New faces give wrestlers boost

The Forum, Fargo, North Dakota

01/10/1997

Bison Notebook, New faces give wrestlers boost
By Jeff Kolpack

North Dakota State enters the serious portion of its wrestling schedule Saturday night with some new-found energy. The juice is being provided by one new face and two old ones.

Freshman Dave Clymer will take over at heavyweight when the Bison host sixth-ranked Northern Colorado at the Bison Sports Arena. Sophomore Brett Svendsen, a North Central Conference place-winner two years ago, was not enrolled at NDSU last year.

Northern Colorado is already in Fargo, so the match should go on as scheduled.

"If both come on and do what we're hoping, they'll make a big difference for us," said Bison coach Bucky Maughan.

Senior Jeff Kapusta has been making a difference for four years. But he's coming off a partial tear of the medial collaterial ligament in his knee, suffered at the Northern Open on Nov. 29. Just being at practice this week has been a Christmas present for Kapusta.

"I thought it was the end of my season for sure," Kapusta said. "I heard it pop. The kid heard it pop and jumped right off. Just look at the history of torn ACLs with the football team. But I think I'm back earlier than expected.

I have two months left in my career and I know I have to pick it up." Kapusta, 7-1, has attained all-America status. Clymer's college career is in the infant stages. He was a two-time Minnesota prep runner-up at Hastings and a USA Cadet World Team champion. He's coming off a recent shoulder injury.

Svendsen edged John Kiesling, a transfer from Minnesota-Duluth, in a wrestle-off Wednesday to earn the starting spot. It was a battle of old friends; they were teammates at Elk River (Minn.) High School.