St. Cloud, Minn. – St. Cloud State University
head wrestling coach Steve Costanzo has announced his coaching staff
for the 2008-09 season. Matt Lowers, Chris Heilman, Tom Anderson and
Jeremy Lang will be joining the Huskies for the 2008-09 campaign.
Matt Lowers enters his second season as an assistant coach for
the Huskies. Last season, Lowers helped lead the Huskies to a 13-2
mark. This was the most wins produced by the Huskies in a season since
1972-73. The Huskies also advanced seven wrestlers to the NCCA Division
II Championships and they saw three of those grapplers earn
All-American status (Brad Padgett, Nick Wilkes and John Sundgren). At
the NCAA Division II Championships, SCSU placed 12th as a team and it
was ranked among the nation’s top 10 squads in the Division II polls in
2007-08.
Lowers came to St. Cloud State from the University of Minnesota, where
he served as an assistant wrestling coach for two seasons. While at
Minnesota, the Gophers wrestling team captured the 2006 Division I
National Dual Team Championship, Big Ten Championship and finished
second at the NCAA’s. In 2007, the Minnesota Wrestling team repeated as
National Dual and Big Ten Champions and also won the NCAA’s for the
third time in school history. While serving as an assistant with the
University of Minnesota wrestling team, Lowers also worked as the
Director of Wrestling Operations for J Robinson Intensive Camps. J
Robinson Intensive Camps have set the standard for Intensive camps
while training over 3000 athletes each summer. Prior to his time with
the Gophers and J Robinson Camps, Lowers spent 3 seasons as an
assistant at his alma mater Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. His
final two seasons at Concordia, Lowers was able to work with Minnesota
and North Dakota Hall of Fame Coach Clay Nagel. During those two years
with the Cobber’s, Lowers played a significant role in helping Nagel
double their roster size and equaling the schools highest ever dual
meet win record. During this time, Lowers also served as the Director
of the Cobber Wrestling Camp which in its first two years of operation
averaged over 285 campers per year while bringing in a World Class
Staff.
In high school, he was an All-State athlete for Wadena-Deer Creek High
School while competing in wrestling, football and track and field.
Lowers earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Concordia
College in 2006 and his Master’s degree in Sports Management from St.
Cloud State University in 2008.
“We are very fortunate to have Matt on our staff,” said Coach Steve
Costanzo. “He has done a great job with SCSU wrestling and is dedicated
with a passion to take our program to another level. I am very excited
to work with him again this season.”
Chris Heilman enters his first season as a graduate assistant
coach for the Huskies. A Colorado Springs native, Heilman was a 2004
Colorado High School state champion for St. Mary’s High School. He then
went on to a successful career at Cornell College in Mount Vernon,
Iowa, where he earned NCAA Division III All-American honors
three-times. Heilman placed seventh in 2006, placed fourth in 2007 and
placed third as a senior in 2008. He is the fifth wrestler in school
history to earn All-American accolades in at least three years. Heilman
is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sports management at SCSU.
“Chris is an excellent addition to our program,” said Coach Steve
Costanzo. “He had an outstanding college career and he will definitely
benefit our lower weight classes immediately.”
Tom Anderson enters his first season as a volunteer assistant
coach for the Huskies. A Belview native, Anderson was a 2008 NCAA
Division II national qualifier while competing for the Huskies. He is a
three-time letter winner and a two-time National Wrestling Coaches
Association Scholar All-American. Anderson earned the team’s “Most
Improved” wrestler award in his senior year as he accounted for more
than twenty victories on the season. He completed his bachelor degree
in business economics from SCSU in May 2008. Anderson is currently
employed by ING Financial Services in St. Cloud.
“It will be great having Tom on our coaching staff this season,” said
Coach Steve Costanzo. “Tom understands the philosophy of our program
and I am confident that he will do a great job.”
Jeremy Lang enters his third season as a volunteer assistant
coach for his alma mater SCSU. Lang is a native of Springfield, MN and
a 1993 graduate of Springfield High School. He was a five-year
letter-winner in wrestling, three-time Minnesota High School state
qualifier and a three-time All-State recipient in wrestling and placed
fifth at state his senior year. He competed for the Huskies from
1993-99 where he was a three-year letter-winner for SCSU and a
three-time All-Conference recipient in the tough North Central
Conference. Lang earned his Bachelor’s degree in local and urban
affairs from SCSU in 1999. Currently, he is employed by Edina Realty in
St. Cloud. He resides in St. Cloud with his two children Piper and
Larkin.
“We look forward to having Jeremy back on our coaching staff this
season,” said Coach Steve Costanzo. “He has helped us tremendously the
past two seasons as a volunteer in our program.”