Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs

Academic All-NSIC Announced; 8 Mustang Wrestlers Earn Honors

BURNSVILLE, Minn. — The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference has announced the 2022-23 Winter All-Academic team, with 55 Southwest Minnesota State University student-athletes being recognized during the winter season.

To be eligible for the NSIC All-Academic Team, members must have a 3.20 cumulative GPA or higher, while to be named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence, a student-athlete must have a 3.60 cumulative GPA or higher.

Additionally, the student-athlete must be a member of the varsity traveling team and in at least their second year of competition at their current institution (true freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible).

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NWCA Releases Final NCAA Division II Men’s Rankings

MANHEIM, Pa. – With the NCAA Division II National Championships coming for 50 of NCAA DII’s 64 teams, the top two ranked teams in the NWCA Division II Coaches Rankings stayed the same. Central Oklahoma held the top spot heading into the season’s final event in the rankings compiled from the DII ranking committee’s seeding released Friday afternoon.

The Bronchos, fresh off of a team win at the Super Region 4 Championships, have a DII-best 10 Nationa Qualifiers, with nine seeded in the top 8 and another at #9 for all 10 UCO starters adding to the 104 points amassed by the top vote-getters. Lander (84 points), who won the Super Region 2 championship last week, holds at #2 after qualifying nine wrestlers, seven of which are seeded in the top 8 for next weekend’s National Championships. St. Cloud State and UW-Parkside both totaled 67 points to tie for the third-place spot, with Adams State rounding out the top 5 with 61 total points.

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Mustangs place two at Super Regionals

Aberdeen S.D. – The Mustangs had two wrestlers place at the NCAA Super Regional V tournament on Saturday, Feb. 25.

After losing his first-round match by a 2-1 decision, Sean Howk picked up the first victory of the day for the SMSU wrestling team with his 4-2 victory in the first tiebreaker round against Minnesota State’s Drake Hayward. Howk would pick up where he left off against Hayward in the third consolation round, as he managed to defeat Minot State’s Peyton Ringling by a 6-2 decision. Unfortunately for Howk, he was defeated by Upper Iowa’s Eric Faught in the consolation semifinals by an 8-1 decision. The loss sent Howk to the fifth-place match against Miles Fitzgerald (AUGIE). Howk battled Fitzgerald into overtime, where he lost 4-2 in a sudden victory for Fitzgerald.

Elijah Sterner was the other Mustang wrestler to pick up a victory at the regional tournament. After receiving a bye in the first round, Sterner was defeated by Max Bruss (UMary) by a 4-2 decision. In the consolation side, Sterner matched up with Cael Meyer from Upper Iowa. Sterner took Meyer down early and secured a fall (1:59). Sterner then was on the other end of a fall, as he lost to Kolby Kost (AUGIE). Elijah then took part in the fifth-place match, where he was matched up with Anthony Castro (MSUM). Sterner took Castro to the wire, failing to secure a takedown as time expired. Castro won by 9-7 decision.

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