St Cloud State St. Cloud, Mn
By Tom Nelson - tnelson@stcloudstate.edu

#1 SCSU Wrestling to Host SJU on Feb. 2- Military Appreciation Night/Prep Night

The #1 St. Cloud State University wrestling team (18-0, 5-0 NSIC) will host St. John's University at 7 p.m. on Feb. 2 in Halenbeck Hall. This match has been designated as Military Appreciation Night and Prep Night at St. Cloud State.

All active members of the military and veterans will receive free admission to the match in honor of Military Appreciation Night. The Prep Night promotion will offer a special $1 admission price to any student in 12th grade or lower.

Plenty of great seats will be available for this match at the gate.

If you can't make it to the match, you can listen to the match live on WBHR AM 660 with Mark Lewandowski leading the call. You can listen on the web at http://www.660wbhr.com/

You can also watch a live video stream of the match at: http://www.pennatlantic.com/main.php?tableName=event&fileName=results&recordId=&module=event-results&orderBy=&searchIt=yes&sport=0&month=0&day=01&year=2009&conferenceId=29&schoolId=0

SCSU's Pokorny Named NSIC Wrestler of the Week

#1 St. Cloud State University redshirt junior Andy Pokorny (Bennington, Neb.) has been selected as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Week on Jan. 30.

At 133-pounds, Pokorny helped lift the No. 1 Huskies to a big dual match victory over #3 Augustana on Jan. 27 in St. Cloud, Minn. Pokorny posted a 9-6 decision victory over then undefeated and No. 2 ranked wrestler in the nation, Jason Jeremiason.

The victory helped spark the 26-9 win by the Huskies over the Vikings at Halenbeck Hall. A transfer from Nebraska and Nebraska-Omaha, Pokorny is 14-4 this season for the Huskies at 133-pounds. SCSU improved to 18-0 overall and 5-0 in the NSIC.

This marks the fifth time this winter that the Huskies have received NSIC Wrestler of the Week honors.

The Huskies will return to the mats on Feb. 2 with a 7 p.m. match in Halenbeck Hall against nearby rival St. John's University. This match has been designated as Military Appreciation Day and all active members of the military and veterans will be admitted free to this match.

As a special salute to the military, the Huskies will be wearing camo singlets for the match. These singlets will then be auctioned off after the match with the proceeds being donated to a selected military charity.

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Rolls to 33-6 Win Over Southwest Minnesota State

Canby, Minn. - The #1 ranked St. Cloud State University wrestling team improved to 18-0, 5-0 NSIC with a 33-6 victory over Southwest Minnesota State University in a match wrestled at the Canby H.S. gymnasium on Jan. 28 in Canby, Minn.

The only lost two matches on the night to claim the victory. SCSU opened with a win at 125-pounds by Eric Forde to gain a 4-0 lead. At 141-pounds Matt Leibforth added a 7-3 victory to push the score to 7-3. Josh Howk added to his impressive pin total this winter with a win at 4:34, which made it 13-3. Howk now has 16 pins this season for SCSU, which ranks 2nd in Husky history.

At 157-pounds, Jacob R. Horn earned a major decison to push the SCSU lead to 17-3. #1 Tad Merritt added another win to his belt with a pin at 5:15 (15th pin of the year) and the score stood at 23-6. Merritt is now 27-2 this year for the Huskies.

#3 Derek Skala padded the lead to 26-6 with a win at 184-pounds, while Chris Brassell posted a win for the Huskies at 197-pounds. The match was completed by a major decision win by #1 Jake Kahnke at 285-pounds to make the final 33-6.

The Huskies will continue their 2011-12 season on Feb. 2 with a home match against local rival St. John's University at 7 p.m. This match has been designated as Military Appreciation Night and all acitve military and veterans will be admitted free to this match. The Huskies will be wearing special camo singlets in the match and those singlets will be auctioned off after the match with all proceeds going to a designated military charity.

Tickets for this match can be purchased at the gate. For more information on this match call 320-308-2996.

St. Cloud State 33
Southwest Minnesota State 6 (at Canby, Minn.)
125 - Eric Forde maj. dec. Travis Borchert, 14-4, SCSU leads 4-0
133 - Justin Reinsma dec. Zach Stewart, 9-7 OT, SCSU leads 4-3
141 - Matt Leibforth dec. Ethan Hildebrandt, 5-2, SCSU leads 7-3
149 - Josh Howk pinned Codie Lane at 4:34, SCSU leads 13-3
157 - Jacob R. Horn maj. dec. Josh Anderson, 10-1, SCSU leads 17-3
165 - Jacob Begin dec. Dan Dick, 10-5, SCSU leads 17-6
174 - Tad Merritt pinned Trent Molacek at 5:15, SCSU leads 23-6
184 - Derek Skala dec. Micah Larson, 11-6, SCSU leads 26-6
197 - Chris Brassell dec. Martin Hagen, 6-4, SCSU leads 29-6
285 - Jacob Kahnke maj. dec. Cole Wilson, 11-2, SCSU leads 33-6

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Scores Big Win Over #3 Augustana

St. Cloud, Minn. - - The St. Cloud State University wrestling team proved once again why it is the top team in the nation with a 26-9 dual win over No. 3 ranked Augustana College Friday night in its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference home dual of the season.

The No. 1 ranked Huskies (17-0, 4-0 NSIC) have now won 22 consecutive dual matches while avenging their last dual loss, which Augustana (9-2, 1-1 NSIC) handed them last January.

St. Cloud State has posted dual-match victories against five of the nation's top 10 teams this season as  SCSU started the match with a pin from junior and No. 1 ranked heavyweight Jake Kahnke (Monticello) and never looked back.

Kahnke is now 25-1 on the season after pinning his opponent in 4:24 to set the tone early.

Then sophomore Dylan Wright (Inver Grove Heights) handed Augies Cody Lensing his first loss of the season (10-1) with a 5-3 decision to improve to 13-9 on the season.

Junior Andy Pokorny (Bennington, Neb.) then earn a solid 9-6 win over No. 2 ranked Jason Jeremiason who was also previously undefeated (10-1) in the 133-pound match.

Pokorny made the scored 12-0 and earned his 14th win of the season (14-4).

Freshman Jay Hildreth (Council Bluffs, Iowa) kept things going with a 2-1 win in his 141-pound match to make it 15-0 in favor of SCSU at 149.

Senior and No. 1 ranked Tad Merritt (Canby) then fought up a weight at 174 pounds and made quick work of his opponent. He posted an 18-1 technical fall in the middle of the second period push the score to 20-9.

Senior Derek Skala (Owatonna) posted a 4-2 win over his opponent to improve to 19-2 on the season. He is currently ranked No. 3 in the country at 184 pounds.

Sophomore Mic Berg (Inver Grove Heights) put an end to the match with a 5-2 decision to improve his individual record to 14-7 this season at 197.

The Huskies will next compete against Southwest Minnesota State University at 7:00 p.m. in Canby, Minn. Saturday evening as the original home event was moved to the wrestling-rich high school and home to Merritt.

SCSU Wrestling Ranked #1 in NCAA DII Super Region 3

The St. Cloud State University wrestling team (16-0, 3-0 NSIC) maintained its number one ranking in the latest NCAA Division II Super Region 3 rankings, which were released on Jan. 25.

The Huskies were tops on the regional list with 56 points, followed by Augustana (44), Upper Iowa (42), UW-Parkside (23), Maryville (17), MSU Mankato (14), Indianapolis (12), Mary (9), MSU-Moorhead (7), Northern State (7), Southwest Minnesota State (6), Newman (3).

SCSU placed several wrestlers at the top of the regional rankings for the individual brackets. Senior Tad Merritt (Canby) was ranked #1 in the region at 165-pounds, while senior Derek Skala (Owatonna) was ranked #1 at 184-pounds. Senior Lucas Munkelwitz (Forest Lake) was ranked first at 197-pounds and junior Jake Kahnke (Shakopee) was ranked number one at 285-pounds.

Junior Shamus O'Grady (Coon Rapids) was ranked #2 in the region at 174-pounds, while Jacob Horn received a #3 ranking at 157-pounds. SCSU redshirt fresh Josh Howk (Blue Springs, Mo.) was ranked #5 at 149 and freshman Jay Hildreth (Council Bluffs, Iowa) was ranked fifth at 141-pounds.

At 125-pounds, sophomore Dylan Wright (Inver Grove Heights) was ranked fifth in the region and at 133-pounds, junior Andy Pokorny (Bennington, Neb.) was ranked fourth in the Super 3 Region.

The Huskies will get back to action on Jan. 27 with a 7 p.m. home match in Halenbeck Hall against Augustana (ranked #2 in the region this week). On Jan. 28, the Huskies will travel to Canby, Minn. for a match against Southwest Minnesota State in the gym at Canby H.S. The match there will begin at 7 p.m.

Fans should make plans now to attend the upcoming 2012 NCAA Division II Super Region 3 tournament on Feb. 26 at St. Cloud State. Action in Halenbeck Hall will get underway that day at 10 a.m. Call 1-877-SCSUTIX or 320-308-2137 for complete ticket information on the Regional at SCSU.

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Scores a 37-9 Win At Minnesota Moorhead

Moorhead, Minn. - The #1 St. Cloud State wrestling team charted a 37-9 win at Minnesota State Moorhead on Jan. 21. The victory improved the Huskies' overall record to 16-0 and 3-0 NSIC.

The complete results from the dual match at Moorhead are listed below:

SCSU 37, MSUM 9
149 - Josh Howk defeatsTyler Steinwand (Pin in 1st period)
157 - Jacob Horn defeats Kerron Williams (7-3 Decision)
165 - Jacob Bennett wins by forfeit
174 - Tad Merritt defeats Trent Sovde (Pin in 2nd period)
184 - Derek Skala defeats Kody Kalkbrenner (Technical 15-0 in 2nd period)
197 - Chris Brassell defeats Eric Lehmann (Major Decision)
HWT - Jacob Kahnke defeats Gerad Fugleberg - (Pin 2:11)
125 - Corey Ulmer defeats Dylan Wright (7-4 Decision)
133 - Zach Stewart defeats Graelin Garlington (Major Decision)
141 - Matt Leibforth defeats Connor MacGregor (Major Decision)

The Huskies will return to action on Jan. 27 with a 7 p.m. start against Augustana at Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud.

SCSU Wrestling Defeats Concordia Moorhead 33-6

NCAA Wrestling Box Score
Final Score:
#15 Concordia-Moorhead 6, #1 St. Cloud State 33
Date: January 15, 2012
Location: Moorhead, Minn.
Arena: Concordia College - Memorial Auditorium
Start Time: 7 p.m.
End Time: 8:25 p.m.
Total Time: 1:25
Attendance: 207

Individual Match Results: Team Score
125 - Dylan Wright (SCSU) win by forfeit 0-6
133 - Daron Hohbein (CC) dec. Andy Pokorny (SCSU); 7-5 3-6
141 - Jay Hildreth (SCSU) maj. dec. Michael Holman (CC); 14-4 3-10   
149 - Josh Howk (SCSU) dec. Kyle LeDuc (CC); 4-3 3-13   
157 - Jacob R. Horn (SCSU) dec. Jake Long (CC); 8-1 3-16 
165 -Josten Coleman (CC) dec. Dan Dick (SCSU); 7-6 6-16
174 - Tad Merritt (SCSU) pin fall Sebastian Gardner (CC); 2:08 6-22   
184 - Derek Skala (SCSU) maj. dec. Zach Deffinbaugh (CC) 15-5 6-26
197 - Luke Munkelwitz (SCSU) dec. Nate Schmitz (CC); 5-3 6-29  
285 - Jacob Kahnke (SCSU) maj. dec. Cody Kasprick (CC); 10-2 6-33

Match Notes:
- Concordia is ranked 15th in the latest DIII poll and St. Cloud State is No.1 in DII
- #15 Concordia is now 4-7 in dual meets this season.
- #1 St. Cloud State is now 15-0 in dual meets this season.
- St. Cloud State won eight of the 10 individual matches in the dual
- St. Cloud State won three matches by decision, three by major decision, one by pin fall and one by forfeit.
- Concordia won two matches by decision.

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Rolls to 41-3 Win Over UW-Eau Claire

ST. CLOUD, Minn. - The No. 1 ranked St. Cloud State University wrestling squad made easy work of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds in a 41-3 match Wednesday night at Halenbeck Hall.

The Huskies (13-0) opened their first home event of the season with a pair of forfeits in the 125 and 133-pound class before freshman Jay Hildreth (Council Bluffs, Iowa) pinned his opponent in 1:51 to take a commanding 18-0 lead.

Junior Jacob R. Horn (St. Michael) then recorded the only other pin of the match in the 157-pound match as he recorded a pin in the second round (3:47).

Sophomore Jack Barnes (Inver Grove Heights) recorded a major 11-3 win in the 174-pound class and sophomore Chris Brassell (Park Ridge, Ill.) recorded the second and final major decision of the day at 197 with a 12-4 win.

Freshman Dan Dick (Inver Grove Heights) earned a 7-2 win over in the 165-pound division, before junior Kurt Salmen (Dassel) won the 184-pound match with a 6-3 victory.

Heavyweight and freshman Caleb White (Neola, Iowa) finished the night with a 3-1 win after recording a takedown late in the third period to end the night.

The Huskies will be back on the road this week, as they compete against Concordia College, Moorhead at 7:00 p.m. Friday night in Moorhead, Minn.

SCSU 41, UW-EC 3
St. Cloud State over Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Match Summary
SCS
WEC
125
Eric Forde (St. Cloud State) won by forfeit over Unknown (Unattached) .
6.00
0
133
Andrew Pokorny (St. Cloud State) won by forfeit over Unknown (Unattached) .
6.00
0
141
Jay Hildreth (St. Cloud State) won by pin over Steve Fisher (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) 1:51.
6.00
0
149
Ryan Seidler (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) won by decision over Josh Howk (St. Cloud State) 3-1.
0
3.00
157
Jacob R. Horn (St. Cloud State) won by pin over Brandon Stradel (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) 3:47.
6.00
0
165
Dan Dick (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Levi Polus (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) 7-2.
3.00
0
174
Jack Barnes (St. Cloud State) won by major decision over Tyler Kennedy (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) 11-3.
4.00
0
184
Kurt Salmen (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Matt Rieckhoff (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) 6-3.
3.00
0
197
Chris Brassell (St. Cloud State) won by major decision over Luke Ortscheid (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) 12-4.
4.00
0
285
Caleb White (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Joe Pitsch (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) 3-1.
3.00
0

St. Cloud- #1 Huskies On The Mat Tonight!

The #1 St. Cloud State University wrestling team is slated to host UW-Eau Claire on Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Fans can watch this match live in the St. Cloud area on Charter Channel 21 (UTVS). This full production telecast will offer play-by-play and multi-camera excellence. You can also watch the match live on the web at the link listed below:

http://www.pennatlantic.com/main.php?module=event-detail&eventId=23184

To make it a complete experience, fans can also check out the live, in-match blog that will be available shortly at the SCSU wrestling website!

Of course, the best way to experience Husky wrestling is to be right here in Halenbeck Hall tonight. Match time is at 7:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at the gate. All SCSU students get in FREE with a valid ID card.

GO HUSKIES!

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Scores 28-12 Win at Mary

The number one ranked St. Cloud State University wrestling team (13-0, 2-0 NSIC) completed a perfect road trip weekend on Sunday, Jan. 15 with a 28-12 win at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D.


SCSU opened the meet with a 14-2 major decision victory at 125-pounds by Eric Forde over Mary's Hunter Menendez. SCSU's Zach Stewart added to the Huskies' win total at 133-pounds with an 18-3 technical fall over Mary's Kyle Larson.

Josh Howk charted a pin for the Huskies at 149-pounds with a victory at 4:12 over Mary's Tanner Beaman. SCSU pushed its lead to 18-6 with a 4-3 decision by Dan Dick over Mary's Taylor Nagel at 165-pounds.

Tad Merritt, who is ranked #1 in the nation at 165-pounds, continued to dominate this season with a 4:51 pinfall win against Mary's John Devito. The victory pushed SCSU's lead to 24-6. At 197-pounds, SCSU sealed the deal with a 10-1 major decision by Lucas Munkelwitz over Mary's Kriss McCleary.

The Huskies will continue their 2011-12 season on Jan. 18 with a 7:30 p.m. home match against non-conference rival Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The match will be held in SCSU's Halenbeck Hall and tickets can be purchased at the gate. As always, all SCSU students are admitted FREE to all regular season SCSU wrestling matches in 2011-12. Just show your valid SCSU student ID at the gate, and you get in FREE!

St. Cloud State 28, at Mary 12
125: Eric Forde (SCSU) 14-2 major decision over Hunter Menendez (U-Mary)
133: Zach Stewart (SCSU) 18-3 technical fall over Kyle Larson (U-Mary)
141: Trevor Johnson (U-Mary) 9-2 decision over Jay Hildreth (SCSU)
149: Josh Howk (SCSU) wins by fall at 4:12 over Tanner Beaman (U-Mary)
157: Collin Engelhardt (U-Mary) 5-3 decision over Jacob R. Horn (SCSU)
165: Dan Dick (SCSU) 4-3 decision over Taylor Nagel (U-Mary)
174: Tad Meritt (SCSU) wins by fall at 4:51 over John Devito (U-Mary)
184: Brady Anderson (U-Mary) 7-2 decision over Kurt Salmen (SCSU)
197: Luke Munkelwitz (SCSU) 10-1 major decision over Kriss McCleary (U-Mary)
285: Martin Patron (U-Mary) 7-2 decision over Caleb White (SCSU)

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Scores 23-19 win at Abedeen

The #1 ranked St. Cloud State wrestling team scored a 23-19 victory at Northern State on Jan. 13 in Aberdeen. S.D. The victory improved SCSU's record to 12-0 on the season in 2011-12.

SCSU opened the match with a 2-0 OT win by Dylan Wright of SCSU at 125-pounds. Zach Stewart of SCSU gained a forfeit vicotry to help SCSU gain a 9-0 lead at 133-pounds. The points continued for SCSU with a 10-2 win by Matt Leibforth over Terrance Fox of Augustana at 141-pounds.

At 149-pound. Beau Voegeli scored an 11-9 win over Josh Howk of SCSU. Neil Sell and Blake Lungren gained wins for the Wolves at 157-pound and 165-pounds.

At 174 pounds, SCSU's Tad Merritt posted an 18-0 major decision at 174-pounds, while Chad Gibson charted a 7-2 win over Kurt Salmen of SCSU at 184.  Mic Berg scored a 1:23 pin fall for the Huskies at 197. At 285, NSU's Matt Meuleners added a 14-0 win over Calen White of SCSU.

The Huskies will continue their weekend on the road with a Jan. 15 date at Noon against Mary in Bismarck, N.D.

St. Cloud State Wrestling Back on Top with Number One Division II Ranking

EDMOND, Okla. -- St. Cloud State (Minn.) reclaimed the No. 1 ranking the NCAA Division II wrsestling poll that was released Wednesday by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association.

The Huskies were the preseason No. 1 pick before dropping to third in the first regular-season rankings, but SCSU was the unanimous pick this time around after claiming the team title at last weekend's NWCA/Cliff Keen Division II National Duals in Springfield, Ill.

St. Cloud defeated previous No. 1 Newberry (S.C.) 23-12 in the finals of that 16-team event and finished with 160 points in balloting of coaches from around the country. Newberry came in second with 152 points.

Upper Iowa dropped from second to third with 141 points after finishing third in the National Duals, with fourth-place finisher Nebraska-Kearney staying fourth with 138 points.

Rounding out the top 10 is Augustana (S.D.), Central Oklahoma, Grand Canyon (Ariz.), Mercyhurst (Pa.), Wisconsin-Parkside and Limestone (S.C.). Limestone made the biggest jump, coming in 10th after being unranked in the last poll.

St. Cloud, Upper Iowa and Wisconsin-Parkside each have two No. 1-ranked individuals -- Tad Merritt (165) and Jacob Kahnke (heavyweight) for the Huskies, Kyle Petretti (125) and Trevor Franklin (133) for the Peacocks and Dillon Bera (157) and Luke Rynish (174) for the Rangers.

The other SCSU wrestlers to earn national rankings were Jacob D. Horn (5th at 157-pounds), Shamus O'Grady (3rd at 174-pounds), Derek Skala (3rd at 184-pounds) and Lucas Munkelwitz (3rd at 197-pounds).

The top 20 poll, with points and each team's ranking in the last poll following by the individual rankings at each weight:

Rank School (State) Points Last Ranking
1. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 160 3rd
2. Newberry (S.C.) 152 1st
3. Upper Iowa 141 2nd
4. Nebraska-Kearney 138 4th
5. Augustana (S.D.) 127 6th
6. Central Oklahoma 116 7th
7. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 112 5th
8. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 93 8th
9. Wisconsin-Parkside 85 11th
10. Limestone (S.C.) 80 NR
T11. King (Tenn.) 79 15th
T11. Adams State (Colo.) 79 9th
13. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 63 14th
14. West Liberty (W.Va.) 60 13th
15. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 47 12th
16. Findlay (Ohio) 40 17th
17. Minnesota State 27 19th
18. Ashland (Ohio) 23 10th
19. San Francisco State (Calif.) 16 NR
20. Colorado State-Pueblo 11 NR         
Others receiving votes: Chadron State (Neb.), Colorado Mesa, East Stroudsburg (Pa.), Gannon (Pa.), Kutztown (Pa.), Mary (N.D.), Maryville (Mo.), North Carolina-Pembroke, Western State (Colo.).

