BATSUKH ’06 HONORED AS COLLEGIATE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Earns Award after picking up his third national title

April 1, 2011

Minga Batsukh, a 2006 graduate of St. Benedict’s who earned his third NCAA Division III championship last month for St. John’s University (Minn.), was honored as the D-3 Wrestler of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

Batsukh, who earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award after winning the national title on March 12, become the 11th wrestler to ever win three NCAA Division 3 titles. He won this year’s crown at 149 pounds after claiming the 2009 and '10 championships at 141 pounds.

The native of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Batsukh finished his senior year with a 26-1 record. He avenged his only loss of the season in the national semifinals when he defeated Blaine Woszczak (Wall, NJ) of Ithaca College, 6-5. He then went out and dominated Tony Valek, 7-4, in the final to wrap up the OW Award by scoring a staggering 66 points in the tournament in La Crosse, Wis.

Batsukh also finished 12th in voting – 1st among D-3 wrestlers – for the overall wrestler of the year award, which includes all NCAA divisions, by InterMat Magazine. Nebraska's two-time national champion Jordan Burroughs, a native of South Jersey, received the top billing by InterMat.

– By Ron Jandoli