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Minnesota State University, Mankato
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2/20/07

Page address: https://web.mnsu.edu/sports/takedownclub/news/html/2007/seniors_dominate.html

Seniors Dominate, Wrestlers Wrap Up NCC Title

by Tyler Buckentine
Issue date: 2/20/07
Section: Mens Sports

There couldn't have been a better way for the seniors on the Minnesota State wrestling team to say goodbye to the Taylor Center than to lead their team to a lop-sided shutout win over Southwest Minnesota State.

All four Mavericks seniors - Jeff Pfaffinger, Brandon Girtz, Travis Krinkie, and Ben Janike - picked up wins in convincing fashion as MSU (16-3 overall, 3-0 NCC) trounced the Mustangs 52-0 on Friday. The win tied the school record for dual wins in a season.

"It's pretty emotional for me as a coach," Said MSU coach Jim Makovsky. "You see the seniors like a parent. You see them when they come in and you see so much stuff that's not visible to everyone else outside our program. You see their adversity, and what they face and how they overcome it."

"I'll miss the atmosphere [at the Taylor Center]," Krinkie said. "This place is by far the best Division II facility I've ever been in. The fans too. Every meet we've got, there's people from my hometown coming up to watch me.

Nick Smith got the match off on the right foot for the Mavericks with a 12-3 major decision over Kurt Smith at 125 pounds. Pfaffinger followed it with a major decision of his own, 13-4 over Michel Barrie to get MSU out to a 8-0 lead.

The Mavericks got a pair of tech falls from Travis Elg and Willy Mekeel at 141 and 149 pounds to extend the lead to 18. It was time for another senior to shine when Girtz pinned Chris Fast in 1:15 at 157 pounds to spark a marathon of MSU pins.

Andy Pickar, Tim Matheson, and Krinkie got pins to put the Mavericks up 42-0.

"Getting the pin wasn't as big of deal as just going out and dominating," Krinkie said. "It really put an exclamation point on my career at the Taylor Center. It was better to show every one that I dominated than getting the pin."

Janike, the final senior on the night to wrestle, didn't waste any time at 197 pounds, getting a takedown five seconds into the match, on his way to a 10-2 major decision over C.D. Johnson.

"I got a little tickle in my throat as each of them walked off," Makovsky said. "After the dual you see these guys talking to people who have been coming to follow them their whole career. It's hard but that's the way it goes. Everything they've done, I will forever be grateful for."

Brady Wilson pinned David Marshall in 45 seconds to cap MSU's most lop-sided dual of the season.

Thursday, MSU got a road win at St. Cloud State, 38-3 to clinch the NCC championship. The Mavericks had 29 points before the Huskies could get on the board. Girtz and Matheson led the way for the Mavericks, both getting pins.

MSU's only loss on the night was at 184 pounds when freshman Kevin Wallraff lost a 14-9 decision to Nick Wilkes. Wallraff wrestled three weight classes higher than his listed weight at 157 pounds.

"These teams aren't up to our standards in quality of wrestling, but we couldn't overlook them," Krinkie said. "We prepare the same way all the time. Just because they're not as good as us, we still have to go out and take care of business. It's good for us because we keep rolling and get better every week."

"We're at this portion of the season where we just came off a huge win against Omaha," Makovsky said. "You're caution is that there's going to be a letdown when you wrestle teams like these, but what impressed me is they followed the plan.

"They did it this week. They brought the same match intensity, same preparation and that's important."

Right now, the Mavericks are focused on the North Regional Sunday at Moorhead.

"[Winning the NCC championship] isn't easy," Makovsky said. "It's an accomplishment, but it's never been my focus as a coach to win the conference, and maybe that's a fault of mine but I've always been one to focus on regionals and nationals."

Tyler Buckentine is the Reporter Assistant Sports Editor