SCHEDULE- - - Minnesota
State University Moorhead has qualified six wrestlers for the 2007
NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championships March 9-10 at
Kearney, NE. Preliminaries begins at 11 a.m. on Friday at the Health
and Sports Center on the campus of University of Nebraska-Kearney. The
finals are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on Saturday.
QUALIFIERS- - - The following Dragons
have qualified for the national tournament:
133 - Troy MacFarland (Grand Forks, ND), Jr., 15-16
141 - Kelly Janke (Frazee), So., 15-18
149 - Shane Walton (Pine River), Jr., 16-14
157 - Kyle Trout (Wadena), Sr., 32-8
165 - Nate Baker (Lakefield), Sr., 17-5
174 - Tyler Tubbs (Chokio), So., 17-5
RECORD- - - MSUM finished 14-8
overall and 3-1 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
COACH- - - Ex-Dragon Keenan
Spiess is in his fourth season as head coach at MSU Moorhead this
winter. Spiess is assisted by Desmond Radunz.
REGIONALS- - - MSU Moorhead
qualified six wrestlers for the 2007 NCAA Division II National
Championships at the NCAA II North Central Regional tournament at Alex
Nemzek Hall February 25 and placed fifth. Senior Nate Baker finished
second at 165, sophomore Tyler Tubbs was third at 174, and the Dragons
received fourth place finishes from Troy MacFarland at 133, Kelly Janke
at 141, Shane Walton at 149, and Kyle Trout, 157. MSU, Mankato captured
the team title with 146.5 points, followed by Upper Iowa, 122,
Nebraska-Omaha, 114.5, Augustana, 85.5, MSU Moorhead, 76, S Southwest
Minnesota State, 34, Northern State, 31, and St. Cloud State
University, 31. Nick Smith, the 125-pound champion from MSU, Mankato,
was voted the Outstanding Wrestler.
RANKINGS- - - MSU Moorhead
ranks 19th on the latest NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches’ poll while
Nate Baker is ranked second at 165 pounds.
LINEUPS- - - The Dragons’ regional
lineup:
125 - Joe Werner (Richville), So.
133 - Troy MacFarland (Grand Forks, ND), Jr.
141 - Kelly Janke (Frazee), So.
149 - Shane Walton (Pine River), Jr.
157 - Kyle Trout (Wadena), Sr.
165 - Nate Baker (Lakefield), Sr.
174 - Tyler Tubbs (Chokio), So.
184 - Matt Nelson (Burnsville), So.
197 - Josiah Bush (North Pole, AK), So.
285 - Joe Facchinni (Nashwauk), Sr.