MADISON, Wis. – Third-ranked Steven Monk extended his match-winning streak to 15 for the Bison, but the No. 20/21 North Dakota State wrestling team fell to the No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers, 23-17, in a nonconference dual Sunday, Feb. 2, at the UW Field House.
The Bison (7-4) ended a five-match dual winning streak with the loss, including their first dual loss since December, 2013.
NDSU trailed by 12 points heading into 149 pounds, before senior Tyler Diamond got the Bison on the board with an 11-5 decision over TJ Ruschell.
Monk and junior 184-pounder Kurtis Julson cut the Bison deficit to eight on two separate occasions. Monk earned a technical fall in the third period – improving his overall record this season to 22-1 – and No. 27 Julson won by a 4-3 decision to cut the score to 19-11.
Redshirt freshman No. 30 Tyler Lehmann earned a pin in the third period over Wisconsin’s Timmy McCall at 197 pounds to give the Bison a chance in the final dual at 285 pounds. It was the fifth pin he has registered out of six duals he’s wrestled for NDSU this season.
Trailing 19-17 in the final bout, NDSU junior No. 28 Evan Knutson kept it close initially by trailing 4-1 after the first period. No. 10 Connor Medbery of Wisconsin took over in the second period and came out with a 10-1 major decision for the Badgers to help them escape with a hard-fought dual win.
The Bison continue Western Wrestling Conference duals next weekend as they travel to take on Utah Valley on Friday, Feb. 7, and Northern Colorado Sunday, Feb. 9.
Wisconsin 23, North Dakota State 17
125: No. 10 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) won by major decision over Hunter Weber (NDSU), 15-4
133: No. 6 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) won by tech fall over Justin LaValle (NDSU), 19-4 (7:00)
141: Jesse Thielke (Wisconsin) won by decision over Clay Cathey (NDSU), 10-4
149: Tyler Diamond (NDSU) won by decision over TJ Ruschell (Wisconsin), 11-5
157: No. 6 Issac Jordan (Wisconsin) won by major decision over Nick Olejnik (NDSU), 11-3
165: No. 3 Steven Monk (NDSU) won by tech fall over Frank Cousins (Wisconsin), 16-0 (6:21)
174: Scott Liegel (Wisconsin) won by decision over No. 9 Hayden Zillmer (NDSU), 3-2
184: No. 27 Kurtis Julson (NDSU) won by decision over Jackson Hein (Wisconsin), 4-3
197: No 30 Tyler Lehmann (NDSU) won by fall over Timothy McCall (Wisconsin), 6:04
285: No. 10 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) won by major decision over No. 28 Evan Knutson (NDSU), 10-1