BISMARCK, ND – A trio of nationally-ranked wrestling programs compete at the McDowell Activity Center this weekend when #23 University of Mary hosts #9 Upper Iowa University and #19 Minnesota State University in a pair of Northern Sun duals on Dec. 9-10.
The Marauders open the weekend against the Peacocks on Saturday, Dec. 9, before hosting the Mavericks for the Santa Claus Dual on Sunday, Dec. 10. Start time for both matches is 2 pm.
UMary is 2-0 overall while both UIU and MSU are 1-0. None of the three teams have competed in a conference match this season.
Headlining the UMary efforts is redshirt sophomore
Rudy Guillen. Undefeated in ten matches this season, the native of Duluth, GA, is ranked second in the country. Guillen has a team-high 39 takedowns, owns three wins by major decision and two by technical fall.
Providing a spark at the top of the lineup are juniors
Nate Humann and
Tate Barnhardt. The two Bismarck, ND, grapplers are a combined 18-3. Competing at 125, Humann is 8-1 overall and has 20 takedowns. He also owns three of his wins by pin. Barnhardt is off to another great start at 133, generating a record of 10-2 on the season. He has four wins by pin and four by technical fall. Perhaps most impressive is Barnhardt has 23 takedowns and has only been taken down twice himself.
At 141,
Hunter Eckert is 7-1 with four wins by pin.
Sophomore heavyweight Dom Tudor is third on the team in wins, posting a mark of 9-2. Six of his wins are by fall. Tudor also has a 14-3 edge in takedowns.
Additionally, four other Marauders have eight wins.
Jakob Weisbrod and
Chris Leatherman are both 8-5 at 157,
Phillip Springsteen at 165 is 8-3, and
Jackson Schichel has rolled up a mark of 8-4 at 184.
The Peacocks come to Bismarck with a handful of nationally-ranked wrestlers in their projected lineup, including #6 Maleek Williams at 125, #5 Josh Walker at 133, #9 Damian Penichet at 149 and #11 Brock Benitz at 157.
Sunday's match against Minnesota State is the Santa Claus Dual. Santa Claus will be on the upper section of the MAC by the concession stand starting at 1 pm to take pictures with fans until the start of the match at 2 pm. Chocolate milk courtesy of Dean's Tru Moo, cookies, and candy canes will be provided. Also the first 100 kids will get a "Two-point takedown" foam finger courtesy of RAW (Recreation Athletic Wellness).
The Mavericks lineup features 4
th ranked Corey Abernathy at 184 and #5 Matthew Blome at 197.
#Marauders#
