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Mustangs Place Two On NWCA Academic Team
Knight Sets Morningside Record With 14 Falls
Wilson Earns All-America Honors With 4th Place Finish At National Tourney
Dennis Named A Daktronics Scholar-Athlete
Mustangs Ranked 20th In NAIA
Mustangs Place Three On All-GPAC First-Team
Smith Receives Weekly GPAC Honor
Taylor Is GPAC Wrestler Of The Week
Morningside will host the 2009 Summer Wrestling Academy for high school wrestlers from June 1 to Aug. 7.
Click here to learn more.
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Ben Knight |
Drew Smith |
Morningside College’s Ben Knight and Drew Smith were each named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) NAIA All-Academic Team.
Knight, a 149 lb. sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, has a 3.79 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and is majoring in biology. Knight had a 33-8 record this past season and set a Morningside single-season record with 14 falls.
Smith, a 141 lb. sophomore from Milburn, Neb., has a 3.77 cumulative GPA and is majoring in biology. Smith had a 35-16 record this past season.
Morningside has a 3.03 cumulative GPA for the sixth highest team GPA in the nation in the NAIA ranks.
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Ben Knight |
Ben Knight, a 149 lb. sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, broke the Morningside College single-season fall record when he pinned 14 opponents during the 2008-09 wrestling season.
Knight, who had 10 first period falls, including three in less than 40 seconds, broke the former Morningside single-season record of 13 falls set by Blaine Schenk in 1968-69 and matched by Nathan Ploen in 2004-05. Knight raised his career total to 23 falls to tie a Morningside record shared with 2008 graduates Jared Pickett and Jake Stevenson.
Knight, who finished the campaign with a 33-8 record, also led the Mustangs with 53 takedowns and 15 2-point near falls. He has a 63-29 career record for the eighth highest victory total in Morningside history.
Drew Smith, a 141 lb. sophomore from Milburn, Neb., led the Mustangs in victories with a record of 35-16. Smith also led the Mustangs with 20 reversals, 58 escapes, and 21 3-point near falls. He has a 55-30 career record to rank 11th on the Mustangs’ all-time victory list.
Chris Utesch, a 133 lb. senior from Akron, Iowa, joined the Mustangs’ 100-victory club this season. He had a 14-5 record for the season to raise his career record to 101-44 to join Stevenson (130) and Pickett (113) as the Mustangs’ only 100-match winners.
Weston Frahm, a 174 lb. senior from Plainview, Neb., had a 27-15 record to finish with a career mark of 88-73 for fourth place on Morningside’s all-time victory list, while Cole Wilson, a 197 lb. senior from Oakland, Iowa, went 24-14 to finish with a career mark of 80-64 for fifth place on the Mustangs’ victory chart. Wilson earned NAIA All-America honors with a fourth place finish at this year’s NAIA National Tournament.
Morningside won five of its last six duals of the season to finish with a record of 9-6.
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Cole Wilson |
Morningside College’s Cole Wilson, a senior from Oakland, Iowa, placed fourth in the 197 lb. division of the NAIA Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla., to earn NAIA All-America honors.
Wilson, who earned honorable mention All-America recognition with an eighth place finish at last year’s national tournament, went 3-2 at this year’s tourney to finish the season with a record of 24-14.
Wilson’s final two matches came on Saturday, where he upset fourth-ranked Matt Michaelson of Dickinson State University 3-1 in the wrestleback semifinals and lost 8-3 against fifth-ranked Justin Rau of Grand View University in the third place consolation match.
Wilson’s first match of the tournament came on Thursday when he upset sixth-ranked Ryan Sutton of Missouri Valley College by a 6-2 decision. He advanced to the semifinals with a 5-1 decision against Glen Jackson of Campbellsville University in Friday’s quarterfinals. Wilson lost a 5-1 decision against No. 1-ranked Andrew Sanchez of McKendree University in Friday evening’s semifinals.
Morningside’s other competitors at the NAIA Wrestling National Championships were: Travis Taylor, a freshman from Callender, Iowa, at 125 lbs.; Chris Utesch, a senior from Akron, Iowa, at 133 lbs.; Jake McManigal, a freshman from Center, Neb., at 133 lbs.; Drew Smith, a sophomore from Milburn, Neb., at 141 lbs; Ben Knight, a sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, at 149 lbs.; Brendan Uhl, a junior from Akron, Iowa, at 149 lbs.; Aaron Lang, a sophomore from Hamburg, Iowa, at 157 lbs.; Weston Frahm, a senior from Plainview, Neb., at 174 lbs.; Joe Lockett, a junior from Bellevue, Neb., at 184 lbs.; and Zach Andersen, a senior from Parkersburg, Iowa, at 184 lbs.
125- John Erickson (King) def. Travis Taylor (M), 8-3; Taylor def. Peter Martinez (Cumberlands) by forfeit; Taylor pinned Elliot Martin (Lindenwood), 1:50; Billy Exline (Missouri Valley) pinned Taylor, 2:34. Taylor eliminated.
133- Chris Utesch (M) def. Simplicio Valladolid (Southern Oregon), 14-6; Franky Villaescusa (Embry-Riddle) def. Utesch, 14-2; Utesch def. Neil Birt (Cumberland) by default; Justin Blumer (Oklahoma City) def. Utesch, 6-2. Utesch eliminated. Wade Lowe (McKendree) pinned Jake McManigal (M), 2:17; Nick Coffman (Grand View) pinned McManigal, 2:45. McManigal eliminated.
141- Shad Rissler (King) def. Drew Smith (M), 5-3; Smith def. Dustin Howa (William Penn), 11-7; Jason Costello (Great Falls), def. Smith, 15-10. Smith eliminated.
