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Three athletes commit to wrestle at Minnesota State
April 12, 2006
Mankato, Minn. -- Head coach Jim Makovsky has announced the signing of three local wrestlers to National Letters of Intent to compete for Minnesota State beginning in the fall of 2006. Travis Elg (Mountain Lake, Minn.), Justin Schwanz (St. James, Minn.) and Andy Forstner (Madelia, Minn.) will join the team for the 2006-07 season after finishing each of their respective prep careers with championships at the last Minnesota state tournament.
A three-time Minnesota state titlist, Elg wrapped up his prep career with a team-record 193 wins against just 11 losses while wrestling for Windom/Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin under the direction of his father Dave Elg. He claimed the 103-pound state title as a freshman with a 42-0 record and repeated with the 119-pound championship as a sophomore. He placed third as a junior but bounced back for his third title at 140 pound last season, going 43-0 on the season. On the national stage, he placed fifth at the 2005 NHSCA Junior Nationals and seventh at the 2006 Senior Nationals. He is also a multiple state champion in both Greco-Roman and freestyle.
Said Makovsky, "Travis is one of the most highly touted kids to come out of this area in quite some time and I think the accomplishments speak for themselves. His explosiveness and aggressiveness will make him an exciting wrestler to watch and we expect him to have an impact on Minnesota State wrestling for a long time."
A two-time Minnesota Class A champion at 215 pounds, Schwanz racked up a career record of 112-31 with 72 falls wrestling for St. James High School. He led the team in wins both seasons with 41 as a senior and 33 as a junior and was named the team's Most Valuable Wrestler following both seasons. Also an accomplished international style wrestler, Schwanz won multiple state and national titles in both Greco-Roman and freestyle events. His brother Jared recently wrapped up his first season as a Maverick football player.
"We see Justin being an impact wrestler in the upper weights," stated Makovsky. "He has great hips for a big man and a has a knack for pinning. He'll fit in well for us at 197 pounds or heavyweight."
Forstner was a four-time state qualifier and three-time placewinner at the Minnesota state tournament while competing for Madelia-Truman. He capped his prep career with a perfect 40-0 season and a state championship at 119 pounds. He placed fourth at that weight as a junior and second at 112 pounds as a sophomore. He ranks second in team history with 171 wins against 29 losses.
"Andy is a tough lightweight and we expect him to compete at 125 pounds early in his career," said Makovsky. "He is very offensive-minded and can score points in bunches. He has the work ethic to succeed at this level and we are excited that he chose MSU.
Regarding his recruiting class as a whole, Makovsky said, "Our staff is excited to add these three talented athletes to the Maverick family. They all had outstanding high school careers and we know they will fit in here at Minnesota State. The fact that they are area wrestlers with close, supportive families is a definite positive for everyone involved."
Minnesota State turned in its second consecutive top-five finish by placing fifth at the NCAA Division II National Championships in March. Over the past two seasons, the Mavericks have gone 30-5 in dual meets, with four of those losses coming to defending national champion Nebraska-Omaha.
All signings are contingent upon admission to MSU and compliance with NCAA rules, including certification by the NCAA Clearinghouse.