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Minnesota State concludes action at National Championships in fifth place
March 11, 2006
Findlay, Ohio -- Minnesota State began the second day of competition at the NCAA Division II National Championships with three wrestlers in the championship bracket and three in the consolations looking to move the team up from fourth place. When the dust settled, all six wrestlers had their final placings and the Mavericks sat in fifth place with all possible points accounted for. The six All-American performers is one better than last season, and is the most since Makovsky's 1993-94 squad had seven. After the final round was completed, Minnesota State had outpointed sixth-place Pitt-Johnstown by a half point to earn its second top-five finish in a row.
Sophomore Nick Smith (Yankton, S.D.) opened the day with a semifinal match against second-ranked Cody Garcia of Nebraska-Omaha. Smith gave up a takedown in the first and a reversal in the second and was unable to close the gap. Garcia tacked on a riding time point to send Smith to the consolations by a score of 9-1. He bounced back and gave himself a chance at third with a strong win over Shane Caruthers of Central Oklahoma. Smith scored two deep double-leg takedowns in the match at cruised to the 5-3 win. He put forth a dominating performance in his third-place match with returning All-American Ryan McCabe of Adams State. Smith picked up some much-needed bonus points for the team with a 15-7 win that gave him a third-place finish at his second national championship and a season record of 29-15.
At 133 pounds, junior Jeff Pfaffinger (Blue Earth, Minn.) began his day in the consolations and fell by a score of 4-2 to Shane Perkey, a returning All-American from Indianapolis. In the seventh-place match, Pfaffinger and Dan Hilario of Nebraska-Omaha traded escapes in the second and third periods to head deep into the match tied and one apiece. With fewer than 40 seconds remaining, Pfaffinger spun behind Hilario for the takedown and controlled him until the end of the match to wrap up seventh place with the 3-1 win. His junior ledger stands at 28-11.
Senior Zach Stevens (Erwinna, Pa.) was the recipient of a medical forfeit in his first consolation match of the day. That sent him to the consolation semifinals where he faced Patrick Sharp of New Mexico Highlands. After a scoreless first period, Stevens turned a reversal into a three-point near fall and took a 5-0 lead. Two takeowns in the third and a riding time point gave Stevens the major decision by a score of 10-1 and vaulted him into the third-place match. He held an early lead over Brian Pitts of Adams State but conceded a takedown with fewer than 20 seconds left to finish fourth. In his lone season as a Maverick, Stevens owned a record of 24-12.
At 165 pounds, Andy Pickar (Brainerd, Minn.) was engaged in a tight match early with Albert Miles of Pittsburgh-Johnstown but surrendered a roll that put him to his back, falling at the 1:26 mark. He would square off with Larry Wilbanks of Western State in the seventh-place match. Pickar needed just 2:14 to dispatch him, using a cradle to pin Wilbanks and earn two bonus points and an extra placement point for seventh. He concludes his season with a mark of 28-12.
Returning 174-pound finalist Travis Krinkie (Blue Earth, Minn.) found himself down 4-1 after one period of his match with returning All-American Michael Jackson of Indianapolis. He knotted the score early in the second, shooting a double-leg takedown immediately after being released by Jackson. Jackson would nab two takedowns in the third period to deny Krinkie a repeat finals appearance by a score of 9-5. Krinkie rebounded with an 8-3 win over Aaron Meister of Fort Hays State to move into the third-place match. He took on in-region foe Clinton McNaught of Upper Iowa for third place. Just like his semifinal match, Krinkie was put behind early in the first 4-1 and 7-2 by the end of the second. He would fall to fourth place with a the 13-7 setback. His third All-American season would conclude with a record of 21-6.
Senior John Koons (Crosby, Minn.) would also fall in the semifinal round to Tanner Linsacum of Nebraska-Kearney. Koons earned the first takedown of the match following a wild scramble but a takedown midway through the final period would give him the 6-5 win. He fell again in the consolations, getting caught in a headlock and pinned at the 2:28 mark by Mark Murphy of Shippensburg. Koons would conclude his career with a sixth-place finish, falling in the fifth-place match to top-ranked Greg Nurrenbern 6-2 and bringing his season record to 31-14.
