Bengtson, Zillmer Pins Lead Bison Past Boise State 30-12
FARGO, N.D.–North Dakota State University used pins from 141-pound Mitch Bengtson and 184 Hayden Zillmer, along with a pair of forfeits to defeat Boise State University 30-12 in a non-conference dual match Sunday, Jan. 18, before 418 spectators at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
NDSU has won three duals in a row to improve to 4-3. The Bison are scheduled to host Cal Poly at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at the BBF. The Mustangs were 1-8 heading into Sunday’s Pac-12 dual with Stanford.
The dual started at 149 pounds, where North Dakota State redshirt freshman Clay Ream (Wentzville, Mo.) picked up a forfeit win to put the Bison ahead 6-0. Ream improved to 17-9 overall and 6-1 in duals.
However, Pac-12 member Boise State (2-4) rebounded with a pair of victories to knot things at 6-6. The Broncos’ 157 Steven Hernandez defeated NDSU redshirt sophomore Steven Keogh (Thief River Falls, Minn.) 11-5, while BSU 165 Chris Castillo recorded a 7-3 win over Bison redshirt freshman Grant Nehring (Kimball, Minn.).
That’s where North Dakota State 174 senior Kurtis Julson (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) got things back on track with a hard-fought 3-2 decision over Austin Dewey. That win put the Bison ahead 9-6. Julson improved to 12-7 overall and 4-3 in duals.
Zillmer, a junior from Crosby, Minn., followed and took care of things quickly against Boise State’s Xavier Callejas with a pin at 1:25 in the first period to extend NDSU’s lead to 15-6. It was the second straight pin for 9th-ranked Zillmer and sixth overall. He improved to 23-4 overall and 7-0 in duals this season.
Boise State cut the lead to 15-9 as the Broncos’ 197, 9th-ranked Cody Dixon posted a 9-4 decision over redshirt freshman Tommy Petersen (Lakeville, Minn.).
North Dakota State senior 285 Evan Knutson (Wausau, Wis.) recorded a 4-0 win over Gaberiel Gonzalez. Knutson improved to 17-7 overall and 5-2 in duals. Then Bison sophomore 125 Josh Rodriguez (Guadalupe, Calif.) received a forfeit and the NDSU lead grew to 24-9. Rodriguez has won six straight to improve to 11-5 overall and 6-1 in duals.
Boise State cut the lead in half to 24-12 when Michael Cook outlasted sophomore Hunter Weber (Marshall, Wis.) 4-2 in the 133-pound weight class.
Bison redshirt freshman 141 Mitch Bengtson (St. Cloud, Minn.) closed the dual with a bang and recorded his eighth pin of the season at 3:44 over Jared Jonshoy. Bengtson improved to 16-9 overall and 4-3 in duals this year.
North Dakota State 30, Boise State 12
149: Clay Ream (NDSU), Forfeit
157: Steven Hernandez (Boise State) over Steven Keogh (NDSU) (Dec 11-5)
165: Chris Castillo (Boise State) over Grant Nehring (NDSU), Dec 7-3
174: Kurtis Julson (NDSU) over Austin Dewey (Boise State), Dec 3-2
184: Hayden Zillmer (NDSU) over Xavier Callejas (Boise State), Fall 1:25
197: Cody Dixon (Boise State) over Tommy Petersen (NDSU), Dec 9-4
285: Evan Knutson (NDSU) over Gabriel Gonzalez (Boise State), Dec 4-0
125: Joshua Rodriguez (NDSU), Forfeit
133: Michael Cook (Boise State) over Hunter Weber (NDSU), Dec 4-2
141: Mitch Bengtson (NDSU) over Jared Jonshoy (Boise State), Fall 3:44
Match started at 149 pounds