St. Cloud State University

Wrestling

WRESTLING: Huskies Name Captains for 2009-10

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Gabe Suarez

Head Coach Steve Costanzo announced today, the naming of four captains for the 2009-10 wrestling season at St. Cloud State University.  Returning captains will be junior Gabe Suarez (Las Vegas, Nev./Cimarron H.S.) and junior John Sundgren (Blaine, Minn./H.S.).  Joining them will be junior Derek Skala (Owatonna, Minn./H.S.) and sophomore Tad Merritt (Canby, Minn./H.S.).

Suarez will be a captain for the 3^rd time in his career at SCSU.  Last season he finished with a 27-11 record while qualifying for the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the second year in a row at 141-pounds.  Suarez was crowned champion at the Cobber Open, Menlo Open and the Super Region III Regional Qualifier.  He was also named to the NSIC All-Conference Team. 

"Gabe leads by example.  One of the first things you notice about Gabe is his intensity and work ethic," Costanzo said.

Sundgren is serving as a captain for his second straight season.  Sundgren is a 2-time national qualifier and returning All-American for the Huskies.  Last season he had an impressive 33-9 record with 14 falls at 157-pounds.  Sundgren finished first at the Cobber, Dragon and Menlo Invite last season.  He is also a 2-time Academic All-American. 

"John does great things on and off the mat.  He is a great leader in the classroom, the community and in the practice room," Costanzo said.

Skala will be serving as a captain for the first time in his career at SCSU.  Skala finished last season with a 27-9 record at 174-pounds, and he brought home first place honors at the Bison Open and the Menlo Invite.  Skala was also named a 2009 All-American after finishing 7^th at the 2009 NCAA Division II National Tournament. 

"Derek is well respected by his peers, he is a great athlete who is a joy to be around.  Derek will be an outstanding role model for his teammates,"  Costanzo said.

Merritt, the Huskies highest returning All-American will be making his first appearance as a captain for the SCSU Wrestling program.  Merritt finished last year with a school record 38 wins and a school record 17 pins.  Merritt brought home championship honors from the Cobber Open, Husky Open and the Menlo Invite.  He was a 2009 All-American finishing in 3^rd place at the NCAA championships at 165-pounds. 

"Tad is a very driven individual.  He lives his life according to a standard of excellence and settles for nothing less.  He will be a great leader for his teammates to follow."

As a team, the Huskies placed eighth at the 2009 NCAA Division II championships and also placed second at the 2009 NCAA Division regional tournament.  Overall, the Huskies posted an 8-5 dual record and a 5-2 record in the always competitive NSIC under the leadership of third-year head coach Steve Costanzo. 

<< Previous  |  Archive  |  Next >>

Free E-Mail Updates

If you would like FREE e-mail updates about SCSU athletics, visit our Husky Sports Updates page for information on how to sign up to be on the listserv.