COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's wrestling earned its first dual win of the season with a 43-8 trouncing of No. 26 (NJCAA) Itasca C.C. on Friday, Jan. 12, in Sexton Arena.

SJU (1-2 dual record) recorded a pair of pins and Itasca (0-2 dual record) forfeited four weights.

Sophomore Anthony Hennen (Cologne, Minn./Norwood-Young America) started the dual with a 15-2 major decision at 141 pounds. SJU bounced back from an injury default at 149 pounds with a pin from freshman Brandon Ortman (Pierz, Minn.) at 157 and three consecutive forfeits to gain a 28-6 lead. Ortman was down 12-4 after the first period and 12-7 when he earned the fall at the 4:35 mark.

Junior Luke Dodd (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview), who is ranked as high as seventh nationally at 184 pounds, bumped up to 197 and fell to the Vikings' Corey Schmidt, 10-6.

Sophomore Dominic Skawiniak (Rogers, Minn.) bumped up to heavyweight and put the Johnnies back in the win column with a pin in 3:58.

Sophomore Andrew Smith (Amery, Wis.) wrapped up the dual with a 13-10 win over ICC's Tanner Reetz, who is ranked eighth in the NJCAA at 133 pounds. Smith had a pair of six-point leads, 6-0 and 10-4, but Reetz recorded a takedown and four-point near fall near the end of the second period to tie the match at 10-10. Reetz chose down to start the third period, but Smith scored a reversal with 55 seconds remaining and earned an extra point for riding time to improve to 10-5 on the year.

Sophomore Jerod Novak (Aitkin, Minn.) went 2-0 on the night, thanks to a forfeit at 165 pounds in the dual and an 11-1 major decision in an exhibition match.

SJU travels south to compete at an open tournament hosted by Minnesota West Community & Technical College at 9 a.m. next Saturday, Jan. 20, in Worthington. The Johnnies' neutral-site dual against St. Olaf, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18, at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, has been postponed. A makeup date has not been set.

Saint John's (SJU) 43, Itasca C.C. (ICC) 8
125: Noah Becker (SJU) won by forfeit [40-9]
133: Andrew Smith (SJU) dec. Tanner Reetz (No. 8), 13-10 [43-8]*
141: Anthony Hennen (SJU) major dec. Scott Jones, 15-2 [4-0]
149: Ethan Kiehm (ICC) injury def. Jake Fernholz [4-6]
157: Brandon Ortman (SJU) pinned Dylan Kislia, 4:35 [10-6]
165: Jerod Novak (SJU) won by forfeit [16-6]
174: Brady Mehr (SJU) won by forfeit [22-6]
184: Dan Gainer (SJU) won by forfeit [28-6]
197: Corey Schmidt (ICC) dec. Luke Dodd (No. 7/9 at 184), 10-6 [28-9]
285: Dominic Skawiniak (SJU) pinned Hunter Koski, 3:58 [34-9]
^the dual started at 141 pounds
*Itasca was deducted one team point for unsportsmanlike conduct following the 133-pound match

Exhibition
157: Jerod Novak (SJU) major dec. Ethan Kiehm, 11-1