NCAA Division II Individual Rankings
125 Pounds
1. Kyle Pedretti, Upper Iowa
2. Corey Ulmer, Minnesota State-Moorhead
3. Terrell McKinney, Maryville (Mo.)
4. Brandon Davis, Ashland (Ohio)
5. Kenny Trumbetta, Seton Hill (Pa.)
6. Cody Lensing, Augustana (S.D.)
7. Garrett Evans, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
8. Ben Sergent, Findlay (Ohio)
133 Pounds
1. Trevor Franklin, Upper Iowa
2. Jason Jeremiason, Augustana (S.D.)
3. Ryan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
4. Ryan Fillingame, Adams State (Colo.)
5. Jesse Hillhouse, Colorado State-Pueblo
6. Trison Graham, Central Oklahoma
7. Stephen Weimer, Nebraska-Kearney
8. Drew Lexvold, Minnesota State
141 Pounds
1. Dalton Jensen, Nebraska-Kearney
2. Jack Bachman, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
3. Nick Wykoff, West Liberty (W. Va.)
4. Trevor Johnson, Mary (N.D.)
5. Chism Fink, Augustana (S.D.)
6. B.J. Young, Newberry (S.C.)
7. Tywan Claxton, King (Tenn.)
8. Josh Myers, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
149 Pounds
1. Nate Herda, Augustana (S.D.)
2. Raufeon Stotts, Nebraska-Kearney
3. Mitchell Means, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
4. Josh Hensley, Adams State (Colo.)
5. Ethan Swope, Gannon (Pa.)
6. Ryan Maus, Truman State (Mo.)
7. Marc Hoff, Ashland (Ohio)
8. Deral Brown, Newberry (S.C.)
157 Pounds
1. Dillon Bera, Wisconsin-Parkside
2. T.J. Hepburn, Nebraska-Kearney
3. Marcus Edgington, Augustana (S.D.)
4. Cory Dauphin, Central Oklahoma
5. Jacob D. Horn, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
6. Jordan Shields, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
7. Bobby Williams, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
8. Jeremy Bommarito, Limestone (S.C.)
165 Pounds
1. Tad Merritt, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
2. Joey Wilson, Nebraska-Kearney
3. Josh Shields, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
4. Mike Williams, North Carolina-Pembroke
5. Brett Rosedale, Maryville (Mo.)
6. Sean Byrnes, Newberry (S.C.)
7. Matt Vandermeer, Lake Erie (Ohio)
8. Isaiah Jimenez, San Francisco State (Colo.)
174 Pounds
1. Luke Rynish, Wisconsin-Parkside
2. Michael Lybarger, Findlay (Ohio)
3. Shamus O'Grady, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
4. Carl Serck, Augustana (S.D.)
5. Victor Carazo, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
6. Wade Gobin, Upper Iowa
7. Travis Sheehy, Newberry (S.C.)
8. Mark Fiala, Nebraska-Kearney
184 Pounds
1. Walker Clarke, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
2. Tanner Keck, Central Oklahoma
3. Derek Skala, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
4. Mitch Schultz, Upper Iowa
5. Dallas Smith, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
6. Adam Walters, Findlay (Ohio)
7. Mitch Brown, Newberry (S.C.)
8. Ross Brunkhardt, Nebraska-Kearney
197 Pounds
1. Dan Scanlan, Limestone (S.C.)
2. Luke McPeek, Adams State (Colo.)
3. Lucas Munkelwitz, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
4. Carl Broghammer, Upper Iowa
5. Frank Morgan, King (Tenn.)
6. Matt Baker, Maryville (Mo.)
7. Eddie Ebewo, East Stroudsburg (Pa.)|
8. Shane Nolan, North Carolina-Pembroke
285 Pounds|
1. Jacob Kahnke, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
2. Matt Meuleners, Northern State (S.D.)
3. Jacob Southwick, Ashland (Ohio)
5. Zach Rosol, Upper Iowa
6. J.D. Ramsey, West Liberty (W. Va.)
7. Fred Hale, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
8. Jordan Johnson, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Match at Mary Moved to Jan. 15

Due to a schedule change finalized today, #1 St. Cloud State University wrestling (11-0, 0-0 NSIC) will now wrestle University of Mary on Sunday, January 15 at Noon. Mary will complete the day with a second match against Upper Iowa.

Originally set to start the NSIC season on January 14, schedule conflicts necessitated moving the Marauders-Huskies match back one day to Sunday at 12 noon. The Marauders-Peacocks match remains as initially scheduled for 2 PM on Sunday, January 15. The dual doubleheader will be held at U-Mary's McDowell Activity Center.


The Huskies will open their weekend of NSIC road matches at Northern State University on Jan. 13 at 7 p.m.

Fans can watch the matches live on www.nmtvsports.com

#3 St. Cloud State's Lucas Munkelwitz Named NSIC Wrestler of the Week

St. Cloud State University senior wrestler Lucas Munkelwitz (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake H.S.) has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference wrestler of the week on Jan. 9. Munkelwitz earned the honors for his performance at the recent 2012 NWCA Division II Duals in Springfield, Ill. On Jan. 7-8.

Munkelwitz went undefeated in three matches to help guide the No. 3 Huskies to a first place finish at the 2012 NWCA Division II Duals. Munkelwitz opened his weekend in Illinois with a solid 9-0 major decision over Jarrett Edison in the Huskies' 29-10 win over No. 7 Central Oklahoma.

Munkelwitz continued the tournament in the semi-finals with a huge 6-2 victory over No. 1 ranked Carl Broghammer of Upper Iowa. Munkelwitz' victory helped the Huskies gain a 22-13 win over the No. 2 ranked Peacocks. In the championship match, Munkelwitz charted a 6-0 victory over John Reed at 197-pounds adding to the 23-12 win over No. 1 ranked Newberry College (S.C.).

He is 6-0 in action over the past two weekends for the Huskies, which includes victories over #1 Newberry, #2 Upper Iowa, #5 Grand Canyon, #7 Central Oklahoma and #18 Colorado Mesa.

Munkelwitz and the rest of the Huskies will be back in action on Jan. 13 with an NSIC dual meet at Northern State and on Jan. 14 with a dual at Mary. The Huskies currently are ranked #3 in the nation in the most recent Division II coaches' poll and they own a perfect 11-0 record this year under the leadership of head coach Steve Costanzo.

#3 St. Cloud State Wrestling Charts Victories at Grand Canyon Duals  on Dec. 31

The St. Cloud State University wrestling team continued to impress in 2011-12 with a 4-0 record at the Grand Canyon Duals on Dec. 31 in Phoenix, Ariz.  The Huskies now own a 7-0 record this season and will compete at the NWCA Division II Duals next weekend in Springfield, Ill.

The Huskies charted a 31-14 win over California Baptist to start the day at the GC Duals and then posted a 33-6 win over #18 ranked Colorado Mesa.  The Huskies turned up the heat in the third match of the day with a big 48-0 win over #8 Mercyhurst and the Huskies ended the day with a 42-9 win over #5 Grand Canyon.

The complete results for the matches on Dec. 31 at the Grand Canyon Duals, which was hosted by Grand Canyon University, are listed below.

2011 Grand Canyon Duals

December 31, 2011

No. 3 St. Cloud State 31, California Baptist 14

Final Results

WT Team Score
125 Jimmy Martinez (CBU) def. Eric Forde (SCS) 5-0 CBU 3-0
133 Alex Anunciation (CBU) def. Zach Stewart (SCS) maj. dec., 13-5 CBU 7-0
141 Jay Hildreth (SCS) def. Bradford Gerl (CBU) 6-5 CBU 7-3
149 Dylan Cataline (CBU) def. Josh Howk (SCS) maj. dec. , 10-2 CBU 11-3
157 Chris Santana (CBU) def. No. 8 Jacob D. Horn (SCS) 16-9 CBU 14-3
165 No. 1 Tad Merritt (SCS) def. Bronson Gerl (CBU) fall, 2:32 CBU 14-9
174 No. 3 Shamus O'Grady (SCS) def. C.J. Knowland (CBU) maj. dec., 12-1 CBU 14-13
184 No. 2 Derek Skala (SCS) def. Kyle Matthews (CBU) fall, 1:31 SCS 19-14
197 Luke Munkelwitz (SCS) def. David Dill (CBU) fall, 4:26 SCS 25-14
285 No. 1 Jacob Kahnke (SCS) def. Zach Merrill (CBU) fall, 3:32 SCS 31-14

No. 3 St. Cloud State 33, No. 18 Colorado Mesa 6

Final Results

WT Team Score
125 Eric Forde (SCS) def. Parke Overmiller (CMU) 13-2 SCS 4-0
133 Tyler Nelson (CMU) def. Zach Stewart (SCS) 13-6 SCS 4-3
141 James Martinez (CMU) def. Matt Leibforth (SCS) 7-1 CMU 6-4
149 Josh Howk (SCS) def. Trevor Donarski (CMU) fall, 2:49 SCS 10-6
157 No. 8 Jacob D. Horn (SCS) def. Jon Gappmaier (C) maj. dec. 14-1 SCS 14-6
165 No. 1 Tad Merritt (SCS) def. No. 4 Dylan Granard (C) fall, 2:13 SCS 20-6
174 Kurt Salmen (SCS) def. Zak Slotten (CMU) 3-2 SCS 23-6
184 No. 2 Derek Skala (SCS) def. Nick Petersen (CMU) maj. dec., 17-3 SCS 27-6
197 Luke Munkelwitz (SCS) def. Jordan Passehl (CMU) 7-2 SCS 30-6
285 Caleb White (SCS) def. Paco Retana (CMU) 6-4 SCS 33-6

No. 3 St. Cloud State 48, No. 8 Mercyhurst 0

Final Results

WT Team Score
125 Dylan Wright (SCS) def. Ryan Bohince (MER) maj. dec. 12-1 SCS 4-0
133 Andy Pokorny (SCS) def. Kody Young (MER) maj. dec. 15-6 SCS 8-0
141 Jay Hildreth (SCS) def. Levi Smeltzer (MER) fall, 4:10 SCS 14-0
149 Josh Howk (SCS) def. Michael Griffith (MER) fall, :53 SCS 20-0
157 No. 8 Jacob D. Horn (SCS) def. No. 3 Jordan Shields (M) 6-0 SCS 23-0
165 No. 1 Tad Merritt (SCS) def. Josh Shields (MER) fall, :55 SCS 29-0
174 No. 3 Shamus O'Grady (SCS) def. August Mizia (MER) 7-2 SCS 32-0
184 No. 2 Derek Skala (SCS) def. Pat Carter (MER) maj. dec., 18-5 SCS 36-0
197 Mic Berg (SCS) def. Chaz Sheaffer (MER) fall, :43 SCS 42-0
285 No. 1 Jacob Kahnke (S) def. No. 7 Fred Hale (M) fall, 3:22 SCS 48-0

No. 3 St. Cloud State 42, No. 5 Grand Canyon 9

Final Results
125 No. 7 Kyle McCrite (GCU) def. Dylan Wright (SCS) 8-3 GCU 3-0
133 Andy Pokorny (SCS) def. Lino Estrada (GCU) fall, :54 SCS 6-0
141 Jay Hildreth (SCS) def. David Makara (GCU) forfeit SCS 12-3
149 Bobby Ward (GCU) def. Josh Howk (SCS) fall, 1;21 SCS 12-9
157 No. 8 Jacob D. Horn (SCS) def. No. 4 Ted Bristol (GCU) 6-1 SCS 15-9
165 No. 1 Tad Merritt (SCS) def. Justin Martin (GCU) fall, 5:49 SCS 21-9
174 No. 3 Shamus O'Grady (SCS) def. Victor Carazo (GCU)fall, 3:49 SCS 27-9
184 No. 2 Derek Skala (SCS) def. Brett Sanchez (GCU) fall, 6:48 SCS 33-9
197 Luke Munkelwitz (SCS) def. Celic Bell (GCU) 4-1 SCS 36-9
285 No. 1 Jacob Kahnke (SCS) def. Eric Fan (GCU) fall, 1:19  42-9

Results from the 2011 Hioliday Inn Husky Open Wrestling Tournament

Open Division - 125
1st Place - Jordan Kingsley of Minnesota
2nd Place - Chad Bartschenfeld of Augsburg
3rd Place - Justin Nelson of Unnattached
4th Place - Brian Reisenauer of Minnesota State, Mankato
5th Place - Jered Kemp of Rochester Comunity College
6th Place - Jacob Papke of University Wisconsin Parkside
1st Place Match
1st Place Match - Jordan Kingsley (Minnesota) won by decision over Chad Bartschenfeld (Augsburg) (Dec 5-0)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match - Justin Nelson (Unnattached) won by decision over Brian Reisenauer (Minnesota State, Mankato) (Dec 3-2)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match - Jered Kemp (Rochester Comunity College) won by decision over Jacob Papke (University Wisconsin Parkside) (Dec 6-4)
Open Division - 133
1st Place - Zach Stewart of St. Cloud State
2nd Place - Andy Pokorny of St. Cloud State
3rd Place - Tossaporn Suparat of Augsburg
4th Place - Collin Crume of University Wisconsin Parkside
5th Place - Kameron Hamley of North Dakota State University
6th Place - Blaine Smith of Iowa Lakes Comunity College
1st Place Match
1st Place Match - Zach Stewart (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Andy Pokorny (St. Cloud State) (Dec 7-4)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match - Tossaporn Suparat (Augsburg) won by decision over Collin Crume (University Wisconsin Parkside) (Dec 7-5)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match - Kameron Hamley (North Dakota State University) won by pin over Blaine Smith (Iowa Lakes Comunity College) (Pin 3:19)
Open Division - 141
1st Place - Seth Lange of Minnesota
2nd Place - Trevor Johnson of University of Mary
3rd Place - Thane Antczak of Minnesota
4th Place - Arik Yde of University Wisconsin Parkside
5th Place - Matt Leibforth of St. Cloud State
6th Place - Matt Nelson of St. Cloud State
7th Place - Cullan Morrissey of St. Cloud State
8th Place - Adam Ketcher of Unnattached
1st Place Match
1st Place Match - Seth Lange (Minnesota) won by major decision over Trevor Johnson (University of Mary) (Maj 8-0)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match - Thane Antczak (Minnesota) won by major decision over Arik Yde (University Wisconsin Parkside) (Maj 12-3)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match - Matt Leibforth (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Matt Nelson (St. Cloud State) (Dec 5-2)
7th Place Match
7th Place Match - Cullan Morrissey (St. Cloud State) received a bye Adam Ketcher (Unnattached) (Bye)
Open Division - 149
1st Place - Tony Valek of Augsburg
2nd Place - Jesse Westphal of Minnesota State, Mankato
3rd Place - Thomas Allen of Minnesota State, Mankato
4th Place - Aaron Heidersheid of University Wisconsin Parkside
5th Place - Thomas Giaimo of Minnesota
6th Place - Tyler Jackson of Rochester Comunity College
1st Place Match
1st Place Match - Tony Valek (Augsburg) won by major decision over Jesse Westphal (Minnesota State, Mankato) (Maj 8-0)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match - Thomas Allen (Minnesota State, Mankato) won by major decision over Aaron Heidersheid (University Wisconsin Parkside) (Maj 13-2)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match - Thomas Giaimo (Minnesota) won by decision over Tyler Jackson (Rochester Comunity College) (Dec 11-8)
Open Division - 157
1st Place - Tel Todd of Minnesota State, Mankato
2nd Place - Anthony Caputo of North Dakota State University
3rd Place - Brian Peterson of Minnesota
4th Place - Brock Storm of Iowa Lakes Comunity College
5th Place - Brad Dolezal of Minnesota
6th Place - Jake D. Horn of St. Cloud State
1st Place Match
1st Place Match - Tel Todd (Minnesota State, Mankato) won by decision over Anthony Caputo (North Dakota State University) (Dec 12-5)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match - Brian Peterson (Minnesota) won by decision over Brock Storm (Iowa Lakes Comunity College) (Dec 8-2)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match - Brad Dolezal (Minnesota) won by decision over Jake D. Horn (St. Cloud State) (Dec 6-5)
Open Division - 165
1st Place - Dan Dick of St. Cloud State
2nd Place - Cody Quinn of Minnesota State, Mankato
3rd Place - Montrail Johnson of University Wisconsin Parkside
4th Place - Brandon Bahr of Augsburg
5th Place - Jacob Bennett of Minnesota State Moorhead
6th Place - Connor Pariseau of University of Minnesota Duluth
1st Place Match
1st Place Match - Dan Dick (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Cody Quinn (Minnesota State, Mankato) (Dec 7-4)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match - Montrail Johnson (University Wisconsin Parkside) won by injury default over Brandon Bahr (Augsburg) (Inj.)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match - Jacob Bennett (Minnesota State Moorhead) won by pin over Connor Pariseau (University of Minnesota Duluth) (Pin 6:30)
Open Division - 174
1st Place - Tad Merritt of St. Cloud State
2nd Place - Luke Rynish of University Wisconsin Parkside
3rd Place - Thomas Moman of Iowa Lakes Comunity College
4th Place - Brendan Eichmann of Minnesota State, Mankato
5th Place - Nick Lawrence of Iowa Lakes Comunity College
6th Place - Josh Kohler of Augsburg
7th Place - Jack Barnes of St. Cloud State
8th Place - Ben McPhail of St. Cloud State
1st Place Match
1st Place Match - Tad Merritt (St. Cloud State) won in overtime over Luke Rynish (University Wisconsin Parkside) (OT 8-7)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match - Thomas Moman (Iowa Lakes Comunity College) won by decision over Brendan Eichmann (Minnesota State, Mankato) (Dec 7-5)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match - Nick Lawrence (Iowa Lakes Comunity College) won by decision over Josh Kohler (Augsburg) (Dec 3-2)
7th Place Match
7th Place Match - Jack Barnes (St. Cloud State) received a bye Ben McPhail (St. Cloud State) (Bye)
Open Division - 184
1st Place - Joel Bauman of Minnesota
2nd Place - Kurt Salmen of St. Cloud State
3rd Place - Kody Sorenson of North Dakota State University
4th Place - Matt Pfarr of St. Johns University
5th Place - Brandon Pederson of Minnesota State, Mankato
6th Place - Matthew Hechsel of Augsburg
1st Place Match
1st Place Match - Joel Bauman (Minnesota) won by decision over Kurt Salmen (St. Cloud State) (Dec 10-4)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match - Kody Sorenson (North Dakota State University) won by decision over Matt Pfarr (St. Johns University) (Dec 3-2)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match - Brandon Pederson (Minnesota State, Mankato) won by decision over Matthew Hechsel (Augsburg) (Dec 4-2)
Open Division - 197
1st Place - Scott Schiller of Minnesota
2nd Place - Mic Berg of St. Cloud State
3rd Place - Luke Munkelwitz of St. Cloud State
4th Place - Brad Baus of Augsburg
5th Place - Davion Willis of University Wisconsin Parkside
6th Place - Hudson Buck of North Dakota State University
1st Place Match
1st Place Match - Scott Schiller (Minnesota) won by major decision over Mic Berg (St. Cloud State) (Maj 17-6)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match - Luke Munkelwitz (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Brad Baus (Augsburg) (Dec 9-3)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match - Davion Willis (University Wisconsin Parkside) won by pin over Hudson Buck (North Dakota State University) (Pin 5:31)
Open Division - 285
1st Place - Jake Kahnke of St. Cloud State
2nd Place - Chad Johnson of Augsburg
3rd Place - Matt Wyss of Iowa Lakes Comunity College
4th Place - Patrick Fletcher of Augsburg
5th Place - Gerad Fugleberg of Minnesota State Moorhead
6th Place - James Malechek of University Wisconsin Parkside
7th Place - Caleb White of St. Cloud State
8th Place - Alex Andel of Unnattached
1st Place Match
1st Place Match - Jake Kahnke (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Chad Johnson (Augsburg) (Dec 7-2)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match - Matt Wyss (Iowa Lakes Comunity College) won by pin over Patrick Fletcher (Augsburg) (Pin 0:44)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match - Gerad Fugleberg (Minnesota State Moorhead) won by major decision over James Malechek (University Wisconsin Parkside) (Maj 8-0)
7th Place Match
7th Place Match - Caleb White (St. Cloud State) received a bye Alex Andel (Unnattached) (Bye)

St. Cloud State Wrestling Match vs. UW-Eau Claire Date Change

The upcoming St. Cloud State University wrestling dual match against UW-Eau Claire will now take place on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Halenbeck Hall.

The match between the Huskies and the Blugolds was originally slated to take place on Tuesday, Feb. 7, but the two teams will now compete on Jan. 18.

St. Cloud State Wrestling Moves to #3 in Latest Division II National Poll

EDMOND, Okla. -- Despite owning a perfect 3-0 record this season, St. Cloud State University wrestling fell out of the top spot in the latest NCAA Division II wrestling poll. Newberry (S.C.) is the new leader in the Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll released this week, while St. Cloud State University falls to number three in the poll (released on Dec. 7).

The Wolves received three of the eight-first place votes cast in balloting of coaches from around the country and finished with 152 points in moving up to No. 1 after being second in the pre-season rankings.

Upper Iowa collected two first-place votes and was second with 148 points, one point ahead of pre-season No. 1 St. Cloud State (Minn.). The Huskies had the remaining three first-place votes as only five points separated the top three teams.

Rounding out the top 10 is Nebraska-Kearney, Grand Canyon (Ariz.), Augustana (S.D.), Central Oklahoma, Mercyhurst (Pa.), Adams State (Colo.) and Ashland (Ohio).

Individually, the Huskies are led by senior Tad Merritt, who is ranked #1 in the nation at 165-pounds in the recent poll and junior Jake Kahnke, who is ranked #1 in the nation at 285-pounds. Kahnke moved up to the top spot thanks to his win over former #1 Matt Meuleners of Northern State earlier this season.

Other SCSU wrestlers to earn individual national rankings include #8 Jacob D. Horn at 149-pounds, #3 Shamus O'Grady at 174-pounds and #2 Derek Skala at 184-pounds.

The Huskies will continue their 2011-12 season by hosting the 41st annual Holiday Inn Husky Open on Dec. 10. Action in Halenbeck Hall's Fieldhouse begins at 9 a.m. and tickets are $10/$5 (available at the gate).

The Holiday Inn Husky Open features over 200 of the region's top collegiate wrestlers representing schools such as SCSU, Minnesota, North Dakota State, Minnesota State, Minnesota State Moorhead, Southwest Minnesota State, St. John's, Indianapolis, UW-Parkside and Augsburg.

