Complete Release (PDF)

MARSHALL, MINN. - The Southwest Minnesota State wrestling team will travel to No. 3-ranked Minnesota State, Mankato to square off with the Mavericks in conference action at 7 p.m. on Friday. 

Last time out: Division III and No. 9-ranked Concordia of Moorhead had three wins by fall and a pair by major decision to defeat SMSU 33-12 in non-conference action Jan. 22 in Marshall.  Michal Barrie (Westbrook, Minn.), David Albrecht (Woodbury, Minn.) and Carter Ash  (Milaca, Minn.) all picked up victories against the Cobbers.

Another ranked opponent:  It will be SMSU's second meeting with a nationally ranked Division II program on Friday.  MSU enters as the No. 3-ranked squad in the country.  The Mustangs also met up with Augustana on Jan. 16, which was ranked No. 18 at the time.

The series:  The Mustangs and Mavericks have met 27 times, with MSU leading the series 19-8.  Last season, the Mavericks blanked SMSU, serving the Mustangs a 49-0 loss in Mankato, Minn.  Friday's match will be the first between the two squads as conference opponents.

Standings:  SMSU's 1-1 NSIC mark puts the team in a tie for third place in the conference.  St. Cloud State, Upper Iowa and Minnesota State Moorhead are tied with the Mustangs for the No. 3 spot.

National news:  Tyler Johnson (Harrisburg, S.D.) is ranked No. 7 at 184 pounds in the latest NCAA Division II national wrestling rankings released Wednesday, Jan. 21, by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association.  The spot is a jump up as the senior was ranked No. 8 in the first NWCA Poll released Dec. 2.  He fell out of the top eight in the Jan. 6 poll.

Jesse's class:  The 2008-09 squad will be head coach Jesse Nelson's first true recruiting class.  Hired in August 2007, Nelson had virtually no time to recruit for the 2007-08 season.  However, he has brought in 15 freshmen and seven transfers to compliment 10 returners.  The squad is young, but what they lack in experience, they make up for in athleticism.

Fillin' it out:  A full roster this year means the Mustangs will not have to forfeit weights in dual action.  Due to a thinned out roster last season, the Mustangs had to forfeit several weights throughout the year, especially in the heavyweight category where SMSU had no wrestler to fill the spot at any point during the season. The story, however, is a little different in 2008-09.  The Mustangs will not only fill out every weight, they will be three wrestlers deep at some of the weights.

A new face:  Assistant coach Jake Avre begins his first season as Nelson's top assistant in 2008-09.  Avre wrestled for the University of Minnesota during its 2001 and 2002 Big Ten and national championship seasons and brings an impressive resume of coaching experience at the high school and club level to SMSU.

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 the team:
    • Seniors: 3    • Juniors: 5
    • Sophomores: 3    • Redshirt Freshmen: 6
    • Freshmen: 15

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

New-look NSIC:  The newly expanded NSIC adds three more dual dates for SMSU this season.  The addition Minnesota State, St. Cloud State and Augustana brings the conference to eight teams.  SMSU was picked to finish seventh in the NSIC wrestling preseason coaches' poll.

Up next:  The Mustangs return home on Feb. 7 to host NSIC-foe St. Cloud State in a Saturday matinee scheduled for 2 p.m.   The remainder of SMSU's duals, excluding a postponed contest  with St. John's that has yet to be announced, are conference contests.

Probable Dual Starters vs. Minnesota State
125    Ed Reno OR Jordan Rozeboom
133    Michal Barrie
141    Brandan Schunk
149    Garret Rozeboom OR Tanner Skillings
157    David Albrecht
165    Luke Giese
174    Nathan Krekelberg
184    Tyler Johnson
197    Tyler Reed
HWT    Carter Ash


MAVERICK NOTES:  After leading his team to a 20-1-1 record last season, Jim Makosvky is in his 16th season as the head coach of the Minnesota State, Mankato wrestling program and has compiled a career record of 197-68-2 at the school, including a 7-3 mark this season.  With its perfect 3-0 record in the NSIC, MSU sits stop the conference.  The Mavericks are ranked No. 3 in the latest national poll and have three grapplers individually ranked at the national level.  At 141 pounds, John Putnam is ranked No. 5, 149-pounder Tommy Abbott is tabbed No. 2 in the country and Brady Wilson holds down the No. 3 spot in the heavyweight division.