149- Ryan Moyer (Lindenwood) def. Ben Knight (M), 6-2; Knight def. Brett Freeman (Notre Dame), 4-3; Knight def. Jeff Marval (Waldorf), 7-4; Seth Roy (Southern Oregon) def. Knight, 3-1. Knight eliminated. Sam Schmitz (Lindenwood) def. Brendan Uhl (M) by technical fall, 19-4; Jose Serrato (Dickison State) def. Uhl, 9-1. Uhl eliminated.
157- Andrew Blackwell (Campbellsville) pinned Aaron Lang (M), 5:33; Lang def. Levi Davidshofer (William Penn), 4-2; Nick Zumwalt (Dickinson State) pinned Lang, 1:35. Lang eliminated.
174- Weston Frahm (M) def. J.P. Williams (Grand View), 8-7; C.J. Knowland (California Baptist) pinned Frahm, 3:27; Cameron Scremmp (Dickinson State) def. Frahm, 3-1. Frahm eliminated.
184- Evan Hinebauch (Montana State-Northern) pinned Joe Lockett (M), 4:37; Lockett def. Tom Edwards (McKendree), 5-3; Lockett def. Adam Herrick (Waldorf), 10-2; Spencer Adams (Campbellsville) def. Lockett, 5-3. Lockett eliminated. Michael French (Great Falls) pinned Zach Andersen (M), 3:38; Andersen def. Eric Metzler (Cumberland), 10-7; Clete Hanson (Simon Fraser) def. Andersen by technical fall, 15-0. Andersen eliminated.
197- Cole Wilson (M) def. Ryan Sutton (Missouri Valley), 6-2; Wilson def. Glen Jackson (Campbellsville), 3-2; Andrew Sanchez (McKendree) def. Wilson, 5-1; Wilson def. Matt Michaelson (Dickinson State), 3-1; Justin Rau (Grand View) def. Wilson, 8-3. Wilson placed fourth.
 Morningside’s Cody Dennis, a junior from Osmond, Neb., has been named a 2009 Daktronics-NAIA Wrestling Scholar-Athlete.
Dennis has a 3.84 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a major in biology.
Dennis, who missed the majority of the campaign with an injury, had a 2-2 record with one fall for the Mustangs this season.
Student-athletes must be of at least junior academic status and have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in order to be eligible for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.
Click here for the complete list of 2009 Daktronics-NAIA Wrestling Scholar-Athletes.
Morningside is ranked 20th in the nation in the latest NAIA wrestling poll.
The Mustangs, who posted a 9-6 record during the dual meet portion of their schedule, have two wrestlers in the individual rankings. Chris Utesch is ranked eighth at 133 lbs. and Ben Knight is ranked eighth at 149 lbs. Utesch has a 12-3 record, while Knight is 31-6 with a school-record 14 falls.
Click here for the complete NAIA rankings.
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Ben Knight |
Joe Lockett |
Chris Utesch |
Morningside’s Ben Knight, Joe Lockett, and Chris Utesch were all named to the first team of the 2009 All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Wrestling Team.
Knight, a 149 lb. sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, has a 27-6 record and a school-record 13 pins this season. He was the runner-up at this year’s GPAC Championships held last Saturday in Blair, Neb.
Lockett, a 184 lb. junior from Bellevue, Neb., was the 184 lb. champion at the GPAC Championships. He has a 22-16 record with six falls.
Utesch, a 133 lb. senior from Akron, Iowa, won the 133 lb. crown at the GPAC Championships. He has an 11-2 record with one fall.
In addition to the three first-team selections, the Mustangs placed Zach Andersen and Drew Smith on the All-GPAC second-team.
Andersen, a 184 lb. senior from Parkersburg, Iowa, has a 7-5 record with three falls and placed second at the GPAC Championships.
Smith, a 141 lb. sophomore from Milburn, Neb., leads the Mustangs in victories with a 31-12 record with seven falls.
Morningside’s Weston Frahm, a 174 lb. senior from Plainview, Neb., and Cole Wilson, a 197 lb. senior from Oakland, Iowa, were each named to the All-GPAC honorable mention list. Frahm has a 24-10 record with three falls, while Wilson has an 18-11 record with four falls.
Morningside finished second at the GPAC Championships and also finished second in the GPAC dual meet standings with a 5-1 record.
Click here for the complete 2009 All-GPAC Wrestling Team.
 Drew Smith, a 141 lb. sophomore from Milburn, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Wrestler of the Week.
Smith won all three of his matches last week to improve his season’s record to 29-10. His most impressive victory was a 4-1 triumph against Jordan Harer of Dakota Wesleyan University, who was ranked third nationally in the NAIA and had defeated Smith 13-2 earlier this season.
Smith’s other victories were a 4-1 decision against Jon Henslee of Grand View University and a 6-1 decision against Rob Thomas of Waldorf College.
 Travis Taylor, a freshman 125 pounder from Callender, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Wrestler of the Week.
Taylor went 5-0 at this past weekend’s NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to improve his season’s record to 22-5. His most impressive victory was a 4-3 decision against Tyler Savage of Notre Dame College. Savage is ranked sixth nationally in the NAIA, while Taylor is ranked eighth.
Taylor also won decisions by scores of 6-3 against Ryan Guillett of McKendree University, 3-2 against Travis Okano of Dana College, and 8-6 against Kyle Middlemist of the University of Great Falls. Taylor won by forfeit in the Mustangs’ 34-9 victory against Northwestern College.
Morningside went 2-3 at the national duals to finish eighth in a 16-team field.
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