s, 24-12

Collegeville, Minn. – In a battle of two of the nation’s top collegiate wrestling programs at the NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III levels, St. Cloud State University (ranked #2 in the latest NCAA Division II poll) scored a convincing 24-12 win over at St. John’s University (ranked #6 in the latest NCAA Division III poll) on Friday, Jan. 14, in Collegeville, Minn.

The victory moves SCSU’s record to 11-1 on the season, as the Huskies will complete their weekend on the road with a 7 p.m. match at NCAA Division III rival Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Jan. 15.

The Huskies set the tempo early in the match with a big 20-5 technical fall victory by Zach Stewart over SJU’s Scott Padrnos at 125-pounds. At 133-pounds, SJU’s Chad Henle posted a 5-2 win over SCSU’s Eric Ellington as the Huskies maintained a 5-3 lead in the team scores.

At 141-pounds, #7 Gabe Suarez added extra points for SCSU with a 16-7 major decision win over SJU’s Chris Sandy to push the score to 9-3 in favor of SCSU. In a hotly contested match at 149-pounds, #4 ranked Minga Batsukh of SJU gained an 11-8 win over SCSU’s Jacob D. Horn.

The Huskies got back on the winning track at 157-pounds thanks to a 7-2 win by #6 John Sundgren over SJU’s Drew Larson. At 165-pounds, #2 Tad Merritt to dominate this year with a 12-3 major decision win over SJU’s Chris Stevermer. The victory gave SCSU a 16-6 edge in the match.

At 174-pounds, #4 Matt Pfarr of SJU scored a 6-5 thriller against SCSU’s #6 Shamus O’Grady. SJU’s #7 Dustin Baxter also earned a win at 184-pounds with a 7-2 decision over SCSU’s #5 Mic Berg – which made the tally 16-12.

The final outcome was iced at 197-pounds as crafty veteran Lucas Munkelwitz rolled to a 10-3 win for the Huskies against SJU’s Tony Willaert. The win by Munkelwitz pushed SCSU’s team total to 19-12, which pushed the match out of SJU’s reach.

Just to make things certain, SCSU’s #1 Jacob Kahnke topped the evening with a 23-8 technical fall over SJU’s John Linn at 285-pounds.

SCSU fans should plan now to attend the next home match at Halenbeck Hall. The Huskies will host Minnesota State Moorhead at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30. Tickets for the match may be purchased at the gate. All SCSU students with a valid student ID card will be admitted FREE to all regular season home matches in 2010-11. So come on down to Halenbeck Hall and catch some great NCAA wrestling action.

The complete results of the match are listed below:

St. Cloud State 24, Saint John’s 12
125 – Zach Stewart (SCSU) tech. fall Scott Padrnos (SJU), 20-5 [0-5]
133 – Chad Henle (SJU) dec. Eric Ellington (SCSU), 5-2 [3-5]
141 – Gabe Suarez (No. 7, SCSU) major dec. Chris Sandy (SJU), 16-7 [3-9]
149 – Minga Batsukh (No. 4, SJU) dec. Jacob D. Horn (SCSU), 11-8 [6-9]
157 – John Sundgren (No. 6, SCSU) dec. Drew Larson (SJU), 7-2 [6-12]
165 – #2 Tad Merritt (No. 2, SCSU) maj. dec. Chris Stevermer (SJU) 12-3
174 – Matt Pfarr (No. 4, SJU) dec. Shamus O’Grady (No. 6, SCSU), 6-5 [9-16]
184 – Dustin Baxter (No. 7, SJU) dec. Mic Berg (No. 5, SCSU), 7-2 [12-16]
197 – Luke Munkelwitz (SCSU) dec. Tony Willaert (No. 10, SJU), 10-3 [12-19]
Hwt – Jake Kahnke (No. 1, SCSU) tech. fall John Linn (SJU), 23-8 [12-24]

Northern Iowa 21 North Dakota State 19

Bison Fall to Northern Iowa, 21-19

FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State wrestling team dropped a hard fought 21-19 decision to Northern Iowa in the Western Wrestling Conference opener on Friday, Jan. 14 in front of 406 fans at the Bison Sports Arena. The Bison are now 6-2 overall and 0-1 in the WWC. UNI is 6-7 overall and 1-0 in the WWC.

