EVANSTON, Ill. – North Dakota State senior 165-pounder Steven Monk earned a decision over Northern Iowa’s Cooper Moore at the Midlands Championships on Monday afternoon to advance to the final round of the country’s most prestigious holiday wrestling tournament.
The top-seeded and No. 5-ranked Monk will face No. 2-seeded and No. 4/6 ranked Nick Moore of Iowa this evening. Big Ten Network will broadcast the finals live beginning at 8 p.m. (CT).
Monk is attempting to become the first NDSU wrestler to win a title at the Midlands Championships. He placed fourth at the tournament in each of the last two seasons.
The senior from Wausau, Wis., enters tonight’s championship match with a 15-1 record this season, improving his career mark to 113-23 (.831 winning percentage). He ranks second in NDSU history in wins. Moore owns a record of 9-1 this season.
NDSU’s Hayden Zillmer (174) and Kurtis Julson (184) each remained alive in the wrestleback brackets with victories on Monday afternoon.
Updated brackets: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/