Div. II Nationals preview: St. Cloud State looks for three-peat in Birmingham, Ala., March 10-11
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by Johnnie Johnson and Gary Abbott
Returning national champion Brett Velasquez of St. Cloud State defeats Maleek Williams of Upper Iowa, 6-3 at 125 pounds. Photo by Johnnie Johnson.
NCAA Div. II Nationals bracket
NCAA Div. II Nationals Qualifiers
Final NCAA Div. II National Rankings
The NCAA Div. II National Wrestling Championships will be held March 10-11 in Birmingham, Alabama, at the SportsPlex Events Facility.
The two-time defending national champion St. Cloud State remains the top ranked team in Div. II rankings. SCSU had eight individual wrestlers ranked among the poll's top 10 in the final ranking published on March 2.
St. Cloud State claimed a Regional title and qualified nine for the NCAA Div. II Championships. The group was led by No. 1 ranked sophomore and defending national champ Brett Velasquez at 125. Another top star is No. 5 ranked heavyweight and three-time All-American Austin Goergen at 285-pounds. The Huskies other nationally ranked wrestlers include Larry Bomstad (4th at 157-pounds), Mike Rhone (6th at 133), Gabe Fogarty (7th at 165-pounds), Clayton Jennissen (7th at 174-pounds), Uthman Rabiu (7th at 184) and James Pleski (9th at 149-pounds).
The Huskies won the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Division II national titles under head coach Steve Costanzo. SCSU added another chapter to its legacy of success with its 30-6 victory at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Thursday, Feb. 16. The victory helped the Huskies claim the outright Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship for the sixth consecutive season with a perfect 8-0 record. The Huskies have won 52 consecutive NSIC dual matches and they have not lost a dual meet since a setback against Augustana during 2010-11 season.
Coming in at No. 2 is Notre Dame College, which won its Region and qualified eight wrestlers for the nationals. Frank Romano’s troops are led by No. 1 ranked Isaiah White at 165, a freshman from Illinois who won his region, and No. 1 ranked senior Brett Lineberger at 184. Others ranked in the top 12 are Ivan McClay (3rd at 125), Juwan Edmont (5th at 149), Cobey Fehr (7th at 141), David Bavery (12th at 133), Justan Rivera (12th at 174) and Kameron Teacher (12th at 285). The Falcons were the last team to win the Div. II national before St. Cloud State, with a team title in 2014.
No. 3 ranked Nebraska Kearney is bringing six to the big show, all who are nationally ranked. Coming in at No. 2 is returning national champion Destin McCauley at 157 and Kevin Barrett at 285, with Calvin Ochs at a strong No. 3 at 165. Other ranked Lopers are Keith Surber (6th at 149), Bryce Shoemaker (7th at 133) and Zach Stodden (8th at 184).
McKendree, which was second behind St. Cloud State in its regional and comes into nationals with a No. 4 ranking, has six wrestlers in Birmingham, five who have national rankings. Leading the team are a pair of No. 3 ranked wrestlers, defending national champion Darren Wynn at 141 and Ryan Strope at 157. Also holding national rankings are Brock Wingbermuehle (4th at 165), NaQuan Hardy (5th at 133) and Nick Foster (8th at 174)
The No. 5 Maryville team, led by coach Mike Denney, put six into the national tournament, led by No. 1 ranked Nate Rodriguez at 141 pounds.Others in the rankings include No. 4 ranked heavyweight Donnell Walker, plus Zeb Wahle (6th at 184), Ethan Sheretz (6th at 197) and James Krischke is 7th at 149,
Rounding out the top 10 in the final rankings are No. 6 California Baptist, No. 7 Ashland, No. 8 Augustana, and three teams tied at No. 9, Central Oklahoma, Findlay and Mercyhurst.
California Baptist won its Regional and placed seven wrestlers into the national tournament. The other Regional champion was Indianapolis, which finished with a No. 18 national ranking and has four national qualifiers.
Holding No. 1 individual rankings, in addition to Velasquez, Rodriguez, White and Lineberger are Michael Labry of Ashland (133), Nic Goebel of Findlay (149), Cody Law of Pitt Johnstown (157), returning champion Nick Becker of Wisconsin-Parkside (174), Jake Waste of California Baptist (197) and Caleb Cotter of Central Oklahoma (285).
TheMat.com will have updates each day from the NCAA Div. II Nationals from Roger Moore.
