Brute-Adidas/NWCA Team Rankings | Brute-Adidas/NWCA Individual Rankings
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The Saint John’s University wrestling team moved up to No. 9 the latest Brute-Adidas National Wrestling Coaches’ Association (NWCA) Division III team rankings released Tuesday, Jan. 26.
Other teams ranked from the NCAA Great Lakes Region include Augsburg (No. 1), Concordia-Moorhead (No. 7), North Central (Ill.; No. 10) and Elmhurst (Ill.; 22).
In addition to the team rankings, four Johnnies were ranked individually: junior Minga Batsukh (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.), No. 2 at 141 pounds (5-1 record); senior Mogi Baatar (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.), No. 5 at 133 pounds (15-5 record); sophomore Matt Pfarr (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson), No. 6 at 174 pounds (11-5 record); and junior Matt Baarson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park), No. 10 at 165 pounds (15-2).
Baarson, Baatar and Batsukh all earned wins in SJU's 30-9 win over then-No. 20 Wis.-Stevens Point on Jan. 25. Baatar earned his 15th victory of the season with a 5-2 decision, while Batsukh improved to 5-1 with a rare four-point technical fall at 141 pounds. Batsukh tallied 26 points in the match, none of which were near fall. He missed the school record for takedowns in a match by two. In what was projected to be the match of the night, Baarson tallied a 4-1 win over UWSP’s Jordan Schulte (17-4 record) at 165 pounds.
Pfarr posted an 8-5 overtime victory over No. 3 Zach Molitor of Augsburg in his last match on Jan. 14.
The Johnnies return to action by hosting the annual North Country Open this Saturday, Jan. 30. The meet is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Donald McNeely Spectrum in Collegeville.