Minnesota State results at NCAA Championships
125 Pounds * Nick Smith * So. * Yankton, S.D.
First Round: Smith dec. Mike Compton (Ashland), 3-1
Quarterfinals: Smith dec. Daniel Clausing (Limestone), 6-4
Semifinals: Cody Garcia (Nebraska-Omaha) maj. dec. Smith, 9-2
Consolations: Smith dec. Shane Caruthers (Central Oklahoma), 5-3
Third-Place: Smith maj. dec. Rob McCabe (Adams State), 15-7
133 Pounds * Jeff Pfaffinger * Jr. * Blue Earth, Minn.
First Round: Raymond Dunning (Adams State) dec. Pfaffinger, 11-5
Consolations: Pfaffinger dec. Lenny Calhoun (Mercyhurst), 7-3
Consolations: Pfaffinger dec. Marques Bravo (Western State), 4-1
Consolations: Shane Perkey (Indianapolis) dec. Pfaffinger, 4-2
Seventh Place: Pfaffinger dec. Dan Hilario (Nebraska-Omaha), 3-1
141 Pounds * Zach Stevens * Sr. * Erwinna, Pa.
First Round: Stevens dec. J.J. Zanetta (Mercyhurst), 4-3
Quarterfinals: Brian Pitts (Adams State) dec. Stevens, 8-2
Consolations: Pickar dec. Wade Killgore (Central Missouri State), 4-3
Consolations: Stevens med. forfeit Willie Hilton (UNC-Pembroke)
Consolations: Stevens maj. dec. Patrick Sharp (N.M. Highlands), 10-1
Third Place: Brian Pitts (Adams State) dec. Stevens, 6-4
149 Pounds * Brandon Girtz * Jr. * Forest Lake, Minn.
First Round: Shea Timothy (Central Oklahoma) dec. Girtz, 4-3
Consolations: Mark Pfeifer (Chadron State) dec. Girtz, 9-4
157 Pounds * Math Bitz * Sr. * Bismarck, N.D.
First Round: Scott Cleve (Adams State) dec. Bitz, 6-1 (OT)
Consolations: Bitz dec. William Tedder (Mercyhurst), 6-4
Consolations: Stephen Humprey (Carson-Newman) dec. Bitz, 2-0
165 Pounds * Andy Pickar * So. * Brainerd, Minn.
First Round: Pickar maj. dec. Alonso Azumendi (Newberry), 10-2
Quarterfinals: Cort Peterson (Central Oklahoma) dec. Pickar, 6-3
Consolations: Pickar dec. Eric Lakia (Ashland), 3-1
Consolations: Albert Miles (Pittsburgh-Johnstown) fall Pickar, 1:26
Seventh Place: Pickar fall Larry Wilbanks (Western State), 2:14
174 Pounds * Travis Krinkie * Jr. * Blue Earth, Minn.
First Round: Krinkie dec. Albert Morgan (Wisconsin-Parkside), 9-7
Quarterfinals: Krinkie maj. dec. Hudson Harrison (Mercyhurst), 15-4
Semifinals: Michael Jackson (Indianapolis) dec. Krinkie, 9-5
Consolations: Krinkie dec. Aaron Meister (Fort Hays State), 8-3
Third Place: Clinton McNaught (Upper Iowa) dec. Krinkie, 13-7
184 Pounds * John Koons * Sr. * Crosby, Minn.
First Round: Koons maj. dec. Joshua Vialpondo (Adams State), 15-1
Quarterfinals: Koons dec. Nathan Jones (Carson-Newman), 7-2
Semifinals: Tanner Linsacum (Nebraska-Kearney) dec. Koons, 6-5
Consolations: Mark Murphy (Shippensburg) fall Koons, 2:28
Fifth Place: Greg Nurrenbern (Truman State) dec. Koons. 6-2
197 Pounds * Ben Janike * Jr. * Waseca, Minn.
First Round: Corey Jacoby (Shippensburg) dec. Janike, 7-3
Consolations: Ryan Kirst (Ashland) dec. Janike, 7-3