The Mavericks
will head to the Kaufman-Brand Open on Saturday, Nov. 17 at Lee &
Helene Sapp Fieldhouse on the campus of University of Nebraska-Omaha.
The meet, the largest one-day collegiate tournament in the nation, will
get underway at 9 a.m. and will feature some of the top wrestlers and
teams in the nation among all divisions. Over 700 wrestlers from
approximately 50 teams are expected to compete.
“It was great for our team to get on the mat and compete against
outside competition," said Head Coach Jim Makovsky. "Having a few
champions was great, but more importantly our individual’s strengths
and weaknesses were exposed. Coming back this week we have some
specific areas we need to focus on individually and collectively as a
team.”
“We look forward to the Kaufman-Brand Open down in Omaha this weekend.
It is a huge tournament with several of the premier Division I and
Division II teams. The intensity, pace of the matches and the quality
of the opponents make this tournament a great experience for our guys.”
Last Week:
The Mavericks opened the season last Saturday competing at the Pointer
Open at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Three Mavericks
captured individual titles in the gold division. Senior Jason Rhoten
claimed first-place honors at 157 going 5-0 on the day. Sophomore Brady
Wilson won the heavyweight division with an 8-1 decision over John
Miller of Luther. Wrestling unattached, freshman Tommy Abbot (149)
finished the day a perfect 4-0 while collecting two falls along the way.
Maverick placers included:
Jason Rhoten - Champion
Brady Wilson - Champion
Tommy Abbott - Champion
Efrain Ayala - 4th
Willy Mekeel - 3rd
Andy Pickar - 2nd
Ben Becker - 5th
Tom Block - 5th
Rhoten Wins his 100th Match
Jason Rhoten reached another milestone this past weekend at the Pointer
Open. The three-time All-American won his 100th match as a Maverick by
way of a 6-1 decision over Craig Becker of Wisconsin-Parkside in the
semi-finals.
Wilson Avenges Losses
Sophomore Brady Wilson was able to knock off two opponents who had
previous wins over the MSU heavyweight. Wilson knocked off Jordan Hein
of Wisconsin in the semis to even the score. Wilson then beat NCAA III
third-ranked John Miller 8-1 from Luther College in a rematch of last
year’s Pointer Open that had Wilson on the losing end.
MSU-Mankato in the National Wrestling Coaching Association NCAA II National Rankings