FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University head wrestling coach Roger Kish announced that Chase Bittle, Belleville, Ill. (Althoff Catholic H.S.); Austin Brenner, St. Cloud, Minn. (St. Cloud Tech); Noah Cressell, Wabash, Ind. (Wabash H.S.); Dylan Droegemueller, Champlin, Minn. (Anoka H.S.); Jared Franek, West Fargo, N.D. (West Fargo H.S.) and Jimmy Noel, St. Louis, Mo. (Pulaski Academy, Little Rock, Ark.) have all signed National Letters of Intent to attend NDSU and wrestle beginning in the fall of 2018.
AUSTIN BRENNER, 152 pounds (High School) / 165 (Projected College), St. Cloud, Minn. (St. Cloud Tech) … Four-time Minnesota state tournament place winner for St. Cloud Tech including runner-up finish at 132 pounds in 2015 … Placed fifth at 113 pounds in 2014, fourth at 145 pounds in 2016 and third at 152 pounds in 2017 … USA Wrestling Folk Style All-American in 2017 … Advanced to the 2017 USA Wrestling Freestyle round of 12.
NOAH CRESSELL, 182 pounds (High School) / 184 (Projected College), Wabash, Ind. (Wabash H.S.) … Claimed conference, county, sectional and regional championships at 182 pounds during the 2017 season for Wabash High School … Two-time state qualifier … Has put together 89-19 career record entering senior season … Indiana/USA Wrestling Greco-Roman state champ, freestyle runner-up … Flowrestling National All-American …Two-time all-conference defensive performer at defensive end and middle linebacker for Wabash High School football team.
DYLAN DROEGEMUELLER, 132 pounds (High School) / 133-141 (Projected College), Champlin, Minn. (Anoka H.S.) … Placed third at 120 pounds at 2017 Minnesota Class AAA state tournament for Anoka High School, which finished second as a team … Placed fifth at 113 pounds at 2016 Minnesota Class AAA state tournament for Champlin High School … Two-time all-conference … Conference MVP in 2016 … Prep career record of 119-13 entering senior year … 2017 Minnesota/USA Wrestling Junior 132 Freestyle champion, Greco-Roman runner-up … Placed fifth at 2017 Northern Plains Juniors in freestyle and greco-roman … 2016 Minnesota/USA Wrestling Cadet 120 Freestyle and Greco-Roman champion … Three-time member of Junior National Dual team … Member of 2015 Cadet National team
JARED FRANEK, 152 pounds (High School) / 149-157 (Projected College), Harwood, N.D. (West Fargo H.S.) … Three-time North Dakota state champion for West Fargo High School entering senior year … Has compiled 212-13 high record including a 51-0 ledger … Led the Packers to a pair of state championships on the mat … USA Wrestling Nationals Freestyle Champion … Flowrestling Nationals finalist … Two-year starter at running back and linebacker for West Fargo … Packers have claimed three EDC championships and have advanced to 2017 state championship game.
JIMMY NOEL, 170 pounds (High School) / 165-174 (Projected College), St. Louis, Mo. (Pulaski Academy, Little Rock, AR) … Three-time Arkansas state champion for Pulaski Academy, winning titles at 152, 160 and 172 pounds … Named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2017 state tournament … Has compiled a 149-4 record including 100 pins entering senior year … Had 57-3 record as a freshman, 55-0 as a sophomore and 37-1 with 26 pins as a junior … Placed sixth at 145 pounds at USA Wrestling Cadet National Freestyle in 2014-15, won the 160 Folkstyle weight division at 2015-16 U.S. Pre-season Nationals in Cedar Falls and finished seventh in Folkstyle at 160 pounds at 2016-17 NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach … Also placed soccer and football at Pulaski Academy … Brother, Nick, wrestles for Army West Point.
North Dakota State is scheduled to host the 47th annual Bison Open at 10 a.m. at Scheels Center in the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. The Bison open the dual season at No. 7 Iowa at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, and at No. 13 Northern Iowa at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19. NDSU returns home to host No. 3 Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26.