No. 19 Trent Sprenkle got the Bison off to a strong start as he earned a 17-4 major decision over Caleb Flores. Sprenkle tallied five takedowns and two near falls in the win.

The Panthers won the next three straight bouts by decision to take a 9-4 lead going into the 157 pound match. After a scoreless first period between Vince Salminen and David Bonin, Salminen used an early reverse to kick start a 5-1 second period. Salminen earned a point for riding time and brought the Bison to within two points after his 6-2 win.

At 165 pounds, Tyler Johnson gave NDSU a 13-9 lead after pinning Riley Banach in 1:29. Johnson tallied a takedown a minute into the period and was able to flip Banach to his back to get the pin.

Back to back decisions at 174 and 184 pounds for UNI gave the visitors a 15-13 lead. At 197 pounds, Drew Ross withstood two early takedowns from Joe Johnson before notching seven straight points. Ross turned his final takedown into a pin at the 4:22 mark to give the Bison a 19-15 lead.

Ross’ ninth pin of the year was not enough to snap the UNI winning streak as Christian Brantley won the heavyweight bout by forfeit to earn the six points needed for a Panther victory.

The Bison continue WWC action next Sunday, Jan. 23 as they host Northern Colorado at 1 p.m.

Northern Iowa 21, North Dakota State 19
125 – Trent Sprenkle (NDSU) maj. dec Caleb Flores, 17-4
133—Ryan Jauch (UNI ) dec. Justin Solberg, 11-8
141—Joey Lazor (UNI) dec. Trevor Johnson, 9-3
149—Brett Robbins (UNI) dec. Mark Erickson, 5-4
157—Vince Salminen (NDSU) dec. David Bonin, 6-2
165—Tyler Johnson (NDSU) fall Riley Banach, 1:29
174—Brice Wolf (UNI) dec. Steven Monk, 9-3
184 – Ryan Loder (UNI) dec. Kenny Moenkedick, 8-5
197—Drew Ross (NDSU) fall Joe Johnson, 4:22
Hwt—Christian Brantley (UNI) win by forfeit

Johnnie Wrestling Hosts St. Cloud State Friday Night

The nationally-ranked Saint John’s wrestling team hosts No. 2 (Division II) St. Cloud State this Friday, Jan. 14. The dual is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Sexton Arena in Collegeville. – Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Results/Blog

Preview Video:
–Head coach Brandon Novak (2:28)

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: No. 6 SJU (11-3 dual record) finished sixth out of 16 teams at the esteemed NWCA/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals last weekend in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Johnnies defeated No. 26 Johnson & Wales (R.I.) 42-0 in the first round before losing two matches in overtime and forfeiting the heavyweight match in a 24-10 loss to No. 6 Ithaca (N.Y.). SJU bounced back with a 23-18 win over No. 25 Delaware Valley (Pa.) in Saturday’s finale. SJU defeated familiar-foe Concordia-Moorhead 22-21 to advance to the fifth-place dual, which was won by No. 5 Coe (Iowa), 23-18. SJU surrendered six points at the start of each dual due to a forfeit at 125 pounds.

A LOOK AT THE HUSKIES: SCSU (10-1 dual record) captured third place at the Division II Duals last weekend. The Huskies opened the tournament with a 32-6 win over Limestone (S.C.) and then charted a 27-9 win over No. 13 North Carolina-Pembroke on Jan. 8. In day two of the tournament, the Huskies lost a tough 18-15 decision to No. 3 Augustana (S.D.). SCSU rebounded in the match for third place with a convincing 25-9 win over No. 5 Newberry (S.C.).

