|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mavericks will send nine to NCAA Division II National Championships
February 26, 2006
Omaha, Neb. -- The second-ranked Maverick wrestling team advanced nine wrestlers, including two champions, to the NCAA Division II National Championships at the North Regional Qualifier, held in Omaha, Neb. The top four wrestlers in each weight class advance to the national championships and will join qualifiers from three other meets around the country.
Minnesota State finished third as a team with a score of 118.5, just a half point behind Augustana. Two-time defending national champion Nebraska-Omaha won the team title with a score of 139.5 and qualified all 10 wrestlers.
Second-ranked senior John Koons (Crosby, Minn.) and seventh-ranked sophomore Andy Pickar (Brainerd, Minn.) claimed individual crowns. It's the second straight year MSU has qualified nine wrestlers for the national tournament. Koons went 3-0 on the day and beat Augustana's Nate Buys 5-1 in the championship match.
Pickar upset top-ranked Nate Baker of MSU Moorhead 3-1 to make his way into the finals where he faced fifth-ranked Ross Taplin of UNO. The MSU newcomer picked up the win with a takedown in the fourth overtime period and got the 4-2 win.
Sophomore 125-pounder Nick Smith (Yankton, S.D.) will be making his second appearance at nationals. He went 2-2 on the day and finished fourth. Smith lost to Augustana's Chris Trampe 2-1 in the third-place match. At 133, junior Jeff Pfaffinger (Blue Earth, Minn.) collected a third-place finish and went 3-1 on the day. It will be Pfaffinger's first trip to the national meet.
Senior 141-pounder Zach Stevens (Erwinna, Pa.) went 3-1 en route to a third-place showing. Stevens beat MSU Moorhead's Shane Walton 9-8 in the third-place match. His only loss came to Augustana's Andre VanderVelde 6-2 in the semis.
At 149, junior Brandon Girtz (Forest Lake, Minn.) captured third-place honors with a 3-1 record on the day. Girtz beat MSU Moorhead's Peter Hayes 6-3 in the third-place match. His only loss came by UNO's Shane Unger 5-4 in the semis.
Returning All-American Mathias Bitz (Bismarck, N.D.) took second place with a record of 2-1 on the day. He fell to UNO's Patrick Allibone 1-0 in the finals at 157. Two-time All-American Travis Krinkie (Blue Earth, Minn.) also finished second. He lost to top-ranked JD Naig of UNO 6-4 in the finals at 174.
Junior Ben Janike (Waseca, Minn.) qualified for his first national tournament with a fourth-place finish. He went 2-2 on the day but lost to eighth-ranked Joel Wipperfurth of Southwest Minnesota State in the third-place match.
Senior heavyweight Tim Kraemer (Cold Springs, Minn.) won his first match, but dropped three in-a-row after that and finished with a 1-3 record on the day.
The Mavericks will look to improve on last season's third-place showing at the national tournament when they travel to Findlay, Ohio. The two-day tournament begins March 10.