The Johnnie wrestling team travels north to face Itasca C.C. for a 1 p.m. dual this Friday, Jan. 27, in Grand Rapids.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Two Saint John's wrestlers – juniors Ben Gilbertson (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) and Hayden LeMonds (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael Albertville) – finished second at the Johnnies' annual North Country Open this past Sunday (Jan. 22) in Sexton Arena. The tournament consisted of 125 wrestlers from all three NCAA divisions and junior college.

Gilbertson started his day at 184 pounds with a 25-6 technical fall and edged Brett Graham from Division II MSU-Moorhead with a 5-4 decision in the semifinal, before falling to Division II St. Cloud State's Bryce Fitzpatrick by a 4-1 score in the final. He now boasts a team-leading 12 wins (12-8 record) this season.

In the silver bracket at 174 pounds, LeMonds posted a 7-5 decision in his first-round match and pinned Wayne Mellon from MSU-Moorhead to reach the final, where he suffered a narrow 7-5 defeat to St. Cloud State's Sebastian Zamorano.

SJU'S PROBABLE LINEUP: The Johnnies are scheduled to send these eight Johnnies to Grand Rapids Friday.

125: Freshman Teagyn Ludwig (7-8)
133: Open
141: Freshman Andrew LeMire (2-6)
149: Open
157: Sophomore Logan Thorsten (5-9)
165: Sophomore Nate Langer (2-9)
174: Freshman Dan Miller (2-11)
184: Junior Ben Gilbertson (12-8)
197: Freshman Zachariah Hunter (1-4)
285: Sophomore Thomas Allen (1-13)