Saint John's wrestles at Concordia's Cobber Last Shot Invitational at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, in Moorhead. – Live Results | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's won three of the dual's final four matches to top Buena Vista 26-23 back on Jan. 22 in Storm Lake, Iowa.

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.

NEW REGIONAL RANKINGS: Five Johnnies were listed in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Region 7 rankings posted today (Feb. 6): Krueger, No. 1 at 133; Holmquist, No. 3 at 125; Wayne, No. 4 at 197; and Gellerman, No. 8 at 184.

WHO WILL BE THERE: The Johnnies and Cobbers are scheduled to be joined Saturday by NAIA Bismarck State (N.D.), Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.), NAIA Dickinson State (N.D.), Division II Jamestown (N.D.), Division II MSU-Moorhead, Northland C.T.C. and Ridgewater.

LAST YEAR'S TOURNEY: Six Johnnies collected top-three finishes at last year's Last Shot Invitational held on Feb. 8 (2025) in Moorhead. Wayne won the heavyweight title with a 3-0 record, including two pins, to improve his record to 19-5 on the season. He started the day with a pair of falls and bounced back from a previous 4-2 loss to the Cobbers' Mason Swanson with a 9-3 victory in the championship bout.

Senior Zachariah Hunter (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) led SJU with four wins on the day (4-1), all pins, to take second in the six-man round robin at 184 pounds. Krueger finished second with a 1-1 record at 133 pounds and classmate Kris Castro (Simi Valley, Calif./Chaminade) did the same with a 2-1 mark at 157. 

Senior Marcus Hayes (Katy, Texas/Cypress Lakes) claimed second in the four-man round robin at 125 pounds with a 2-1 record and sophomore Laiken Copeman (Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa) took third with the same mark at 174.