Saint John’s Wrestling Update
December 11, 2008
JOHNNIES AT HUSKY OPEN SATURDAY
The nationally-ranked Saint John’s wrestling team travel across town to
compete in the St. Cloud State Husky Open this Saturday, Dec. 18. Three
Johnnies placed at last year’s meet: sophomore Dustin Baxter
(Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley) took second at 184 pounds, junior Mogi
Baatar (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep., N.J.) took third at
125 pounds, and sophomore Matt Baarson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin
Park) finished sixth at 157 pounds.
SJU GOES 2-1 AT LA CROSSE, DEFEATS ST. OLAF
LA CROSSE, Wis. – The nationally-ranked Saint John's University
wrestling team went 2-1 at the Wis.-La Crosse Duals last Saturday, Dec.
6 in La Crosse, Wis. SJU defeated No. 12 Cornell, Iowa (18-15) and
Augustana, Ill. (28-21), and fell to the host Eagles, ranked No. 5
nationally, 18-17. Junior Mogi Baatar (left, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St.
Benedict's, N.J.) went 3-0 on the day, including a 3-2 decision over
Cornell's Nick Nothern, who was ranked No. 4 nationally. Sophomore Tony
Willaert (right, North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial)
went 2-0, including a win at 197 and 285 pounds each. Willaert, ranked
No. 3 in the nation, pinned La Crosse's Andy Moore, ranked No. 7, in
2:22.
NORTHFIELD, Minn. - No. 7 Saint John's University defeated St. Olaf
32-12 Tuesday, Dec. 9 in Northfield. Pins from freshman Kyle Schumm
(Buffalo, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) and sophomore James Carlson
(Royalton, Minn.) at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively, and a major
decision from junior Jake Evenson (Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley)
capped a 19-point run at the upper weights for the Johnnies, who
improve to 8-1 this season.
HEAD COACH BRANDON NOVAK
Brandon Novak is in his fifth season as head coach of the SJU wrestling
program in 2008-09. Last year, Novak led the Johnnies to a 30th-place
finish (60 teams) at the NCAA Championships. Keeping the academic
standards high in 2005-06, Novak's SJU wrestling team had the
fifth-highest team grade point average in NCAA Division III at 3.334.
Prior to becoming the head coach in 2004-05, Novak assisted 2007 NCAA
Division III Wrestling Coaches’ Hall of Fame inductee John Elton, who
was head wrestling coach from 1981-2004. Novak, a 2001 graduate
of SJU, won the NCAA Wrestling Championship at 197 pounds in 2001 and
was a three-time All-American. Novak currently owns a 33-32 career dual
record as head coach of the Johnnies.
For all the latest news on Johnnie Wrestling and other SJU sports, visit the Saint John’s athletic Web site at gojohnnies.com
