BLANCHARD EARNS ALL-AMERICAN HONORS AT NCAA II NATIONALS

March 16 , 2003

Blanchard

Wheeling City, W. Va. - Northern State's Baron Blanchard (HWT, Jr., Kindred, N.D.) was named as NSU's first All-American since 1999 by placing seventh in the NCAA II National Wrestling meet this weekend in Wheeling City, W.V.

Blanchard, who has been ranked nationally all season, finished the meet with a 2-3 record defeating Colorado School of Mines' Chuck Halstead 6-1, Northern Colorado's Dusty Hoffschnieder 5-2 and Ashland's Aldo Campea 3-0. Blanchard's losses came to Nebraska-Omaha's Les Sigman (6-1) and Gannon's Lyneil Mitchell (Fall 3:20).

Blanchard completed his junior season with a 26-9 overall record and became the first NSU all-American since Dale Daugherty in 1999.

NSU sophomore Cory Wellnitz (197, So., Milbank, S.D.) finished his first national tournament without a win falling to Clinton Salsbury of Findlay by fall (5:30) and to Tim Boldt of South Dakota State 9-1.