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THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK WRESTLING... The Peacocks have just one dual remaining prior to the postseason as they pursue a fourth Northern Sun Championship since joining the conference prior to the 2005-06 season. Upper Iowa will travel to St. Cloud State University on Thursday, Feb. 11, to close out the regular season with a dual against the #2 Huskies. Since Upper Iowa's move up to NCAA Division II, the Peacocks and Huskies have met 14 times; SCSU owns a 9-5 record against UIU. The Huskies have won 8 straight against the Peacocks dating back to Feb. 13, 2011 including three in Fayette, three at the NWCA National Duals and a pair in St. Cloud.
99 & COUNTING… Jordan Rinken, a redshirt senior and four-year starter for the Peacocks, is on the verge of hitting the century mark for wins at Upper Iowa. The Waverly-Shell Rock product is 99-35 in his career with 29 falls, 12 tech falls and 15 major decisions. Rinken is enjoying a solid senior campaign with a 15-2 record including 10 bonus-points wins (3 falls, 5 techs, 2 majors).
THE MAN FROM MOSINEE… Zak Benitz, a native of Mosinee, Wis., leads the Peacocks with a 29-6 record including 15 bonus-point wins with 5 falls, 4 tech falls and 6 major decisions. Currently ranked #5 in the latest NWCA polls, Benitz is on an 11-match win streak and has scored 43 points for the Peacocks in those matches.
LOOKING IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR... Upper Iowa has earned 14 wins in their 15 duals with the lone blemish coming to Maryville University, 33-10, at the NWCA National Duals; the Saints were ranked #1 at the time. Upper Iowa has posted wins over six ranked opponents in #14 Wheeling Jesuit University (24-15), #18 Newberry College (24-13), #12 Tiffin University (29-15), the #3 University of Nebraska-Kearney and #15 Minnesota State (18-17), as well as the #4 (NCAA Division III) University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (22-14).
Zak Benitz, ranked #5 nationally, has a team-high 29 wins this season at 165 pounds, while
Damian Penichet and
Colbey Vance are in close pursuit with 26 and 24 wins, respectively.
Maleek Williams and
Jordan Rinken continue to boast the low mark for losses with none in five matches for Williams, who returned to the mat against #15 Minnesota State after a medical scare put his season in question in early November, and two in seventeen bouts for Rinken. Vance leads the team with 16 bonus-point wins including a team-high 7 major decisions, while Benitz is right behind with 15.
Matt Paulus (#8 NWCA),
Jordan Roths and Vance have all claimed a share of the high in falls with 7, while Rinken has scored 5 tech falls.
HUSKIES BARKING LOUDLY... St. Cloud State is ranked #2 in the nation in the latest NWCA Division II Top 20 poll. Individually, the Huskies boast five nationally ranked wrestlers including
Tim Prescott (#1 at 125),
Jay Hildreth (#5 at 149),
Clint Poster (#1 at 165),
Clayton Jennissen (#4 at 174) and
Austin Goergen (#1 at 285). The Huskies improved to 14-1 overall and 6-0 in NSIC competition with a pair of wins last week over Southwest Minnesota State University (41-3) and #15 Minnesota State University, Mankato (30-5). St. Cloud State has scored 251 points (41.8/dual) while only allowing 18 (3/dual) to their six opponents. In comparison, Upper Iowa has a combined score of 213-79 (30.4-11.3/dual) to reach their undefeated mark in seven NSIC matches. SCSU will finish it regular season NSIC dual schedule with a Feb. 19 match at 7 p.m. against Augustana University. The Huskies have charted a perfect 29-0 record in league matches since 2011-12. SCSU has not lost a conference dual since Jan. 27, 2011 when Augustana defeated the Huskies 18-13 in Sioux Falls.
PROBABLE LINEUPS...#2 ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY HUSKIES| WT | YR | | W | L | FALL | TF | MD | HOMETOWN |
| 125 | Sr. | #1 Tim Prescott | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | McPherson, Kan. |
| 133 | R-So. | Jarred Oftedahl | 20 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 1 | Chaska, Minn. |
| 141 | R-Sr. | Matt Nelson | 10 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | Big Lake, Minn. |
| 149 | Sr. | #5 Jay Hildreth | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | Council Bluffs, Iowa |
| 157 | So. | Larry Bomstad | 15 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | Lake Lillian, Minn. |
| 165 | R-Sr. | #1 Clint Poster | 29 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 3 | Pierz, Minn. |
| 174 | R-Jr. | #4 Clayton Jennissen | 23 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 8 | Cambridge, Minn. |
| 184 | R-Jr. | Uthman Rabiu | 16 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 6 | St. Paul, Minn. |
| 197 | R-Sr. | V.J. Giulio | 17 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 4 | American Falls, Idaho |
| 285 | R-Jr. | #1 Austin Goergen | 26 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 1 | Caledonia, Minn. |
#8 UPPER IOWA PEACOCKS| WT | YR | | W | L | FALL | TF | MD | HOMETOWN |
| 125 | R-So. | Lincoln Monroe | 10 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | West Union, Iowa |
| OR | Jr. | Garrett Wangsness | 12 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Albert Lea, Minn. |
| OR | R-Fr. | Maleek Williams | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Miami, Fla. |
| 133 | R-Sr. | #8 Matt Paulus | 14 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 2 | New Hampton, Iowa |
| OR | R-Sr. | Mitch Funk | 15 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | Elkader, Iowa |
| 141 | R-Jr. | Jordan Roths | 21 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 2 | New Hampton, Iowa |
| 149 | R-Fr. | Damian Penichet | 26 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | Miami. Fla. |
| 157 | R-Sr. | Jordan Rinken | 15 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | Denver, Iowa. |
| 165 | R-Jr. | #5 Zak Benitz | 29 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | Mosinee, Wis. |
| 165 | R-So. | Nick Georgean | 13 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | Erie, Ill. |
| 174 | R-Jr. | Colbey Vance | 24 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 7 | Bettendorf, Iowa |
| 184 | R-Jr. | Dalton Westerlund | 18 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | Albert Lea, Minn. |
| 197 | Fr. | Ryan Parmely | 9 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Delhi, Iowa |
| OR | R-Fr. | Maurice Wilburn III | 5 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Gary, Ind. |
| 285 | Fr. | Avery Jacobs | 4 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | New London, Iowa |
NEXT UP... After the Peacocks wrap up the regular season on Thursday night, the team will have two weeks to prep for the NCAA Super Regional 3 hosted in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Feb. 27-28.
