photo courtesy of Jurgens Photography; SCSU athletics
2020 Super Regional V Preview
When: 02/27/20
Where: Northern State University
Brackets (when available): TrackWrestling
2020 Champions - St. Cloud State
Teams:
Augustana University
U Mary
#12 Minnesota State Mankato
Minnesota State Moorhead
Minot State University
Northern State University
Southwest Minnesota State University
#1 St. Cloud State University
Upper Iowa University
#13 University of Wisconsin-Parkside
It was all but a foregone conclusion a season ago that the St. Cloud State University Huskies were going to be crowned national champions again. Despite a super-regional tournament where they had hiccups, they were headed to Sioux Falls with all the swagger of the best team in Division II wrestling. This year we have to wonder. Could there be a chink in that armor that has seemed so impenetrable over the year? In a shortened season, many of their wrestlers have looked unbeatable, but lineup questions have remained unanswered until just this week. Are some of the other teams starting to smell a little blood in the water? This will be the first tournament format for this Huskies squad this season to show that they are more than ready for the challengers. This region will not be a walk in the park for them; Minnesota State Mankato has some outstanding individuals, as does Wisconsin-Parkside. Northern State matched the Huskies perfect dual record this season and shared the NSIC crown with them. Augustana showed a year ago that they can peak at the right time and do it again. St. Cloud needs to be aware that they cannot rely on the coaches voting in their favor too many times if an athlete needs a wildcard. Heavy is the head that wears the crown and beware the usurpers.
Super Regional V has 33 ranked athletes ready to compete for only 20 guaranteed national berths and possible five or six wild cards. That will leave a lot of talented athletes sitting at home in two weeks wondering “what might have been.”
Follow along as I look at every weight and make my predictions for Top Four and the two wrestlers who will automatically represent SRI at each weight. I will also do my best to make a guess at the wildcards.
125
#2 Joe Arroyo (Wisconsin-Parkside) 2020 champion
#7 Trent McManus (MSU-Mankato)
Last season Joe Arroyo took the Super Regional V crown at 125 and he has not looked back since then. He has notched wins over Trent McManus and Cole Jones (MSU-Moorhead) already this season. He also handed true freshman phenom Paxton Creese (St. Cloud State) his second loss of the season. Can he win a national title? I firmly believe so, but that journey to the podium starts this Saturday in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Trenton McManus qualified for the national tournament last season and this year has been nothing short of a steady force to start the Maverick lineup off each dual. The loss to Arroyo this season is the only blemish on his stat sheet that includes wins of Creese and Kaden Anderlik (Upper Iowa). Cole Jones was a 2019 All-American who missed last season with an injury. He has plans to return to the podium at nationals, but a loss to Anderlik early in the season could create a seeding mess. The top two wrestlers at this weight are clear, but how the seeds shake out after could make all the difference. Oscar Nellis (Minot State) could slide into a five or six seed with Creese taking the other, but either way, they will have to avenge losses if they want to advance. I think there is a pretty good chance that this weight sends three, but there are no guarantees.
Placewinners
1) Joe Arroyo (Wisconsin-Parkside)
2) Trent McManus (MSU-Mankato)
3) Cole Jones (MSU-Moorhead)*
4) Paxton Creese (St. Cloud State)
*wildcard selection
133
#1 Garrett Vos (St. Cloud State) 2019 & 2020 champion
#12 Dayne Morton (Northern State)
Barring some kind of insane upset, there will only be two wrestlers advancing to the national tournament at this weight. I expect that one of them will be Garrett Vos, the two-time All-American will lead a loaded weight class at the national tournament in St Louis. Dayne Morton delayed his return to the mat to rehab an injury this season, but since his return to the lineup has looked sharp. Two strong showings are hopefully enough to put a tough regional behind him this season and see him on the podium at his home venue. The crowd will be there and it will be more than loud enough to push athletes over the top. Brandon Carroll (Augustana) will weigh-in for his first super-regional since 2018 with a shot at making his second national tournament. An early-season loss to Lucas Schevikhoven (Wisconsin-Parkside) could be avenged in a quarterfinal matchup that looks to be on the table. Schevikhoven can be very good, but he has also taken some losses to Brock Luthens (MSU-Mankato) and Donny Schmit (Upper Iowa). I am not sure I can trust him to make the run into the top-three despite winning over Carroll. The battle for third through sixth will have significant team race implications for those squads looking for a trophy.
Placewinners
1) Garrett Vos (St. Cloud State)
2) Dayne Morton (Northern State)
3) Brandon Carroll (Augustana)
4) Brock Luthens (MSU-Mankato)
141
#3 Joey Bianchini (St Cloud State) 2020 champion
#9 Kolton Roth (Northern State)
#13 Kolbe O’Brien (MSU-Mankato)
This weight class is deep. Besides the three ranked wrestlers, you have athletes like Tate Murty (Upper Iowa), Jack Huffman (Augustana), Lincoln Stormer (Minot State), and Mason Schulz (MSU-Moorhead). Schulz is a two-time super-regional placewinner who seems to have hit some bumps in the road this season. Lincoln Stormer was one of those bumps; the junior has won four matches this season and looks ready to climb the podium. Tate Murty absolutely demolished Garrett Aldrich (St. Cloud State) a year ago, prompting the Huskies to change to their even better backup Joey Bianchini. Bianchini has lost just two matches against Division II foes over the last three seasons, and not a single one of them has been in 2021. Kolton Roth is a wrestler who seems so comfortable in any position and his style is very offense-driven. He and O’Brien did not meet this season, so their semifinal matchup is all the more critical.
