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Tourney time for wrestlers
It's do or die time for the SCSU wrestlers. This Sunday will see the Husky grapplers travel to the campus of Augustana University to take part in the NCC Tournament. The top four finishers in each weight class will advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament on March 8-9 in Parkside, Wis.
The NCC is traditionally one of the top conferences in all of college wrestling. Coaches are not afraid to say that it is one of the top five conferences in the nation, Division I conferences included. This year is no exception.
"I think this year's NCC Tourney is going to be a wide open race," said Minnesota State, Mankato head coach Jim Makovsky. "Each team enters the tournament with four or five top guys and a handful of guys on the bubble."
Makovsky's assessment definitely rings true for SCSU. Leading the Huskies into the tournament will be their fifth-ranked heavyweight, Dustin Darvaeux. Darvaeux, who finished the regular season with a 30-6 mark, had a successful NCC Tourney last season and ended up earning All American honors by finishing seventh in the nation at the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Repeating this performance will not be easy, however, as this year's NCC heavyweight class includes the past two Division II national champs as well as several other top competitors.
"This year's heavyweights are really strong," said SCSU head coach Steve Grimit. "There are several Division I caliber heavyweights in the field."
Nick Severson (NDSU), James Garvey (Augustana) and John Madsen look to be the main threats to Darvaeux Sunday. Darvaeux notes that getting through the first round and having that first win under his belt will be key. "Getting past that first round is important," he said. "From there it will really be the same guys as nationals. It's a good tournament."
Entering his first NCC Tournament with a record of 18-12 will be 174-pound Jon Duncombe. Duncombe is currently ranked eighth in the nation and is looking to turn some heads at this year's tourney.
"I don't feel much pressure," said Duncombe. "I just want to go in there and give it everything I got. As a team, we will all give our best and hope to come out on top."
Perhaps SCSU's hottest wrestler going into the tournament will be184 lb. senior Nate Whiting. Whiting has won his last two matches in impressive fashion to finish the regular season at 15-12. He also just missed being an All-American last year and is looking to cap off an impressive SCSU career by advancing to nationals and finally becoming an All-American.
Entering the tourney at 165 lbs. will be junior co-captain Matt Neumueller. Neumueller has compiled an impressive 23-11 record this season and is aiming to qualify for Nationals, a feat he accomplished last season.
The task will not come easy for Neumueller, however, as the 165 lb. weight class may be just as strong, if not stronger, than the heavyweight division. "Everyone at 165 lbs. is a potential All-American," Grimit noted. "The toughest weight classes will be heavyweight, 165 lbs., and 174 lbs. That's weird because those three are our strongest weights."
Although everyone will be watching Darvaeux, Duncombe, Whiting and Neumueller from SCSU, nobody on the Husky roster should be counted out. Senior Paul Breth, at 197 lbs., is coming off a clutch win against MSU-Mankato and is looking to finish his wrestling career with an appearance in Nationals. Freshman Derek Miller has worked hard all year to compile a 13-14 mark and does not want to end his season without a trip to Parkside. Dan Duch and Joe Sathre have also battled the entire season and will not throw in the towel on Sunday.
"Everybody has been working hard," Grimit said. "Several wrestlers could surprise. The key is to qualify as many people as possible for Nationals."
Darvaeux probably summed up the team's weekend expectations best: "We just gotta make something happen."
Adam Czech can be reached at: [email protected]
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