Huskies Finish Day One at Division II Championships in 13th Place
Friday, March 14, 2008
Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Three members of the St. Cloud State Wrestling
Team remain in contention to place at the Division II Championships
after Day One. John Sundgren (Blaine), Brad Padgett (Buckley, Wash.)
and Nick Wilkes (Onamia) all can finish as high as third as they will
compete in the wrestleback portion of Day Two.
Padgett and Wilkes both won their first match of the day, as the
sixth-ranked Padgett led-off with a 10-0 win over Alecxis Lara of San
Francisco State. The 184-pounder took a 5-1 defeat at the hands of #3
Mike Corcetti of Pitt-Johnstown before rebounding with a 5-4 victory
over Pino Scavella of Gannon.
Eighth-ranked Wilkes, wrestling in his second National Tournament, went
win-loss-win at 197 lbs., as he scored a 2-1 victory over #7 Patrick
Walsh of PU-J. Wilkes then suffered a 6-0 setback to #1 Josh Malerus of
Chadron State before getting his second victory with a 5-3 decision
over Mitch Knapp of West Liberty State.
#8 Sundgren lost his first match of the day at 157 lbs. to #3 Noomis
Jones of Adams State by a count of 12-2. Sundgren then rattled off two
wins to qualify for Day Two, the first coming via a 10-9 win over David
Zeek of Kutztown and his second with a pin in 21 seconds over Phillp
Bliss of Belmont Abbey.
Josh Williams (Banks, Ore.) lost his first match at 133 lbs. to #5
Raymond Dunning with a fall at 4:28. He then won his second with a 4-3
decision over Kent Pierson of Carson-Newman before falling in his third
match 11-6 to #6 Tim Elliot of Central Oklahoma. Williams finishes the
season 20-9
Derek Skala's (Owatonna) fate was the same as Williams, as he went 1-2
at 174 lbs. Skala fell in the first round to #4 Corey VanGrol by a
score of 5-2. Skala rebounded with a narrow 4-3 triumph over #8 Blake
Maloy of Fort Hays State before concluding the 2007-08 campaign with an
8-4 loss to #5 Tyler Tubbs of MSU-Moorhead. Skala ends the year 30-11.
A pair of Huskies lost their first matches of the day, wrapping up
successful seasons. #8 Gabe Suarez (Las Vegas, Nev.) was pinned by #6
Doug Surra of West Liberty State and dropped by a 9-5 count to James
Annon of Fort Hays State at 141 lbs. for SCSU. Suarez ended his
campaign with a 32-6 record.
Senior Tom Anderson ended his career with his first National Tournament
appearance at 165 lbs. Anderson went 0-2, however, as he lost a 6-0
decision to #8 Kyle Keane of PU-J. Anderson then bowed out with a 3-1
loss to Justin Shannon of Findlay, ending the season 27-19.
NCC member Minnesota State sits in first place with 66.5 points and
five wrestlers in championship contention while Nebraska-Omaha resides
in fourth with 49.5 points. Augustana finished Day one just behind SCSU
in 14th with 15 points.
The final day of championship action resumes tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.