STORM LAKE, Iowa – Saint John's wrestling won three of the dual's final four matches to top Buena Vista 26-23 on Thursday night, Jan. 22.

Down 17-12, freshman Isaac Hunter (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) started the rally with a technical fall – 20-3 in 4:17 - at 174 pounds to tie the dual at 17-17 and improve to 15-6 on the year. 

A forfeit at 184 pounds, however, gave the lead back to the Beavers (3-8 dual record), 23-17. Junior Aidan Wayne (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) cut the deficit to three with a 10-4 decision – his team-leading 27th win over the season (27-4 record) – at 197 pounds. That left the heroics to sophomore Zeke Conner (Tyler, Texas/Bishop Gorman), who posted a pin in 22 seconds at heavyweight to give SJU (4-6 dual record) the win.

Junior Connor Krueger (Superior, Wis.) put the Johnnies on the scoreboard with a second-period pin at 133 pounds, moving his season record to 16-1, and classmate Xavier Jones (Annandale, Minn.) followed with a fall of his own 1:21 into his match at 141.

Sophomore Thomas Holmquist (22-4 record at 125; Mendota Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) and freshman Carson Gellerman (17-3 record at 184; Becker, Minn./Big Lake) did not wrestle due to injury and/or illness.

The Johnnies return to the mat in two weeks at Concordia's Cobber Last Shot Invitational at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, in Moorhead.

Saint John's (SJU) 26, Buena Vista (BVU) 23
125: Tyler Japp (BVU) tech. fall Marcus Hayes, 21-6/4:45 [0-5]
133: Connor Krueger (SJU) pinned Jack Decker, 4:13 [6-5]
141: Xavier Jones (SJU) pinned Jaxon Cozad, 1:21 [12-5]
149: Ben Bouaphakeo (BVU) dec. Dominic Smith, 7-5 [12-8]
157: LaTravion Agu (BVU) dec. Josiah Solliday, 17-10 [12-11]
165: Hayden Stout (BVU) won by forfeit [12-17]
174: Isaac Hunter (SJU) tech. fall Cameron Campos, 20-3/4:17 [17-17]
184: Trevor Kruse (BVU) won by forfeit [17-23]
197: Aidan Wayne (SJU) dec. Luis Salazar, 10-4 [20-23]
285: Zeke Conner (SJU) pinned Colton O'Hern, 0:22 [26-23]