MOORHEAD, Minn.– North Dakota State 149-pounder Kyle Gilva, 174 Grant Nehring and 184 Charley Popp, along with unattached 125 Paul Bianchi and unattached 133 Cam Sykora each claimed individual titles on Saturday, Nov. 19, in the Finn Grinaker Open/Gold Division at Concordia College. The Bison had 17 wrestlers place in the top five including a pair of runner-up performances and four third place efforts.
Gliva, a redshirt junior from Inver Grove Heights, Minn. (Simley H.S.), went 3-0 during the tournament including a 3-2 decision over James Pieski of St. Cloud State in the finals. Gliva improved to 7-0 this season.
Popp, a redshirt sophomore from Crystal Lake, Ill. (Park Ridge H.S.), compiled a 5-0 record in his first action of the season including a 17-8 major decision over Northern State’s David Murphy in the first place match.
Bianchi, a freshman from Two Rivers, Wis. (Two Rivers H.S.), collected a pair of falls in three wins including a pin at 4:32 over St. Cloud State’s Joel Salomon in the championship match. Bianchi improved to 6-1 with three pins
Sykora, a redshirt freshman from Wheaton, Minn. (Wheaton H.S.), went 3-0 during the tournament including a pair of tech falls and a pin of Minnesota State Moorhead’s Aaron Sistrunk in the finals at 1:38. Sykora is now 6-1 this season with a pair of pins and four tech falls.
North Dakota State redshirt freshman 141 David Flynn went 2-1 to place second in the Finn Grinaker Open/Gold Division, while fellow redshirt freshmen, 184 Vincent Feola, 197 Alex Bleeker and 285 Dan Stribal, all placed third. Another redshirt freshman, 141 Wyatt Becker was third in Maroon Division.