SJU at National Duals this weekend
January 9, 2009
The Saint John’s University wrestling team, which is ranked No. 9 in
the latest Brute-Adidas National Wrestling Coaches’ Association (NWCA)
Division III team rankings released Dec. 7, travel to compete at the
NWCA/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals this Saturday and Sunday,
Jan. 10-11, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Johnnies open the dual tourney
against No. 24 Heidelberg (Ohio) at 11 a.m. Saturday and will face
either No. 3 Delaware Valley or unranked Ohio Northern at 3 p.m.
Johnnies Finish Strong In Florida
OVIEDO, Fla. – Five Johnnies finished in the top three of their
respective weight classes at the Brute/Zac Jarzynka Sunshine Wrestling
Classic tournament, held Dec. 28-29 in Oviedo, Fla. Twelve of the 20
Johnnies finished in the top eight of their weight classes. Sophomore
Dustin Baxter (Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley), ranked No. 7 nationally,
started the tournament with two major decisions before edging Matt
Olsen (Milwaukee School of Engineering) 3-1 in the semifinal and
Lawrence’s (Wis.) Sam Laes in the 184-pound championship match, 5-2.
Freshman Chad Henle (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer) and junior Mogi
Baatar (right; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.) each
won three consecutive matches before falling to Augsburg wrestlers in
close championship matches. Henle fell to Freddie Vigil 11-7 at 125,
while Baatar, ranked No. 5 in the latest national poll, dropped a close
13-10 decision to top-ranked Travis Lang at 133 pounds. Sophomore Matt
Baarson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park) followed suit at 157
pounds, including a 7-2 win over No. 6 Willie Horwath of Ithaca, before
falling to Augsburg’s Jason Adams, 10-6. Baarson, who was unranked,
claimed second-place honors ahead of Horwath and No. 5 Zach Mizer of
Heidelberg, Ohio (fourth place). Baarson is now ranked No. 7
nationally. Senior Grant Eustice (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) fell to
eventual champion Dave Priest of Ithaca at 174 pounds, but battled back
with four wins in the consolation bracket to earn third place. Eustice
defeated College of New Jersey’s Greg Osgoodby, who was ranked No. 2
nationally, 3-1 in overtime of the third-place match. At 165 pounds,
senior Matt Schrupp (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer) pinned Dennis
Bencosme of Ithaca in 2:29 and defeated Augsburg’s Spencer Flodeen 10-3
on Sunday, but forfeited all three of his matches Monday due to injury.
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
