Final Brackets
Final Team Standings

KEARNEY, Neb. – Northern State University sophomore Matt Meuleners turned back the No. 3 and No. 1 ranked wrestlers in the nation on Saturday en-route to his first career NCAA Division II national title, winning the heavyweight division at the 2011 NCAA championships, which concluded on Saturday.  Meuleners, who also earned his second career All-America status, became the Wolves' first ever NCAA Division II national champion.

Meuleners started the day with a tight 2-1 win over third-ranked Charlie Alexander of Western State College in the second set of tiebreaker periods.  That win put him in the title bout and earned him his third match-up against top-ranked and St. Cloud State University rival Jacob Kahnke.

Kahnke, who spend the majority of the season atop the national rankings in the heavyweight division, had given Meuleners two of his four losses on the season, including a 6-4 win in the championship match at the Super Region 3 tournament – the qualifying tournament for this weekend's national round.

For Meuleners, however, the third time was definitely the charm.  Down 3-1 heading into the third and final period of regulation, Meuleners chose to start the period in the bottom position and earned a quick escape to make it a 3-2 match.  He then scored the winning takedown with less than 40 seconds remaining in the two-minute period and held on for the victory.

The Young America native was an All-American at 197 pounds last season and becomes the third NSU wrestler to win a national title, although the first at the Division II level.  His title helped the Wolves finish 15th in the final team standings.