OPENING BOUT
Southwest Minnesota State University (5-2, 2-0 NSIC) will travel to Kearney, Neb., for four duals at the Midwest Duals hosted by Nebraska Kearney on Saturday, Jan. 18, starting at 9 a.m. SMSU will battle Newman, No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney, No. 6 Fort Hays State and Bethany (Kan.). The Mustangs are coming off a 15-14 road win over Augustana (S.D.), snapping a 13-dual losing skid to the Vikings dating back to the 1998-99 season. Three days earlier, SMSU shutout its first opponent since the 1991-92 season with its 40-0 win over Minot State to begin the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule.
SCOUTING NEWMAN
The Jets are 0-4 overall, 0-2 in the MIAA to start the 2013-14 season, including a 27-22 loss to fellow Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference member U-Mary on Jan. 5, 2014. Newman has also fell to Ouachita Baptist, Truman and Lindenwood. Newman finished the 2012-13 season 2-9 overall. Lorenzo Serna (285) is individually ranked at No. 8 in the latest NCAA Division II poll.
SCOUTING #4 NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
The Lopers are ranked No. 4 in the latest Wrestling Coaches Association top 20 poll. UNK is 5-3 overall and has yet to open up the MIAA conference schedule. Two of the Lopers five wins have come against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference opponents -- U-Mary, 41-6, and Minot State, 31-13 at the Comfort Inn Duals hosted by Central Missouri on Jan. 5. UNK is coming off a 2-3 performance at the Virginia Duals with losses to NCAA Division I opponents Virginia Tech (27-6), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (24-12), and Arizona State (32-6). Individually, seniors Daniel DeShazer (1st/133 lbs.), Brock Coutu (2nd/141 lbs.) and Patrick Martinez (4th/174 lbs.) are ranked, as well as sophomores Romero Cotton (1st/197 lbs.) and Chase White (3rd/157 lbs.).
SCOUTING #6 FORT HAYS STATE
After a fifth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals over the weekend, the Tigers jumped from outside the Top 20 to No. 6 in the latest Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll. FHSU knocked off Indianapolis (previously No. 8), Kutztown (previously No. 7), Upper Iowa (previously No. 10) and Colorado State-Pueblo (RV) in Des Moines, Iowa, losing only to Newberry (now ranked second nationally). Individually, 125 pounder Adam Ludwin remained ranked, dropping just one spot from No. 6 to No. 7. While 285 pounder Trey Page fell out of the rankings, FHSU's Tanner Kriss is now eighth at 197 pounds.
SCOUTING BETHANY (Kan.)
The Swedes are ranked No. 14 in the latest NAIA poll with their 1-1 overall record. The Bethany wrestling team is still in its infancy stage with the Swedes' inaugural season coming in 2011. Seven Swede wrestlers are individually ranked at the NAIA level -- Colt Rogers (141), Colby Crank (149), Jonathan Blackwell (157), Jordon Ward (165), Spencer Wilson (184), Taylor Baird (197), Zach Anderson (285).