Placewinners
1) Joseph Bianchini (St. Cloud State)
2) Kolton Roth (Northern State)
3) Kolbe O’Brien (MSU-Mankato)*
4) Jack Huffman (Augustana)
149
#2 Kyle Rathman (MSU-Mankato)
#3 Garrett Aldrich (St Cloud State)
#14 Eric Faught (Upper Iowa)
#15 Wyatt Turnquist (Northern State)
I am going to start with a true freshman who is not currently ranked. Luke Peterson (Southwest Minnesota) is 3-0 with a win over a ranked Wyatt Turnquist. He should match up against Eric Faught in a quarterfinal showdown that has upset written all over it. Faught has only dropped one match this season, to Garrett Aldrich. Aldrich will be wrestling in his first super-regional this season after being pulled before last year’s postseason for Joey Bianchini at 141 and he looks to be on pace for his first national tournament berth. Kyle Rathman notched the biggest win at this weight when he defeated Aldrich via major decision in their dual meeting. Rathman is so good on top and on his feet, he has to be in the national title discussion at 149. The battle to watch is going to be for that spot in the consolation finals, anyone who makes it there still has hopes of making it to the national championship.
Placewinners
1) Kyle Rathman (MSU-Mankato)
2) Garrett Aldrich (St Cloud State)
3) Eric Faught (Upper Iowa)
4) Wyatt Turnquist (Northern State)
157
#7 Chase Luensman (Upper Iowa)
#15 Caden Moore (Northern State)
After an in-house tournament that saw him defeat returning All-American Jake Barzowski and Division I transfer Jared Head, Colby Njos is your starter for the St Cloud Huskies. The redshirt freshman is 2-1 this year with a big win over a ranked Chase Luensman. But, this weight class is probably only going to get the two auto qualifying spots for the national tournament and that means he will need to make it to the finals or battle for true second. Caden Moore will be in his home den this Saturday and his only loss this season is to Luensman. Cooper Siebrecht (MSU-Mankato) finished fifth in this region last season and with a win over Njos, he cannot be overlooked as a top finisher. Nathan Baca (Minot State) scored a big win over Siebrecht this season, but has losses to Moore and Anthony Velasquez (Mary). Velasquez is interesting because he is probably the fourth seed with his 2-2 record, but both those wins are against Baca. Unless Luensman finishes third, I am unsure how the coaches can vote to give this weight another nationals bid.
Placewinners
1) Chase Luensman (Upper Iowa)
2) Caden Moore (Northern State)
3) Colby Njos (St. Cloud State)
4) Cooper Siebrecht (MSU-Mankato)
165
#3 Devin Fitzpatrick (St. Cloud State) 2019 & 2020 champion
#7 Shane Gantz (Wisconsin-Parkside)
#13 James Burks (Northern State)
#14 Brayden Ortloff (MSU-Moorhead)
More ranked athletes than available spots at the national tournament will be the big problem at this weight class. Throw Braydon Huber (Mary) into the mix here and five studs are going to be battling it out for just three possible spots. Huber was a finalist last season at this tournament at 157 and this season has a 3-2 record heading into the tournament. He will have Dylan Schuck (Augustana) in the quarterfinals if the seeding stays true. Schuck dropped a match to Upper Iowa’s Scott Kellenberger the first week of February, but bounced back to hand Brayden Ortloff his only loss of the year to end the regular season. Shane Gantz has earned himself the top-seed at this weight with big wins over James Burks and All-American Devin Fitzpatrick. I think a semifinal with Burks and Fitzpatrick could be tremendous and a real test of styles. Fitzpatrick succeeds when he can ride wrestlers and wear them down. Burks has a fantastic arsenal on his feet, but showed that he can struggle on bottom against Gantz. Burks scored the first takedown, but eventually gave up the go-ahead 2 late in the match and then was unable to escape and gave up a riding time point. I think Huber and Burks will be the ones battling for third and a chance to advance to St Louis in a must-watch match. It will be fun to see what adjustments Fitzpatrick has made after watching film of his match with Gantz earlier this month.
Placewinners
1) Shane Gantz (Wisconsin-Parkside)
2) Devin Fitzpatrick (St Cloud State)
3) James Burks (Northern State)*
4) Braydon Huber (U Mary)
174
#6 Trevor Turiff (MSU-Mankato)
#10 Max Bruss (U Mary)
Max Bruss opened his season with a 1-0 win against Devin Donovan (St Cloud State). Since then, he has only hit the single speed bump that is Trevor Turiff on his trip to the postseason. Turiff has been perfect and is wrestling like an All-American right now. A finalist at 184 last year, the weight cut has not seemed to slow him down and he has only allowed a single takedown all season. It is going to be a fight for third place between Cade Mueller (Augustana), Donovan, Cole Huss (Northern State), Ryan Neu (Wisconsin-Parkside), and Myron Crawford (Upper Iowa). Crawford seems to have hit a wall, dropping three straight matches to end the season. Cade Mueller will get a bout against Max Bruss in the semifinals if the seeds hold in what will essentially be a win or go home situation. I feel like you could throw these names in a hat and shake it around and do about as well.
