SMSU's Johnson Prepares for the NCAA Championships
March 5, 2008
North Regional Tournament:
Tyler Johnson is headed to the NCAA Division II national tournament
after coming back through wrestlebacks at 184 on Sunday to place third
at the North Regional tournament in Mankato. Johnson is Southwest Minnesota State's
first national qualifier since 2006, when Tim Johns and Joel
Wipperfurth both qualified. Wipperfurth finished sixth at the national
tournament at 197. Johnson is also the first national qualifier for
first-year head coach Jesse Nelson.
Johnson lost his first match of the day to top-seeded and No. 2
nationally ranked Brent Pankoke of Nebraska-Omaha. However, Johnson
fought back, defeating fourth-seed Ben Becker of MinnesotaState,
Mankato, 5-3. He then faced the second seed and 8th-ranked Beau
Severtson of Augustana (S.D.) in the wrestleback semifinals and won a
4-3 decision. In the third-place match, Johnson was forced to wrestle
Pankoke again, who was upset in the semifinals of the championship
bracket. After getting pinned in his first match against Pankoke,
Johnson came up with one of the biggest upsets of the tournament,
winning a 3-2 decision to end the day and place third at 184.
Luke Giese finished one win away from qualifying at 149, losing a 14-5
major decision to third-seed Monterious Adams of Upper Iowa in the
wrestleback semifinals. Giese lost his opening match to Chad Kubasch of
St. Cloud State by an 8-5 decision, but upset fifth seed Shane Walton
(MSU Moorhead) with a 4-3 decision and defeated Shawn Sneva (Mary), 5-0.
Head Coach Jesse Nelson:
Jesse Nelson is in his first year as head coach at SMSU and has a dual
record of 0-11 overall and 0-4 in the NSIC. He takes over for John
Sterner, who resigned over the summer. Nelson previously spent five
years at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minn., where he led Ridgewater
to five top-five national finishes in five years as the head coach.