#1 Ranked SCSU Wrestlers Seeking Sixth National Championship

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- For the past decade, one of the nation's strongest Division II wrestling programs has been St. Cloud State University. They've won five national championships and are ranked #1 in the country again this season.

Colby Njos is an Anoka native. He's ranked #1 at the 149-pound class in his final year with the program. He says winning a national team title would cap off a great collegiate career.

We won it in 2021 and that was the first year I All-Americaned. I really want these younger guys to be able to experience what it feels like to win a team title. That was one of the coolest experiences that I have gotten to be a part of here in St. Cloud.

Njos is a two-time All-American. He's got his Bachelor's Degree in construction management and is pursuing an MBA.

St. Cloud State University

Nick Novak is from New Prague. He won an individual national title in 2023 and is ranked #2 this year at the 165-pound class, which is a new weight for him.

Last year after nationals, making weight was a little difficult and I talked to some of the coaches, and our 165-pounder from last year graduated, so I decided to go up and eat nice and lifting.

Novak is in his final season on the team, but next year he's hoping to join the coaching team at SCSU as he finishes up his degree in mechanical engineering.

All 10 of SCSU's wrestlers are individually ranked nationally.

SCSU's National Team Titles:
2015
2016
2018
2019
2021

The team will be putting its #1 national ranking to the test this weekend. Associate Head Coach Brady Wilson says they are heading to Iowa Friday for the National Dual Meet.

Pretty much the 16 best teams in Division II wrestling will be in the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. We've won the tournament in the past, last year we were third. We really don't know how good we are until we go down to the National Duals and compete there. Then we know what we've got going forward for the rest of the season.

The Huskies have some big dual meets coming up on their schedule including hosting #7 Augustana on January 18th and hosting #3 UW-Parkside on January 31St. Both of those matches are at Halenbeck Hall. They also have to travel to #5 Nebraska Kearney on January 25th.

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