NATIONAL RANKINGS: Saint John’s fell to No. 6 in the latest Brute-Adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III team rankings released Jan. 11. Five of the Johnnies’ starting 10 were ranked individually: senior Matt Baarson (15-2 record; Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park) moved up two spots to No. 3 at 165 pounds; senior Minga Batsukh (11-1 record; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.) slipped one spot to No. 4 at 149; junior Matt Pfarr (12-4 record; Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) rejoined the rankings at No. 4 at 174; junior Dustin Baxter (12-4 record; Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley) moved up one spot to No. 7 at 184; and senior Tony Willaert (9-6 overall record, 8-4 record at 197; North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) stayed at No. 10 at 197.

The Huskies were ranked No. 2 in the latest NCAA Division II Coaches’ poll released Jan. 4. Six Huskies were ranked individually: Gabe Suarez (No. 7 at 141 pounds), John Sundgren (No. 6 at 157), Tad Merritt (No. 2 at 165), Shamus O’Grady (No. 6 at 174), Mic Berg (No. 5 at 184) and Jake Kahnke (No. 1 at 285).

RECENT SERIES: SJU is 6-9 against the Huskies in the last 15 meetings, including a 3-4 record in Collegeville. Each of the last two meetings, both wins by SCSU (17-16 and 22-17), have been decided by one match.

LAST YEAR’S MEETING: A forfeit at 125 pounds proved to be the difference as then-No. 9 (NCAA Division II) St. Cloud State defeated then-No. 9 (NCAA Division III) Saint John’s 22-17 on Feb. 11 in St. Cloud. Senior Drew Larson (Willmar, Minn.) started the dual at 149 pounds with a 13-5 major decision to give SJU an early 4-0 lead. The Huskies took their first lead at 6-4 with a pin from John Sundgren at 157 pounds. Baarson improved to 21-2 on the season with an 11-4 decision at 165. Baarson was two seconds away from a major decision as the referee began to count back points as the match ended. SCSU regained the lead with a decision at 174 before the evening’s lone upset occurred. Sophomore Mitch Hagen(Sunburg, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) upset Derek Skala, the third-ranked 184-pounder in NCAA Division II, by a 6-4 decision. The victory gave SJU its last lead of the dual at 10-9.

The Huskies took a 22-10 lead via a major decision, decision and forfeit at 197, 285 and 125, respectively. The Johnnies fought back, literally, to win the dual’s final two matches. Mogi Baatar was down 9-2 early in the third period before outscoring his opponent 13-5 to claim a 15-14 victory at 133. Batsukh improved to 10-2 on the season with a 13-3 major decision to end the dual. Pfarr did not compete at 174 pounds for the Johnnies due to injury.

125 – Trent Herold (SCSU) wins by forfeit [10-22]
133 – Mogi Baatar (No. 6, SJU) dec. Shane McQuade, 15-14 [13-22]
141 – Minga Batsukh (No. 2, SJU) major dec. Gabe Suarez, 13-3 [17-22]
149 – Drew Larson (SJU) major dec. Jacob Horn, 13-5 [4-0]
157 – John Sundgren (No. 8, SCSU) pinned John Vaith, 1:22 [4-6]
165 – Matt Baarson (No. 6, SJU) dec. Joe Andersen, 11-4 [7-6]
174 – Shamus O’Grady (SCSU) dec. Dustin Raygor, 7-2 [7-9]
184 – Mitch Hagen (SJU) dec. Derek Skala (No. 3), 6-4 [10-9]
197 – Luke Munkelwitz (No. 6, SCSU) major dec. James Carlson, 19-5 [10-13]
Hwt – Jake Kahnke (No. 6, SCSU) dec. Tony Willaert, 11-6 [10-16]

SDSU Jacks open conference schedule with UNI

The South Dakota State wrestlers host the no. 43 (Intermat) Northern Iowa Panthers Saturday in the Jackrabbits’ first Western Wrestling Conference matchup of the season. Action is slated to begin at 7 p.m. from Frost Arena.

