Saint John's senior wrestler Mike Pleski (Stacy, Minn./Forest Lake) posted one of the Johnnies' three third-place finishes at the annual North Country Open last Saturday (Jan. 30) in Collegeville.
SJU and No. 7 Augsburg supplied the lone NCAA Division III wrestlers in the tournament. The rest of the field featured Division I Minnesota and North Dakota State, as well as Division II Augustana (S.D.), MSU-Mankato, MSU-Moorhead, St. Cloud State and Southwest Minnesota State.
Pleski went 4-1 at 133 pounds to improve to 15-16 on the season. He won his first two matches, both by major decision, before suffering a two-point loss (4-2) in the semifinals to Augsburg's Sam Bennyhoff, the eventual champion. Pleski responded with a pair of one-point wins, including a 5-4 decision over the Gophers' Gresh Jones to place third.
The Johnnies travel to face No. 8 Concordia-Moorhead for a 7 p.m. dual on Wednesday, Feb. 3, and cross the border to compete at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Open this Saturday, Feb. 6.
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