Johnnies Ranked No. 9 in Latest NWCA Rankings
January 8, 2009
Brute-Adidas/NWCA Team Rankings | Brute-Adidas/NWCA Individual Rankings
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The Saint John’s University
wrestling team was ranked No. 9 in the latest Brute-Adidas National
Wrestling Coaches’ Association (NWCA) Division III team rankings
released Dec. 7. Other teams ranked from the NCAA Great Lakes Region
include Augsburg (No. 2), North Central (Ill.; No. 6), Elmhurst (Ill.;
No. 13), Concordia-Moorhead (No. 22) and Lakeland (Wis.; No. 28). The
Johnnies defeated both Augsburg (18-13, Nov. 26) and North Central
(19-18, Nov. 15) earlier this season.
Individually, junior Mogi Baatar (12-5 record; Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia/St. Benedict's, N.J.) and sophomore Minga Batsukh (6-2 record;
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict's, N.J.) are ranked No. 5 at 133 and
141 pounds, respectively, while sophomores Matt Baarson (14-6 record;
Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park) and Dustin Baxter (10-2 record;
Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley) are ranked No. 7 at 157 and 184 pounds,
respectively.
Baxter won the 184-pound weight bracket at the Brute/Zac Jarzynka
Sunshine Wrestling Classic tournament Dec. 29 in Oviedo, Fla. Baatar
finished second at the Sunshine Classic with a 3-1 record before
falling to top-ranked Travis Lange from Augsburg, 13-10 in the
championship match. Baarson also claimed second-place honors at the
Sunshine Classic with a 3-1 record. Batsukh missed the Sunshine Classic
due to injury, and is questionable for this weekend’s NWCA/Cliff Keen
Division III National Duals hosted by the University of Northern Iowa
in Cedar Falls.
The Johnnies open the National Duals against No. 24 Heidelberg (Ohio)
at 11 a.m. SJU will then face either No. 3 Delaware Valley or unranked
Ohio Northern at 3 p.m.
