Wrestling | 1/12/2016 5:47:00 PM
Live VideoMOORHEAD, Minn. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead wrestling team opens its Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference season this week with a pair of dual meets on the road. The Dragons will face Minnesota State at 7 p.m. Thursday in Mankato, Minn., and conclude the weekend Friday at Upper Iowa for a 7 p.m. dual in Fayette, Iowa.
The Dragons are 4-2 in duals this season, with all being nonconference matchups.
MSUM is ranked No. 25 in the latest Basford Team Rankings. The Dragons are one of five NSIC teams in the top 25. Junior
Blake Bosch is ranked No. 2 at 133 pounds behind Nebraska-Kearney's Daniel DeShazer.
The Dragons are ranked seventh in the Super Region III according to d2wrestle.com. Bosch is ranked No. 1 at 133 pounds in the region; he is 19-5 on the season to lead MSUM. Redshirt freshman
Kristian Vazquez is 8-8 at 141 and is ranked fifth regionally in the region at 141. Junior
Garret Hoffner is ranked fourth regionally at 157.
Junior
Garret Hoffner is 13-6 at 157 pounds, while freshman
Jared Goldsmith is 10-8 at 125. Freshman
Adam Blees is 9-5 at 165 while freshman
Austin May is 9-7. Junior
Nader Abdullatif is 5-3 at 285 pounds.
Kris Nelson is in his seventh season as the MSUM head coach.
About Minnesota State: Minnesota State is 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the NSIC. The Mavericks, who are ranked No. 15 in the latest Basford Team Rankings, went 1-2 at the National Duals last weekend. Senior Alphonso Vruno (8-5) is ranked No. 3 at 141, while senior Matt Mincey (12-0) is ranked No. 5 at 157. Junior Adam Cooling is 16-3 at 174 while senior Scott VanDeLoo is 11-1 at 184. Paul Selman is 16-6 at 133 for the Mavericks. Jim Makovsky is in his 22nd season as the MSU head coach with a record 241-102-5.
About Upper Iowa: The Peacocks are 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the NSIC. They went 4-1 at the national duals last weekend, beating four nationally-ranked teams. Senior Jordan Rinken is ranked No. 6 at 157 pounds with an 11-1 record. Junior Zak Benitz is 24-6 at 165 while redshirt freshman Damian Penichet is 22-8 at 149. Junior Cobley Vance is 21-5 at 174. Heath Grimm is in his 16th season as the Upper Iowa head coach with a record of 156-41-3 at the school.