Returning 2016 All-Americans in the 2017 field include:
125 – (5 returnees) - Brent Velaaquez (St. Cloud State, 1st), Willie Bohince (Mercyhurst, 2nd), Ronzel Darling (Wisc.-Parkside, 4th), Dustin Reed (Newberry, 5th), Ronald Wardleigh (Western, 6th), Trung Duong (Newberry, 8th). Note that five returning All-Americans are in the bottom half-bracket (Velasquez, Duong, Reed, Darling and Bohince).
133 - (3 returnees) – Blake Boesch (MSU-Moorehead, 4th), Naquan Hardy (McKendree, 6th), Martin Ramirez (Adams State, 8th)
141 – (4 returnees) – Darren Wynn (McKendree, 1st), Joseph Alessandro (Seton Hill, 2nd), Nick Crume (Indianapolis, 2nd at 133), Cobey Fehr (Notre Dame, 7th)
149 – (2 returnees) – Nick Goebel (Findlay, 3rd), Keith Surber (Nebraska-Kearney, 8th at 141)
157 – (1 returnee) – Destin McCauley (Nebraska-Kearney, 1st at 149)
165 – (5 returnees) – Tyler Reinhart (Pitt Johnstown, 1st), Francis Mizia (Mercyhurst, 5th), Nick Vandermeer (Lake Erie, 6th), Kade Kitchens (Shorter, 8th), JaCobi Jones (CSU-Pueblo, 8th at 157). Note that four returning All-Americans are in the botton half-bracket (Vandermeer, Mizia, Jones, Reinhart)
174 – (6 returnees) – Nick Becker (Wis.-Parkside, 1st), Blaze Shade (UNC Pembroke, 2nd), Adam Cooling (Minnesota State, 3rd), Clayton Jennissen (St. Cloud State, 7th), Nolan Kistler (California Baptist, 7th at 165), Justan Rivera (Notre Dame, 8th)
184 – (1 returnee) – Uthman Rabiu (St. Cloud State, 8th)
197 – (3 returnees) – Joe Gomez (Northern State, 2nd), Jacob Waste (California Baptist, 3rd at 184), Luke Cramer of Ashland (6th competing for Tiffin)
285 – (3 returnees) – Austin Goergen (St. Cloud State, 3rd), Donnell Walker (Maryville, 6th), Andy Welton (Mercyhurst, 7th).
NCAA Div. II Nationals bracket
NCAA Div. II Nationals Qualifiers
Final NCAA Div. II National Rankings
The NCAA Div. II National Wrestling Championships will be held March 10-11 in Birmingham, Alabama, at the SportsPlex Events Facility.
The two-time defending national champion St. Cloud State remains the top ranked team in Div. II rankings. SCSU had eight individual wrestlers ranked among the poll's top 10 in the final ranking published on March 2.
St. Cloud State claimed a Regional title and qualified nine for the NCAA Div. II Championships. The group was led by No. 1 ranked sophomore and defending national champ Brett Velasquez at 125. Another top star is No. 5 ranked heavyweight and three-time All-American Austin Goergen at 285-pounds. The Huskies other nationally ranked wrestlers include Larry Bomstad (4th at 157-pounds), Mike Rhone (6th at 133), Gabe Fogarty (7th at 165-pounds), Clayton Jennissen (7th at 174-pounds), Uthman Rabiu (7th at 184) and James Pleski (9th at 149-pounds).
The Huskies won the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Division II national titles under head coach Steve Costanzo. SCSU added another chapter to its legacy of success with its 30-6 victory at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Thursday, Feb. 16. The victory helped the Huskies claim the outright Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship for the sixth consecutive season with a perfect 8-0 record. The Huskies have won 52 consecutive NSIC dual matches and they have not lost a dual meet since a setback against Augustana during 2010-11 season.
Coming in at No. 2 is Notre Dame College, which won its Region and qualified eight wrestlers for the nationals. Frank Romano’s troops are led by No. 1 ranked Isaiah White at 165, a freshman from Illinois who won his region, and No. 1 ranked senior Brett Lineberger at 184. Others ranked in the top 12 are Ivan McClay (3rd at 125), Juwan Edmont (5th at 149), Cobey Fehr (7th at 141), David Bavery (12th at 133), Justan Rivera (12th at 174) and Kameron Teacher (12th at 285). The Falcons were the last team to win the Div. II national before St. Cloud State, with a team title in 2014.