Aaron Pickrel leads the Jackrabbits with a 5-2 duals record and an 18-7 overall record. Five of Pickrel’s wins were by fall with the fastest in one minute three seconds. Four other Jacks have three dual wins this season in Nick Flynn (3-3 duals, 8-11 overall), Kevin Kelly (3-6 duals, 8-12 overall), David Michaud (3-4 duals, 7-4 overall) and Tony Vaske (3-1 duals, 12-7 overall). Five of Michaud’s seven wins on the season were by fall, with the remaining wins by decsion.

The probable lineup for the Jacks includes: Pickrel (125 pounds), open at 133 pounds, Tyler Johnson (141 pounds), Jimmy Hamilton (149 pounds), Flynn (157 pounds), Seth Moe (157 pounds), John Nething II (165 pounds), Joe Rasmussen (165 pounds), Michaud (174 pounds), Scott Elliott (184 pounds), Cord Willers (197 pounds) and Kelly (285 pounds).

This week’s Competition 
Northern Iowa Panthers – Northern Iowa enters the week’s WWC matchups with a 5-7 record on the season. The Panthers face the North Dakota State Bison Friday before heading to Frost Arena Saturday.

No. 13 (Intermat) Ryan Loder, a 184-pound redshirt freshman, claimed his second WWC weekly honor this week after a 3-0 record over ranked oppenents at the 2011 National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen National Duals last weekend. Loder upset Missouri’s no. 13 Mike Larson 3-1 before defeating no. 20 Cody Magrum (Ohio State) and no. 11 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State). Loder is 16-8 on the season and has won nine of his last 11 matches.

The Panthers also boast ranked-wrestler no. 15 Christian Brantley, a 285-pound junior. Brantley finished the National Duals last week with a 2-1 record. At the Duals, Brantley dropped a 5-2 decision against no. six Dom Bradley (Missouri). He went on to top Dom Jontony (Ohio State) and Tyson Yoder (Oklahoma State). Brantley is 18-5 on the season, including 10-2 in duals.

Wrestlers on Facebook – Fans can show their support for the Jackrabbit wrestlers on Facebook. Log onto Facebook.com/JackrabbitWrestling to keep up with the Jackrabbit grapplers.

Fans can also follow Jackrabbit Athletics on the all new Facebook page by logging onto Facebook.com/SDSU.Jackrabbit.Nation. If the new page reaches 5,000 fans or “likes” by Wednesday, Jan. 19, SDSU will send a promo code to every fan of the page that allows them to purchase $10 general admission tickets to the Jan. 22, basketball doubleheader vs. IPFW.

Jackrabbit Extra – Subscribers to the Jackrabbit Extra on GoJacks.com can view select SDSU wrestling matches live on the internet. To subscribe to the Jackrabbit Extra, log onto GoJacks.com, select Jackrabbit Extra on the Audio/Video tab and click  “sign up.”

Jackrabbit Insider on FOX and FSN –  “Jackrabbit Insider” airs at 10:30 p.m. Sundays on KTTW FOX 7.  The show can also be seen on FOX Sports North Tuesdays at 6 p.m. CT. FOX College Sports Central will air the program Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. “Jackrabbit Insider” is also available through the Jackrabbit Extra video on-demand service at GoJacks.com.

Hosted by Tyler Merrium, “Jackrabbit Insider” is a weekly half-hour program that provides Jackrabbit fans with a behind-the-scenes look at South Dakota State University Athletics.

Last week – The Jacks added the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals to the schedule last week with duals agaisnt no. four Wisconsin and no. 29 Oregon State.

Nick Flynn led the Jacks at the Duals with a 2-0 record and scored the only points for the Jacks as the team dropped the dual to Wisconsin 42-3 and Oregon State 45-3. Flynn defeated Charles York (Wisconsin) by a 5-2 decision and Alex Elder (Oregon State) by a 6-4 decision.

Next Up – The Jacks host Northern Colorado at Frost Arena Jan. 21 at 7 p.m.  The wrestlers wrap up January with a road trip to Wyoming and Air Force Jan. 28 and 29.

