MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University wrestling team opens its 2016-17 dual season on Thursday night hosting two-time defending NCAA champion and No. 1 ranked St. Cloud State in an NSIC match in the PE Gym starting at 7 p.m. The dual is the first of 22 scheduled this season for the Mustangs and the first of eight NSIC matches.
 
SERIES VERSUS ST. CLOUD STATE
SCSU leads the all-time series 31-13-1 in a match-up that started during the 1969-70 season. SCSU has won the last 10 meetings, including 41-3 last season. SMSU's last victory came during the 2005-06 season.
 
LIVE STATS AND VIDEO
Live stats and video for the match can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.
 
SMSU HEAD COACH
Jesse Nelson is in his 10th season as head coach at SMSU in 2016-17. Nelson was named the fourth coach in the program history on Aug. 22, 2007. Nelson, the 2013-14 NSIC Coach of the Year, has a dual record of 54-61-1, including 19-37 in conference matches. During his tenure, Nelson has groomed 19 national qualifiers—11 in the last three seasons alone—seven All-NSIC wrestlers, including three two-time NCAA qualifiers and three three-time NCAA qualifiers.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Southwest Minnesota State last competed on Nov. 19 at the Augsburg Open in Minneapolis.
 
LINE-UP
SMSU head coach Jesse Nelson is expected to send out the following line-up for Thursday's match: (subject to change)
125 Taylor Curtis, 2-4
133 Cameron Henning, 3-4
141 Zach Beaumaster, 2-4
149 Cortez Arredondo, 6-4
157 Alec Engler, 3-4, or Jake Slocum, 2-5
165 Kegen Fingalsen, 7-3
174 Griffin Osing, 8-3
184 Cole Hennen, 8-2
197 Jack Ryan, 3-4
285 Andrew Petersen, 3-4
 
PRESEASON NSIC POLL
Southwest Minnesota State was picked to finish tied for seventh in the NSIC preseason poll. A total of 10 wrestlers from SMSU were ranked in the top nine of their respective weight classes in the preseason poll:
125: Taylor Curtis (4th)
133: Antonio Meikel (8th)
141: Zach Beaumaster (8th)
149: Cortez Arredondo (9th)
157: Jake Slocum (5th)
165: Kegen Fingalsen (3rd)
174: Griffin Osing (5th)
184: Cole Hennen (6th)
197: Ashton Bartlett (7th)
285: Andrew Peterson (8th)
 
UP NEXT
Southwest Minnesota State compete at the Buena Vista (Iowa) Open on Saturday in Storm Lake, Iowa.