The top 20 poll, with points and each team's ranking in the pre-season poll following by the individual rankings at each weight:

Rank School (State) Points Last Ranking

1. Newberry (S.C.) 152 2nd
2. Upper Iowa 148 3rd
3. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 147 1st
4. Nebraska-Kearney 141 4th
5. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 127 5th
6. Augustana (S.D.) 114 6th
7. Central Oklahoma 102 7th
8. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 99 11th
9. Adams State (Colo.) 87 13th
10. Ashland (Ohio) 84 10th
11. Wisconsin-Parkside 79 9th
12. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 77 16th
13. West Liberty (W.Va.) 72 NR
14. Pittsburgh-Johnstown 69 8th
15. King (Tenn.) 43 NR
16. Maryville (Mo.) 38 15th
17. Findlay (Ohio) 33 14th
18. Colorado-Mesa 20 NR
19. Minnesota State 19 12th
20. Shippensburg (Pa.) 8 20th

Others receiving votes: Kutztown (Pa.), Limestone (S.C.), Mary (N.D.), Minnesota State-Moorhead, San Francisco State (Calif.), Seton Hill (Pa.).

NCAA Division II

Individual Rankings

125 Pounds
1. Connor McDonald, Newberry (S.C.)
2. Kyle Pedretti, Upper Iowa
3. Corey Ulmer, Minnesota State-Moorhead
4. Terrell McKinney, Maryville (Mo.)
5. Brandon Davis, Ashland (Ohio)
6. Kenny Trumbetta, Seton Hill (Pa.)
7. Kyle McCrite, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
8. Ben Sergent, Findlay (Ohio)

133 Pounds
1. Trevor Franklin, Upper Iowa
2. Jason Jeremiason, Augustana (S.D.)
3. Ryan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
4. Jesse Hillhouse, Colorado State-Pueblo
5. Trison Graham, Central Oklahoma
6. Matt Oliver, Newberry (S.C.)
7. Dan Mandara, Ashland (Ohio)
8. Matt Greene, Western State (Colo.)

141 Pounds
1. Dalton Jensen, Nebraska-Kearney
2. B.J. Young, Newberry (S.C.)
3. Jack Bachman, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
4. Adam Hluschak, East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
5. Nick Wykoff, West Liberty (W. Va.)
6. Casy Rowell, Central Oklahoma
7. Dan Genetin, Ashland (Ohio)
8. Trevor Johnson, Mary (N.D.)

149 Pounds
1. Nate Herda, Augustana (S.D.)
2. Mitchell Means, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
3. Josh Hensley, Adams State (Colo.)
4. Ethan Swope, Gannon (Pa.)
5. Deral Brown, Newberry (S.C.)
6. Nathan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
7. Ryan Maus, Truman State (Mo.)
8. Jacob D. Horn, St. Cloud State.

157 Pounds
1. Dillon Bera, Wisconsin-Parkside
2. T.J. Hepburn, Nebraska-Kearney
3. Jordan Shields, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
4. Teddy Bristol, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
5. Cory Dauphin, Central Oklahoma
6. Marcus Edgington, Augustana (S.D.)
7. Winston Robbins, Upper Iowa
8. Sam Brehn, Gannon (Pa.)

165 Pounds
1. Tad Merritt, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
2. Joey Wilson, Nebraska-Kearney
3. Mike Williams, North Carolina-Pembroke
4. Dylan Granard, Colorado Mesa
5. Sean Brynes, Newberry (S.C.)
6. Isaiah Jimenez, San Francisco State (Colo.)
7. Jordan Larsen, Colorado School of Mines
8. Ronald Tetreault, American International (Mass.)

174 Pounds
1. Michael Lybarger, Findlay (Ohio)
2. Luke Rynish, Wisconsin-Parkside
3. Shamus O'Grady, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
4. Mark Fiala, Nebraska-Kearney
5. Kelly Henderson, Central Oklahoma
6. Travis Sheehy, Newberry (S.C.)
7. Bryce Sopko, Limestone (S.C.)
8. Carl Serck, Augustana (S.D.)

184 Pounds
1. Mitch Schultz, Upper Iowa
2. Derek Skala, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
3. Walker Clarke, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
4. Ross Brunkhardt, Nebraska-Kearney
5. Tanner Keck, Central Oklahoma
6. Mitch Brown, Newberry (S.C.)
7. Brady Anderson, Mary (N.D.)
8. Matt Gille, Wisconsin-Parkside

197 Pounds
1. Carl Broghammer, Upper Iowa
2. Dan Scanlan, Limestone (S.C.
3. Luke McPeek, Adams State (Colo.)
4. Matt Baker, Maryville (Mo.)
5. Pat Mahan, Minnesota State
6. Frank Morgan, King (Tenn.)
7. Eddie Ebewo, East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
8. Shane Nolan, North Carolina-Pembroke

285 Pounds
1. Jacob Kahnke, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
2. Matt Meuleners, Northern State (S.D.)
3. Jacob Southwick, Ashland (Ohio)
4. Jake Elkins, Newberry (S.C.)
5. Zach Rosol, Upper Iowa
6. J.D. Ramsey, West Liberty (W. Va.)
7. Fred Hale, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
8. Cody Beck, Central Missouri

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling to Host Husky Open on Dec. 10

UPCOMING MATCHES: Dec. 10 - Holiday Inn Husky Open @ Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse, 9 a.m.

HUSKY OPEN WEBSITE: http://www.stcloudstate.edu/athletics/sports/wrestling/results/TheHolidayInnHuskyOpen.asp

SCSU WRESTLING NOTES (complete release attached in a PDF format):
The Huskies will host the 41st annual Holiday Inn Husky Open on Saturday, Dec. 10, in the Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse. The action begins at 9 a.m. and tickets are just $10/$5 for the complete day of wrestling competition. SCSU students get in free to this event with a valid SCSU student ID card. Teams slated to compete in the 2011 Husky Open include SCSU, Minnesota, NDSU, Minnesota State, Minnesota State Moorhead, Southwest Minnesota State, St. John's, Mary, UW-Parkside, Concordia-Moorhead, Indianapolis, Iowa Lakes and Augsburg.

The #1 St. Cloud State wrestling team opened the 2011-12 dual season with three wins at the UW-LaCrosse Duals on Dec. 3. The Huskies posted a 49-0 win over Waldorf and also gained a 29-9 win over #25 UW-Stevens Point and a 29-7 win over #2 UW-LaCrosse. At UW-Lacrosse, Jake Kahnke (285), Josh Howk (149) and Dan Dick (165) all gained three wins apiece on the day.

Josh Howk (13-5) leads the team with 13 wins this season and 10 pins. He is rapidly closing in on the single-season pin record of 17 set by Tad Merritt in 2008-09...as a team, SCSU has notched 86 wins by falls this year...SCSU's match record in 2011-12 is 228-142...Kurt Salmen has been impressive this year with an 11-5 record to his credit, while Jake Kahnke, Dan Dick, Ja y Hildreth and Zach Stewart all have 10 wins under their belts already this winter.

The Huskies earned the #1 spot in the 2011-12 NSIC preseason poll. The Huskies also received the top spot in the 2011-12 preseason national poll released by the Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association. Senior Tad Merritt was ranked #1 in the nation at 165-pounds and Jake Kahnke was ranked #2 in the nation at 285-pounds in the DII preseason polls. In those same preseason polls, Shamus O'Grady (174) and Derek Skala (184) both gained #4 rankings and Jacob D. Horn (149) was ranked 7th.

SCSU's Jacob Kahnke earned NSIC Wrestler of the Week notice on Nov. 8, 2011. He gained the award by posting a first place finish at the SDSU Daktronics Open on Nov. 6 in Brookings.

St. Cloud State University (19-2, 6-1 NSIC) set a new team standard by capturing 2nd place at the 2011 NCAA Division II championships on March 11-12 in Kearney, Neb. This is the best finish at a national championship for the Huskies since the program started in 1949-50. The previous best efforts for the Huskies were 3rd place finishes at the NAIA tournament in 1963 and 1965. In NCAA Division II action, the best finish prior to 2011 was a 7th place finish in 2010 and 1983. SCSU scored 90.5 team points at the NCAA championships, while Nebraska-Omaha won its third consecutive team title with 102.5 points. This was the most points scored at a national meet by the Huskies in team history. The previous high was 50 points scored at the NCAA tournament in 2010.

SCSU's John Sundgren captured 1st place at the NCAA championships in the 157-pound bracket. He was the first Husky to win a national title since Gene Hanemann won his title in 1995. This was the 12th individual national title for a Husky wrestling since 1958, and it was just the 2nd NCAA Division II individual national title for a Husky wrestler.

The Huskies bring back the following All-Americans from the 2011 championships: Jacob Kahnke (2nd at 285), Tad Merritt (3rd at 165), Shamus O'Grady (4th at 174) and Jacob D. Horn (5th at 149). Senior Derek Skala was a redshirt last year but he has earned All-America honors at previous NCAA meets.

Tad Merritt set a new team record for victories in 2010-11. Merritt charted a 40-4 overall record last winter. Merritt currently owns 115 career wins at SCSU in his first four seasons of competition.

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Charts 3-0 Record at LaCrosse Duals

LaCrosse, Wis. - The #1 St. Cloud State University wrestling team (3-0) opened its 2011-12 dual meet season with a trio of victories a the Candlewood Suite UW-LaCrosse Wrestling Duals on Dec. 3, in LaCrosse, Wis.

The Huskies scored a 49-0 win over Waldorf College to start the day, followed by a 29-9 win over UW-Stevens Points (ranked #25 in DIII wrestling this year). To cap the afternoon, SCSU carded a big 29-7 win over host UW-LaCrosse (ranked #2 in DIII wrestling this year).

SCSU wrestling fans should make plans now to attend the annual Holiday Inn Husky Open on Saturday, Dec. 10 in St. Cloud, Minn. The action will feature many of the nation's top collegiate wrestlers in an open format tournament. The action begins at 9 a.m. in the Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse. Tickets may be purchased at the gate for this event.

Listed below are the complete match results for the duals at LaCrosse on Dec. 3.

Candlewood Suites UW-La Crosse Wrestling Duals - December 3, 2011 - Mitchell Hall
Round 1 - #1 St. Cloud State Univ. (Minn.) vs. Waldorf College (Iowa)

125 -Cody Paulsen (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Jeff Ohnemus (Waldorf), 15-13
133 - Zach Stewart (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Bo Bettinson (Waldorf), 2:37
141 - Jay Hildreth (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Dillon Spates (Waldorf), 3:41
149 - Josh Howk (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Emmanuel Del Castillo (Waldorf), 1:15
157- Jacob D. Horn (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Jeremy Padilla (Waldorf), 7-2
165 - Dan Dick (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Rashad Moss (Waldorf), 4-2
174 -Tad Merritt (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Gabe Vasquez (Waldorf), 1:09
184 - Derek Skala (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Travis Mundt (Waldorf), 1:57
197 - Michael Berg (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Brock Binversie (Waldorf), :57
285 -Jake Kahnke (St. Cloud State) won by major decision over Jacob Combs (Waldorf), 12-3
Final Score: St. Cloud State Univ. (Minn.) 49, Waldorf College (Iowa) 0 

Round 2 - #1 St. Cloud Univ. (Minn.) vs. #25 UW-Stevens Point

125 - Lance Fabry (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Dylan Wright (St. Cloud State), 6-5
133 - Joe Mileski (UW-SP) won by decision over Zach Stewart (St. Cloud State), 9-4
141- Jay Hildreth (St. Cloud State) won by forfeit
149 -Josh Howk (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Shane Sweeney (UW-SP), 9-6
157  -Ben Strobel (UW-SP) won by decision over Jacob D. Horn (St. Cloud State), 12-6
165- Dan Dick (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Jordan Schulte (UW-SP), 2-0
174 - Tad Merritt (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Ryan Conat (UW-SP), 2:02
184 - Kurt Salmen (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Dan Diebitz (UW-SP), 6-2
197 - Lucas Munkelwitz (SCSU) won by major decision over Andy Borchardt (UW-SP), 14-4
285 - Jake Kahnke (St. Cloud State) won by major decision over Matt Cuadra (UW-SP), 14-6
Final Score: St. Cloud State Univ. (Minn.) 29, UW-Stevens Point 9  

Round 3 - #2 UW-La Crosse vs. #1 St. Cloud State   
                
125 - Dylan Wright (St. Cloud State) won by major decision over Joey Nelson (UW-L), 9-1
133 - Andrew Pokorny (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Adam Sheley (UW-L), 8-6
141 - Bebeto Yewah (UW-L) won by major decision over Jay Hildreth (St. Cloud State), 16-6
149 -Josh Howk (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Bobby Dorn (UW-L), 1:24
157 - Jacob D. Horn (St. Cloud State) won by decision over JR Lewis (UW-L), 5-1
165 - Dan Dick (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Kevin O'Brien (UW-L), 5-3
174- Mike Schmitz (UW-L) won by decision over Tad Merritt (St. Cloud State), 10-5
184 - Derek Skala (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Grant Miller (UW-L), 8-4
197- Lucas Munkelwitz (SCSU) won by major decision over Evan Sinram (UW-L), 10-1
285 -Jake Kahnke (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Billy Mayer (UW-L), 4-1
Final Score: St. Cloud State University (Minn.) 29, UW-La Crosse 7

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Earns Two Titles at Finn Grinaker Open

(Complete release attached in PDF format)

UPCOMING MATCHES:

Dec. 3: at UW-LaCrosse Duals (LaCrosse, Wis.): vs. Waldorf (9 a.m.), UW-Stevens Points (11 a.m.) and UW-LaCrosse (1 p.m.)

HUSKIES HEADLINERS: 

The Huskies enjoy a weekend off from competition before heading down to the Wisconsin-LaCrosse Duals on Dec. 3, in LaCrosse, Wis. On that day SCSU will wrestle Waldorf College at 9 a.m., UW-Stevens Point at 11 a.m. and UW-LaCrosse at 1 p.m.

The #1 St. Cloud State wrestling team participated at the 2011 Finn Grinaker Open on Nov. 19. This open tournament was hosted by Concordia-Moorhead and no team scores were kept at the tournament. The Huskies were paced the tournament with a pair of first place finishes. At 174-pounds in the Gold Division, senior Tad Merritt earned top honors with a 4-0 record that included an 8-6 win in the title bout over Kurtis Julson of North Dakota State. Teammate Kurt Salmen placed third in the 174-pound bracket for SCSU. At 197-pounds in the Gold Division, senior Lucas Munkelwitz scored a 4-0 record and brought home another title for the Huskies. Munkelwitz charted a 4-1 win over Martin Hagan of Southwest Minnesota State in the title match. The Huskies also had a second place finish by Zach Stewart at 133-pounds and a third place finish from Andy Pokorny at 133-pounds at the Concordia Open. At 157-pounds, Jacob D. Horn placed third in the Gold Division and Josh Howk placed 3rd for the Huskies at 149-pounds.

The Huskies earned the #1 spot in the 2011-12 NSIC preseason poll. The Huskies also received the top spot in the 2011-12 preseason national poll released by the Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association. Senior Tad Merritt was ranked #1 in the nation at 165-pounds and Jake Kahnke was ranked #2 in the nation at 285-pounds in the DII preseason polls. In those same preseason polls, Shamus O'Grady (174) and Derek Skala (184) both gained #4 rankings and Jacob D. Horn (149) was ranked 7th.

SCSU's Jacob Kahnke earned NSIC Wrestler of the Week notice on Nov. 8, 2011. He gained the award by posting a first place finish at the SDSU Daktronics Open on Nov. 6 in Brookings.

St. Cloud State University (19-2, 6-1 NSIC) set a new team standard by capturing 2nd place at the 2011 NCAA Division II championships on March 11-12 in Kearney, Neb. This is the best finish at a national championship for the Huskies since the program started in 1949-50. The previous best efforts for the Huskies were 3rd place finishes at the NAIA tournament in 1963 and 1965. In NCAA Division II action, the best finish prior to 2011 was a 7th place finish in 2010 and 1983. SCSU scored 90.5 team points at the NCAA championships, while Nebraska-Omaha won its third consecutive team title with 102.5 points. This was the most points scored at a national meet by the Huskies in team history. The previous high was 50 points scored at the NCAA tournament in 2010.

SCSU's John Sundgren captured 1st place at the NCAA championships in the 157-pound bracket. He was the first Husky to win a national title since Gene Hanemann won his title in 1995. This was the 12th individual national title for a Husky wrestling since 1958, and it was just the 2nd NCAA Division II individual national title for a Husky wrestler.

The Huskies bring back the following All-Americans from the 2011 championships: Jacob Kahnke (2nd at 285), Tad Merritt (3rd at 165), Shamus O'Grady (4th at 174) and Jacob D. Horn (5th at 149). Senior Derek Skala was a redshirt last year but he has earned All-America honors at previous NCAA meets.

Tad Merritt set a new team record for victories in 2010-11. Merritt charted a 40-4 overall record last winter. Merritt currently owns 113 career wins at SCSU in his first four seasons of competition. The current SCSU career win record is held by Dustin Darveaux with 142 from 1999-03.

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Brings Home Two Titles from Moorhead

The #1 St. Cloud State wrestling team participated at the 2011 Finn Grineker Open on Nov. 19. This open tournament was hosted by Concordia-Moorhead and no team scores were kept at the tournament.

The Huskies were paced the tournament with a pair of first place finishes. At 174-pounds in the Gold Division, senior Tad Merritt earned top honors with a 4-0 record that included an 8-6 win in the title bout over Kurtis Julson of North Dakota State. Teammate Kurt Salmen placed third in the 174-pound bracket for SCSU.

At 197-pounds in the Gold Division, senior Lucas Munkelwitz scored a 4-0 record and brought home another title for the Huskies. Munkelwitz charted a 4-1 win over Martin Hagan of Southwest Minnesota State in the title match.

At 157-pounds, Jacob D. Horn placed third in the Gold Division and Josh Howk placed 3rd for the Huskies at 149-pounds. The Huskies also had a third place finish from Andy Pokorny at 133-pounds at the Concordia Open.

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Headed to Finn Grineker Open on Nov. 19

HUSKIES HEADLINERS: 

The Huskies will send a group of wrestlers to the Finn Grineker Open on Nov. 19. The Open will be held on the campus of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. No team scores will be held at this meet.

Last weekend, the Huskies competed at the Harold Nichols Hawkeye Open on the campus of Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. This tournament featued many NCAA Division I athletes. SCSU junior Jacob Kahnke placed 2nd at 285-pounds and senior Derek Skala placed second at 184-pounds at the tournament. The Huskies also gained top six finishes by Zach Stewart and Dylan Wright at 133-pounds, Josh Howk (4th) at 149, Kurt Salmen at 174 (4th) and Luke Munkelwitz at 197 (3rd). Unattached wrestlers from SCSU also claimed 2nd, 3rd and 6th place finishes at 141-pounds, 3rd at 157-pounds, 5th and 6th at 165-pounds and 4th place at 184-pounds.

The Huskies earned the #1 spot in the 2011-12 NSIC preseason poll. The Huskies also received the top spot in the 2011-12 preseason national poll released by the Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association. Senior Tad Merritt was ranked #1 in the nation at 165-pounds and Jake Kahnke was ranked #2 in the nation at 285-pounds in the DII preseason polls. In those same preseason polls, Shamus O'Grady (174) and Derek Skala (184) both gained #4 rankings and Jacob D. Horn (149) was ranked 7th.

SCSU's Jacob Kahnke earned NSIC Wrestler of the Week notice on Nov. 8, 2011. He gained the award by posting a first place finish at the SDSU Daktronics Open on Nov. 6 in Brookings.

St. Cloud State University (19-2, 6-1 NSIC) set a new team standard by capturing 2nd place at the 2011 NCAA Division II championships on March 11-12 in Kearney, Neb. This is the best finish at a national championship for the Huskies since the program started in 1949-50. The previous best efforts for the Huskies were 3rd place finishes at the NAIA tournament in 1963 and 1965. In NCAA Division II action, the best finish prior to 2011 was a 7th place finish in 2010 and 1983. SCSU scored 90.5 team points at the NCAA championships, while Nebraska-Omaha won its third consecutive team title with 102.5 points. This was the most points scored at a national meet by the Huskies in team history. The previous high was 50 points scored at the NCAA tournament in 2010.

SCSU's John Sundgren captured 1st place at the NCAA championships in the 157-pound bracket. He was the first Husky to win a national title since Gene Hanemann won his title in 1995. This was the 12th individual national title for a Husky wrestling since 1958, and it was just the 2nd NCAA Division II individual national title for a Husky wrestler.

The Huskies bring back the following All-Americans from the 2011 championships: Jacob Kahnke (2nd at 285), Tad Merritt (3rd at 165), Shamus O'Grady (4th at 174) and Jacob D. Horn (5th at 149). Senior Derek Skala was a redshirt last year but he has earned All-America honors at previous NCAA meets.

Tad Merritt set a new team record for victories in 2010-11. Merritt charted a 40-4 overall record last winter, which surpasses the old season record of 38 wins held by Merritt (38-6 in 2008-09), Dustin Darveaux (38-10 in 2001-02), Gene Hanemann (38-5 in 1994-95) and Andy Reigstad (38-11 in 1993-94). Merritt currently owns 109 career wins at SCSU in his first four seasons of competition. The current SCSU career win record is held by Dustin Darveaux with 142 from 1999-03.

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Impresses at Iowa State Tournament

The #1 St. Cloud State University wrestling ventured to the 2011 Harold Nichols Cyclone Open on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa on Nov. 13. This meet featured many of the nation's top wrestlers from all levels of college wrestling.

The Huskies showed very well at the tournament with 14 top six performances and three runner-up finishes at 141, 184 and 285. No teams scores were kept at this Open tournament.

At 285-pounds, junior Jake Kahnke moved his record to 7-1 on the season at the Nichols Open. He went 3-1 in tournament action and lost in the finals by a 5-0 margin to Matt Gibson of Iowa State. On the way to the finals, Kahnke earned wins over three Division I opponents.

At 184-pounds, senior Derek Skala continued his impressive return to the mats after being a medical redshirt in 2010-11. Skala placed second at the Nichols Open with a 2-1 record. His lone loss at Ames came against Ryan Loder of Northern Iowa (4-1) in the championship bout at 184-pounds. Skala now owns a 7-1 record this season.

In action at 133-pounds, SCSU's Zach Stewart and Dylan both made it to the bout for fifth place with 3-2 record. At 141-pounds, SCSU saw one of its unattached wrestlers place second, one place third and one place sixth.

