Saint John's wrestling opens the 2024-25 season with a pair of home events this weekend, beginning with a 7 p.m. dual vs. Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday, Nov. 9, in the Donald McNeely Spectrum. The Johnnies then host the Haws/Elton Rumble at noon Sunday, Nov. 10, in Sexton Arena. – Live Results (Sunday)

WINTER CLOTHING DRIVE ON SATURDAY: Fans planning to attend this Saturday's Saint John's home football, basketball and wrestling competitions are asked to donate new or gently-used winter clothing items for families in need in the greater Central Minnesota community.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Logan Thorsten and D.J. Myles bring experience. A host of new faces provide fresh energy.

It's a combination the Saint John's University wrestling team is hoping leads to a successful season in 2024-25.

Here is a full look at the 2024-25 team:

Sophomore Duo
A pair SJU sophomores, Owen Herbst (Buffalo, Minn.) and Connor Krueger (Superior, Wis.), finished eighth at the NCAA Upper Midwest Regional as freshmen last March. Krueger totaled a team-best 22-11 record, primarily at 141 pounds, and Herbst was named a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American, SJU's 30th over the last 16 seasons. Herbst tallied an 11-4 record at 174 pounds, including seven pins. One of the pins was the fastest in school history – eight seconds. 

Senior Leadership
Seniors D.J. Myles (Dayton, Minn./Champlin Park) and Logan Thorsten (Foley, Minn.) will provide the seasoned leadership for SJU in 2024-25. Thorsten totaled a 15-8 record at 165 pounds last season and begins his senior campaign with a 41-35 career mark. A two-sport student-athlete, Myles will again face a shortened wrestling season due to his role a Johnnie linebacker for the nationally-ranked football team. He went 8-7 at 197 pounds last season and has a 26-22 career record with 14 pins on the mat.

Others in Double Digits
Four other Johnnies recorded double digits in wins last season and return in 2024-25. Junior Zachariah Hunter (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) registered a 15-8 record at 197 pounds a year ago and was second on the team with 10 pins. He posted a 12-4 mark against Division III competition. Classmate Andy Johnson (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) went 11-10 at 174 pounds, including a 7-3 against fellow Division III wrestlers, and tied with Thorsten for the team lead with four major decisions.

Two others joined Herbst and Krueger with success as freshmen. Sophomore Kris Castro (Simi Valley, Calif./Chaminade) tallied a 16-13 record, primarily at 157 pounds, with a 9-3 mark against non-Division III competition. Sophomore Aidan Wayne (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo), meanwhile, went 14-11 with nine pins at 197 pounds.

The 2024-25 Schedule
SJU begins the 2024-25 season with a home dual Nov. 9 against Nebraska and hosts the Haws/Elton Rumble the following day (Nov. 10) in Collegeville. The Johnnies hit the road for the rest of fall semester – Nov. 23 at Wisconsin-Eau Claire's 8-Man Battle and Dec. 7 at Division II MSU-Moorhead's Dragon Open – and continue with a trip to Iowa Jan. 4 for Central's Under Armour Invitational. SJU travels north Jan. 7 for a dual against Minnesota North-Itasca before the home schedule returns the weekend of Jan. 18-19. Buena Vista (Iowa) visits Sexton Arena for a dual that Saturday evening ahead of the North Country Invitational on Sunday. 

The Johnnies make back-to-back trips to Moorhead for a Feb. 4 dual at Concordia and the Cobbers' Last Shot Invitational Feb. 8, and compete Feb. 9 at Minnesota West C.T.C. A road dual Feb. 13 at Ridgewater serves as the precursor to the NCAA Upper Midwest Regional Feb. 28-March 1 at Augsburg. 

REGIONAL RANKINGS: Three Johnnies were listed in the first National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Region 7 rankings released Oct. 28: Krueger was ranked second at 141 pounds, Herbst was fifth at 174 and Wayne was sixth at 184.

A LOOK AT THE PRAIRIE WOLVES: Nebraska Wesleyan ended the 2023-24 season with a 2-9 (1-7 ARC) dual record and was picked to finish ninth out of nine teams in this year's American Rivers Conference preseason coaches' poll. First-year head coach Colton McCrystal returns a pair of seniors with double-digit wins in Jared Gallub and Travis Guzman. Gallub totaled an 18-12 record at 149 pounds, while Guzman went 13-20 with a tournament win at 149/157.

WHO WILL BE HERE SUNDAY: The Johnnies and Prairie Wolves will be joined by Minnesota North-Itasca, Division II Sioux Falls (S.D.) and Saskatchewan.