WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Jan. 11, 2017)-- The Central Missouri Mules Wrestling team will hit the road again as they travel up to St. Cloud, Minn. to take on the No. 1 ranked team in Division II wrestling in the St. Cloud State Huskies. Action gets underway tomorrow night (Thursday) at 7 p.m. in Halenbeck Hall.
Series History
Central Missouri vs. St. Cloud State: 1-3-1
The Mules have a tough test against two-time defending national champions in the Huskies. These two teams met last season on Jan. 4, 2015, with the Huskies defeating the Mules, 40-6.
Mat Points
• Central Missouri enters Thursday's dual against Super Region III foe St. Cloud State with a mark of 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA.Â
• The Mules lost their first dual of the 2016-17 season last Sunday, as they fell to No. 8 Central Oklahoma 37-6.
• The Mules are a combined 29-18 as team in duals this season and have posted above .500 records in seven of the 10 weight classes.
• The Mules currently sit third in the MIAA standings and are ranked 13th in the latest d2wrestle.com Super Region III rankings.
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Cody Carson (174 lbs.) continues to hold the top mark for the Mules with overall record of 21-5 entering Thursday's dual.
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Jesse Reser (165 lbs.) is not far behind Carson with a 15-4 mark on the year. Reser is also undefeated in duals this season at 5-0.
• In five tournaments this season, the Mules have had a total of 24 placewinners, including six champions.
• Both the Mules and the Huskies enter Thursday's dual with a 1-0 record against Super Region III opponents this season.
• After Thursday's dual, UCM will compete at the UNK Midwest duals on Saturday, Jan. 14. The Mules will dual against four teams while in Kearney, Neb.
Scouting the Competition
#1 St. Cloud State
• The two-time defending National Champions, St. Cloud State, are 6-0 this season in duals, while being ranked No. 1 in Division II wrestling. The Huskies are 1-0 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and in Super Region III this season.
• The Huskies are led by Head Coach Steve Costanzo, who enters his 11th season as the bench boss for St. Cloud State. This season marks Costanzo's 18th year as a head coach where has won three national championships. His Huskies won the team title in 2015 and 2016, and his team at Dana College won the NAIA national championship in 2006.
• The Huskies have won five consecutive NSIC championships and were preseason favorites to win the conference again this season. The Huskies have been ranked No. 1 in every d2wrestle.com regular season poll and in the preseason poll this season.
• The Huskies have competed in three tournaments so far this season with a total of 34 place finishers and nine champions. Prior to their dual with UCM, St. Cloud State went 4-0 at the NWCA National Duals to capture the tournament title as a team for the second year in a row.
• The Huskies will have four of their seven nationally ranked wrestlers in the dual lineup against the Mules. They are Brett Velasquez ranked No. 1 at 125 pounds, Clayton Jennissen ranked No. 5 at 174 pounds, Vince Dietz ranked No. 3 at 197 pounds, and Austin Goergen ranked No. 1 at 285 pounds.
• St. Cloud State is 1-0 at home so far this season. The Huskies shut out Concordia College (Minn.), 47-0, back on Dec. 31, 2016 in their second dual of the 2016-17 season.
Probable Lineups
Central Missouri Mules
125:
Erick Vargas
133:
John Feeney
141:
Bradley Irwin
149:
Zachary Schridde
157:
Steffon Fassett
165:
Jesse Reser
174:
Cody Carson
184:
Allan Person
197:
Grant Sparks
285:
Chase Miller
St. Cloud State Huskies
125: Brett Velasquez
133: Joel Salomon
141: Travis Swanson
149: James Pleski
157: Travis Holt
165: Josh Berg
174: Clayton Jennissen
184: Chevy Farris
197: Vince Dietz
285: Austin Goergen