At 149-pounds, freshman Josh Howk placed fourth in the tournament with a 4-2 record. Howk now owns a 7-4 record this season for SCSU. At 157-pounds, one of SCSU's unattached wrestlers placed third and at 165-pounds two of SCSU's unattached wrestlers advanced to the bout for 5th place at the Open.

At 174-pounds, junior Kurt Salmen enjoyed a big weekend at the Nichols Open with a fourth place ending in the bracket. Salmen carded a 3-2 record in the tournament and lost a close 8-6 match in the bout for third place against Northern Iowa's Cody Caldwell. Salmen is 7-4 this season for the Huskies.

Senior Luke Munkelwitz was another placewinner for the Huskies at the Nichols Open. At 197-pounds, Munkelwitz scored a third place ending that included a 5-3 win over Davion Willis of UW-Parkside in the consolation bracket finals. Munkelwitz was 4-1 in Open action and he now owns a 5-3 record this winter.

The Huskies will continue their 2011-12 season on Nov. 19 with a trip to the Finn Grineker Open in Moorhead, Minn.

St. Cloud State's Jacob Kahnke Named NSIC Wrestler of the Week

St. Cloud State University junior Jacob Kahnke (Shakopee/Prior Lake H.S.) has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Week for Oct. 31-Nov. 6. Kahnke wrestlers for the Huskies at 285-pounds this season, and is currently ranked #2 in the nation in the Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association preseason poll.

To achieve the NSIC weekly award, Kahnke won first place honors in the 285-pound bracket at the 2011 Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Sunday, Nov. 6 in Brookings, S.D.

Kahnke rolled to the title with a perfect 4-0 record that included a first round bye, a second technical fall over Augustana's Taylor Harris and a third round pin at 1:36 against Illinois' Ben Tammany. In the semi-finals, Kahnke posted an 8-1 win over Leviticus Roberson of Midland Lutheran.

To cap the event, Kahnke scored an 8-3 win over defending NCAA Division II champion Matt Meuleners of Northern State in the title bout. Kahnke is now 4-0 on the season for the Huskies.

A transfer student from Division I Old Dominion University in 2009, Kahnke is a returning two-time All-America for the Huskies. At the 2011 NCAA Division II championships, Kahnke placed second at 285-pounds.

As a team, SCSU placed second at the 2011 NCAA Division II championships and the Huskies finished with a school record 19 dual match wins last season (19-2). SCSU won the 2011 NCAA Division II regional tournament and the Huskies' second place finish at nationals is the best performance in team history.

The Huskies will continue their 2011-12 campaign with a trip to the Harold Nichols Open in Ames, Iowa on Nov. 13.

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Red/Black Match Opens Season

St. Cloud, Minn. ~ The St. Cloud State University wrestling team kicked off the 2011-12 campaign at its annual Black/Red Classic on Friday, Nov. 4, in Halenbeck Hall. The Black team outscored the Red team 24-12 in front of a crowd of nearly 200 Husky wrestling fans.

Before the match, the Huskies honored two former St. Cloud State University greats: Troy Molitor (Class of 1989 and Tom Anderson (Class of 2008).  Both men served as honorary coaches for the event and received SCSU wrestling plaques for their participation.

St. Cloud State wrestling is coming off a good showing this past weekend at the Daktronics Open in Brookings, SD. Jacob Kahnke, RJr, claimed the title at 285-pounds and Derek Skala, RSr, earned the 184-pound championship respectfully. Six additional Husky wrestlers earned top five finishes in the event.

Black/Red Classic Results

125 - Eric Forde, winner by decision over Dylan Wright, 9-4
133 - Andy Pokorny, winner by decision over Zach Stewart, 5-3
141 - Matt Nelson, winner by decision over Matt Leibforth, 7-3
149 - Josh Howk, winner by fall over Jacob R. Horn, 2:29
157 - Jacob D. Horn, winner by decision over Clint Poster, 9-3
165 - Jack Barnes, winner by decision over Cody Tibbetts, 3-2
174 - Kurt Salmen, winner by decision over Ben McPhail, 8-4
184 - Trey Griffin, winner by decision over Dan Dick, 7-4
197 - Luke Munkelwitz, winner by decision over Mic Berg, 4-2 T2
285 - Chris Brassell, winner by decision over Shaun Little, 4-2

#1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Shows Well at Williamson/Daktronics Open

Jacob Kahnke & Derek Skala Both Bring Home Titles

The St. Cloud State University wrestling team, which is ranked #1 in the nation in the Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association 2011-12 preseason poll, opened its season with a trip to the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open in Brookings, S.D. on Nov. 6.

The Huskies' season opening weekend started on Friday, Nov. 4 with a annual Red/Black team dual in Halenbeck Hall.

SCSU brought home two titles from the Williamson/Daktronics Open, which was held on the campus of NCAA Division I opponent South Dakota State.

RS Junior Jacob Kahnke (Shakopee/Prior Lake H.S.) opened his year in top order as he won the bracket at 285-pounds. Kahnke charted a 4-0 record in the Open, which was capped by a big 8-3 win over Matt Meuleners of Northern State.

The victory was a bit of payback for Kahnke, as he lost a close match to Meuleners in the title bout at the 2011 NCAA Division II championships back in March 2011. Kahnke charted a technical fall (over Taylor Harris of Augustana), a pin (over Ben Tammany of Illinois) and an 8-1 win (over Levitius Roberson of Midland Lutheran) to reach the title bout on Nov. 6.

SCSU senior Derek Skala (Owatonna), who missed the 2010-11 season as a redshirt at SCSU, returned to the mats in top order with a first place finish at 184 pounds. Skala charted a 5-0 record that was topped by a 6-5 win over Joel Bauman of Minnesota. Skala is one of five returning All-Americans on the SCSU roster this winter.

At 174-pounds, three-time All-American senior Tad Merritt placed second at the Williamson/Daktronics Open. He lost to Logan Storley of Minnesota in the title bout by a score of 9-4. On his way to the finals, Merritt gained a fall over Jamestown's Marlon Branson, a 22-9 win over Illinois' Thomas Moman and a 6-0 win over NDSU's Kurtis Julson.

SCSU's Zach Stewart scored a third place finish at 133-pounds, which included a 4-1 record that was highlighted by a 6-1 win over teammate Dylan Wright in the match for third place at 133-pounds. Wright finished his trip to the Open with a 4-2 record.

In the bracket at 149-pounds, Jacob R. Horn claimed a fifth place finish as he earned a forfeit win over NDSU's Mark Erickson in that match. Horn was 4-2 in action at the Open.

SCSU's other top five finisher at the Open was sophomore Chris Brassell, who placed fifth in the 197-pound division. Brassell chalked up a 6-5 win over Nick Mart of SDSU in the bout for fifth place. Brassell ended his day in Brookings with a 4-2 record.

The Huskies will be back in action on Nov. 13 with a trip to the Harold Nichols Open in Ames, Iowa.

St. Cloud State Wrestling Announces Schedule Change

Attention SCSU wrestling fans! The #1 ranked Huskies have announced a change to their 2011-12 schedule.

On Nov. 19, the Huskies will travel to Moorhead, Minn. to compete in the at Finn Grineker Open at Concordia College. SCSU was originally slated to compete at the Auggie Open at Augsburg College on Nov. 19, but it will now send its wrestling team to the meet in Moorhead that day.

The action in Moorhead begins at 9 a.m.

SCSU fans should make plans now to attend the annual Holiday Inn/Husky Open in Halenbeck Hall on Saturday, Dec. 10. This open tournament features many of the nation's top collegiate wrestlers and programs. Action will begin at 9 a.m.

The Huskies earned a number one ranking in the 2011-12 preseason poll released by the Division II Wrestling Coaches Association. Last year, SCSU posted a school record 19 wins (19-2) and also placed second at the 2011 NCAA Division II championships under the leadership of Coach Steve Costanzo.

St. Cloud State Youth Wrestling Clinic a Huge Success

St. Cloud, Minn. - The 6th Annual Husky Fall Wrestling Clinic was a big hit this past weekend on the campus of St. CloudState University. Over 80 participants and coaches attended the one day clinic on Saturday, October 29 in the Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse.

Former SCSU wrestling great and 2011 NCAA DII National Champion John Sundgren highlighted the day event. The clinic serves as a kickoff to the wrestling season each year and promotes the sport of wrestling within the St. Cloud area.

"We had a great turn out to this year's event," said Assistant Coach Tyson Reiner. It was great to see all of the numbers and the enthusiasm as we head into the 2011-12 wrestling campaign.

The Huskies wrestling team will again be hosting camps this summer. The tentative times for these camps will be in June 2012. Details will soon be posted and available to the public. Please check back at the Husky Home Page for more details on these exciting wrestling opportunities.

The Huskies open up their 2011-12 campaign on Friday, November 4, as they host their Annual Black/Red Classic. SCSU placed second in the nation last year at the 2011 NCAA Division II championship. The Huskies won the 2011 NCAADivision II Super Region 3 title and also posted a school record 19 dual match wins (19-2) in 2010-11 under the leadership of Coach Costanzo.

St. Cloud State Wrestling Tops NSIC and NCAA Division II Preseason Polls for 2011-12

St. Cloud State enters the 2011-12 season as favorite in the NSIC and the No. 1 team in NCAA Division II wrestling, according to the NSIC Wrestling Preseason Coaches' Poll and the preseason NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association.

The Huskies, coming off a best-ever runner-up finish in last year's national tournament, narrowly beat Upper Iowa for the top spot in the NSIC with 55 points, one more than the Peacocks, who finished fourth nationally as a team in 2010-11. The points in the rankings were assigned from the top five individuals in each of the ten weight classes using the following point system: 1st = 10, 2nd = 7, 3rd = 4, 4th = 2 , 5th = 1.

In the national poll the Huskies received four of the eight first-place votes cast in balloting of coaches from around the country and finished with 153 points in earning the favorite's tag . Upper Iowa was ranked third in the nation followed by Augustana at sixth, Minnesota State in twelfth, while U-Mary and Northern State received votes.

In the individual national rankings the NSIC had five of the top wrestlers in the nation. Trevor Franklin of Upper Iowa was the top ranked wrestler at 133 pounds, Nate Herda of Augustana at 149 pounds, Tad Merritt of St. Cloud State at 165 pounds, Carl Broghammer of Upper Iowa at 197 pounds and Matt Meuleners of Northern State at 285.

In all the NSIC had 21 of its wrestler ranked in the top ten in the nation led by Upper Iowa with six, St. Cloud State with five, Augustana at four and Minnesota State at three. U-Mary, MSU Moorhead and Northern State each had one wrestler in the top ten.

Here is a rundown of where the Huskies rank in the individual national polls for Division II:

165 - Tad Merritt - 1st
174 - Shamus O'Grady - 4th
184 - Derek Skala - 4th
157 - Jacob D. Horn - 7th
285 - Jacob Kahnke - 2nd

Here is where the Huskies were ranked in the 2011-12 NSIC preseason individual polls:

125 - Dylan Wright - 3rd
133 - Andy Pokorny - 3rd
141 - Matt Leibforth - 7th
149 - Jacob R. Horn - 3rd
157 - Jacob D. Horn - 2nd
165 - Tad Merritt - 1st
174 - Shamus O'Grady - 1st
184 - Derek Skala - 2nd
197 - Lucas Munkelwitz - 3rd
285 - Jacob Kahnke - 2nd

2011-12 NSIC Wrestling Preseason Coaches' Poll

1 St. Cloud State 55
2 Upper Iowa 54
3 Augustana 44
4 Minnesota State 32
5 University of Mary 20
6 MSU Moorhead 17
7 Northern State 11
8 SMSU 7

NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Top 20

1 St. Cloud State (Minn.) 153
2 Newberry (S.C.) 150
3 Upper Iowa 144
4 Nebraska-Kearney 132
5 Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 130
6 Augustana (S.D.) 124
7 Central Oklahoma 107
8 Pittsburgh-Johnstown 94
9 Wisconsin-Parkside 90
10 Ashland (Ohio) 74
11 Mercyhurst (Pa.) 70
12 Minnesota State 69
13 Adams State (Colo.) 63
14 Findlay (Ohio) 53
15 Maryville (Mo.) 47
16 Fort Hays State (Kan.) 44
17 Limestone (S.C.) 31
18 North Carolina-Pembroke 28
19 San Francisco State 23
20 Shippensburg (Pa.) 15

Others receiving votes: Central Missouri, Colorado School of Mines, East Stroudsburg (Pa.), Gannon (Pa.), King (Tenn.), Kutztown (Pa.), Mary (N.D.), Northern State (S.D.), Western State (Colo.).

St. Cloud State Wrestling Provides Helping Hand in St. Cloud Community

For the 5th year in a row the St. Cloud State University wrestling team volunteered to lend a helping hand with the Mississippi River Clean-up Sponsored by the SCSU Outdoor Endeavors Program on Oct. 8.

The river clean-up is considered to be the most consistent river clean-up in the state of Minnesota and community volunteers usually collect over 600-pounds of garbage.

The Volunteers spent 3 hours on Saturday cleaning up the banks of the Mississippi river surrounding the SCSU campus.

"I really appreciate our men volunteering their time to help out the St. Cloud community," said SCSU assistant coach Tyson Reiner. "We have continued to make an effort give back to the St. Cloud community. Our men understand that it is important for our program to give back to the community and take pride in the St. Cloud community and University.

The Huskies also took part in the Catholic Charities Scouting for Food Drive on Oct. 8. This marks the second year in a row the Huskies have helped out at this event. The Husky Wrestlers spent four hours loading and stacking boxes of donated food items for the less fortunate.

"I was very proud of our young men for lending a helping hand," Said coach Steve Costanzo. "This event is an annual event to help the less fortunate in our community. I was very impressed with our attitude and willingness to help out."

This week the Huskies will be helping out at Sartell High School by serving lunch on Monday and Wednesday to the students of Sartell High School.

The Huskies open up their 2011-12 campaign on Friday, November 4, as they host their Annual Black/Red Classic. SCSU placed second in the nation last year at the 2011 NCAA Division II championship. The Huskies won the 2011 NCAA Division II Super Region 3 title and also posted a school record 19 dual match wins (19-2) in 2010-11 under the leadership of Coach Costanzo.

SCSU Youth Wrestling Clinic Set for Oct. 29

St. Cloud State University will offer its 2011 Fall Wrestling Clinic on Saturday, Oct. 29 in the University's Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse. This clinic is open to all youth wrestlers from grades K-12, and it will feature a special appearance by guest clinician 2011 NCAA Division II champion John Sundgren.

The clinic will begin with check-in between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Oct. 29. The day will include two sessions of instruction, a motivational talk, clinic t-shirt and lunch. Clinic participants will also have the opportunity to watch the nationally ranked St. Cloud State wrestling team practice at 2:30 p.m.

The cost of the clinic is $45 per person. A special team rate of $40 per person is available for those groups/teams with 10 or more partipants who register together.

A 2011 graduate of St. Cloud State, Sundgren was a two-time All-America award winner for the Huskies. He won the NCAA Division II championship at 157-pounds in 2011, and he was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Year in 2011. Sundgren was also selected as a four-time NCAA Division II All-Academic athlete during his collegiate career with the Huskies. Blaine is a graduate of Blaine High School.

For more information on the 2011 St. Cloud State Fall Wrestling Clinic, please call the SCSU Wrestling Office at 320-308-2996 or e-mail <mailto:sscostanzo@stcloudstate.edu>sscostanzo@stcloudstate.edu

In 2010-11, SCSU enjoyed one of its best seasons in team history. The Huskies placed second in the nation at the 2011 NCAA Division II Championships, won the 2011 NCAA Division II Super Region #3 title and set a team record with a 19-2 dual meet record in 2010-11.

The second place national finish was the highest national tournament finish for the Huskies in team history, and the Huskies also posted a solid third place finish at the elite NWCA National Duals in 2011.

John Sundgren to be Honored at SCSU on Oct. 1

The St. Cloud State University wrestling program will salute the accomplishments of John Sundgren on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. with a special "wall ceremony" in the SCSU Wrestling Room, which is located inside the Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse.

Sundgren won the 157-pound NCAA Division II national championship in 2011 and his national championship banner will be unveiled during the ceremony and will forever be immortalized on the wall of the wrestling room to inspire future champions at SCSU.

Fans will also have the opportunity to watch a brief highlight video of Sundgren's run to a national title as well as getting his take on his storybook career with the Huskies.

Following the ceremony, all are encouraged to stay for the Husky football game as they take on Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rival Northern State University at 4 p.m. Concluding the first quarter of play, the 2011 NCAA National Runner-Up Huskies will be introduced.

Prior to the game and after the Sundgren ceremony in the wrestling room, the country band DIAMONDBACK will be playing and food vendors such as Famous Dave's will be catering for your appetite outside of Husky Stadium.

The"Wall Ceremony" is free and open to the public. Tickets for the football game against Northern State can be purchased at the gate or you can call 1-877-SCSUTIX or 320-308-2137 for more ticket information.

So, come out and enjoy the Husky celebration and CELEBRATE! St. Cloud State University on Oct. 1.

For complete information on the Sundgren ceremony, please call the wrestling office at 320-308-3159 or e-mail <mailto:sscostanzo@stcloudstate.edu>sscostanzo@stcloudstate.edu

SCSU Wrestling Recruit Class Ranks Among Best in Nation

St. Cloud State University has been an elite force in the NCAA DII wrestling scene the past four years. The Huskies boasts a strong tradition of excellence both on and off the mat. In the September 2011 issue of Wrestling USA Magazine, St. Cloud State was selected as the eighth ranked recruiting class for Non-Division I recruiting classes in college wrestling.

"I am very excited about our recruiting class," said Head Coach Steve Costanzo. "Although, we have a lot of experience returning to the team this year, it is time to start looking toward the future. I am confident that this group of incoming recruits will continue the tradition of Husky wrestling both in the classroom and on the mat."

Highlighting the recruiting class are state champions: Eric Forde (125) 4x ND champ, Andy Pokorny (133) 3x NE champ and transfer, Matt Nelson (141) 1x MN champ, Clint Poster (149) 2x MN champ, Chip Erickson (157) 2x WI champ, Trey Griffin (184) 2x IL champ and Caleb White (285) 1x IA champ.

Additional standouts include: Derek Scott (125) MN, Jay Hildreth (141) 2nd IA, Brady Johnshoy (141) 2nd MN, Ryan Schroepfer (141) MN, Eric Hood (149) MN, Jared Kust (149) 3rd WI, Cody Tibbetts (165) 2nd MN, Dan Dick (174) 3rd MN, Derek Swanson (174) 5th MN, Elliot Zander (174) ND and Shaun Little (197) 2nd MN.

TOP 15 NON-DIVISION I RECRUITING CLASSES

1. Iowa Central CC
2. Pittsburgh-Johnstown
3. Notre Dame College
4. Maryville
5. Grand Canyon
6. Clackamas CC
7. Great Falls College
8. ST. CLOUD STATE
9. Chadron State
10. Upper Iowa
11. Nebraska-Kearney
12. Indianapolis
13. Wartburg
14. Wisconsin-Parkside
15. Oklahoma City

The St. Cloud State Wrestling Team returns 5 NCAA All-Americans and 6 NCAA National Qualifiers to the mats this year. The Huskies will open up their season on Friday, November 4th as they host their annual Black/Red Intrasquad Classic in Halenbeck Hall at 7 p.m.

SCSU Wrestling Adds Wilson and Reiner to Coaching Staff
St. Cloud State University Director of Athletics Dr. Morris Kurtz has announced the hiring of Brady Wilson as an assistant coach for the Husky wrestling program, which captured runner-up honors at the 2011 NCAA Division II wrestling championships. The Huskies will also add Tyson Reiner as a graduate assistant wrestling coach to the program in 2011-12.

A 2009 graduate of Minnesota State University, Wilson served as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater in 2010-11 and he received a graduate degree in sports management from Minnesota State University in 2011.

Wilson brings a wealth of collegiate wrestling experience to the St. Cloud State wrestling room. At Minnesota State, Wilson was a four-time All-American, a four-time conference champion and a four-time NCAA regional champion during his collegiate wrestling career. At the NCAA Division II championships, Wilson earned top five finishes at 285-pounds in all four seasons of his career, including a second place finish in 2010.

He set a record at Minnesota State with 143 wins during his career and he was named MSU's Athlete of the Year and Student-Athlete of the Year in 2010.

A 2005 graduate of Faribault High School in Faribault, Minn., Wilson earned MSHSL state champion honors in 2005 while posting a 109-30 career record as a prep athlete. At Faribault High School, Wilson also gained NHSCA, Greco Juniors and Fila Freestyle All-America accolades.

Last year at Minnesota State, Wilson helped lead the Mavericks to a 10th place finish at the 2011 NCAA Division II championships. He coached three All-American and six national qualifiers during the 2010-11 season in Mankato.

"I've had the privilege to know Brady (Wilson) over the years as a competitor and as a coach," said Coach Steve Costanzo. "He is an excellent choice to fill the role as head assistant wrestling coach and will help build our young men into life champions on and off the mat. I look forward to working with him and I am confident that he is a great fit for our program."

Reiner joins the SCSU staff after serving as an assistant wrestling coach at Wartburg College during the 2010-11 season. Reiner helped lead Wartburg to a NCAA Division III team title last winter along with first place finishes in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the NWCA/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals. Wartburg saw seven of its athletes earn top seven finishes at the NCAA championships in 2011, including two national individual champions.

A 2010 graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Reiner wrestled for the Panthers from 2005 to 2010. A two-time team captain and three-year starter at UNI, Reiner earned one Western Wrestling Confernece crown and was a two-time NCAA Division I national qualifier in college.

A native of Mitchell, S.D., Reiner claimed two South Dakota state high school titles and was a two-time state runner-up as a prep wrestler. He was also a two-time high school All-America award winner.

"Tyson has earned the respect of his peers as an outstanding leader in and out of the wrestling room," said Costanzo. "He has proven experience as a winner and will be invaluable to the Husky wrestling program in our quest to retain a top quality program."

