Max Steigauf / Sports Director / @Max_Steigauf

The #2 ranked St. Cloud State Huskies wrestling team held their annual Red and Black Dual yesterday. The unofficial kickoff of the wrestling season would see 12 matches between the red and black teams.

The first match of the night was a heavyweight bout between redshirt sophomore Kaleb Haase and freshman Elijah Novak.  The freshman from Foley, Minnesota would impress the Huskies’ faithful at Halenbeck Hall and would beat Kaleb Haase in a 7-2 decision.

Moving on to the 125-pound weight class, #5 ranked Paxton Creese wrestled another freshman, Nick Renteria. Creese lived up to his #5 ranking dominating Renteria in a 19-1 tech fall. Creese ended the match with 12 points in total near fall.

At 133, Indian Hills Community College transfer Caleb Meekins wrestled redshirt sophomore Sam Spencer. After an exciting first period Meekins was leading Spencer 8-0, but after getting caught trying to roll out of a mat return Meekins got caught and by the end of the second period his lead against Spencer had been erased and the match was tied 8-8 heading into the third period. The Third period did not separate the two wrestlers at all; heading into overtime the score was knotted up at ten. Sam Spencer would eventually be victorious in overtime after taking down Meekins, winning the exciting match 12-10.

Moving to 141 another transfer, Phillip Kue faced redshirt freshman Alyeus Craig. Kue is a transfer from the Ohio State Buckeyes. After the first period neither wrestler could tally a takedown and the match would remain scoreless heading into the second period. In the second period Craig would ride out Kue building up a sizable amount of ride time. In the third period Craig would be able to escape Kue and the match would end 2-0 in favor of Craig.

At 149 the Huskies trotted out another nationally ranked wrestler. #8 ranked Nick Novak wrestled redshirt sophomore Nolan Thorne. Late in the first period Thorne took down Novak, and even though Novak would escape Thorne would take a 2-1 lead into the second period. Novak would start the second period down and escape to tie the match at two. Later in the period Novak would takedown Thorne to take a 4-2 lead. That score would hold up to the end of the match with Novak winning 4-2.

At 157 #5 ranked Colby Njos took on Jimmy Pierandozzi. Neither wrestler would score in the first period taking the scoreless bout into the second period. 8 seconds into the second period Njos would escape giving him a 1-0 lead. Once again though neither wrestler could find an angle for a takedown, and it would be a 1-0 match heading into the third period. Njos would be able to ride out Pierandozzi in the third period and add a riding time bonus point to end the match 2-0 in favor of the #5 ranked 157-pounder.

165 would feature redshirt junior Jared Head against redshirt freshman Bryce Dagel. After another scoreless first period, Dagel would get the scoring started getting an escape point to take a 1-0 lead. Heading into the third period Head would get the choice of position, and he would choose neutral. It proved to be a great payoff for Head. He would take down Dagel and put him right to his back. Head would take the lead with a big six-point move. After a riding Dagel out in the third period Head would add an extra point to his total ending the match with a 7-1 victory.

At 174 the Huskies would show off one of their new headline wrestlers. #1 ranked Abner Romero, transferred to St. Cloud State this year from Lindenwood University. In 2021 Romero won the NCAA DII champion at 174. Romero would give a great first impression tech falling Mac Copeland 15-0.

The 184-pound bout would be a match up between Shaeden Scheidt and Tyson Meyer. Scheidt would gut out a 5-4 decision over Meyer.

At 197 Dominic Murphey would wrestle freshman Jaydon Walls from Platte City, Missouri. Murphey would pick up right where he left off last year, scoring multiple takedowns on his way to an 8-1 victory.

Once again back at heavyweight Kaleb Haase would wrestle freshman Jadon Mims from Maywood, Illinois. After two periods the score would be 1-0 in favor of Haase after he escaped to start the second period. Mims chose neutral to start the third period. Mims would get a takedown in the third period, but he would not be able to keep Haase down. Haase would escape to tie the match at two and send it into overtime. Mims would continue to work on his offense in overtime and it would payoff as he would get the sudden death takedown to win 4-2 in overtime.

The final match of the night would pit Caleb Meekins against senior Robby Horseman. Horsemen would use three takedowns to capture an 8-1 decision over Meekins. Meekins wrestled extremely tough in his two matches at the Red and Black, and while he came up short in both he definitely is a wrestler Huskies fans should look for in tournaments to make a lot of noise.

After another successful Red and Black head coach Steve Costanzo said, “It was fun. It was like déjà vu when we came through the door here – it’s hard to believe we’re already back for another season of wrestling – it was great, I’m excited!”. The Huskies will travel to Rochester Minnesota next week to compete in the Yellow Jacket open which will officially kick off the wrestling season for the #2 ranked team in the nation.