Mankato, Minn. — Minnesota State junior Kyle Rathman has been named All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
Rathman, who posted a 16-4 record and was 6-2 vs. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference competition on the season, earned a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II national championship tournament after finishing second at this year’s NCAA Division II Super Region 5 tournament. The Apple Valley, Minn., native who sports a career record of 57-19, is now a two-time All-American after posting a seventh-place finish at the national tournament as a sophomore in 2018-19.
Minnesota State, which went 10-3 in dual action in 2019-20, finished second in the NSIC this year and was fourth at the NCAA Division II Super Region 5 tournament.
The Mavericks also announced their individual award recipients for the year.
NWCA Division II 2020 All-America Teams
Mavericks Individual Award Recipients:
Most Improved:
Trent McManus, Junior, Adams, Wis.
2019-20 Record: 16-10 (5-3 in NSIC duals)
3rd place at 2020 NCAA SII Super Region Tournament | 2020 NCAA Qualifier
Coaches Comments: Trent made a big decision to drop down to the 125 weight class this season which required some pretty big lifestyle and diet changes beginning during the summer. Trent was a 133 lb. backup to All-American George Farmah the last two seasons but was always a dedicated and unselfish teammate, earning the Coaches Award last season. Trent was a great example for his teammates this season what sacrifice and hard work can get you, he improved every single day he was in the room and learned a lot about himself in the process.
Hardest Worker:
Zach Johnston, Junior, Waukee, Iowa
2019-20 Record: 18-9 (5-3 in NSIC duals)
5th Place 2020 Super Region Tournament
Coaches Comments: Zach has always been a great teammate and contributor for this team, his hard work and dedication were on full display this season and his teammates took notice. Zach has shown the next group of Mavericks what consistency and hard work really looks like at this level.
Top Newcomer :
Cooper Siebrecht, Freshman, Lisbon, Iowa
2019-20 Record: 21-9 Record (6-2 in NSIC duals)
5th Place at 2020 Super Region Tournament
Coaches Comments: There were high expectations for Cooper after a super successful Redshirt year, he did not disappoint and positioned himself to be a real leader for this program in the coming years. Cooper showed a lot of grit and toughness battling some injuries this year, he is a true competitor. There was great competition during the conference season, his only conference losses came to the #2 and #8 nationally ranked wrestlers.
Top Redshirt :
Kyle Cavanaugh, Freshman, Caledonia, Minn.
2019-20 Record: 19-6 Record unattached in open tournaments
Coaches Comments: Kyle is another young talented wrestler that could make a big impact on this program in the future. After a highly successful High School career (two state titles), he transitioned into college wrestling like we’d hoped, wrestling a lot and winning a lot. Kyle is taking full advantage of great upperclassmen workout partners and will be expected to push Rathman and Siebrecht next season.
Purple Heart :
Matt Blome, Junior, Mount Horeb, Wis.
2019-20 Record: 5-7 (6-2 in NSIC duals)
5th Place at 2020 Super Region Tournament | 2017 NCAA All-American, 2018 NCAA Qualifier
(In 2019, suffered a very serious season-ending leg injury in early October))
Coaches Comments: It’s hard to describe the real extent of Matt’s injury last year and the effect it had on him and our team, he was missed in a big way and had a big hole to dig himself out of. The chances were very slim that Matt would ever wrestle again, let alone compete at a high level, he surpassed everyone’s expectations for this season and then some. There were a lot of lonely hours in rehab and extra workouts with teammates and coaches to try to get back to full strength. Matt had a great season and just fell a little short of reaching the National Tournament, but his wrestling success pales in comparison to the impact he made on our team with his example of determination.
Most Valuable :
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Kyle Rathman, Junior, Apple Valley, Minn.
2019-20 Record: 16-4 (6-2 in NSIC duals)
2nd Place 2020 Super Region Tournament | 2019 NCAA All-American | 2020 NCAA National Qualifier | 2020 NWCA All-American
Coaches Comments: Kyle continues to establish himself as a special competitor, he is fearless. Kyle’s aggressive style has made the difference in several dual meets and his competitive attitude spreads to his teammates. Kyle had a real chance to win a National Title this year, he will continue to work hard and improve and his goal will be to win every match he wrestles next year.
Coaches Award: “Commitment to Excellence on the mat and in the classroom, Service to others, Leadership” :
Trent McManus & Trevor Turriff, Sophomore, De Pere, Wis.
2019-20 Record: 18-6 (6-2 in NSIC duals)
2nd Place 2020 Super Region Tournament 2020 NCAA National Qualifier
Coaches Comments: Trevor does so many things right: he is committed – spending extra time on his craft, he cares about his teammates, he is coachable, he excels in the classroom, he is a leader on and off the mat while also helping the coaching staff with team matters. Lastly, Trevor is a great example in competition, he is aggressive and exciting.
Coaches Comments: Trent sacrificed a lot to make #125 but then showed what commitment and trust can develop into. Trent was incredibly coachable this season and bought into the process the coaches laid out for him. His belief in the process and the work he put in was ultimately what lead him to a new level of success, he just would not be denied at the Region Tournament, it was special for the team to witness.
Check out Mavericks Wrestling at msumavericks.com and on Twitter.
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