Complete Release (PDF)

MARSHALL, Minn. - The Southwest Minnesota State wrestling team finished the 2008-09 season with a 3-7 record overall and 2-5 in conference action.  The Mustangs were sixth in the final Northern Sun Intercollegiate standings.  SMSU qualified two wrestlers for the NCAA Championships.

Letterwinners:  SMSU had 16 letterwinners in 2008-09.
    Freshmen (2): Carter Ash, Nathan Krekelberg,
    Redshirt Freshmen (5) : Jason Deling, Tanner Skillings, Alex Streff, Nick Wulf, David Albrecht
    Sophomores (2): Jeremy Loch, Ed Reno
    Juniors (4): Luke Giese, Wade Granger, Tyler Reed, Brandan Schunk
    Seniors (3): Michal Barrie, Ben Derynck, Tyler Johnson

Farewell:  The Mustangs bid farewell to a quartet of wrestlers who wrapped up their collegiate careers this season.  Michal Barrie (Westbrook, Minn.), a transfer from Ridgewater College, spent two years on the squad at 133 pounds.  Ben Derynck (Minneota, Minn.), a 197-pounder, was on the team for a year after transferring from South Dakota State.  Tyler Johnson (Harrisburg, S.D.) says goodbye after a four-year campaign with SMSU; he qualified for nationals in 2008.  Finally, 197-pounder Tyler Reed (Ottumwa, Iowa) wrestled one year with the Mustangs after playing four years with the SMSU football team.

Northern sun:  The Mustangs were sixth-place finishers in the final 2009 NSIC standings.  A newly expanded conference meant a few new dates for the SMSU this season--many of them with the likes of nationally ranked programs.

In the postseason:  Michal Barrie (133 pounds) and David Albrecht (149 pounds) had the distinction of being the SMSU grapplers to represent the Mustangs at the NCAA Championships in Houston, Texas, on March 13 and 14.  Both lost their two opening matches and were eliminated from the tournament.

Postseason honors:  C.D. Johnson distinguished himself with a nod for the Academic All-NSIC team this year.  To be eligible for this honor, a student-athlete must be a member of the varsity traveling team and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better.  The junior was the lone Mustang wrestler to garner the honor.

National news:  Tyler Johnson (Harrisburg, S.D.) was ranked No. 6 at 184 pounds in the  NCAA Division II national wrestling rankings released Wednesday, Feb. 18, by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association.  This was the highest Johnson was ranked this season.  He also checked in at No. 8 on Dec. 2 and No. 7 on Jan. 21.

An improved squad:   SMSU's three wins this season meant an improved campaign in 2008-09 for the Mustangs, who went winless last season.  Those three wins for SMSU include a pair of conference wins, the most NSIC victories since the 2000-01 season when the Mustangs went a perfect 3-0 in conference action.

Break it down:  Young might be the best word to describe the 2008-09 SMSU wrestling squad.  The following is a class-by-class breakdown of this past season's team:
   • Seniors: 3   • Juniors: 5   • Sophomores: 3   • Redshirt Freshmen: 7   • Freshmen: 15

Take me to your leaders:  The Mustang captains for the 2008-09 campaign were Tyler Johnson, Michal Barrie and C.D. Johnson.