In 2010-11, SCSU enjoyed one of its best seasons in team history. The Huskies placed second in the nation at the 2011 NCAA Division II Championships, won the 2011 NCAA Division II Super Region #3 title and set a team record with a 19-2 dual meet record in 2010-11. Senior wrestler John Sundgren won a national title at 157-pounds for the Huskies.

The second place national finish was the highest national tournament finish for the Huskies in team history, and the Huskies also posted a solid third place finish at the elite NWCA National Duals in 2011.
St. Cloud State Wrestling Names 2011-12 Team Captains
St. Cloud, MN- St. Cloud State University Head Coach Steve Costanzo and staff have announced their team captains for the upcoming 2011-2012 Season.

Six individuals have been named team captains for the 2011-2012 wrestling campaign. Seniors Tad Merritt, Lucas Munkelwitz, Derek Skala, and Jacob Tabbert, along with Juniors Jacob Kahnke and Jacob D. Horn will be leading the way as the Huskies look to improve on last year's 2nd place finish at the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Merritt of Canby, MN is one of two returning captains from last season. Merritt is a 3x NCAA National Qualifier and the most decorated as a 3x All-American for the Huskies placing 3rd as a Freshman, 5th as a Sophomore, and 3rd as a Junior.

Munkelwitz of Forest Lake, MN is a 3x returning NCAA National Qualifier for the Huskies finishing last season with a 14-6 dual meet record, and 19-10 overall.

Skala of Owatonna, MN is another returning captain from last season. He is also a 3x returning NCAA National Qualifier and All-American for the Huskies with a 7th place finish as a Sophomore at the Division II National Tournament.

Tabbert of Inner Grove Heights, MN is a graduate of Simley High School. Returning Cobber Open Champion at 149, and was 1-0 in dual meet action last season and 8-6 overall.

Kahnke of Shakopee, MN is a 2x returning NCAA National Qualifier and 2x All-American placing 4th as a Freshman and 2nd as a Sophomore for the Huskies.

Jacob D. Horn of Ephrata, WA is a returning NCAA National Qualifier and All-American with a 5th place finish in the 2011 NCAA Division II National Tournament.

"We are very fortunate to be in the hands of such great leaders," said Coach Steve Costanzo. "These guys have been the roots and vines of this great program. We look forward to a great year with their leadership both on and off the mat."

The St. Cloud State Wrestling Team returns 5 NCAA All-Americans and 6 NCAA National Qualifiers to the mats this year. The Huskies will open up their season on Friday, November 4th as they host their annual Black/Red Intrasquad Classic in Halenbeck Hall at 7 p.m.
St. Cloud State University Wrestling to Face Tough Schedule in 2011-12

The St. Cloud Husky Wrestling program looks to start its 61stwrestling season this year with another challenging competition schedule. The Huskies will be facing 10 different teams that placed in the top 25 in their respective collegiate division last season. The Huskies will also be competing in four open tournaments and three regular season dual meet tournaments.

The Huskies begin their 2011-2012 Season with the annual Black/Red Classic on November 4. The Huskies start their open tournament schedule when they travel to Brookings, S.D. for the Daktronics Open on November 6, Ames, Iowa for the Harold Nicholas Open on November 13, Minneapolis for the Auggie/Brute/Addidas Open on November 19, and finally they end the Open season with their annual Holiday Inn/Husky Open on December 10.

Traveling to the University of La Crosse December on 3, the Huskies will face the host Eagles who placed third at the NCAA Division III tournament in 2011. At Grand Canyon University on December 31, SCSU is scheduled to face the host GCU who finished 7th in last year's NCAA Division II meet along with Findlay University, Mesa State College, and Mercyhurst College.

On January 7-8, the Huskies will be headed to the prestigious NWCA National Duals in Springfield, Ill. The Huskies finished third n last year's NWCA event and look to improve on last year's finish.

The Huskies will then travel to non-conference opponent Concordia College in Moorhead on January 20. The Cobbers finished seventh at last year's DIII meet and on February 2, the Huskies will host nearby rival St. John's, which placed sixth at the 2011 NCAA DIII championships. SCSU will complete its non-conference dual schedule on February 7 with a home match against UW-Eau Claire.

The Huskies will open their conference schedule on the road in Aberdeen SD, where they will take on Northern State on January 13. The Huskies then travel to Bismarck to take on the University of Mary on January 14. SCSU will travel to Minnesota State, Moorhead on January 21 and then host defending NSIC champions Augustana College on January 27. Augie placed third at last year's NCAA Division II championships behind champ UN-Omaha and runner-up St. Cloud State.

In special match in Canby, Minn. (hometown of the Huskies' Tad Merritt), SCSU and Southwest Minnesota State will wrestle on Janurary 28.

SCSU will host the Upper Iowa Peacocks on Feburary 12 and SCSU will complete its regular season with a dual match at Minnesota State, Mankato. Of note, Upper Iowa was fourth in the nation last year and MSU finished 2011 with a 10th place finish at the NCAA Division II championships.

St. Cloud State will then battle for the post season awards as it hosts the 2012 Super Region Three Championships on February 26 in Halenbeck Hall. On March 9-10, SCSU will head to Pueblo, Colo for the 2012 NCAA Division II Championships.

In 2010-11, SCSU enjoyed one of its best seasons in team history. The Huskies placed second in the nation at the 2011 NCAA Division II Championships, won the 2011 NCAA Division II Super Region #3 title and set a team record with a 19-2 dual meet record in 2010-11.

The second place national finish was the highest national tournament finish for the Huskies in team history, and the Huskies also posted a solid third place finish at the elite NWCA National Duals in 2011.
SCSU Youth Wrestling Clinic Set for Oct. 29

St. Cloud State University will offer its 2011 Fall Wrestling Clinic on Saturday, Oct. 29 in the University's Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse. This clinic is open to all youth wrestlers from grades K-12, and it will feature a special appearance by guest clinician 2011 NCAA Division II champion John Sundgren.

The clinic will begin with check-in between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Oct. 29. The day will include two sessions of instruction, a motivational talk, clinic t-shirt and lunch. Clinic participants will also have the opportunity to watch the nationally ranked St. Cloud State wrestling team practice at 2:30 p.m.

The cost of the clinic is $45 per person. A special team rate of $40 per person is available for those groups/teams with 10 or more partipants who register together.

A 2011 graduate of St. Cloud State, Sundgren was a two-time All-America award winner for the Huskies. He won the NCAA Division II championship at 157-pounds in 2011, and he was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Year in 2011. Sundgren was also selected as a four-time NCAA Division II All-Academic athlete during his collegiate career with the Huskies. Blaine is a graduate of Blaine High School.

For more information on the 2011 St. Cloud State Fall Wrestling Clinic, please call the SCSU Wrestling Office at 320-308-2996 or e-mail <mailto:sscostanzo@stcloudstate.edu>sscostanzo@stcloudstate.edu

In 2010-11, SCSU enjoyed one of its best seasons in team history. The Huskies placed second in the nation at the 2011 NCAA Division II Championships, won the 2011 NCAA Division II Super Region #3 title and set a team record with a 19-2 dual meet record in 2010-11. 

The second place national finish was the highest national tournament finish for the Huskies in team history, and the Huskies also posted a solid third place finish at the elite NWCA National Duals in 2011.
SCSU Wrestling Golf Outing Another Big Success

The St. Cloud State University Wrestling Program hosted its 6th Annual Husky Golf Classic on Friday August 26th 2011 at Wapicada Golf course. This year was the largest in the six year history of the Golf Classic. This serves as one of the many fundraisers for the program.

"The University and the Takedown Club would like to take the time and thank all the local businesses and all those who participated in the 6th Annual Husky Golf Classic," said assistant coach Brady Wilson. "It was also great to see everyone out enjoying the weather and we are lucky to have great support from the Husky Wrestling family."

A total of 13 teams participated in this year's event. The teams were made up of friends, family, boosters, alumni, and local community members of SCSU Wrestling. 1st place went to Team Ganyo, the team included Greg Ganyo, Gary Smith, Jim Harstad, and Mark Butterman and 2nd place went to Team Schultz, the team included Mike Schultz, Chad Becker, Roger Sieve, and Jeff Habisch. The winner was determined on a tie breaker as both teams finished with the same scores.

"We would also like to take the time to thanks all of our hole sponsors and all of the local businesses who donated raffle prizes that made our raffle a huge success," said assistant coach Tyson Reiner. "Without the continued support from the local business, family, friends, alumni, and boosters we would not be able to have this annual event."

The St. Cloud State University wrestling team opens up their season on Friday, November 4th as the Huskies host their Annual Black/Red Classic starting at 7 P.M.
Third Annual Wrestling Alumni Gathering A Success

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

St. Cloud, Minn. - The St. Cloud State University Wrestling program held its third annual alumni reunion last Saturday, June 25, in the St. Cloud area.  Mark '76 and Anita '75 Bauerly hosted this summer's reunion at Big Fish Lake.

"We had a great turnout at the alumni gathering and it was neat to see former wrestlers from St. Cloud State," said SCSU's head wrestling coach Steve Costanzo. "Some of the individuals present hadn't seen each other in over 30 years."

Nearly 50 guests partook in the wrestling alumni event. The president of St. Cloud State, Dr. Earl H. Potter III, was in attendance to help celebrate the success of the 2010-11 Husky team, which placed second at the 2011 NCAA Division II Championships this past March. President Potter also provided the alumni with an update on the University and campus initiatives.

"I'd like to extend a special thank you to the Bauerly's for their generous hospitality," added Costanzo, who was named the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coach of the Year. "Our alumni involvement continues to get stronger every year and the alumni are truly our foundation to the future of Husky Wrestling."

In 2010-11, SCSU enjoyed one of its best seasons in team history. The Huskies placed second in the nation at the 2011 NCAA Division II Championships, won the 2011 NCAA Division II Super Region #3 title and set a team record with a 19-2 dual meet record in 2010-11. Senior wrestler John Sundgren won a national title at 157-pounds for the Huskies.

The second place national finish was the highest national tournament finish for the Huskies in team history, and the Huskies also posted a solid third place finish at the elite NWCA National Duals in 2011.
Jim Hazewinkel to be Inducted Into NSIC Hall of Fame

BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has announced their 2011 Hall of Fame Inductees and this year's class includes former St. Cloud State University wrestling standout Jim Hazewinkel.

The induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, July 13th at the Best Western Kelly Inn/St. Cloud at the NSIC's 12th annual Summer Kickoff event. A social hour will begin at 6:00 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 7:00 p.m. Reserve your tickets for the banquet by visiting www.NorthernSun.org and filling out a Hall of Fame Banquet Registration Form. Registrations are due by July 1st as space is limited for this event.

The class of 2011 also includes: Trip Hedrick, Bemidji State University; Kerrick Johnson, University of Minnesota Duluth; Mike Berg Minnesota State University Moorhead; Don Meyer, Northern State University; Julie (Thein) Boom, Southwest Minnesota State University and Nate Gruber, Winona State University.

Hazewinkel began wrestling in high school when he was in the eleventh grade in 1960, at Anoka High School. He reached the state finals as a junior and senior, placing second both years. From there he attended St. Cloud State University from 1962-1970, which included years of service in the U.S. Army.

Jim became a two-time Northern Intercollegiate Conference Champion and a four-time NAIA National Champion while at St. Cloud State. At that time, Hazewinkel was the third wrestler in the nation to win four college national titles and the first to do it at two different weight classes (115 & 123 lbs).

Following college, Hazewinkel went on to win six senior national championships in Greco Roman Wrestling. He was named "Outstanding Wrestler" in the Nation three times and awarded "Most Falls" twice. In 1971 the Outstanding Wrestler Award was shared with twin brother Dave. The two of them entered as a "team" that year and they won the second place National "Team" Trophy for the Minnesota Wrestling Club.

Starting in 1966, Hazewinkel made seven USA Teams in a row; five World Teams, and two Olympic Teams. He wrestled in three different weight classes in International competition (114.5, 125.5, & 136.5). It is believed that Hazewinkel is the first wrestler from the U.S. to make a World or Olympic Team in three different weight classes (114.5, 125.5, & 136.5).

In 1971, Jim became an Instructor and Head Wrestling Coach at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, MN. He taught and coached there for twenty years. His teams won two Little College National Titles.

In 1991, he moved to Pensacola, Fla. and became an Instructor and Head Wrestling Coach at Pensacola Christian College. He taught and coached there for fifteen years. Jim inaugurated the first wrestling team at Pensacola Christian College. While there his teams won four NCCAA National Titles and two NCWA National Titles.

In 2006, he moved to Marion, Ala. and is now teaching and is Head Wrestling Coach at Marion Military Institute, a two year Military College. Dave is an assistant coach at Marion as well.

Hazewinkel has been coaching for 41 years and have an overall dual record to of 377-220-11 with 16 conference titles and nine National Team Titles. He has been voted national coach of the year on six different occasions.

The NSIC Hall of Fame will be the seventh that Hazewinkel has been inducted to. In 1975 he was inducted into the NAIA National Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 1983 it was the St. Cloud State Hall of Fame. In 1997 he was inducted into the Minnesota State Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2004 he was inducted again to the St. Cloud State Hall of Fame, this time with the team from 1963. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honored him in 2005 with the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award and in 2007 the National Collegiate Wrestling Hall of Fame inducted him.

Hazewinkel's first National AAU tournament was in 1964 winning his first title in 1966. He won his last National AAU title (Masters Division) in 2004 at age 60, which is a span of forty years. His opponent in the finals was 17 years younger in age.

Founded in 1986, the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC - the former men's conference) Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor those who made significant contributions to the conference, to create favorable publicity and public relations for the league and to help preserve the history of the NIC, its member institutions, student-athletes, and other significant individuals affiliated with the league. For the first two inductions (1986 and 1990) each selection hailed from the NIC. In 1992-93, the Northern Sun Conference (NSC - the former women's conference) and the NIC merged creating the current Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). After annual inductions since 2000, today's NSIC Hall of Fame now boasts 149 members and one team.

The 23-member Class of 2000 was the first to include standout female student-athletes in the former NSC. The 2000 inductees entered the Hall at the inaugural NSIC Summer Kickoff Event in Becker, Minn. The distinguished class of 2001 was enshrined in Willmar, Minn., as the conference moved the annual Summer Kickoff Event. This year's NSIC Hall of Fame includes seven prominent inductees that are being recognized at the 12th annual NSIC Summer Kickoff Event, at its home for the past seven years, in St. Cloud, Minn.

Each NSIC school (who has been a member for at least ten years or more) is asked to submit one candidate per institution for induction into the Hall. Each of the selectees are derived from individuals who have been affiliated with the NSIC, NIC, NSC and their member institutions.
In order to be eligible for the NSIC Hall of Fame, candidates must have made their contributions in the following areas:

1) former student-athletes, 2) administrator/coach, 3) official/supervisor/coordinator, 4) contributor/supporter, and 5) team. Other worthy candidates that do not fall into the above categories are also considered. The conference provides two plaques, one of which will go to the inductee and one to the institution represented. A history of each inductee will be kept in the league office and each institution will prominently display the plaques of their respective NSIC Hall of Fame inductees.

#9 St. Cloud State Captures 7th Place at DII Duals With Win Over #8 Augustana

Cedar Falls, Iowa - The #9 St. Cloud State University wrestling team (7-4) finished the 2010 NWCA/Cliff Keen Division II Duals with a seventh place finish. The Huskies wrapped up the top seven finish thanks to a big 19-18 victory over NSIC rival Augustana, which had entered the tournament ranked #8 in the nation.
In a DII thriller on the mats at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Jan. 10, Augustana's Alex Meger gained a 10-8 win over SCSU's Trent Herold. SCSU replied at 133-pounds wit a forfeit victory by Shane McQuade.
Augie regained the upper hand at 141-pounds with a forfeit win, which was followed by Nate Herda's 7-2 win over SCSU's Jake Roberts at 149-pounds and a 7-3 winby Marcus Eddington over SCSU's John Sundgren at 157-pounds.
The Huskies got back on board with a big 7-0 victory by Tad Merritt over AC's Kyle Svendson at 165-pounds. At 174-pounds, AC's Carl Serck charted a 7-5 win over SCSU's Shamus O'Grady. In action at 184-pounds, SCSU's Derek Skala scored a 4-3 decision over Nick Henning of Augie. This was a big win for Skala over Henning, who was ranked 6th in the nation in the latest DII polls. Of note, Skala was ranked 8th at 184-pounds in the latest DII poll.
At 197-pounds, Lucas Munkelwitz helped secure some Husky points with a 7-1 victory over Luke Heine of AC. To complete the victory for the Huskies, Jake Kahnke rolled to a 10-2 major decision over Lance Peters of Augustana at 285-pounds.
SCSU will continue its season on Jan. 15, with a 7 p.m. home dual match against UW-Eau Claire and a 7 p.m. home match against Southwest Minnesota State on Jan. 16. Both matches will take place at Halenbeck Hall on the campus of SCSU. Of note, SCSU students are admitted free to all Husky home wrestling matches this season with a valid student ID.
Augustana (SD) - 18
St. Cloud State  - 19
Individual Matches
125 Alex Meger (Augustana (SD) dec. Trent Herold (St. Cloud State ) 10 - 8
133 Shane McQuade (St. Cloud State ) wins by forfeit
141 Jay Sherer (Augustana (SD) wins by forfeit 
149 Nate Herda (Augustana (SD def. Jacob Roberts (St. Cloud State ) 7 - 2
157 Marcus Edgington (Augustana (SD) def. SV John Sundgren (St. Cloud State ) 7 - 3
165 Tad Merritt (St. Cloud State ) DEC def. Kyle Svendson (Augustana (SD) 7-0
174 Carl Serck (Augustana) DEC Shamus O'Grady (St. Cloud State ) 7 - 5
184 Derek Skala (St. Cloud State ) DEC Nicholis Henning (Augustana (SD) 4-3
197 Lucas Munkelwitz (St. Cloud State ) DEC Luke Heine (Augustana (SD) 7-1
285 Jake Kahnke (St. Cloud State ) MAJ DEC Lance Peters (Augustana (SD) 10-2

Results from First Match of the Day at the DII Duals on Jan. 10
The #9 St. Cloud State University wrestling opened the second day of competition at the 2010 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals on Jan. 10, with a tough 19-14 setback against Wisconsin-Parkside. 
SCSU was the 8th seeded team in the tournament this weekend, while UW-Parkside had been seeded 6th coming into the tournament. SCSU gained victories in the match against UW-Parkside at 157-pounds (John Sundgren), 165-pounds (Tad Merritt), 197-pounds (Lucas Munkelwitz) and 285-pounds (Jake Kahnke). Listed below are the complete results of match against UW-Parkside:
UW-Parkside 19
SCSU 14
125 - Cody Zimmerman (UWP) maj. dec. Trent Herold (SCSU) 13-1
133 - Brandon Kircher (UWP) dec. Shane McQuade (SCSU) 6-5
141 - Mike Migawa (UWP) dec. Gabe Suarez (SCSU) 9-2
149 - Craig Becker (UWP) dec. Alex Kontz (SCSU) 8-0
157 - John Sundgren (SCSU) dec. Dillon Bera (UWP) 9-5
165 - Tad Merritt (SCSU) maj. dec. Matt Gille (UWP) 10-2
174 - Luke Rynish (UWP) dec. Shamus O'Grady (SCSU) 9-4
184 - Luke Haag (UWP) dec. Derek Skala (SCSU) 4-0
197- Lucas Munkelwitz (SCSU) dec. Jon Treml (UWP) 4-0
285 - Jake Kahnke (SCSU) maj. dec. James Malechek 13-1
St. Cloud State Wrestling Gains Victory at NWCA Duals

Cedar Falls, Iowa - The #9 St. Cloud State University wrestling team (5-3) opened action at the NWCA Division II Duals on Jan. 9, with a 22-10 win over San Francisco State. SCSU followed the first round win with a 27-12 loss against #1 Nebraska-Omaha in second round action on Jan. 9.
The Huskies will continue action in the Division II Duals on Jan. 9, and the action at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa will conclude on Jan. 10. 
In the match against San Francisco State, SCSU's Trent Herold gained a 6-4 win over Pierre Bondoc at 125-pounds. SCSU then lost matches at 133-, 141- and 149-, before John Sundgren grabbed an 11-4 win at 157 pounds. Tad Merritt and Shamus O'Grady tallied wins at 165- and 174-pounds respectively, before Derek Skala (184-pounds), Lucas Munkelwitz (197) and Jake Kahnke (285) completed the upper weight sweep for SCSU.
In action against #1 ranked and top seed Nebraska-Omaha, the Huskies gained a pinfall victory at 174-pounds by Shamus O'Grady, and a pinfall win at 184-pounds by Derek Skala.
SCSU will continue with a 5 p.m. showdown against Ft. Hays State in the wrestlebacks of this double-elimination team tournament.
Listed below is a rundown of the results from the first two matches:
#9 SCSU 22, San Francisco State 10
125 - Trent Herold (SCSU) def. Pierre Bondoc (SFSU) 6-4
133 - Naveed Bagheri (SFSU) def. Shane McQuade (SCSU) 13-1
141 - Ben Lockett (SFSU) def. Gabe Suarez (SCSU) 7-1
149 - Josh Nolan (SFSU) def. Alex Kontz (SCSU) 5-1
157 - John Sundgren (SCSU) def. Isaiah Jimenez (SFSU) 11-4
165 - Tad Merritt (SCSU) def. Zach Sesar (SFSU) 17-4
174 - Shamus O'Grady (SCSU) def. Gene Choi (SFSU) 7-6
184 - Derek Skala (SCSU) def. Zach Jimenez (SFSU) 5-2
197 - Lucas Munkelwitz (SCSU) def. Vince Bordi (SFSU) 5-3
285 - Jake Kahnke (SCSU) def. Steve Franklin (SFSU) 6-1
#1 Nebraska-Omaha 27, #9 SCSU 12
125- Terrell McKinney (UNO) def. Trent Herold (SCSU) 9-8
133 - Cody Garcia (UNO) def. Shane McQuade (SCSU) 12-0
141 - Mario Morgan (UNO) def. Gabe Suarez (SCSU) 10-0
149 - Taiten Weatherbee (UNO) def. Alex Kontz (SCSU) 4-2
157 - George Ivanov (UNO) def. John Sundgren (SCSU) 8-3
165 - Ryan Pankoke (UNO) def. Tad Merritt (SCSU) 8-4
174 - Shamus O'Grady (SCSU) pins Morgan Denson (UNO) 2:12
184 - Derek Skala (SCSU) pins Austin Boehm (UNO) 3:48
197 - Jacob Marrs (UNO) def. Lucas Munkelwitz (SCSU) 12-2
285 - Elijah Madison (UNO) def. Jake Kahnke (SCSU) 8-5
St. Cloud State Wrestling Gains Academic Success

St. Cloud, MN.-The St. Cloud State University Wrestling team recently released its 2009 fall grades and the results have reflected the squad's excellence on the mats this winter.
"This was an absolutely outstanding semester for our student/athletes," said Matt Lowers, SCSU Assistant Coach. "We challenged our guys at the beginning of the year and so far they have risen to the challenge. This is a special group of student-athlete who are very dedicated to their ultimate goal of becoming champions on and off the mat."
Of the 29 student-athletes on the roster, 15 of them received grade point averages above a 3.0. The overall team grade point average for the semester was a 2.99.
There were seven Huskies with grade point averages over 3.5 battling to be the team academic champion. Leading the charge for the Huskies was freshman heavyweight Chris Brassell (Park Ridge, Il) with the team's top grade point average.
The Huskies will continue their season on Jan. 9-10, with a trip to the elite NWCA Division II National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. SCSU was one of only 16 NCAA Division II teams selected to participate in the National Duals this weekend.
SCSU was ranked ninth in the latest NCAA Division II poll released on Jan. 5, and the Huskies were also ranked second in the latest NCAA Division II regional poll released on Jan. 5.
St. Cloud State Wrestling Ranked #9 in Nation

EDMOND, Okla. -- St. Cloud State University moved up one spot to gain a ninth place ranking in the latest NCAA Division II wrestling rankings. The defending national champion Nebraska-Omaha was once again the No. 1 pick in the NCAA Division II wrestling rankings, it was announced on Dec. 16, by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association.
The Huskies currently own a 4-2 record in 2009-10, with their two losses coming at the hands of NCAA Division I rivals Northwestern and Eastern Michigan. SCSU has also charted a big win over the nation's top ranked NCAA Division III program UW-LaCrosse and a victory over North Central College (Ill.).