Placewinners
1) Trevor Turiff (MSU-Mankato)
2) Cade Mueller (Augustana)
3) Max Bruss (U Mary)
4) Devin Donovan (St Cloud State)
184
#7 Reece Worachek (Wisconsin-Parkside)
#11 William Pitzner (St Cloud State)
#12 Keegan Berry (Minot State)
#13 Kolby Kost (Augustana)
#16 Dalton Hahn (Upper Iowa)
I realize that I have William Pitzner behind Reece Worachek in the last set of rankings despite having beaten him. I am aware that I am also an idiot and should have changed things around, but somehow missed it. Do not be afraid, the seeding committee is mindful of the results and that is why Pitzner will be the #1 and Worachek #2. What would be truly egregious would be if Dalton Hahn remained the fourth seed ahead of the likes of Berry, given they have the same quality win and Kost is carrying fewer losses. And what do you do with Caden Steffen (Southwest Minnesota State)? The Minnesota Gopher transfer has beaten Berry and Marcus Placide (Northern State). His two losses are to Worachek and Kost; he has to be seeded somewhere. I think we see Hahn and Steffen on one side of the bracket in a quarterfinal with Kost and Berry in the other. That lands the winner of the Hahn v Steffen battle in Pitzner’s semifinal and the winner on the other side takes on Worachek. The fun will be on the backside in the consolation semifinals and finals. Earning third could provide a chance at true second and a trip to the national tournament.
Placewinners
1) William Pitzner (St. Cloud State)
2) Reece Worachek (Wisconsin-Parkside)
3) Caden Steffen (Southwest Minnesota State)
4) Kolby Kost (Augustana)
197
#2 Noah Ryan (St. Cloud State)
#6 Jackson Ryan (Southwest Minnesota State)
#13 Zac Ryg (Upper Iowa)
#16 Job Ayala (Wisconsin-Parkside)
Zac Ryg ended his redshirt freshman regular season with a big win over returning national qualifier Noah Ryan who was forced to withdraw from the match with an injury. This weight also has national qualifier Jackson Ryan sporting an undefeated record to match the freshman. Zac Ryg does have wins over Dan Bishop (Augustana) and Matt Blome (MSU-Mankato) as well, making him the top-seed. Slide Noah Ryan in ahead of Jackson Ryan and you can let that sort itself out in the semifinals and be fine either way. Job Ayala will end up on the same side as Zac Ryg with an upset shot at heading to the finals. The two did not meet in the dual, but Ryg hung a major on the backup Edgar Heredia. Blome finished fifth last season, but has struggled to build any momentum this year. The same can be said about Dan Bishop; neither sports a winning record headed into this tournament. Matt Kaylor (U Mary) has beaten Blome, but ended his season with a loss to then-winless Treyton Cacek (Northern State). If he bounces back, he could work his way to the semifinals and give himself a shot at Ayala in the quarterfinals.
Placewinners
1) Zac Ryg (Upper Iowa)
2) Noah Ryan (St. Cloud State)
3) Job Ayala (Wisconsin-Parkside)*
4) Jackson Ryan (Southwest Minnesota)
Hwt
#1 Kam Teacher (St. Cloud State) 2018 champion SR East
#8 Steven Hajas (Augustana)
#12 Dom Tudor (Mary)
#15 Jordan Will (Minot State)
Last season Steven Hajas finished second in this region and qualified for the national tournament. Kam Teacher sat out after transferring from Notre Dame to the Huskies and now the two-time All-American is back and ready to finally win his national championship. Dom Tudor is just 2-5 in his career at the regional tournaments, but this might be the year he breaks through and earns his nationals trip. His SV-2 win over Jordan Will to start his season is a big part of the reason why he is ranked in the top-12. Jordan Will has bounced back since then with wins over Ali’i Loyola (Northern State) and Jacob Dykes (Southwest Minnesota). Dykes is the man who has totally muddied up this regional thanks to a late January win over Hajas. He is stumbling a bit into the postseason; two straight losses have knocked some shine off him. Loyola is a California Baptist transfer for the Wolves, and both of his losses have come to ranked opponents. There may be ranked depth at this weight, but I have to wonder if there will still be a wildcard left to vote on by the time the coaches get to this weight class. It is quite possible that two ranked big men will not be headed to the national tournament. With Kam Teacher the favorite by far and away, I would be preaching to my athletes that it is second place or bust.
Placewinners
1) Kam Teacher (St Cloud State)
2) Jordan Will (Minot State)
3) Dom Tudor (Mary)
4) Steven Hajas (Augustana)
2020 Super Regional V team Champions
- St. Cloud State University
- Minnesota State University Mankato
- University of Wisconsin Parkside
- Northern State University
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