SMSU Opens NSIC Dual Season
January 8, 2009
MARSHALL, MINN. - The Southwest Minnesota State
wrestling team opens the 2008-09 Northern Sun Intercollegiate
Conference dual season Saturday when it travels to Bismarck, N.D., to
square off with Mary. This will be the first time the Mustangs have
seen the mat since Dec. 13 when they wrestled at the Husky Open.
Last time out: Michal Barrie (Westbrook, Minn.) was the top Mustang
finisher at the Husky Open last month; the 133 pounder went 6-1 to
capture third place. Jordan Rozeboom (Mason, Mich) went 3-2 at 125
pounds to take fifth place, and Brandan Schunk (Wabasso, Minn.) was 2-3
at 133 pounds to grab sixth place.
Home for the holidays: The hiatus of the SMSU wrestling squad was due
to the 2008-09 holiday break. While the Mustangs had nothing on the
schedule for a few weeks and were able to give their athletes a week or
two to get their legs back, the team was still back in the wrestling
room at the end of December readying for their conference opener.
The series: This will be just the second meeting between SMSU and
U-Mary. The Marauders won last season’s inaugural match-up 21-16.
U-Mary is 0-1 on the season as the Marauders lost their NSIC season
opener to Minnesota State Moorhead 32-9 on Jan. 7.
Open season: Five of SMSU’s first seven contests of the 2008-09 season
have been open tournaments. The only dual action of the season thus far
was the Mustangs’ Nov. 12 match-up with Sioux Falls (S.D.) and Dec. 9
meeting with Augsburg. In open tournaments, SMSU has placed a total of
28 wrestlers.
Up next: Conference wrestling continues for the Mustangs as they meet Augustana at home on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