Gophers Prep for Big Ten Opener

MINNEAPOLIS — The No. 5 Golden Gophers (8-3 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) return to action this weekend with a pair of duals including just the second home dual of the season for Minnesota. The Gophers open the Big Ten season on Friday night against Indiana at 7 p.m. in the Sports Pavilion. The Hoosiers (10-2 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) are coming off a dominating performance at the IU Duals, combining to outscore its opponents 140-9. Minnesota follows up the conference opener with a short bus ride to Ames, Iowa on Sunday for a 2 p.m. dual against Iowa State. The Cyclones (6-4 overall) are coming off 2-3 performance at the National Duals that led to an eighth-place finish at the event.

Follow the Action
Can’t see the Gophers live and in person? Both of this weekend’s duals will be broadcast online. Friday’s home dual will be streamed online at BigTenNetwork.com, and Sunday’s dual at Iowa State can be watched in the GoldZone at Gophersports.com. You can also follow the action with live stats, and results on Gophersports.com and the Golden Gopher Wrestling social media sites.

Match of the Meet(s)
Each and every Gopher wrestling match is full of excitement and entertainment but this weekend two bouts stand out among the rest. Friday’s Match of the Meet is a heavyweight contest between No. 5 Tony Nelson of Minnesota and No. 17 Ricky Alcala of Indiana. The two heavyweights met in the wrestlebacks of this year’s Southern Scuffle with Nelson picking up a 2-0 decision. Sunday’s Match of the Meet pits No. 8 Scott Glasser against top-ranked and unbeaten John Reader in a battle of 174 pounders.

2001 NCAA Title Team Honored
Minnesota will honor the 2001 NCAA Championship team during Friday’s dual against Indiana as the team celebrates the tenth anniversary of Minnesota’s first-ever national title. Not only was the 2001 team the first program in college wrestling history to field a team of 10 All-Americans, but the Gophers also won the team title without having a single wrestler in the championship round — another first for the NCAA tournament.

Last Time Out
The Gophers are coming off a 4th-place finish at the 2011 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Minnesota opened the event with a 26-9 win over Northern Illinois and added an 18-17 come-from-behind win over No. 6 Boise State to close out Day One. But a semifinal matchup against No. 1 Cornell ended in a 20-16 loss for the Gophers and No. 4 Wisconsin added salt to the wound with a 19-17 win over the Gophers in the consolation finals. Zach Sanders (125 lbs.), Mike Thorn (141 lbs.) and Tony Nelson (285 lbs.) each posted four wins for the Gophers over the weekend.

Next Up
Minnesota heads back on the road next weekend with a pair of Big Ten duals against nationally ranked teams. The Gophers take on No. 21 Purdue in West Lafayette next Friday at 6 p.m. CST before competing against No. 15 Illinois on the road on Sunday at 1 p.m. CST.

Get Score Updates on Your Phone
Fans can get scoring updates from all of Golden Gopher athletics through the Twitter page @GopherScores. Just find and follow @GopherScores, 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.

SJU Ranked Sixth Nationally, Five Wrestlers in Top 10

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The Saint John’s University wrestling team fell to No. 6 in the latest Brute-Adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III team rankings released Jan. 11.

NWCA Team Rankings | NWCA Individual Rankings

Other teams ranked from the NCAA Great Lakes Region include Augsburg (No. 3), Concordia-Moorhead (No. 7), Elmhurst (No. 24) and North Central (No. 27).

Five of the Johnnies’ starting 10 were ranked individually: senior Matt Baarson (15-2 record; Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park) moved up two spots to No. 3 at 165 pounds; senior Minga Batsukh (11-1 record; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.) slipped one spot to No. 4 at 149; junior Matt Pfarr (12-4 record; Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) rejoined the rankings at No. 4 at 174; junior Dustin Baxter (12-4 record; Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley) moved up one spot to No. 7 at 184; and senior Tony Willaert (9-6 overall record, 8-4 record at 197; North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) stayed at No. 10 at 197.

The Johnnies return to action this Friday, Jan. 14, against No. 2 (Division II) St. Cloud State. The dual is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Sexton Arena in Collegeville and will be broadcast live on WBHR-660 AM The Bear.