
St. Cloud State Wrestling Update
November 18, 2009
www.stcloudstate.edu/athletics/sports/wrestling/
Upcoming Matches:
Nov. 21 - at the Cobber Open (Moorhead, Minn.)
Huskies Headliners:
- The Huskies opened their 2009-10 season on Nov. 14 with a 1-2
finish at the Northwestern Duals in Evanston, Ill. SCSU opened the day
with a 17-12 loss against Big 10 opponent Northwestern and also lost a
tough 25-24 decision against DI opponent Eastern Michigan. SCSU charted
its first win of the new season with a 20-19 decision over top rated
DIII rival North Central College (Ill.).
- Redshirt sophomore Tad Merritt, who placed third in the nation in
2009 at 165-pounds, earned NSIC Wrestler of the Week honors for his
efforts at the Northwestern Duals. Merritt gained a 3-0 record on Nov.
14, which included a pin, a technical fall and a 10-4 victory over
Northwestern’s Kyle Bertin.
- Newcomer Jake Kahnke, a transfer from DI Old Dominion also earned
a 3-0 record on Nov. 14, which included a 5-4 win over NU’s Bennett
Kuhar. Kahnke prepped at Prior Lake High School and was a two-time
MSHSL state champion. He is a redshirt freshman at SCSU this season.
- SCSU will be led on the mats this season by team captains junior
Gabe Suarez, junior Derek Skala, junior John Sundgren and sophomore Tad
Merritt.
- The Huskies finished the 2009-10 season with an 8-5 record and a
5-2 record against NSIC schools. SCSU placed second at the 2009 NCAA
regional meet and 8th at the 2009 NCAA Division II championships.
- SCSU gained three All-America awards in 2009. Brad Padgett placed
third at 184-pounds, while Tad Merritt was third at 165-pounds. The
trio was completed by Derek Skala’s seventh place finish at 174-pounds
in 2009.
- SCSU qualified eight wrestlers for nationals in 2009. Of that
group of eight, the Huskies will bring back six national qualifiers in
2009-10. Those returners include senior Jake Roberts (149-pounds),
junior Gabe Suarez (141-pounds), junior John Sundgren (157-pounds),
sophomore Tad Merritt (165-pounds), junior Derek Skala (174-pounds) and
sophomore Lucas Munkelwitz (197-pounds).
- SCSU’s eighth place finish at the 2009 NCAA Division II championships was the Huskies’ best NCAA national finish since 1986.
- The Huskies have now consecutive winning dual match seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
- SCSU is scheduled to host the prestigious Husky Open wrestling
tournament in Halenbeck Hall on Dec. 12. This annual event will feature
many of the nation’s top collegiate wrestlers.
- A holiday highlight for the Huskies will be a return trip to
Evanston, Ill. for the elite Midlands Wrestling Tournament at
Northwestern. This annual tournament is widely recognized as one
college wrestling’s premier events.