MARSHALL, Minn.- Southwest Minnesota State will open its dual season on Thursday night as the Mustangs travel to face St. Cloud State beginning at 7 p.m.

SMSU finished the 2016-17 season with an 8-13 overall record and a 3-5 NSIC record. The Mustangs faced their first competition of the year as individuals last weekend in the Dakota Wesleyan Open on Saturday.

LIVE AUDIO:
- Thursday's duals will be broadcast by the KVSC Sports Stream
- John O. Peterson will call Thursday's duals for KVSC

LIVE STATS:
- Links to live results from Thursday's duals will be available on smsumustangs.com
- Live stats during the 2017-18 season will be compiled on and posted to trackwrestling.com

LAST TIME OUT:
- Andrew Petersen finished in second place at 285 in the Dakota Wesleyan Open on Saturday, Nov. 11
- Petersen lost by decision to Lawrence Phillips of St. Cloud State in the first place match at 285, earning 14.00 total team points for the Mustangs with a 3-1 record at the DWU Open
- Cole Hennen finished in fifth place at 197 with a win by medical forfeit over Chandler Knight of Doane College in the fifth place match and a 4-2 record on the day at the DWU Open
- Trent Butcher went 3-2 in the DWU Open at 141 
- Cortez Arredondo earned a team-high 14.50 points for SMSU wrestling at 149 and finished the day 5-1 overall
- Robert Shields also wrestled at 149 on Saturday and went 2-2 on the day
- Taylor Curtis went 3-2 and advanced to the fifth consolation round at 125 
- Justin Haneke had two pins and finished with a 3-2 record at 157
- Kegen Fingalsen had one pin and finished with a 3-2 record at 165
- Dru Kuchenbaker had two major decisions and one tech fall, finishing with a 3-2 record at 174
- Jack Ryan had two pins and finished with a 3-2 record at 197
- Hennen and Ben Thompson both finished the day with a 4-2 record at 197

ABOUT ST. CLOUD STATE:
- Have won six consecutive league titles dating back to the 2011-12 season under Head Coach, Steve Costanzo
- Costanzo has a 169-28 overall record at SCSU in his 12 seasons at the helm
- Lawrence Phillips has a perfect 10-0 record for SCSU
- Jarred Oftedahl (7-0), Larry Bomstad (5-0), and Brett Velasquez (4-0) also have perfect records so far this season
- The 2016-17 Huskies' team finished second at the NCAA DII national championships and there are four returning national qualifiers in 2017-18

ST. CLOUD STATE SERIES HISTORY:
- SMSU is 13-32-1 all-time in dual matches against St. Cloud State
- St. Cloud State has won 11 straight dating back to the 2006-07 season
- SCSU won last seasons match, 36-3 in Marshall
- The Mustangs last win was a 24-18 victory in 2005-06

HEAD COACH:
- Jesse Nelson is in his 11th season as head coach at Southwest Minnesota State in 2017-18
- Nelson was named the fourth coach in the program history on Aug. 22, 2007
- The 2013-14 NSIC Coach of the Year, Nelson has a career dual record of 74-79-1, including 28-44 in conference matches during his 10 seasons
- During his tenure, Nelson has groomed 19 national qualifiers, including three two-time qualifiers and three three-time qualifiers, along with 11 All-NSIC honorees

SMSU PROBABLE LINEUP:
- 125: Taylor Curtis
- 133: Brock Buysse
- 141: Trent Butcher
- 149: Cortez Arredondo
- 157: Justin Haneke
- 165: Nick Esping
- 174: Cody Heitman
- 184: Cole Hennen
- 197: Jack Ryan
- 285: Andy Petersen

SCSU PROBABLE LINEUP:
- 125: Brett Velasquez
- 133: Adam Hedin
- 141: Jarred Oftedahl
- 149: James Pleski
- 157: Larry Bomstad
- 165: Travis Holt
- 174: Kolton Eischens
- 184: Austin Rake
- 197: Vince Dietz
- 285: Lawrence Phillips