BROOKINGS, S.D. – The North Dakota State wrestling team sent a small group to the Daktronics Open on Sunday at South Dakota State, with Kellyn March leading the way for the Bison.
The Bison entered wrestlers into six weight classes and finished with six placers, led by March, who took second overall at 149 pounds. March defeated Cael Rahnavardi of Northern Iowa 8-6 to start his day before reaching the semifinal with a win over Max Petersen 10-4. March then reached the final by defeating Minnesota’s Marcos Polanco 7-4, before falling to Northern Iowa’s #15 Colin Realbuto 8-5 in the final.
Gavin Drexler was one of three Bison to reach the third-place match on the day, and the 141 pounder would take third overall after going 5-1 on the day. Drexler started off with a 5-2 win over Iowa State’s Corey Cabanan before falling late by pin to South Dakota State’s Caleb Gross. Drexler then picked up a tech fall win over Nothern State’s Trevor Reinke, a 12-0 major decision over Northern Iowa’s Connor Thorpe and a 9-0 major decision over Walker Bents to reach the third-place match. Drexler then avenged the early loss to Gross with a 3-1 win for third.
Riley Habisch and Brendan Howes were the other two Bison to reach the third-place match and would finish in fourth overall in their weight classes. Howes fell to #26 Tanner Cook to open up the 165-pound bracket. He then reeled off three-straight wins, including two major decisions, to reach the third-place match before falling a second time.
Habisch would start off with a win in the 174-pound bracket but would alternate wins by decision to finish 2-2.
Landen Johnson (157) and Walker Bents (141) would also place for the Bison, taking fifth and sixth, respectively.
SDSU Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open Results
North Dakota State will return to action with a dual match against Minnesota on December 9. The dual is slated for a 7 p.m. start inside the Scheels Center.
Complete NDSU Results Ordered by Weight and Finish.
Ryan Henningson | 125 | 0-2
L to Corey Cabanban (Iowa State); MD 15-6
L to Bailey Roybal (South Dakota State); Dec 9-4
Gavin Drexler | 141 | 3rd | 5-1
W over Corey Cabanban (Iowa State); Dec 5-2
L to Caleb Gross (South Dakota State); Fall 6:28
W over Trevor Reinke (Northern State); TF 17-0 5:58
W over Connor Thorpe (Northern Iowa); MD 12-0
W over Walker Bents (North Dakota State); MD 9-0
W over Caleb Gross (South Dakota State); Dec 3-1
Walker Bents | 141 | 6th | 2-3
W over Trevor Reinke (Northern State); TF 18-0 2:43
W over Theo Cha (Minnesota); Dec 6-5
L to #5 Clay Carlson (South Dakota State); MD 16-2
L to Gavin Drexler (North Dakota State); MD 9-0
L to Theo Cha (Minnesota); Dec 3-1
Kellyn March | 149 | 2nd | 3-1
W over Cael Rahnavardi (Northern Iowa); Dec 8-6
W over Max Petersen (North Dakota State); Dec 10-4
W over Marcos Polanco (Minnesota); Dec 7-4
L to #15 Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa); Dec 8-5
Max Petersen | 149 | 2-2
W over Ben Lunn (Minnesota); Fall 5:43
L to Kellyn March (North Dakota State); Dec 10-4
W over Drayden Morton (Unattached); Dec 7-5
L to Cameron Robinson (Iowa State); Dec 4-0
Clay Radenz | 149 | 1-2
L to Drew Roberts (Minnesota); Dec 8-3
W over Andrew Flora (Iowa State); Fall 0:49
L to Cameron Robinson (Iowa State); MD 11-3
Michael Weber | 149 | 0-2
L to #15 Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa); Dec 3-1
L to Drayden Morton (Unattached); MFF
Pedro Velazquez | 149 | 0-2
L to Cameron Robinson (Iowa State); Fall 0:59
L to Adam Allard (Northern Iowa); TF 16-0
Landen Johnson | 157 | 5th | 3-2
L to Evan Yant (Northern Iowa); Fall 1:31
W over Ryan Dolezal (South Dakota State); Fall 3:37
W over Mason Gode (North Dakota State); Dec 4-1
L to Cooper Voorhees (Wyoming); Dec 6-3
W over Andrew Huddleston (Iowa State); Fall 1:01
Mason Gode | 157 | 1-2
L to Dajun Johnson (Northern Iowa); Dec 9-7
W over Cael Swensen (South Dakota State); MFF
L to Landen Johnson (North Dakota State); Dec 4-1
Brendan Howes | 165 | 4th | 3-2
L to #26 Tanner Cook (South Dakota State); Fall 0:21
W over Connor Gaynor (South Dakota State); MFF 1:05 (6-2)
W over Spencer Roth (Northern State); MD 16-7
W over Jack Thomsen (South Dakota State); MD 16-3
L to Grant Stotts (Iowa State); Dec 3-1
Riley Habisch | 174 | 4th | 2-2
W over Devin Wasley (Minnesota); Dec 6-2
L to Joel Devine (Iowa State); Dec 4-0
W over Carson Babcock (Northern Iowa); Dec 6-0
L to Manny Rojas (Iowa State); Dec 6-5
Mannix Morgan | 174 | 1-2
L to Brock Fettig (South Dakota State); Dec 6-3
W over Wayne Mellon (Minn. St. Moorhead); Dec 7-3
L to Devin Wasley (Minnesota); TF 15-0 5:41
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