FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Saint John’s University senior Noah Becker (Browerville, Minn.) finished third for the second consecutive season to lead the Johnnies at the two-day Citrus Invitational Sunday-Monday, Dec. 29-30, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Becker posted a 3-0 record Sunday at 133 pounds before falling to Charlie Nash of Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), who is ranked as high as sixth nationally at 141 by D3wrestle.com, by a 3-1 decision in the semifinal Monday morning.
He bounced back with a 7-1 victory, the 75th of his career, and claimed third with a 4-2 win over Levi Englman of Ferrum (Va.), the top-ranked wrestler according to the National Wrestling Coaches’ Association (NWCA). Down 2-1, Becker scored a reversal with just under one minute remaining in the match and had over a minute of riding time.
In addition to Becker, five other Johnnies placed in the top 13 of their respective weight class. Wrestlers who suffered two losses Sunday and were eliminated, as well as those that recorded their second loss Monday morning, were added to separate single-elimination consolation brackets in adjacent to the main tournament.
Freshman Lincoln Shinn (Willmar, Minn.) totaled a 3-2 record to claim sixth at 184 pounds. He fell to Augsburg’s Tanner Vassar, who is ranked as high as No. 2 by the NWCA, in his second match and bounced back with two straight wins. Shinn dropped his consolation semifinal with a narrow 4-2 loss and left the tournament.
Senior Jerod Novak (Aitkin, Minn.) won his first two matches at 157 pounds but suffered a 3-1 loss in overtime in the quarterfinal. He won one of his next three bouts to take 10th at 157 pounds.
A pair of senior graduates of St. Thomas Academy, Dan Gehrz (Mendota Heights, Minn.) and Quincy Spiering (Mounds View, Minn.), placed 11th. Gehrz tallied a 2-3 record at 184 pounds and Spiering posted three pins (3-3 record) at heavyweight.
Senior Dominic Skawiniak (Rogers, Minn.), like Spiering, also recorded three pins (3-2 record) to finish 13th at 197.
Sophomore Jacob Scherber (Buffalo, Minn.) went 1-2 at 174 pounds Sunday but responded with three pins Monday in the consolation bracket.
The Johnnies travel to face No. 3 Augsburg for a 3 p.m. dual this Saturday, Jan. 4, at Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis. The dual was originally scheduled for Nov. 26 in Collegeville but was postponed and moved to Saturday on the Auggies’ home mat.
2019 Citrus Open Results
133
-Noah Becker (Third, 5-1)
141
-Anthony Hennen (2-3)
149
-Dylan Hanson (1-3)
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157
-Joe Hennen (0-2)
-Julian Mares (0-3)
-Jerod Novak (10th, 3-3)
165
-Logan Edwards (1-3)
174
-Jacob Scherber (4-2)
184
-Dan Gainer (0-3)
-Dan Gehrz (11th, 2-3)
-Lincoln Shinn (Sixth, 3-2)
197
-Dominic Skawiniak (13th, 3-2)
285
-Quincy Spiering (11th, 3-3)
Check out Johnnies Wrestling at gojohnnies.com.
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