Individually, SCSU had wrestlers ranked among the nation's top eight in several weight divisions in the most recent poll. At 141-pounds junior Gabe Suarez was ranked seventh, while junior John Sundgren was ranked fifth at 157-pounds. At 165-pounds, sophomore Tad Merritt was ranked third in the nation and sophomore Lucas Munkelwitz gained a sixth place ranking at 197-pounds.

SCSU will continue its 2009-10 season on Dec. 29-30 with a trip to the elite Midlands Championships on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

The 2010 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships will be held March 12-13 in Omaha, Neb.
The top 20 poll, with points and the teams' last ranking following by the top-eight rankings at each weight:
Rank School (State) Points Last Ranking
1. Nebraska-Omaha 160 1st
2. Newberry (S.C.) 152 2nd
3. Nebraska-Kearney 134 8th
4. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 133 5th
5. Central Oklahoma 121 4th
6. Augustana (S.D.) 117 7th
7. Western State (Colo.) 112 6th
8. Wisconsin-Parkside 104 11th
9. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 97 10th
10. Adams State (Colo.) 89 3rd
11. Minnesota State 79 9th
12. Upper Iowa 78 12th
13. West Liberty (W.Va.) 68 14th
14. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 46 13th
15. Findlay (Ohio) 45 19th
16. Gannon (Pa.) 40 17th
17. San Francisco State (Calif.) 37 15th
18. Central Missouri 29 16th
19. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 17 18th
20. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 8 NR
Others receiving votes: Chadron State (Neb.), Mesa State (Colo.), Minnesota State-Moorhead, North Carolina-Pembroke.
NCAA Division II Individual Rankings
125 Pounds
1. Arsenia Barksdale, Adams State (Colo.)
2. Tommy Edgmon, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
3. Matt Oliver, Newberry (S.C.)
4. Andy Forstner, Minnesota State
5. Chris Sheetz, Kutztown (Pa.)
6. Casy Rowell, Central Oklahoma
7. Russell Weakley, North Carolina-Pembroke
8. Cody Zimmerman, Wisconsin-Parkside
133 Pounds
1. Shane Valko, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
2. Cody Garcia, Nebraska-Omaha
3. Naveed Bagheri, San Francisco State (Calif.)
4. Joey Morrison, Nebraska-Kearney
5. Trison Graham, Central Oklahoma
6. Kyle Pedretti, Upper Iowa
7. Nick Wykoff, West Liberty (W.Va.)
8. Evan Forde, Minnesota State-Moorhead
141 Pounds
1. Ben Lockett, San Francisco State (Calif.)
2. Jay Sherer, Augustana (S.D.)
3. Jeremy Parker, Limestone (S.C.)
4. Jimmy Savala, Chadron State (Neb.)
5. Nate Nauroth, Shippensburg (Pa.)
6. Adam Whetsone, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
7.    Gabe Suarez, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
8. Andre Harrison, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
149 Pounds
1. Craig Becker, Wisconsin-Parkside
2. Mitch Smith, West Liberty (W.Va.)
3. Colby Robinson, Central Oklahoma
4. Esai Dominguez, Nebraska-Omaha
5. Joey Deaguero, Adams State (Colo.)
6. T. J. Hepburn, Nebraska-Kearney
7. Jesse Snider, Colorado School of Mines
8. Kevin McElhaney, Gannon (Pa.)
157 Pounds
1. Andy Lamancusa, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
2. Chase Walker, Mesa State (Colo.)
3. Danny Grater, Fort Hay State (Kan.)
4. Noomis Jones, Adams State (Colo.)
5.   John Sundgren, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
6. Michael Lybarger, Findlay (Ohio)
7. Marcus Edgington, Augustana (S.D.)
8. Zack McKendree, Gannon (Pa.)
165 Pounds
1. Josh Shields, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
2. Travis Eggers, Upper Iowa
3.    Tad Merritt, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
4. Kyle Keane, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
5. Ryan Pankoke, Nebraska-Omaha
6. Taylor May, Nebraska-Kearney
7. Blake Malloy, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
8. Skye Wells, Western State (Colo.)
174 Pounds
1. Marty Usman, Nebraska-Kearney
2. Aaron Denson, Nebraska-Omaha
3. Mitch Norton, Upper Iowa
4. J.J. Davis, North Carolina-Pembroke
5. Chris Barrick, Shippensburg (Pa.)
6. Justin Shannon, Findlay (Ohio)
7. Luke Rynish, Wisconsin-Parkside
8. Ben Becker, Minnesota State
184 Pounds
1. Kyle Sand, Adams State (Colo.)
2. Bryant Blanton, Newberry (S.C.)
3. Charlie Pipher, Western State (Colo.)
4. Austin Boehm, Nebraska-Omaha
5. Lucas Haag, Wisconsin-Parkside
6. Nick Henning, Augustana (S.D.)
7. Patrick Walsh, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
8. Derek Ross, Nebraska-Kearney
197 Pounds
1. Keeno Griffin, Newberry (S.C.)
2. Ty Copsey, Augustana (S.D.)
3. Donavan McMahill, Western State (Colo.)
4. Jacob Marrs, Nebraska-Omaha
5. Pat Mahan, Minnesota State
6.    Lucas Munkelwitz, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
7. Scott Snyder, Kutztown (Pa.)
8. Tony Chavarria, Colorado State-Pueblo
285 Pounds
1. Brady Wilson, Minnesota State-Mankato
2. Charlie Alexander, Western State (Colo.)
3. Elijah Madison, Nebraska-Omaha
4. Dustin Finn, Central Oklahoma
5. Frank McGrath, Gannon (Pa.)
6. Steve Franklin, San Francisco State (Calif.)
7. Nathan Sharp, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
8. Jeff Schossow, Adams State (Colo.)
St. Cloud State Wrestling Ranked Second in Region

St. Paul, Minn. -  St. Cloud State University (4-2) received a second place ranking in the latest NCAA Division II Super Region #3 poll released on Dec. 15, 2009.

The Huskies scored 56 points in the poll, while Augustana led the poll with 59 points.   Upper Iowa (46), Minnesota State (40), MSU Moorhead (23), Northern State (8), Southwest Minnesota State (5) and U-Mary (2) completed the poll.

Individually, SCSU's John Sundgren was the top ranked wrestler at 157-pounds in the region and teammate Jacob Roberts was ranked first in the region at 149-pounds, while Gabe Suarez (141), Tad Merritt (165), Derek Skala (184) and Jacob Kahnke (285) all were ranked second in the region in their respective weight divisions.

At 125-pounds, SCSU's Trent Herold was ranked sixth, while teammate Shane McQuade was ranked fourth at 133-pounds. SCSU's Shamus O'Grady was ranked fourth at 174-pounds in the poll and SCSU's Lucas Munkelwitz was ranked third at 197-pounds in the poll.
Points are figured based on the top 5 individuals in each weight class. The No. 1 wrestler received 10 points, second received 7 points, third received 4 points, fourth received 2 points and fifth received 1 point.

RANK
SCHOOL
Points
1
Augustana
59
2
St. Cloud State
56
3
Upper Iowa
46
4
Minnesota State
40
5
MSU Moorhead
23
6
Northern State
8
7
Southwest Minnesota State
5
8
U-Mary
2


2009-10 NCAA Super Region #3  Rankings - 12/15/09
WT
RANK
NAME/YR/SCHOOL
125
1
Andy Forstner, Jr, Minnesota State

2
Tyler Mumbulo, Upper Iowa

3
Al Meger, Jr, Augustana

4
Corey Ulmer, So,MSU Moorhead

5
Jimmy Marx, Sr, Northern State

6
Trent Harold, FR, St. Cloud state

7
Zak Lambert, RFr, SMSU

8
Matt Garcia, JR, U-Mary



133
1
Kyle Pedretti,So,Upper Iowa

2
Evan Forde, Jr,MSU Moorhead

3
Cody Lensing, So, Augustana

4
Shane McQuade, FR St. Cloud state

5
Adam Jenniges, RFr, SMSU

6
Tanner Beaman, Fr, U-Mary

7
Jacob Buterous, Sr, Northern State

8
Matt Nyvold, Minnesota State



141
1
Jay Sherer, Jr, Augustana

2
Gabe Suarez, Jr, St. Cloud

3
JR Baker, Jr, Upper Iowa

4
David Albrecht, SMSU

5
Robby Fisher, Minnesota State

6
Brady Schneeberger,MSU Moorhead

7
Landon DellaSilva, So, U-Mary

8
Benton Crow, So, Northern State



149
1
Jacob Roberts, SR, St.Cloud State

2
Derek Bomstad, Jr, MSU Moorhead

3
Nate Herda, RFr, Augustana

4
Brett Hakeman, Sr, Upper Iowa

5
Bradan Schunk, SR, SMSU

6
Jesse Westphal, Minnesota State

7
Beau Voegeli, Fr, Northern State

8
Shawn Sneva, Sr, U-Mary



157
1
John Sundgren, Jr, St. Cloud State

2
Marcus Edgington, Augustana

3
Tallen Wald, Jr, MSU Moorhead

4
Justin Turek, Minnesota State

5
Derek Stolarzyk, Sr, Upper Iowa

6
Demond Carter, Jr, SMSU

7
Collin Engelhardt, So, U-Mary

8
Ryan Larsen, Northern State


165
1
Travis Eggers, Sr, Upper Iowa

2
Tad Merritt, RSo, St. Cloud State

3
Gavin Nelson, Jr, Augustana

4
Donnie Bowden, Northern State

5
Tel Todd, RSo, Minnesota State

6
Taylor Nagel, Rso, U-Mary

7
Tyler Kivel,MSU Moorhead

8
Logan McAlpin, SMSU



174
1
Mtich Norton, Sr, Upper Iowa

2
Ben Becker, Jr, Minnesota State

3
Carl Serk, SO,Augustana,

4
Shamus O'Grady, St. Cloud State

5
William Fate, Fr, SMSU

6
Phillip Downs, Northern State

7
Jake McLean, Fr.MSU Moorhead

8
Jordan Henderson, Jr, U-Mary



184
1
Nick Henning, So, Augustana

2
Derek Skala, Jr, St. Cloud State

3
Cole Cornemann, Northern State

4
Aaron Norgren, So, Minnesota State

5
Mitchell Schultz, RFr, Upper Iowa

6
CD Johnson, SMSU

7
Brady Anderson, Fr, U-Mary

8
Roger Sirek,FR, MSU Moorhead



197
1
Ty Copsey, Jr, Augustana

2
Pat Mahan, So, Minnesota State

3
Lucas Munkelwitz, Rso, St. Cloud State

4
Dusty Vliem, Sr, U-Mary

5
Nick Shandri, SR, Upper Iowa

6
Taylor Yliniemi, Fr, MSU Moorhead

7
Matt Meuleners, RFR, Northern State

8
Todd Klemz, RFr, SMSU



285
1
Brady Wilson, Sr, Minnesota State

2
Jacob Kahnke, RFr, St. Cloud State

3
Tim Johnson, Sr, MSU Moorhead

4
Lance Peters, Jr, Augustana

5
Jared Little, Sr, Northern State

6
Arron Cramer, So, Upper Iowa

7
Carter Ash, So, SMSU

8
Jordan Stenson, U-Mary
St. Cloud State's Sundgren Named NSIC Wrestler of the Week

St. Cloud State University redshirt junior John Sundgren (Blaine/H.S.) has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference wrestler of the week. The honor was announced on Dec. 8 by the NSIC office in St. Paul.
Sundgren helped the Huskies gain a 3-0 record at the UW-LaCrosse Duals on Dec. 5th. Sundgren also went 3-0 on the day with all of his victories by pinfall.
To open the day, he earned a 4:00 pinfall win over Andrew Dilworth of #17 UW-Stevens Point. SCSU went on to win that dual match by a 28-9 tally. Sundgren gained pin number two on the day with a victory over Willie Slayden of #28 Loras at 6:24. SCSU won the dual against Loras by a score of 48-0. To end the sweep, Sundgren pinned Ryan Farwell of #1 ranked UW-LaCrosse at 1:56. The Huskies won the match against UW-LaCrosse by a 25-13 tally.
On the season, Sundgren owns a 7-2 overall record at 157-pounds for the Huskies. Sundgren is a two-time NCAA Division II national qualifier and earned All-America status during in 2008, at 157-pounds.
SCSU currently owns a 4-2 record on the 2009-10 season, and the Huskies were ranked #10 in the latest NCAA Division II coaches' poll. The Huskies will host the 39th annual Husky Open wrestling tournament on Dec. 12, in the Halenbeck Hall South Fieldhouse. 
Action gets underway at 9 a.m., and tickets for this exciting tournament can be purchased at the gate.
St. Cloud State Charts 3-0 Record at UW-LaCrosse Duals

Dec.5

LaCrosse, Wis. - The St. Cloud State University wrestling team improved to 4-2 on the 2009-10 season with a trio of victories at the UW-LaCrosse Duals in LaCrosse, Wis. on Dec. 5. The #10 ranked Huskies posted wins over UW-Stevens Point (28-9), Loras (48-0) and UW-LaCrosse (25-13).
All results for the matches at UW-L are listed below. Fans, please remember that SCSU will host the annual Husky Open Wrestling Tournament on Dec. 12, in Halenbeck Hall. The action starts at 9 a.m. and this tournament will feature many of the nation's top collegiate wrestlers and wrestling teams. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the gate on the day of the tournament. Call 1-877-SCSUTIX or 320-308-2137 for more information.