No. 3 ranked Nebraska Kearney is bringing six to the big show, all who are nationally ranked. Coming in at No. 2 is returning national champion Destin McCauley at 157 and Kevin Barrett at 285, with Calvin Ochs at a strong No. 3 at 165. Other ranked Lopers are Keith Surber (6th at 149), Bryce Shoemaker (7th at 133) and Zach Stodden (8th at 184).
McKendree, which was second behind St. Cloud State in its regional and comes into nationals with a No. 4 ranking, has six wrestlers in Birmingham, five who have national rankings. Leading the team are a pair of No. 3 ranked wrestlers, defending national champion Darren Wynn at 141 and Ryan Strope at 157. Also holding national rankings are Brock Wingbermuehle (4th at 165), NaQuan Hardy (5th at 133) and Nick Foster (8th at 174)
The No. 5 Maryville team, led by coach Mike Denney, put six into the national tournament, led by No. 1 ranked Nate Rodriguez at 141 pounds.Others in the rankings include No. 4 ranked heavyweight Donnell Walker, plus Zeb Wahle (6th at 184), Ethan Sheretz (6th at 197) and James Krischke is 7th at 149,
Rounding out the top 10 in the final rankings are No. 6 California Baptist, No. 7 Ashland, No. 8 Augustana, and three teams tied at No. 9, Central Oklahoma, Findlay and Mercyhurst.
California Baptist won its Regional and placed seven wrestlers into the national tournament. The other Regional champion was Indianapolis, which finished with a No. 18 national ranking and has four national qualifiers.
Holding No. 1 individual rankings, in addition to Velasquez, Rodriguez, White and Lineberger are Michael Labry of Ashland (133), Nic Goebel of Findlay (149), Cody Law of Pitt Johnstown (157), returning champion Nick Becker of Wisconsin-Parkside (174), Jake Waste of California Baptist (197) and Caleb Cotter of Central Oklahoma (285).
TheMat.com will have updates each day from the NCAA Div. II Nationals from Roger Moore.
Returning 2016 All-Americans in the 2017 field include:
125 – (5 returnees) - Brent Velaaquez (St. Cloud State, 1st), Willie Bohince (Mercyhurst, 2nd), Ronzel Darling (Wisc.-Parkside, 4th), Dustin Reed (Newberry, 5th), Ronald Wardleigh (Western, 6th), Trung Duong (Newberry, 8th). Note that five returning All-Americans are in the bottom half-bracket (Velasquez, Duong, Reed, Darling and Bohince).
133 - (3 returnees) – Blake Boesch (MSU-Moorehead, 4th), Naquan Hardy (McKendree, 6th), Martin Ramirez (Adams State, 8th)
141 – (4 returnees) – Darren Wynn (McKendree, 1st), Joseph Alessandro (Seton Hill, 2nd), Nick Crume (Indianapolis, 2nd at 133), Cobey Fehr (Notre Dame, 7th)
149 – (2 returnees) – Nick Goebel (Findlay, 3rd), Keith Surber (Nebraska-Kearney, 8th at 141)
157 – (1 returnee) – Destin McCauley (Nebraska-Kearney, 1st at 149)
165 – (5 returnees) – Tyler Reinhart (Pitt Johnstown, 1st), Francis Mizia (Mercyhurst, 5th), Nick Vandermeer (Lake Erie, 6th), Kade Kitchens (Shorter, 8th), JaCobi Jones (CSU-Pueblo, 8th at 157). Note that four returning All-Americans are in the botton half-bracket (Vandermeer, Mizia, Jones, Reinhart)
174 – (6 returnees) – Nick Becker (Wis.-Parkside, 1st), Blaze Shade (UNC Pembroke, 2nd), Adam Cooling (Minnesota State, 3rd), Clayton Jennissen (St. Cloud State, 7th), Nolan Kistler (California Baptist, 7th at 165), Justan Rivera (Notre Dame, 8th)
184 – (1 returnee) – Uthman Rabiu (St. Cloud State, 8th)
197 – (3 returnees) – Joe Gomez (Northern State, 2nd), Jacob Waste (California Baptist, 3rd at 184), Luke Cramer of Ashland (6th competing for Tiffin)
285 – (3 returnees) – Austin Goergen (St. Cloud State, 3rd), Donnell Walker (Maryville, 6th), Andy Welton (Mercyhurst, 7th).
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