OPENING BOUT:
After suffering its second conference loss to Augustana last weekend, the Southwest Minnesota State University wrestling team (5-6, 0-2 NSIC) will look to bounce back as it travels Northern State (0-8, 0-4 NSIC) on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. dual before hosting No. 6 Upper Iowa (8-2, 3-0 NSIC) at 7 p.m on Friday.
 
SCOUTING NORTHERN STATE:
The Wolves are 0-8 overall and 0-4 in the NSIC entering Wednesday's dual as NSU suffered a pair of losses to St. Cloud State, 47-0 and Upper Iowa, 48-3 last week. Joe Gomez (197) leads the Wolves with a 16-7 record with three falls. Pat Timm is in his 14th season as the head coach of Northern State.
 
SERIES HISTORY — NSU:
Southwest Minnesota State and Northern State will meet for the 36th time on Wednesday night with SMSU holding a 24-9-2 advantage in a series that started back in the 1979-80 season. SMSU has won the last four duals, with its last loss coming in the 2009-10 season.
 
SCOUTING UPPER IOWA:
The Peacocks are 8-2 overall and 3-0 in the Northern Sun entering Saturday's dual and also ranked No. 6 in nation and No. 7 in the Super Region 3 rankings. UIU defeated U-Mary and Northern State last week to improve to 3-0 in conference action. Logan Hopp (197) leads the Peacocks with his 23-3 record. Hopp's three losses are all by one-point decisions. Jordan Rinken (157) is 23-7 on the season and is also ranked No. 6 in the nation.
 
SERIES HISTORY — UIU:
Southwest Minnesota State and Upper Iowa will meet for the 15th time on Saturday with UIU holding a 10-4 advantage in a series that started back in the 1991-92 season. UIU has won the last 10 duals with SMSU's last win coming back in the 1994-95 season. The Peacocks are undefeated (4-0) when competing in Marshall, Minn.
 
NATIONAL AND REGION RANKINGS:
Southwest Minnesota State wrestlers Jacob Begin and Cole Wilson are individually ranked in the region rankings. Wilson is also ranked in the regular season NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association poll.
 
Jacob Begin, a senior from Anoka, Minn., is ranked sixth in the Super Region 3 ranking at 165 pounds and is 18-3 this season.
 
Cole Wilson, a senior from Fairbault, Minn., is ranked sixth in the region rankings at 285 pounds and is 22-3 this season with 10 falls recorded.
  
As a team, SMSU is ranked 14th in the 15-team Super Region 3 rankings.
 
 HEAD COACH:
Jesse Nelson is in his eighth season as head wrestling coach at Southwest Minnesota State. During his tenure, Nelson has led the program to an overall record of 55-51-1. Last season he led the mustangs to a 6-2 record in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference—most wins since joining the conference in 2000 and highest finish since winning the title that same season. Nelson was named the fourth coach in the history's program on Aug. 22, 2007.
 
PROBABLE LINEUP:
125 pounds | Taylor Curtis
133 pounds | Landyn VanOverbeke
141 pounds | Trent Butcher
149 pounds | Jake Slocum or John Weeding
157 pounds | Patrick Kelley
165 pounds | Jacob Begin
174 pounds | Colton Vekved 
184 pounds | Brody Goens or Ashton Bartlett
197 pounds | Tristan Ezell
HWT | Cole Wilson
 
­UP NEXT:
The Mustangs will return to the PE Gym and face No. 6 Upper Iowa on Friday night at 7 p.m.