MARSHALL, Minn.- The Southwest Minnesota State wrestling team (1-5, 1-5 NSIC) suffered a 36-4 loss at the hands of St. Cloud State (9-1, 3-0 NSIC) in the Mustangs' first home match of the season inside the PE Gym on Thursday night.
Hunter Pfantz would kick off Tropical Weekend at 133 pounds, taking on Garrett Vos of St. Cloud State. After an early takedown from Vos, coupled with a pair of back points, Pfantz would dig in, only giving up a second period escape the rest of the way, but couldn't get on the scoreboard in a 5-0 defeat.
Luke Peterson would keep up the toughness at 141, taking a 2-0 lead into the second period. Cameron Riggs would flip Peterson in the second period for a reversal to tie the match at 2-2, but Peterson would reclaim the lead with a third period takedown to go up 4-2. Riggs would record another reversal to tie the score and would cap it off with an escape in the tiebreaker period to come out on top.
SCSU would dominate in the middle weights, winning a pair by fall and one by tech fall to go into the intermission up 23-0, and would win a decision at 174 following the intermission to grow the lead to 26-0.
Caden Steffen would get the Mustangs on the board at 184, recording six takedowns and recording a riding point in a dominant 13-4 victory.
Dillon McEachran would give No. 2-ranked 197 Noah Ryan a match, battling for a scoreless first period before losing by decision, 8-3. Jacob Dykes would follow suit, battling with No. 2-ranked 285 Kameron Teacher, trailing 7-4 in the third period before Teacher was awarded a riding point to win 8-4.
The match would conclude at 125, with Jackson Stauffacher and Paxton Creese displaying their quickness and flexibility to nearly go into the second period scoreless, but Creese would get a takedown just before the buzzer to lead 2-0. Stauffacher would cut the lead in half with a second period escape, but Creese would be in complete control of the third period, recording a reversal and 10 near fall points en route to a major victory.
The Mustangs stay home next weekend, hosting UW-Parkside on Friday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m., and Minnesota State on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m.
No. 2 St. Cloud State 36, No. 21 Southwest Minnesota State 4
133| No. 3 Garrett Vos wins by decision (5-0) over Hunter Pfantz, SCSU 3, SMSU 0
141| Cameron Riggs wins by decision (5-4, TB-1) over Luke Peterson, SCSU 6, SMSU 0
149| Nicholas Novak wins by fall (1:36) over Robert Shields , SCSU 12, SMSU 0
157| No. 2 Colby Njos wins by tech fall (16-1) over Lucas Hodges, SCSU 17, SMSU 0
165| Jared Head wins by fall (0:58) over Nathan Moore, SCSU 23, SMSU 0
174| No. 5 Dominic Murphy wins by decision (7-3) over Carter Marx, SCU 26, SMSU 0
184| No. 4 Caden Steffen wins by major decision (13-4) over Shaeden Scheidt, SCSU 26, SMSU 4
197| No. 2 Noah Ryan wins by decision (8-3) over Dillon McEachran, SCSU 29, SMSU 4
285| No. 2 Kameron Teacher wins by decision (8-4) over Jacob Dykes, SCSU 32, SMSU 4
125| No. 7 Paxton Creese wins by major decision (15-1) over Jackson Stauffacher, SCSU 36, SMSU 4
*Match started at 133 pounds
