MARSHALL, Minn.- The Southwest Minnesota State wrestling team will host its first home dual matches in over a month this weekend beginning Friday night as it faces Upper Iowa (7-2, 3-0 NSIC) at 7 p.m., followed by a match on Saturday at 3 p.m., against No. 23 Augustana (7-5, 1-0 NSIC).

THE SCHEDULE (all times central):
SMSU vs. Upper Iowa (7-2, 3-0 NSIC), 7 p.m.
SMSU vs. Augustana (7-5, 1-0 NSIC), 3 p.m.

ABOUT UPPER IOWA:
Upper Iowa has won two straight matches over MSU Moorhead and No. 6 Mercyhurst to give the Peacocks a 7-2 overall record with a 3-0 conference mark. Colbey Vance has racked up a 15-3 record with six wins by fall while Cody Nelson has a 15-6 record with eight wins by fall.

ABOUT AUGUSTANA:
The No. 23 Vikings went 1-3 at the Nebraska-Kearney Midwest Duals with a 25-18 win over San Francisco State in its final match of the day to bring its overall record on the year to 7-5. Augie defeated No. 7 Northern State on Jan. 7, in its first NSIC contest of the year. Aero Amo has tallied a 25-6 overall record and a 10-2 dual record with 12 wins by fall. Michael Lowman has an 18-7 overall record with a 6-1 dual record while Colin Ayers has a 16-8 overall record.

SERIES HISTORY (Upper Iowa):
Southwest Minnesota State won the first four ever matches versus Upper Iowa but has failed to earn a victory since as the Peacocks lead the series 12-4. UIU is currently on a 12 match win streak vs. SMSU and won 33-9 in the only meeting between the two schools last season.

SERIES HISTORY (Augustana):
SMSU is 5-26 all-time versus Augustana and has won just one match against the Vikings since the 1999-2000 season. SMSU last won 15-14 during the 2013-14 season. Augustana won the only match last season, 27-12.

LIVE STATS:
Live stats coverage will be available from 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 58-70-1, including 19-38 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.

SEASON LEADERS:
Cole Hennen is 14-9... Cortez Arredondo is 15-11... Kegen Fingalsen is 14-13... Griffin Osing has posted a 13-11 mark... Cameron Henning has eight wins by fall so far for the Mustangs.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Mustangs were in action last weekend competing in the Midwest Duals in Kearney, Neb., on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Kearney. SMSU went 1-3 on the day losing to Colorado State-Pueblo, Lindenwood (Mo.), and Central Oklahoma before picking up a 31-11 win over Central Missouri. Cole Hennen went 3-1 at 184 while Keegan Fingalsen and Cortez Arredondo each had two victories wrestling at 165 and 149 respectively.

PRESEASON NSIC POLL
Southwest Minnesota State was picked to finish tied for seventh in the NSIC preseason poll.
 
UP NEXT
Southwest Minnesota State will face two more Northern Sun opponents next week as they travel to Minot State on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m., followed by a match at U-Mary on Friday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m.