University of Mary got the signature win of their Division II era on Saturday.  Mary defeated NSIC power and #9 ranked Upper Iowa 21-19.  The win was the Marauders first in school history over Upper Iowa,  and the first over a top ten opponent.

Mary got off to a slow start in the dual that started at 197 pounds.  The Marauders got in an early 10-0 hole by losing the first three matches; one by major decision and the other two by decision.  In the third match of the meet, Mary 125 Nate Humann, a Bismarck, ND native, gave himself a chance to defeat #6 Maleek Williams, but ultimately came up short by 5-3 decision.

From there, the Marauders got to work on the back of their three biggest horses.  133 Tate Barnhardt gave up a first period takedown and ride out to #5 Josh Walker, but it was all Barnhardt from there.  Trailing 3-0 entering the third, Barnhardt took the down position and quickly escaped.  With Walker fighting for air and becoming heavier footed by the second, Barnhardt scored back to back takedowns in the last minute of the match and then rode out Walker for the 5-4 decision.  Barnhardt’s bout was a microcosm of the dual for Mary, as their wrestlers were better in the third period of nearly all the matches wrestled.

At 141, Hunter Eckert started fast and never stopped.  The junior gave Mary its first bonus point victory by 9-1 decision over Aaron Baker Jr.  #2 ranked Rudy Guillen picked up immediately where Eckert left off at 149, pummeling #9 Damian Penichet with takedown after takedown for a 19-7 victory.  Guillen was nearly able to score a technical fall, but a takedown attempt on the edge with short time remaining was reviewed and denied.  The major decision was enough to give Mary its first lead of the match, 11-10.

Mary took what looked to be a back breaker at 157 when Upper Iowa’s Brock Benitz pinned Jordan Hegel in the first period, but Marauder freshman Phillip Springsteen countered the momentum with his own fall at 165.  Springsteen fended off Tucker Black’s takedown attempts in the first, and the period ended 0-0.  In the second, Black took bottom and Springsteeen, an absolute hammer from the top position, scored a fall  with a nasty ball and chain technique.  The fall gave Mary the lead 17-16 with two bouts remaining.

Mary needed breathing room, and got it from Austin Eichmann at 174.  Eichmann, a native of Hastings, MN, scored a major decision 15-5 over Jordan Gundrum.  The major gave Mary a five point cushion with only 184 to wrestle, meaning Upper Iowa would need a technical fall just to draw even.

Though Mary 184 Jackson Schichel wasn’t able to give Mary their sixth win, he kept the score close enough to score a Marauder dual victory,  Schichel was upended by Jamie Gehling 6-2.

Mary will be back in action at the McDowell Activities Center Sunday afternoon at 2:00 \. The Marauders host #23 Minnesota State University Mankato.

197: Nick Baumler (UPIO) over Jacob Green (MARY) (MD 14-5)
285: Triston Westerlund (UPIO) over Dominic Tudor (MARY) (Dec 7-4)
125: Maleek Williams (UPIO) over Nate Humann (MARY) (Dec 5-3)
133: Tate Barnhardt (MARY) over Josh Walker (UPIO) (Dec 5-4)
141: Hunter Eckert (MARY) over Aaron Baker Jr (UPIO) (MD 9-1)
149: Rudy Guillen (MARY) over Damian Penichet (UPIO) (MD 19-7)
157: Brock Benitz (UPIO) over Jordan Hegel (MARY) (Fall 1:16)
165: Phillip Springsteen (MARY) over Tucker Black (UPIO) (Fall 4:39)
174: Austin Eichmann (MARY) over Jordan Gundrum (UPIO) (MD 15-5)
184: Jamie Gehling (UPIO) over Jackson Schichel (MARY) (Dec 6-2)