Championships Website
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Saint John’s University junior Minga Batsukh (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.) won his second consecutive national title at 141 pounds with a 10-4 decision over Jeremy Stierly of Ithaca (N.Y.) at the 2010 NCAA Division III Championships on Saturday, March 6.
He became the first SJU wrestler to win two national titles and the second Johnnie to win two national championships (Jim Gathje in the steeplechase, 1985-86).
Batsukh defeated Matt Kelly of Wartburg (Iowa) 3-2 in the semifinals Saturday morning to reach the championship bout. He entered the semifinal round as the only seeded wrestler left at 141 after surviving a scare in his first match, answering a 7-1 deficit with a 16-12 win. He then defeated Wabash’s (Ind.) Jake Strausbaugh 8-2 to earn a spot in the semifinals.
Senior Mogi Baatar (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.) went 1-2 at 133 pounds, defeating Johns Hopkins’ (Md.) Paul Marcello 5-2 before falling by pin to Augsburg’s Paul Bjorkstrand. He lost his final collegiate match to Thiel’s (Pa.) Corey Brown, 10-7. 23-10
Junior Matt Baarson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park) tallied a 3-0 win in the opening round at 165 pounds before losing a 20-8 major decision to Nick LeClere of Coe (Iowa). He then lost to top-seed Josh Terrell of Dubuque (Iowa) 8-6 in overtime. Terrell suffered an opening-round loss by fall. Baarson ended his junior season with a 26-5 record.