University Chronicle

Issue date: 1/28/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Nicole Bock SCSU's Westly Hanson attempts to bring UNO's Matt Rein to the mat Saturday afternoon. Hanson won the match 6-4 in overtime.

After Friday night, the Husky wrestling team remained undefeated and on top of the world. By the next afternoon, however, their perfect season had come to an end.

After dominating St. Olaf by the score of 33-6 Friday evening, the No. 16 ranked Huskies fell to No. 2 ranked Nebraska-Omaha 25-16 to fall to 8-1 for the season and 1-1 the NCC.

SCSU was able to score 18 unanswered points against St. Olaf with two forfeit victories by freshmen Gabe Suarez (141 pounds) and Chad Kubasch (149 pounds) to start the meet.

Also earning victories for the Huskies against St. Olaf were junior Tom Anderson (165 pounds), freshman Derek Skala (174 pounds) and freshman Eric Rogness (184 pounds).

The match of the night came in the junior heavyweight class, where Nolan Boucher earned a pin fall victory two minutes into his match over Justin Luthey. Boucher's record on the season now stands at 12-4.

Saturday proved to be a much tougher challenge for the Huskies against the NCC rival Mavericks. After a win by freshman John Sundgren in the 159 pound weight class and a forfeit victory, SCSU lead the meet 10-7.

However, with five wrestlers ranked in the top 10 nationally, UNO climbed their way back into the lead.

In a battle of ranked opponents in the 184 pound weight class, UNO's Brent Pankoke (No. 3) pinned SCSU junior Brad Padgett (No. 7) in 27 seconds to give the Mavericks a 13-10 lead heading into intermission. UNO would go on to outscore the Huskies 18-6 in the final six matches.

Among the bright spots for SCSU Saturday was sopho



















more Westy Hanson (125 pounds) scoring an overtime victory over Matt Rein with a go-behind move to win 6-4. Hanson's record on the year is now 13-11. Suarez's victory over Tait Weatherbee improved his record to 24-3 this season.

The wrestling team's success this season comes in sharp contrast to their struggles in recent The team struggled to a 4-7 record last with no wins in the NCC. Prior to this season, the Huskies hadn't won an NCC match since the 2001-2002 season.

A big reason for the turnaround this year has been the recruiting by Head Coach Steve Costanzo and his staff, which were ranked in the top-10 nationally for recruitment at non-Division I schools prior to this season.

"Our recruiting classes have helped and the redshirt freshmen are doing pretty well," Costanzo said. "Everyone is doing pretty well, but we still have a long way to go."

While the team's 8-0 start is their best since finishing 11-1-1 in 1959-60, it comes as no shock to the wrestlers or the coaches.

"There hasn't been any surprise to our season," Costanzo said. "We just take it one day at a time, one meet at a time."

The wrestlers will next travel up I-94 February 1 to take on Minnesota State Moorhead (8-3). The next home meet for the Huskies is February 2 against Southwest Minnesota State (0-5).

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