Minnesota State University, Mankato Wrestling Update
February 14, 2006
The 2nd ranked Mavericks split two duals this past weekend. MSU is now 12-2 on
the season and are 28-5 over the past two seasons with four of their losses
coming to #1 Nebraska-Omaha. The Mavericks wrap up the dual meet portion of
the season with two home duals against St. Cloud State University (Friday-7:00
pm) and #14 Truman State University (Saturday-3:00 pm).
Omaha, Neb. -- The #1 and #2 ranked wrestling teams in NCAA Division II
squared off Friday night for the second time this season in a North Central
Conference dual. Top-ranked UNO won six matches in a row en route to a 22-12
win over second-ranked MSU. The loss ended MSU's dual winning streak at six.
With the win UNO moves to 9-0 (2-0, NCC) while MSU drops to 11-2 (1-1, NCC)
on the year. MSU is now 5-17 all-time against UNO.
The dual started at the 125 pound weight class with eighth-ranked sophomore
Nick Smith (Yankton, S.D.) receiving a win by injury default over Jimmy Ball who
suffered an ankle injury. The win put up six MSU points but sparked UNO to sixstraight wins.
At 133, Jeff Pfaffinger (Blue Earth, Minn.) met #6 Dan Hilario. Hilario was able to
hold off a late Pfaffinger push and earned a 6-5 win to put up the first UNO
points of the night.
At 141, #3 Mitch Waite took on #7 Zach Stevens (Erwinna, Pa.). Waite went up
4-1 in the first period and never looked back as he went on to earn a 8-2 win.
At 149, Brandon Girtz (Forest Lake, Minn.) took on #6 Shane Unger. Unger
picked up a 7-3 win to give UNO its first lead of the night by a score of 9-6.
#3 senior Mathias Bitz (Bismarck, N.D.) took on #1 Patrick Allibone at 157
pounds. A late stalling point was awarded to Allibone in the third period to
secure the 3-2 win over Bitz.
At 165, #4 sophomore Andy Pickar (Brainerd, Minn.) took on #5 Ross Taplin.
The UNO freshman was able to outlast Pickar and picked up the 4-1 win.
The match at 174 pounds featured the #1 and #2 wrestlers in the nation. Travis
Krinkie (Blue Earth, Minn.) faced #2 J.D. Naig. Krinkie led most of the match and
looked as if he would hold on for the win. But Naig managed to get a late
reversal and near fall in the final 15 seconds to pick up the win and upset, 9-6.
At 184, #1 senior John Koons (Crosby, Minn.) met unranked Nate Oviatt. Koons
picked up the 6-0 victory over Oviatt. The win moved MSU within nine points of
UNO who led 18-9.
The match at 197 pounds was the only match of the evening that didn't involve a
ranked wrestler for either squads. Junior Ben Janike (Waseca, Minn.) met Nick
Edmonds in a must win match for MSU. Janike picked up the 2-1 win in triple
overtime and put three more points on the board for MSU.
The final match of the evening featured #8 senior Tim Kraemer (Cold Springs,
Minn.) who took on three-time national champion and top-ranked Les Sigman.
Sigman dominated the bout and won his 66th straight match of his collegiate
career with a 14-1 major decision that sealed the win for UNO.
Marshall, Minn. -- The Minnesota State wrestling team got back to its winning
ways after a loss to top-ranked Nebraska-Omaha. The second-ranked Mavericks
rolled past Southwest Minnesota State 38-6 and picked up their 12th dual victory
of the season. With the win, the Mavericks improve to 12-2 on the year while the
Mustangs fall to 4-7. MSU won the first six matches of the evening and got out
to a quick 30-0 lead.
Eighth-ranked Nick Smith (Yankton, Minn.) started things off for the Mavericks
with a 5-1 win over Kurt Smith at 125. At 133, Jeff Pfaffinger (Blue Earth, Minn.)
picked up a first-period pin at 1:10 over Ryan Reed. #7 Zach Stevens (Erwinna,
Pa.) received a win by forfeit at 141.