Holiday Inn Express UW-La Crosse Wrestling Duals - December 5, 2009 - Mitchell Hall
Round 1 - #1 UW-La Crosse vs. #28 Loras College (Iowa)
125 Albie McKinney (UW-L) won by decision over Pat Pfatnz (Loras), 12-5
133 Bebeto Yewah (UW-L) won by technical fall over Mark Beatty (Loras), 26-10 (6:05)
141 Justin Garcia (UW-L) won by decision over Chris Gansen (Loras), 7-4
149 Matt Mauseth (UW-L) won by technical fall over Mitch Gansen (Loras), 24-7 (5:15)
157 Ryan Farwell (UW-L) won by decision over Tiegen Podliska (Loras), 10-7
165 Cory Ferguson (UW-L) won by major decision over Kile Beaver (Loras), 12-2
174 Mike Schmitz (UW-L) won by fall over Mark Kapraun (Loras), 2:36
184 Mitch Artist (UW-L) won by fall over Ben Bohlen (Loras), :58
197 Andy Moore (UW-L) won by decision over Josh Kirkland (Loras), 8-6
285 Dan Laurent (UW-L) won by fall over Jeremy Klein (Loras), 2:56
Final Score: UW-La Crosse 44, Loras College (Iowa) 0
Round 1 - #9 North Central College (Ill.) vs. #5 Saint John's University (Minn.)
125 Joe Norton (North Central) won by decision over Chad Henle (Saint John's), 7-5
133 Nathan Fitzenreider (North Central) won by decision over Mogi Baatar (Saint John's), 3-2
141 Andrew Zobac (North Central) won by major decision over Jay Woiwor (Saint John's), 15-5
149 Charlie Kirscht (Saint John's) won by decision over Trent Reinoehl (North Central), 5-2
157 Drew Larson (Saint John's) won by major decision over Tim Gingerich (North Central), 14-6
165 Matt Baarson (Saint John's) won by decision over Danny Deufel (North Central), 8-2
174 Matt Pfarr (Saint John's) won by decision over Cowan Brown (North Central), 10-6
184 Gabe Youel (North Central) won by decision over Mitch Hagen (Saint John's), 4-0
197 Tony Willaert (Saint John's) won by decision over Vinnie Sapienza (North Central), 4-1
285 Rodney Knowlton (North Central) won by injury default over Jake Evenson (Saint John's)
Final Score: North Central College (Ill.) 19, Saint John's University (Minn.) 16
Round 1 - UW-Eau Claire vs. #10 Cornell College (Iowa)
125 Tim Hood (Cornell) won by major decision over J.T. Bernstein (UW-Eau Claire), 13-3
133 Tigue Snider (Cornell) won by forfeit
141 Kevin Donahue (Cornell) won by decision over Zach Weisenberger (UW-Eau Claire), 10-3
149 Andy Johnston (UW-Eau Claire) won by decision over Jacob Schwebke (Cornell), 2-1
157 Nicholas Loughlin (Cornell) won by technicall fall over Jon Ames (UW-Eau Claire), 15-0
165 Joe Hambleton (Cornell) won by major decision over Craig Eckelberg (UW-Eau Claire), 12-4
174 Cliff Robertson (Cornell) won by decision over Keith Dawson (UW-Eau Claire), 7-5
184 Andrew Roberts (Cornell) won by fall over Will Christ (UW-Eau Claire), 3:57
197 Andrew Anderson (Cornell) won by technicall fall over Andy Meyer (UW-Eau Claire), 17-1
285 Wyatt Bauman (Cornell) won by decision over Joe Pitsch (UW-Eau Claire), 3-1
Final Score: Cornell College (Iowa) 39, UW-Eau Claire 3
Round 1 - #17 UW-Stevens Point vs. #10 (NCAA II) St. Cloud State University (Minn.)
125 Joe Mileski (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Trent Herold (St. Cloud State), 11-9
133 Shane McQuade (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Jordan Kust (UW-Stevens Point), 9-3
141 Gabriel Suarez (St. Cloud State) won by major decision over Mark Puckhaber (UW-Stevens Point), 13-4
149 Kris Magruder (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Jake Tabbert (St. Cloud State), 8-2
157 John Sundgren (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Andrew Dilworth (UW-Stevens Point), 4:00
165 Tad Merritt (St. Cloud State) won by major decision over Dennis Reckelberg (UW-Stevens Point), 15-4
174 Shamus O'Grady (St. Cloud State) won by major decision over Chris Karl (UW-Stevens Point), 15-3
184 Mike England (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Derek Skala (St. Cloud State), 4-0
197 Lucas Munkelwitz (St. Cloud State) won by major decision over Brandon Jochem (UW-Stevens Point), 14-6
285 Jacob Kahnke (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Bret Oswald (UW-Stevens Point), 12-5
Final Score: St. Cloud State University (Minn.) 28, UW-Stevens Point 9
Holiday Inn Express UW-La Crosse Wrestling Duals - December 5, 2009 - Mitchell Hall
Round 2 - #1 UW-La Crosse vs. #10 Cornell College (Iowa)
125 Timothy Hood (Cornell) won by decision over Albie McKinney (UW-L), 9-6
133 Bebeto Yewah (UW-L) won by major decision over Tigue Snider (Cornell), 20-6
141 Kevin Donahue (Cornell) won by decision over Justin Garcia (UW-L), 1-0
149 Matt Mauseth (UW-L) won by decision over Jacob Schwebke (Cornell), 4-3
157 Nicholas Loughlin (Cornell) won by decision over Ryan Farwell (UW-L), 5-3
165 Cory Ferguson (UW-L) won by decision over Alex Riniker (Cornell), 3-1
174 Mike Schmitz (UW-L) won by decision over Cliff Robertson (Cornell), 4-1
184 Mitch Artist (UW-L) won by major decision over Andrew Roberts (Cornell), 10-0
197 Andy Moore (UW-L) won by major decision over Andrew Anderson (Cornell), 17-4
285 Dan Laurent (UW-L) won by fall over Wyatt Bauman (Cornell), 2:15
Final Score: UW-La Crosse 27, Cornell College (Iowa) 9
Round 2 - #9 North Central College (Ill.) vs. #17 UW-Stevens Point
125 Joe Mileski (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Joe Norton (North Central), 3-0
133 Nathan Fitzenreider (North Central) won by decision over Jordan Kust (UW-Stevens Point), 9-3
141 Andrew Zobac (North Central) won by decision over Mark Puckhaber (UW-Stevens Point), 6-2
149 Kris Magruder (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Trent Reinoehl (North Central), 8-2
157 Andrew Dilworth (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over over Tim Gingerich (North Central), 3-2
165 Dennis Reckelberg (UW-Stevens Point) won by fall over Danny Deufel (North Central), 4:57
174 Cowan Brown (North Central) won by decision over Chris Karl (UW-Stevens Point), 6-5
184 Ben Engelland (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Gabe Youel (North Central), 2-1 (ot)
197 Brandon Jochem (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Vinnie Sapienza (North Central), 7-6
285 Rodney Knowlton (North Central) won by decision over Bret Oswald (UW-Stevens Point), 3-2
Final Score: UW-Stevens Point 21, North Central College (Ill.) 12
Round 2 - #10 (NCAA II) St. Cloud State University (Minn.) vs. #28 Loras College (Iowa)
125 Trent Herold (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Pat Pfantz (Loras), 2:13
133 Shane McQuade (St. Cloud State) won by fall over over Brendan Murphy (Loras), 4:42
141 Chad Schultz (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Chris Gansen (Loras), 11-5
149 Jacob Roberts (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Mitch Gansen (Loras), 11-4
157 John Sundgren (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Willie Slayden (Loras), 6:24
165 Tad Merritt (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Kile Beaver (Loras), 4:07
174 Shamus O'Grady (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Mark Kapraun (Loras), 4:38
184 Derek Skala (St. Cloud State) won by fall over over Ben Bohlen (Loras), 1:37
197 Lucas Munkelwitz (St. Cloud State) won by decision over over Josh Kirkland (Loras), 9-3
285 Jacob Kahnke (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Jeremy Klein (Loras), 7-2
Final Score: St. Cloud State University (Minn.) 48, Loras College (Iowa) 0
Round 2 - UW-Eau Claire vs. #5 Saint John's University (Minn.)
125 Scott Padrnos (Saint John's) won by fall over J.T. Bernstein (UW-Eau Claire), 1:52
133 Chad Henle (Saint John's) won by forfeit
141 Derik Gertken (Saint John's) won by decision over Zach Weisenberger (UW-Eau Claire), 8-3
149 Andy Johnston (UW-Eau Claire) won major decision over Cody Goldschmidt (Saint John's), 9-1
157 John Vaith (Saint John's) won by major decision over Jon Ames (UW-Eau Claire), 16-3
165 Drew Larson (Saint John's) won by decision over Levi Polus (UW-Eau Claire), 9-2
174 Dustin Raygor (Saint John's) won by decision over over Keith Dawson (UW-Eau Claire), 3-2
184 Mitch Hagen (Saint John's) won by fall over Will Christ (UW-Eau Claire), 5:30
197 Dustin Baxter (Saint John's) won by fall over over Andy Meyer (UW-Eau Claire), 1:00
285 Cody Socher (Saint John's) won by decision over over Joe Pitsch (UW-Eau Claire), 8-4
Final Score: Saint John's University (Minn.) 40, UW-Eau Claire 4
Holiday Inn Express UW-La Crosse Wrestling Duals - December 5, 2009 - Mitchell Hall
Round 3 - #1 UW-La Crosse vs. #10 (NCAA II) St. Cloud State University (Minn.)
125 Trent Herold (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Albie McKinney (UW-L), 5-2
133 Bebeto Yewah (UW-L) won by major decision over Shane McQuade (St. Cloud State), 21-9
141 Gabriel Suarez (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Justin Garcia (UW-L), 10-4
149 Matt Mauseth (UW-L) won by decision over Jacob Roberts (St. Cloud State), 4-3
157 John Sundgren (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Ryan Farwell (UW-L), 1:56
165 Tad Merritt (St. Cloud State) won by fall over Jeff Erkel (UW-L), 1:37
174 Mike Schmitz (UW-L) won by decision over Shamus O'Grady (St. Cloud State), 8-7
184 Derek Skala (St. Cloud State) won by major decision over Mitch Artist (UW-L), 10-1
197 Lucas Munkelwitz (St. Cloud State) won by decision over Andy Moore (UW-L), 3-2
285 Dan Laurent (UW-L) won by decision over Jacob Kahnke (St. Cloud State), 3-0
Final Score: St. Cloud State University (Minn.) 25, UW-La Crosse 13
Round 3 - #5 Saint John's University (Minn.) vs. #10 Cornell College (Iowa)
125 Chad Henle (Saint John's) won by decision over Timothy Hood (Cornell), 3-0
133 Mogi Baatar (Saint John's) won by decision over Tigue Snider (Cornell), 12-7
141 Kevin Donahue (Cornell) won by fall over Derik Gertken (Saint John's), 1:39
149 Jacob Schwebke (Cornell) won by decision over Cody Goldschmidt (Saint John's), 3-1
157 Nicholas Loughlin (Cornell) won by fall over John Vaith (Saint John's), 5:34
165 Joe Hambleton (Cornell) won by decision over Matt Baarson (Saint John's), 5-2
174 Matt Pfarr (Saint John's) won by decision over Cliff Robertson (Cornell), 2-1
184 Mitch Hagen (Saint John's) won by decision over Andrew Roberts (Cornell), 10-8
197 Tony Willaert (Saint John's) won by major decision over Andrew Anderson (Cornell), 21-9
285 Cody Socher (Saint John's) won by fall over Wyatt Bauman (Cornell), 4:09
Final Score: Saint John's University (Minn.), 22, Cornell College (Iowa) 18
Round 3 - UW-Stevens Point vs. #28 Loras College (Iowa)
125 Joe Mileski (UW-Stevens Point) won by fall over Pat Pfantz (Loras), 2:17
133 Jordan Kust (UW-Stevens Point) won by fall over over Brendan Murphy (Loras), 2:01
141 Mark Puckhaber (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Chris Gansen (Loras), 9-3
149 Kris Magruder (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Mitch Gansen (Loras), 8-1
157 Andrew Dilworth (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Mike Calafiore (Loras), 6-2
165 Dennis Reckelberg (UW-Stevens Point) won by fall over Kile Beaver (Loras), 4:19
174 Chris Karl (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Matt Dickman (Loras), 10-5
184 Ben Engelland (UW-Stevens Point) won by forfeit
197 Brandon Jochem (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Josh Kirkland (Loras), 2-0
285 Jeremy Klein (Loras) won by fall Bret Oswald (UW-Stevens Point), 2:01
Final Score: UW-Stevens Point 39, Loras College (Iowa) 6
Round 3 - #9 North Central College (Ill.) vs. UW-Eau Claire
125 Sean Tomac (North Central) won by decision over J.T. Bernstein (UW-Eau Claire), 4-0
133 J.T. Rowe (North Central) won by forfeit
141 Nathan Fitzenreider (North Central) won by major decision over Zach Weisenberger (UW-Eau Claire), 13-1
149 Andy Johnston (UW-Eau Claire) won by forfeit
157 Jacob Sandborn (North Central) won by decision over Jon Ames (UW-Eau Claire), 6-2
165 Joby Bodi (North Central) won by decision over Levi Polus (UW-Eau Claire), 4-3
174 Taylor Trim (North Central) won by major decision over Keith Dawson (UW-Eau Claire), 17-6
184 Gabe Youel (North Central) won by fall over Will Christ (UW-Eau Claire), 1:07
197 Vinnie Sapienza (North Central) won by technical fall over Andy Meyer (UW-Eau Claire), 17-2
285 Rodney Knowlton (North Central) won by decision over Joe Pitsch (UW-Eau Claire), 4-2
Final Score: North Central College (Ill.) 37, UW-Eau Claire 6
St. Cloud State Brings Home Titles from Cobber Open
The St. Cloud State University wrestling team enjoyed much success at the 2009 Cobber Open, which was held at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. on Nov. 21. In total, the Huskies earned five titles at the Cobber Open this season.
125-Pounds
At 125-pounds, SCSU was led by Trent Herold, who posted a 4-1 record. He claimed third place at the Open with a 5-4 win over Josh Kelly of Concordia.
133-Pounds
At 133-pounds, Shane McQuade led the Huskies with a 3-1 record that placed him in the championshop match. He finished in second place after falling to Evan Forde of MSU Moorhead in the title match by a 5-3 decision. Teammate Adam Helgeson placed fifth in the weight bracket with a 3-2 record.
149-Pounds
Jake Tabbert was the lead Husky in a weight division dominated by SCSU. Tabbert was 3-0 in the tournament and claimed top honors with a 1-0 decision over teammate Alex Kontz in the title bout. Kontz finished the day with a 3-1 record. SCSU's Jacob Roberts placed third in the weight bracket with a 3-1 record. In the match for third place, Roberts gained a 12-2 win over Nick Dahl of Ridgewater C.C.
157-Pounds
Junior John Sundgren brought home another Open title with a top finish at 157-pounds. He charted a perfect 4-0 record that include three pins. In the championship bout, Sundgren pinned Tallen Wald of MSU Moorhead. The Huskies' Joe Anderson placed third in the bracket with a 5-1 record, which included a 4-2 win over Kevin Fynboh of Concordia. SCSU's Josh Joriman placed fifth with a 3-2 record.
165-Pounds
Sophomore Tad Merritt earned top honors at the Cobber Open with a 4-0 sweep at 165-pounds. Merritt scored three pins and a major decision on the way to the title. In the championship match, Merritt gained the top spot with a 6:30 pin against Lane Lunde of Concordia. 
184-Pounds
At 184-pounds, Derek Skala placed second with a 3-1 record. He gained a tech fall and a major decision in the Open, before losing by a 6-0 match to Phil Moenkedick of Concordia.
197-Pounds
The Huskies' sophomore Lucas Munkelwitz won first place honors at 197-pounds with a 4-0 record. In the title match, Munkelwitz won by an 8-2 margin over Dusty Vliem over Mary. 
285-Pounds
SCSU's Jake Kahnke earned a first place finish at the 285-pound division with a perfect 4-0 record. In the championship match, Kahnke gained a 5-1 win over Moorhead's Tim Johnson.
St. Cloud State's Tad Merritt Named NSIC Wrestler of the Week

St. Cloud, Minn. - St. Cloud State University sophomore Tad Merritt (Canby/H.S.) has been selected as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate wrestler of the week for Nov. 16.

Merritt earned the league honor by posting a 3-0 record in action at the Northwestern Duals on Nov. 14, in Evanston,
Ill.   Merritt opened the day with a 10-4 win over NCAA Division I opponent Kyle Bertin of Northwestern.

He continued his success against NCAA Division I competition with a pin at 4:13 against Eastern Michigan's Lester France. To end the day, Merritt charted a technical fall over Ronald Uccardi of North Central College (Ill.) by a 20-5 tally.

Merritt, a returning All-American, is now 3-0 on the new season. He finished in third place at the NCAA Division II
championships at 165-pounds in 2009. Merritt is currently ranked second in the nation in the latest Division II polls at 165-pounds this season.

The Huskies will continue their 2009-10 season on Nov. 21, with a trip to the Cobber Open in Moorhead,Minn.
St. Cloud State Wrestler Also Serves His Country

St. Cloud State to Salute Veterans at Dec. 4 Basketball Games
St. Cloud State University Athletics will salute all members of the United State Armed Forces and veterans during Military Appreciation Night at the Husky men's and women's basketball games against Winona State on Friday, Dec. 4.
As a special recognition on Dec. 4, all curent and retired members of the military and their families will be admitted free to the SCSU basketball games that night. The games begin with the SCSU-Winona State women's basketball game at 6 p.m., with the men's game beginning at 8 p.m.
One of those dedicated members of the military serving the United States is St. Cloud State University senior wrestler Adam Minette, a resident of New Prague and 2004 graduate of New Prague High School.
In addition to his spot on the SCSU wrestling roster, Minette serves with the Army National Guard. A redshirt senior at SCSU, Minette missed the 2007-08 season while serving on a tour of active combat duty in Iraq. He returned to the SCSU roster in 2008-09 and gained a 7-8 record with four pins at 149- and 157-pounds.
"It is a pleasure and an honor having Adam Minette as a member of our wrestling program," SCSU head coach Steve Costanzo said. "He has been dependable, loyal and committed in every aspect to our program. I am very grateful for what he has given to the citizens of the United States."
The SCSU wrestling team will open its 2009-10 season on Nov. 14, with a trip to the Northwestern Duals in Evanston, Ill. SCSU is slated to compete against Division I opponents Northwestern and Eastern Michigan along with a match against Division III rival North Central College (Ill.).
At the upcoming SCSU Military Appreciate Night, all fans are encouraged to bring items for a veterans' food drive on Dec. 4, with all proceeds being donated to veteran families in need.
St. Cloud State Team Black Wins Black/Red Classic

St. Cloud State University wrestling kicked off the 2009-2010 season with the annual Black/Red Classic intra-squad match on Sunday, Nov. 8, in Halenbeck Hall. The Black and Red teams each won five bouts on the afternoon, the difference in the match proved to be a major decision by returning All-American Tad Merritt at 165-pounds that gave Team Black the 16-15 dual match victory.

Head Coach Steve Costanzo said, "It was extremely competitive out here today, we had guys battling at every weight. I am confident that we have quality wrestlers at all ten weights this season, and whoever we put on the mat is going to give us a great effort in 2009-10."
Two former SCSU wrestling greats Nate Toedter (class of ) and Dennis Moske (class of ) served as the honorary coaches for the event.

Moske served as the honorary coach for the Red Team. Moske was a 1972 graduate of Parkers Prairie High School, Moske earned conference championship honors as a high school wrestler by defeating Steve Carr, who went on to win four state titles and lost only five matches in his entire career (one of which was to Moske).

Moske went on to wrestle for two seasons at Fergus Falls Community College, and then redshirted one season at St. Cloud State. In 1975-76 and 1976-77, Moske was a two-year starter for the Huskies. He earned conference championship honors in 1977 at SCSU. Moske is currently self-employed and is the owner of the Moske Tree Service.

The Black teams honorary coach was Nate Toedter. A two-time North Central Conference champion at 190-pounds in 1988 and 1989, Toedter gained NCAA Division II All-America honors three times during his collegiate wrestling career at St. Cloud State.

As a testimony to his prowess on the mat, Toedter was invited to the NCAA Division I championships in 1989 and earned All-America honors with an eighth place finish at the DI tournament that season.

A transfer from Minnesota Duluth, Toedter charted a 30-10 record for the Huskies in 1986-87, and then followed with a 33-4 record in 1987-88 on the way to his first conference with a third place finish at the NCAA Division II championships.

Toedter served as a team captain for the Huskies in 1987-88 and 1988-89, and he also earned the Dean Weisman Award as the team©ˆs Wrestler of the Year in 1987, 1988 and 1989. In 1990, Toedter was a member of the Athletes in Action International Wrestling Team.
A graduate of Perham High School, Toedter was a two-time state place winner in 1983 and 1984. He also earned Academic All-State notice as a prep wrestler in 1983 and 1984. He was inducted into the SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

Listed below are the complete results from the Black/Red Classic on Nov. 8:
Results - Black 16, Red 15
125 -Mark Maestrey - R dec. Trent Herold - B, 9-7
133 - Shane McQuade - R dec. Adam Helgeson - B, 3-2
141 - Gabe Suarez - B dec. Chad Schultz - R, 3-1
149 - Jacob Roberts - B dec. Alex Kontz - R, 6-0
157 - Joe Andersen - B dec. Josh Joriman - R, 10-5
165 - Tad Merritt - B major dec. Kurt Salmen - R, 12-1
184 - Derek Skala - R dec. Mic Berg - B, 8-3
197 - Luke Munkelwitz - B dec. Josh Antonneau - R, 6-1
285 - Jacob Kahnke - R  dec. Chris Brassell - B, 4-1
Exh. 149 - Jacob Horn - R dec. Chad Kubasch - B, 4-3
St. Cloud State Wrestling Preview for 2009-10

Coach Steve Costanzo has helped St. Cloud State University wrestling regain a place among the nation's elite NCAA Division II programs since his arrival on campus in 2006.

Costanzo has helped lift the Huskies to consecutive winning seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09, and last year SCSU broke the top 10 barrier at the NCAA Division II championships with an eighth place team finish - the Huskies' best finish at the national level since 1986.

In those first three seasons, Costanzo and the Huskies relied on a large contigent of talented but young wrestlers. As the Huskies approach the dawn of the 2009-10 season, Costanzo looks to benefit from the experience gained by his troops over those first three seasons.

"One of our key strengths this season will be our veteran leadership," Costanzo said. "In my first three seasons at SCSU, we didn't have a lot of veteran leadership and our younger athletes didn't have anyone to look up to. Now that this team is starting to get a bit older, we have those junior and seniors who serve as leaders and role models in the wrestling room, in the class and in competition.

"Veteran leadership can take you a long way during the course of a season."
On paper, the Huskies should be a strong contender for continued success in 2009-10. SCSU will return six national qualifiers and three All-Americans from its 2008-09 squad, which posted an 8-5 dual match record, and placed second at the NCAA Division II Super Regional Three in 2009.

125-POUNDS
At 125-pounds, the Huskies will look to fill that position with a trio of true freshman student-athletes which includes Zach Stewart (Green Bay, Wis.Ashwaubenon H.S.), Trent Herold (East Bethel, Minn./St. Francis H.S.) and Mark Maestrey (Toms River, N.J./South H.S.).
"All three of these wrestlers are very capable of competiting for us this season," Costanzo said. "They all have very impressive credentials and I have been very impressed with their work ethic and ability to compete."
133-POUNDS
At 133-pounds, the Huskies will need to find a replacement for departed two-time NCAA qualifier Josh Williams. Names to watch in 2009-10 include redshirt sophomore Adam Helgeson from nearby Sauk Centre H.S. and true freshman Shane McQuade (Appleton, Wis./West H.S.). Helgeson was 6-4 in 2008-09, which included a first place finish at the 2008 Dragon Open.
141-POUNDS
At 141-pounds, two-time NCAA qualifier and team captain Gabe Suarez (Las Vegas, Nev./Cimarron Memorial H.S.) will be back for his junior season at SCSU. Suarez went 27-11 in 2008-09, and also gained first place honors at the NCAA regional. Redshirt freshman Chad Schultz will add solid depth at this position.
"Gabe (Suarez) is a relentless wrestler. He always on the attack and very exciting to watch," Costanzo said. "We feel very good about his presence at 141-pounds, and he has developed into one of this team's leaders."
Senior Jacob Roberts (Jordan, Minn./Scott West H.S.) will be back for the Huskies after qualifying for nationals at 149-pounds in 2009. Roberts went 28-11 last winter, which marked his first full season of competition at SCSU after transferring from Augsburg.
149-POUNDS
The Huskies will be very deep at 149-pounds, as Costanzo sees competition at this position from redshirt freshman Alex Kontz (Canby, Minn.), redshirt sophomore Joe Andersen (Bemidji, Minn.), redshirt junior Chad Kubash (New Germany, Minn./Watertown-Mayer H.S.) and true freshmen Mac Rivard (Cedar, Minn./St. Francis H.S.) and Jacob Horn (St. Michael/St. Michael-Albertville H.S.).
"Jake (Roberts) will certainly be a front runner at 149-pounds, but we do have a lot of talented wrestlers at this spot, who will certainly compete for mat time," Costanzo said.
157-POUNDS
At 157-pounds, junior John Sundgren (Blaine, Minn.) will return from an outstanding 34-8 season that included 14 pins. He is a two-time NCAA qualifier, who earned All-America status in 2008. Sundgren has also been tabbed a a team captain for 2009-10. His excellence on the mat is mirrored in the classroom, as he has gained NWCA and NSIC academic accolades throughout his tenure on campus.
"John (Sundgren) is a leader for us on and off the mat," Costanzo said. "He is a very consistent performer and we expect more success from him this winter."
Other names who will compete at 157-pounds for the Huskies this winter include redshirt freshmen Josh Joriman (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial H.S.) and Mike Cullen (Coon Rapids, Minn.) along with redshirt senior Adam Minette (New Prague, Minn.).
165-POUNDS
The Huskies will be in good hands at 165-pounds with the return of redshirt sophomore and team captain Tad Merritt (Canby, Minn.). In 2008-09, Merritt tied a school record with 38 wins and also set a team record with 17 pins. He went on a place third in the nation at the NCAA championships. Kurt Salmen (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato H.S.) will add depth at 165-pounds for SCSU this winter.
"Tad (Merritt) will be in the heat of it for a possible national championship," Costanzo said. "He is just one of those hard-nosed guys...all business and very consistent on a day-to-day basis. A team leader."
"Tad is exceptional in all three areas of wrestling...he doesn't have just one strength, and that is what makes him unique."
174-POUNDS/184-POUNDS
In 2008-09, Derek Skala (Owatonna H.S.) earned All-America honors at 174-pounds with a seventh place finish. Skala posted a 27-9 record last winter, which included seven pins. A team captain and redshirt junior in 2009-10, Skala will be a force for the Huskies at 174-pounds or 184-pounds this winter.
"Derek (Skala) will be a front runner for us at either 174-pounds or 184-pounds," Costanzo said. "With the departure of two-time All-American Brad Padgett at 184-pounds, we feel that 184-pounds might be a better weight class for Derek to wrestle at in 2009-10. This would allow him to spend more time training and less time worrying about his weight. He is such a strong, physical wrestler, we think he should be able to meet the challenge of moving up to 184-pounds."
Redshirt freshman Shamus O'Grady (Coon Rapids, Minn.) should be a strong candidate for time at 174-pounds if Skala makes the move to 184-pounds. Last winter, O'Grady earned the team's Redshirt Wrestler of the Year award.
"We feel pretty good with Shamus (O'Grady) back in room this winter," Costanzo said. "We feel that he should be ready to take a starting role this winter."
To add depth at 184-pounds, the Huskies have added true freshman Mic Berg (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley H.S.) and sophomore Kyle Schumm (Buffalo, Minn./St. Michael/Albertville H.S.), who is a transfer from St. John's.
197-POUNDS
At 197-pounds, redshirt sophomore Luke Munkelwitz returns from a 29-13 campaign in 2008-09. An NCAA qualifier last winter, Munkelwitz will be challenged in 2009-10 by senior Ted Saatzer (Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka H.S.)., redshirt junior Erik Rogness (Buffalo, Minn.), redshirt fresman Josh Conrath (Waseca, Minn.) and redshirt freshman Josh Antonneau (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead H.S.).
HEAVYWEIGHT
In recent years, SCSU has struggled to fill its heavyweight position, but the Huskies hope to have a couple of answers to the problem in 2009-10. Redshirt freshman Jacob Kahnke (Shakopee, Minn.) will join the Huskies this winter after transferring from Division I Old Dominion. He is a two-time state champion from Prior Lake H.S. Freshman Chris Brassell from the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, Ill. (Maine South H.S.) is another person to watch this winter.
"Although we will be inexperienced at heavyweight, we should be in very good hands with Jacob (Kahnke) and Chris (Brassell)," Costanzo said.
TOUGH SCHEDULE FOR THE HUSKIES
Coach Costanzo has designed a very competitive schedule to test his squad, and prepare them for the 2010 NCAA Division II championships. The Huskies will open with a trip to the Northwestern Duals on Nov. 14, which will feature matches against Division I rivals Northwestern and Eastern Michigan.
SCSU will then make trips to the Cobbert Open and the UW-LaCrosse Duals, before hosting the annual Husky Open in Halenbeck Hall on Dec. 12.
A highlight of the holiday break will be a trip to the elite Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill. on Dec. 29-30. The Huskies also received an invitation to the prestigious NWCA National Duals, which will be held in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Jan. 9-10.
SCSU will then embark on the dual meet portion of its season with a full slate of matches against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rivals along with non-conference showdowns against UW-Eau Claire, defending national champion Nebraska-Omaha and cross-county rival St. John's.
All will be in preparation for the NCAA Division II Super Three Regional at Aberdeen, S.D. on Feb. 28, and the NCAA championships on Mar. 12-13 in Omaha, Neb.
"We have upgraded our schedule for the 2009-10 season," Costanzo said. "We did this with hopes of better preparing us for the regional and nationals at the end of the season.
"We know this will be a very tough schedule for us, but we think this will be the best way to prepare us for a shot at being a national champion," Costanzo said. "This team is a bit older this year, and we are confident they can handle the challenge. We just need to step up and take it to the next level."
Youth Wrestling Clinic a Success at St. Cloud State

St Cloud MN- The 4th Annual Husky Fall Wrestling Clinic was a success this past weekend on the campus of St Cloud State University. Over 50 participants, coaches, and parents were there in attendance during the one day event on Saturday, October 31 in the Halenbeck Hall Field House.

