NDSU Wrestling Upsets Ranked Northwestern in Season Opener

FARGO, N.D. -(NDSU Athletics)  The North Dakota State wrestling team opened the season on Sunday afternoon with a 26-17 win over 17th-ranked Northwestern. It marked the third-straight year the Bison have knocked off a top 20 team.

NDSU jumped out to an early lead with a pair of back-to-back wins to open the match. At 125 pounds, Brent Fleetwood held a 9-2 lead before winning by fall over Dylan Utterback in 4:59. The Bison never trailed in the match after the opening win. In a match featuring a pair of top 20 wrestlers, 20th-ranked Cam Sykora used four points in the first period to beat 14th-ranked Colin Valdivez 4-0 at 133 pounds.

At 149 pounds, Jaden Van Maanen used a takedown in the third period and a point for riding time to beat Shayne Oster 12-10. 12th-ranked Andrew Fogarty had a 10-2 lead over Tyler Moreland before winning by fall in 4:48, increasing the Bison lead to 18-10.

Tyler McNutt scored 11 points in the second period, as he rolled to an 18-3 (5:41) technical fall over Brendan Devine. The final Bison victory came at 197 pounds, as Cordell Eaton used a takedown in the third period to beat Zach Chakonis 5-3. The victory gave the Bison a 26-13 lead and sealed the victory heading into the final match.

The Bison return to action on Thursday, Nov. 8, as they host Northern Illinois at Scheels Center inside the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.