Freshman Travis Puig (Barron, Wis.) picked up the second first-period pin of the
night for the Mavericks over Luke Griffith at 0:43 in the 149 pound bout. At 157,
#3 Mathias Bitz (Bismarck, N.D.) defeated Aldon Struchen 9-4.
Fourth-ranked sophomore Andy Pickar (Brainerd, Minn.) pinned Greg Frank at
1:10 for the third first-period pin of the evening for MSU at 165 pounds. SMSU's
Tim Johns put the first points of night up for the Mustangs with an 8-3 win over
freshman Tim Matheson (Circle Pines, Minn.) at 174.
Top-ranked senior John Koons (Crosby, Minn.) picked up his team-leading eighth
win by tech fall with a 17-0 win over Tyler Johnson at 184. SMSU's Joel
Wipperfurth picked up the second Mustang win of the night with a 5-2 win over
freshman Tom Block (Waseca, Minn.) at 197. Eighth-ranked senior Tim Kraemer
(Cold Springs, Minn.) defeated Jeremy Schafer 10-6 in the heavyweight match.
Match-By-Match:
125: #8 Nick Smith (MSU) defeated Kurt Smith (SMSU); 5-1 MSU 3-0
133: Jeff Pfaffinger (MSU) pinned Ryan Reed (SMSU); 1:10 MSU 9-0
141: #7 Zach Stevens (MSU) defeated open (SMSU) MSU 15-0
149: Travis Puig (MSU) pinned Luke Griffith (SMSU); 0:43 MSU 21-0
157: #3 Mathias Bitz (MSU) defeated Aldon Struchen (SMSU); 9-4 MSU 24-0
165: #4 Andy Pickar (MSU) pinned Greg Frank (SMSU); 1:10 MSU 30-0
174: Tim Johns (SMSU) defeated Tim Matheson (MSU); 8-3 MSU 30-3
184: #1 John Koons (MSU) defeated Tyler Johnson (SMSU); tech fall 17-0 MSU
35-3
197: Joel Wipperfurth (SMSU) defeated Tom Block (MSU); 5-2 MSU 35-6
HWT: #8 Tim Kraemer (MSU) defeated Jeremy Schafer (SMSU); 10-6 MSU 38-6
The Mavericks and Huskies/Bulldogs – National Rankings
MSU-Mankato
6th ranked Nick Smith-125 pounds
5th ranked Zach Stevens-141 pounds
3rd ranked Math Bitz-157 pounds
3rd ranked Andy Pickar-165 pounds
2nd ranked Travis Krinkie-174 pounds
2nd ranked John Koons-184 pound
Truman State University
#2 ranked – Gregg Nurrenbern-184 pounds
#8 ranked – Blake Peterson-165 pounds
St. Cloud State University
No wrestlers ranked.
Koons continues his streak: Senior 184 pounder, John Koons has now won
twelve straight matches. During his current streak, he has outscored his
opponents 151-11 including a fall over 4th ranked Nate Buys-Augustana College.
Head Wrestling Coach Jim Makovsky is in his 13th season at the helm of the
Minnesota State wrestling team. As the head coach of the Mavericks, Makovsky
has a record of 153-62-2. He recorded his 150th win with over West Liberty
State on January 11th in Shippensburg, PA. His overall record in seventeen
seasons as a head coach stands 179-81-4. Makovsky has coached forty-seven
All-Americans and seven National Champions and has now had seventeen
straight winning seasons. Makovsky currently serves as the President of the
National Wrestling Coaches Association for Division II and serves as a board
member on the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Makovsky is assisted by
Brandon Reichel (4th season), Mike Engelmann (1st season) and Mike Neimczyck
(1st season).
507-389-6521
[email protected]
Probable line up for St. Cloud State and Truman State University
125133141149157165174184197-
Nick Smith
Jeff Pfaffinger
Zach Stevens
Brandon Girtz
Math Bitz
Andy Pickar
Travis Krinkie
John Koons
Tom Block
Ben Janike
HWT- Tim Kraemer
Sophmore
Junior
Senior
Junior
Senior
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Freshman
Junior
Senior
21-10
22-9
21-11
20-7
14-3
25-10
10-12
10-11
22-10
24-8
22-8