The clinic featured two technique sessions and a motivational session in the sport of wrestling were taught for all clinic participants ranging in age from first grade to 12th grade. The special guest clinician for the day was two-time NCAA champion from the University of Minnesota Cole Konrad. The clinic participants also had an opportunity to watch the SCSU wrestling team practice at the end of the sessions.

"Our Fall Clinic is always a fun event to help our youth advance in the sport of wrestling," said Assistant Coach Chris Heilman. " We had a great group of kids and we appreciate their support."

St Cloud State is gearing up for its annual Black/Red Intrasquad Classic on Sunday, November 8th in Halenbeck Hall. The Huskies are currently rank 8th in the current preseason NCAA Division II poll.   All fans and spectators are welcome to attend the Black/Red Classic, which will start at 2 p.m. in Halenbeck Hall.
St. Cloud State Wrestling Earns Top 10 Ranking for 2009 Recruit Class

St. Cloud, Minn. -- Under the direction of head coach Steve Costanzo, the St. Cloud State Wrestling team has earned a top 10 ranking for its recruiting class of 2009-2010. The rankings, published in the Sept. 15 issue of Wrestling U.S.A. Magazine, lists the Huskies as the 10th best recruiting class among non-Division I programs.

St. Cloud State was listed the fourth best recruiting class for all of NCAA Division II wrestling, behind only Ashland, Central Oklahoma and Nebraska-Omaha. Out of all non-Division I recruiting classes, the Huskies ranked tenth in the top 15, the only team from the NSIC on the list.

Incoming wrestlers of note for SCSU include: Mark Maestrey (125) third place finisher out of New Jersey, Shane McQuade (125) state champion from Wisconsin, Jack Grisell (133) state champion from Minnesota, Zach Stewart (133) fifth place finisher out of Wisconsin, Trent Herold (133) second place finisher from Minnesota, Mac Rivard (141) fourth place finisher from Minnesota, Jacob Horn (157) fourth place finisher from Minnesota, Jacob Kahnke (197) a two time Minnesota State Champion, Mic Berg (197) a former Minnesota State Champion, Brad Wollum (285) a third place finisher from Minnesota, Kyle Schumm (285) a second place finisher from Minnesota and Chris Brassell (285) a third place finsiher from Illinois.

SCSU charted an 8-5 overall record in 2008-09, and the Huskies placed eighth in the nation at the 2009 NCAA Division II championships.  A total of 3 SCSU wrestlers earned All-America status in 2008-09, and the Huskies advanced eighth wrestlers to the 2009 NCAA Division II championships this season.  Costanzo will begin his fourth season at SCSU in 2009-10.

The Huskies begin their 2009-2010 season with the annual Black/Red Classic on November 8 at 2:00 pm.

Contact: Tom Nelson (320-308-2141)
 
St. Cloud State Wrestling Names Captains for 2009-10

Head Coach Steve Costanzo announced today, the naming of four captains for the 2009-10 wrestling season at St. Cloud State University.  Returning captains will be junior Gabe Suarez (Las Vegas, Nev./Cimarron H.S.) and junior John Sundgren (Blaine, Minn./H.S.).  Joining them will be junior Derek Skala (Owatonna, Minn./H.S.) and sophomore Tad Merritt (Canby, Minn./H.S.).

Suarez will be a captain for the 3rd time in his career at SCSU.  Last season he finished with a 27-11 record while qualifying for the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the second year in a row at 141-pounds.  Suarez was crowned champion at the Cobber Open, Menlo Open and the Super Region III Regional Qualifier.  He was also named to the NSIC All-Conference Team. 

"Gabe leads by example.  One of the first things you notice about Gabe is his intensity and work ethic," Costanzo said.

Sundgren is serving as a captain for his second straight season.  Sundgren is a 2-time national qualifier and returning All-American for the Huskies.  Last season he had an impressive 33-9 record with 14 falls at 157-pounds.  Sundgren finished first at the Cobber, Dragon and Menlo Invite last season.  He is also a 2-time Academic All-American. 

"John does great things on and off the mat.  He is a great leader in the classroom, the community and in the practice room," Costanzo said.

Skala will be serving as a captain for the first time in his career at SCSU.  Skala finished last season with a 27-9 record at 174-pounds, and he brought home first place honors at the Bison Open and the Menlo Invite.  Skala was also named a 2009 All-American after finishing 7th at the 2009 NCAA Division II National Tournament. 

"Derek is well respected by his peers, he is a great athlete who is a joy to be around.  Derek will be an outstanding role model for his teammates,"  Costanzo said.

Merritt, the Huskies highest returning All-American will be making his first appearance as a captain for the SCSU Wrestling program.  Merritt finished last year with a school record 38 wins and a school record 17 pins.  Merritt brought home championship honors from the Cobber Open, Husky Open and the Menlo Invite.  He was a 2009 All-American finishing in 3rd place at the NCAA championships at 165-pounds. 

"Tad is a very driven individual.  He lives his life according to a standard of excellence and settles for nothing less.  He will be a great leader for his teammates to follow."

As a team, the Huskies placed eighth at the 2009 NCAA Division II championships and also placed second at the 2009 NCAA Division regional tournament.  Overall, the Huskies posted an 8-5 dual record and a 5-2 record in the always competitive NSIC under the leadership of third-year head coach Steve Costanzo.
 
 
Tom Nelson
Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director
St. Cloud State University
720 4th Ave. South
St. Cloud, MN  56301
Phone: 320-308-2141
FAX: 320-308-2099
E-Mail: tcnelson@stcloudstate.edu

 
University of Nebraska Wrestler to Transfer to St. Cloud State

St. Cloud, Minn. - St. Cloud State University head wrestling coach Steve Costanzo has announced that Brian Litch of Plymouth plans to attend the University and wrestle for the Huskies beginning in the fall of 2009.  Litch is a transfer from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Litch, a graduate of Wayzata High School, is a two-time MSHSL state qualifier and placed third in his senior year at the 2007 state tournament.  Litch earned All-American honors at the 2007 Junior Nationals with a fourth place finish and was crowned 2007 Northern Plains champion in Greco Roman.  He is currently undecided with his intended major.          

"I am excited to announce Brian (Litch) as a new addition to our program," said Coach Steve Costanzo. "He has a lot of experience from wrestling at the Division I level.  His experience will add depth and excitement to our lower to mid weights."

Litch will be joining Chris Brassell of Park Ridge, Ill., Jacob Kahnke of Prior Lake and Shane McQuade of Appleton, Wis. whom have all signed letters of intent to wrestle for the Huskies. They will join Mic Berg of Simley, Trent Herold of St. Francis and Mark Maestrey of Toms River, N.J. as part of the incoming recruiting class. Berg, Herold and Maestrey signed NLI's in November.

Jacob Horn of St. Michael, Mac Rivard of St. Francis, Kyle Schumm of Buffalo, Zach Stewart of Green Bay, Wisc. and Brad Wollum of Canby will also be joining the Husky wrestling program for the 2009-10 season.

SCSU charted an 8-5 overall record in 2008-09, and the Huskies placed eighth in the nation at the 2009 NCAA Division II championships.  A total of 3 SCSU wrestlers earned All-America status in 2008-09, and the Huskies advanced eighth wrestlers to the 2009 NCAA Division II championships this season.  Costanzo will begin his fourth season at SCSU in 2009-10.

Contact: Tom Nelson (320-308-2141)
 
St. Michael-Albertville Wrestler to Compete at St. Cloud State
 
St. Cloud, Minn. - St. Cloud State University head wrestling coach Steve Costanzo has announced that Kyle Schumm of Buffalo plans to attend the University and wrestle for the Huskies beginning in the fall of 2009.

Schumm, a graduate of St. Michael-Albertville High School, compiled a career mark of 118-28 at the high school level.  He is a three-time MSHSL place winner as he finished 5th in 2006, 2nd in 2007 and 4th in 2008.  Schumm spent this past year at St. John's University where he was plagued by injuries.  He plans on pursuing a major in environmental studies at St. Cloud State.   

"Kyle is another great addition to the Husky wrestling program," said Coach Steve Costanzo. "He has excellent leverage on the mat and is very athletic.  I am very excited to have him in our program"

Schumm will be joining Chris Brassell of Park Ridge, Ill., Jake Grisell of Mahtomedi, Jacob Kahnke of Prior Lake and Shane McQuade of Appleton, Wis. whom have all signed letters of intent to wrestle for the Huskies. They join Mic Berg of Simley, Trent Herold of St. Francis and Mark Maestrey of Toms River, N.J. as part of the incoming recruiting class. Berg, Herold and Maestrey signed NLI's in November.

Jacob Horn of St. Michael, Mac Rivard of St. Francis, Zach Stewart of Green Bay, Wisc. and Brad Wollum of Canby will also be joining the Husky wrestling program for the 2009-10 season.

SCSU charted an 8-5 overall record in 2008-09, and the Huskies placed eighth in the nation at the 2009 NCAA Division II championships.  A total of 3 SCSU wrestlers earned All-America status in 2008-09, and the Huskies advanced eighth wrestlers to the 2009 NCAA Division II championships this season.  Costanzo will begin his fourth season at SCSU in 2009-10.
 
St. Cloud State's Tad Merritt Named to All-Rookie Team

St. Cloud State University freshman Tad Merritt (Canby) has been named to the 2009 Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Team. He was named to the the All-Rookie Team as a second team selection at 165-pounds.

The Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie team recognizes wrestlers at all levels of NCAA competition, as Wisconsin's Andrew Howe was the first team selection at 165-pounds. Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford was selected as third team at 165-pounds followed by Kyle DeBerry on the fourth team, Ryan Smith of Oklahoma on the fifth team and Tyler Johnson of North Dakota State on the sixth team. Merritt was one of only four NCAA Division II athletes named to this year's Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Team.

Merritt captured third place honors in the 165-pound flight at the 2009 NCAA Division II championships, which provided him with All-America status this winter. He finished the year with a 37-6 overall record and a team-leading 17 pins in 2009. Merritt was named the 2009 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Rookie of the Year, and he placed third at the 2009 NCAA Division II Regional meet at 165-pounds. On Jan. 27, 2009, Merritt was named the NSIC Wrestler of the Week. He claimed three tournament championship throughout the 2008-09 season and also placed in a total of seven tournaments this winter.

As a team, the Huskies placed eighth at the 2009 NCAA Division II championships and also placed second at the 2009 NCAA Division regional tournament. Overall, the Huskies posted an 8-5 dual record and a 5-2 record in the always competitive NSIC under the leadership of third-year head coach Steve Costanzo.
St. Cloud State Wrestling Signs New Athletes for 2009-10

St. Cloud, Minn. - St. Cloud State University head wrestling coach Steve
Costanzo today announced the signing of four student-athletes to Letters of
Intent. In addition, SCSU wrestling received notice that three additional
student-athletes plan to attend SCSU in 2009-10.

Chris Brassell of Park Ridge, Ill., Jake Grisell of Mahtomedi, Jacob Kahnke
of Prior Lake and Shane McQuade of Appleton, Wis. have all signed letters of
intent to wrestle for the Huskies. They join Mic Berg of Simley, Trent
Herold of St. Francis and Mark Maestrey of Toms River, N.J. as part of the
incoming recruiting class for 2009-10. Berg, Herold and Maestrey signed
letters of intent in November, 2008.

In addition, Jacob Horn of St. Michael, Mac Rivard of St. Francis and Brad
Wollum of Canby have all indicated that they plan to join the Husky
wrestling program for the 2009-10 season.

Brassell, a heavyweight out of Maine South High School, compiled a career
record of 122-30. As a senior, he went 44-2 with 35 falls. He was a
three-time All-Conference selection and placed third in the IHSA state
tournament during his senior campaign. Brassell is a past Cadet Greco Roman
All-American placing sixth and recently claimed the Illinois state freestyle
crown. Academically, he is a member of the honor roll the past three years
and plans on pursuing a major in business or physical education at SCSU.

Grisell, a state champion out of Mahtomedi High School this past season, was
104-13 the past three seasons. As a senior, he went 33-4 en-route to his
state title at 119-pounds. He finished his career as a three-time MSHSL
state qualifier. Grisell plans on pursuing a major in business management
at SCSU.

Kahnke, a transfer from Division I Old Dominion University, red-shirted this
past season while wrestling at 197-pounds. He is a graduate out of Prior
Lake High School and did not lose a match after his sophomore season, going
87-0 his junior and senior season. Kahnke is a two-time MSHSL state
champion and three-time state finalist. In addition, he was crowned NHSCA
All-American honors his senior year. Kahnke plans on pursuing a major in
business at SCSU.

McQuade, out of Appleton West High School, compiled a career mark of 158-19.
As a senior, he went 47-1 on his way to earning his first WIAA state
championship at 119-pounds. During his junior campaign, McQuade finished
with a 45-3 mark and 33 falls while earning a fifth place finish at the WIAA
State Championships. In addition to his on the mat accolades, McQuade is
currently in the top fifteen-percent of his graduating class and plans on
pursuing a major in math or science at SCSU.

Horn, is a two-time MSHSL state tournament place finisher from St.
Michael-Albertville High School. He compiled a mark of 67-31 over the last
two seasons. As a senior, he went 33-15 and finished fourth in the MSHSL
state tournament at 145-pounds. An excellent student, Horn plans on
majoring in Electrical Engineering at SCSU.

Rivard, is a two-time MSHSL state qualifier from St. Francis High School.
He had a two-year mark of 73-19 during his junior and senior seasons. As a
senior, he went 42-7 and finished fourth in the MSHSL state tournament at
140-pounds. Rivard plans on majoring in business management at SCSU.

Wollum, is a three-time MSHSL state qualifier and a two-time state place
winner from Canby High School at 285-pounds. As a senior, he went 40-5 and
finished third and during his junior campaign he went 42-8 finishing second
at the MSHSL state tournaments. He is 109-30 over the last three years. An
outstanding student, Wollum plans on studying pre-pharmacy at SCSU.

Since signing with SCSU in November, Berg won the MSHSL state championship
at 189-pounds and was crowned with NHSCA All-American honors last April.
Herold, earned the runner-up spot at the MSHSL state championship at
125-pounds. Maestrey placed third at the NJSIAA state championship at
119-pounds.

"I am extremely excited about this recruiting class," said Coach Steve
Costanzo. "These student-athletes are not only great wrestlers and
competitors, but excellent students in the classroom. With an outstanding
foundation returning for Husky wrestling, the upcoming years should be
exciting times for all Husky wrestling fans."

The Huskies finished the 2008-09 season with a record of 8-5 and finished
eighth place at the NCAA DII National Championships in March. The squad
will return six national qualifiers and three NCAA All-Americans for
2009-10.
Jack Gause Inducted into St. Cloud State Wrestling Hall of Fame

Huskies Announce Award Winners at Team Banquet

St. Cloud, Minn. - The St. Cloud State Wrestling Team held its 2008-09 year-end banquet this past Friday, April 17, handing out post-season awards, inducting Jack Gause into the SCSU wrestling Hall of Fame and celebrating one of the best season in Husky Wrestling history. Jack was the first SCSU wrestling coach and founder of the program back in 1949-50.

Senior Brad Padgett (Buckley, WA) and redshirt freshman Tad Merritt (Canby, MN) earned the team's Dean Weisman Wrestler of the Year honors after earning NCAA DII All-American honors as they finished third in their respective weight classes at the national tournament. Redshirt sophomore Derek Skala (Owatonna, MN) was also honored for his All-American performance as he finished seventh in the nation.

On the academic side of things John Sundgren (Blaine, MN), Matt Jackson (Oakdale, MN), Adam Helgeson (Sauk Centre, MN), Adam Hill (Sauk Rapids, MN), Jacob Horn (Ephrata, WA) and Erik Rogness (Buffalo, MN) were honored with NWCA All-Academic honors.

The Huskies finished the season with a 8-5 overall dual mark to compliment a 8th place finish at the Division II National Tournament. This was the highest place SCSU wrestling has finished since the 1986 campaign when they also finished 8th.

Complete Listing of Husky Wrestling Award Winners
Husky Lettermen
2008-09 Team Members
Captain Award
Brad Padgett, Gabe Suarez & John Sundgren
Scholars of the Year
Fr. - Ryan Dougherty
So. - Adam Helgeson
Jr. - Adam Hill
Sr. - Matt Jackson
NCAA Division II All-Academic
John Sundgren, Matt Jackson, Adam Hill, Adam Helgeson, Jake Horn & Erik Rogness
NSIC Wrestlers of the Week
Derek Skala, John Sundgren & Tad Merritt
NSIC All-Conference
Josh Williams, Gabe Suarez, Jake Roberts, Derek Skala and Brad Padgett
NSIC Rookie of the Year
Tad Merritt
25-Match Winners
Luke Munkelwitz (29), Brad Padgett (25), Jake Roberts (28), Derek Skala (27) & Gabe Suarez (27)
30-Match Winners
John Sundgren (33)
35-Match Winners
Tad Merritt (38)
Most Falls
Tad Merritt (17)
Most Improved Wrestlers
Ted Saatzer, Justin Jones
Tough Man of the Year
Luke Munkelwitz
Iron Man of the Year
Tad Merritt, Luke Munkelwitz
Red-Shirt Wrestler of the Year
Shamus O'Grady
Most Courageous
Adam Hill
NCAA D-II National Qualifiers
Josh Williams, Gabe Suarez, Jake Roberts, John Sundgren, Tad Merritt, Derek Skala, Brad Padgett & Luke Munkelwitz
NCAA D-II All-Americans
Tad Merritt, Derek Skala & Brad Padgett
Dean Weisman Wrestlers of the Year
Tad Merritt & Brad Padgett
Coaching Appreciation Awards
Tom Anderson, Chris Heilman, Jeremy Lang, Matt Lowers & Nick Wilkes
Husky Wrestling Appreciation Awards
Brittany Johnson, Kristine Schiller, Kyrietta Rouser, Russ Jacobson & Grant Nelson
Husky Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee
Jack Gause
St. Cloud State Wrestling Gains Invite to 2010 NWCA Division II Duals

The St. Cloud State University wrestling team, which placed eighth in the nation at the 2009 NCAA Division II championships, has been invited to participate in the 2010 NWCA Division II Duals on Jan. 9-10, 2010. This invite-only tournament features the top NCAA Division II wrestling programs and it will be hosted by Northern Iowa University in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Selection to the tournament is based on returning national placewinners from teams who applied for entrance to the 2010 tournament. SCSU will join Nebraska-Omaha, Newberry, Minnesota State Mankato, Nebraska-Kearney, Central Oklahoma, Western State, Upper Iowa, Mercyhurst, UW-Parkside, San Francisco State, Augustana, Central Missouri, Gannon, West Liberty and Fort Hays State at the tournament.

This will mark the second consecutive season that SCSU has been invited to the NWCA Division II Duals. In 2009, the Huskies posted a 1-2 record at the tournament that included a victory over Findlay and losses to Central Oklahoma and Western State.

Under the leadership of third-year head coach Steve Costanzo, the Huskies charted an 8-5 dual match record in 2008-09. SCSU placed second at the NCAA regional tournament this season, and the Huskies gained an eighth place finish at the NCAA Division II championships. SCSU wrestlers earning All-America status this season included senior Brad Padget (184), freshman Tad Merritt (165) and sophomore Derek Skala (174).
St. Cloud State Wrestling Banquet Slated for April 17

St. Cloud, Minn. - The St. Cloud State Wrestling Team will be celebrating their successful 2008-09 season with their year-end banquet, Friday, April 17 at the Kelly Inn / Green Mill from 6-9 p.m.

The banquet will include a look back at the 2008-09 season and will honor the accomplishments of the team and its individual members. Several team awards will be revealed, as well as recognizing the numerous conference and national award winners from throughout the season.

The cost for the banquet is $20 per person, which includes a meal. Anyone interested in attending this celebration should contact head coach Steve Costanzo at 320-308-2996 or via E-mail at sscostanzo@stcloudstate.edu.