March 8, 2010

www.stcloudstate.edu

• The #5 St. Cloud State University wrestling team (14-7, 5-2 NSIC/3rd) will travel to the 2010 NCAA Division II championships in Omaha, Neb. on March 12-13.  The Huskies have qualified eight wrestlers for the national meet, and they will be looking to improve upon their 8th place finish at the nationals in 2009.
• SCSU coach Steve Costanzo won his 100th career match with a 32-7 dual victory at rival Minnesota State on Feb. 19, in Mankato.  He is 100-51-2 in his 11-year college coaching career.  In four seasons with the Huskies, Costanzo is 39-21.
• The Huskies placed second at the 2010 regional in Aberdeen, S.D. with 108.5 points on Feb. 28.  Augustana won the meet with 120.5 points, while Upper Iowa (95), Minnesota State (84.5), MSU Moorhead (73), SW Minnesota (53.5), Northern State (46.5) and Mary (43) completed the field.
• SCSU junior Derek Skala won first place honors in regional action at 184-pounds.  Second placers at the regional for SCSU were John Sundgren at 157, Tad Merritt at 165, Shamus O’Grady at 174, Lucas Munkelwitz at 187 and Jacob Kahnke at 285.  Shane McQuade (133) and Gabe Suarez (141) both earned third place finishes at the regional.  All of these SCSU place winners qualified for the NCAA nationals.
• SCSU now owns a 14-7 dual match record (5-2 NSIC) in 2009-10.  This marks the second most wins in a season for the Huskies.  The top win total was 15-2, which was set by the Huskies in 1964-65.
• SCSU wrestlers returning to nationals for the third consecutive season include Suarez, Sundgren and Skala.  SCSU wrestlers qualifying for the second consecutive season are Munkelwitz and Merritt, while O’Grady, McQuade and Kahnke are all make their first trip to nationals for SCSU.  
• In the latest NCAA Division II national rankings, SCSU was ranked #5 (best so far in 2009-10).  Derek Skala was ranked #2 at 184-pounds, while Tad Merritt was ranked #4 at 165-pounds.  SCSU’s Lucas Munkelwitz (197) and Jacob Kahnke (285) were also ranked fifth in the national polls this week.  Shamus O’Grady also moved into the national polls with a 6th place ranking at 174.
• Lucas Munkelwitz is 29-7 this year for the Huskies at 197-pounds.  Munkelwitz leads SCSU in wins this season.  Of note, the team record of 38 wins in a season is held by 4 different SCSU wrestlers (Tad Merritt, Dustin Darveaux, Gene Hanneman and Andy Reigstad).
• Jacob Kahnke owns a 27-5 record this season for SCSU at 285-pounds.  
• 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.
• Derek Skala is 25-8 this season at 184-pounds.  Shane McQuade is 20-13 at 133-pounds this season.
• At the 2009 NCAA championships, Derek Skala earned All-America honors with a 7th place finish at 174-pounds, while Tad Merritt was 3rd at 165-pounds.  Of note, John Sundgren earned All-America honors at 157-pounds in 2008 with an 8th place ending.
• As the Huskies look ahead to the upcoming NCAA nationals, which will take place on the campus of Nebraska-Omaha, SCSU’s best-ever finish at the NCAA DII level was a seventh place finish in 1983.  SCSU placed eighth at the nationals in 2009, 1986 and 1976.  SCSU also placed third at nationals during the 1963 and 1965 seasons as an NAIA affiliate.