2009-10 College News - St. Cloud State Wrestling Update

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.