NDSU Wrestling Smokes Northern Illinois in Home Bout
The Bison won 35-4
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU Athletics) – No. 22-ranked North Dakota State won 9 of 10 matches and closed with a pair of falls from 197 Cordell Eaton and 285 Brandon Metz to finish off a hard-fought 35-4 win over Northern Illinois in a non-conference dual Thursday, Nov. 8, before 502 spectators in the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
North Dakota State improved to 2-0 this season, while the Huskies dropped to 0-1. NDSU is scheduled to host the 48th annual Bison Open starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, in Scheels Center including wrestlers from nationally-ranked Arizona State, Minnesota and South Dakota State.
Eaton, a redshirt junior from Long Grove, Iowa, grinded out a fall in 4-minutes, 33-seconds for his second win of the season. Metz, a redshirt freshman from West Fargo, needed just 21-seconds to complete pin and energize the crowd in the finale to even his record at 1-1.
North Dakota State won the first six matches highlighted by the 15-0 tech fall from No. 17-ranked 133-pounder Cam Sykora. Sykora (2-0) was second in the nation last season with a dozen tech falls. NDSU’s No. 23-ranked Brent Fleetwood closed out strong for a 7-1 win over Bryce West at 125 pounds.
The Bison had to persevere over the next four of five weights. Gavin Sutton (1-1) recorded his first collegiate win, a 7-4 decision over NIU’s Anthony Cheloni. Sutton led 6-4 with 1:36 remaining when NDSU won a challenge and a Cheloni takedown was overturned.
North Dakota State redshirt freshman Jaden Van Maanen (2-0) used a bullish second period that included an escape and 4-point near fall to take a 5-0 lead and take an 8-4 decision over McCoy Kent at 149 pounds. NDSU 157-pounder Nick Knutson (1-1) recorded a first period takedown, and allowed only a penalty point and escape in a 4-2 win over Mason Kauffman to put the Bison ahead 17-0.
No. 12-ranked Andrew Fogarty (2-0) had his hands full with Kenny Moore at 165 pounds in a 3-2 win. Fogarty and Moore were scoreless after one period. Moore recorded the only takedown in the match in the second, but Fogarty countered with a pair of escapes. Fogarty then held the top position for the entire third period and gained the deciding point with 1-minute, 43-seconds of riding time.
The lone win for Northern Illinois came at 174 pounds where Brit Wilson posted a 15-4 major decision over No. 24-ranked Lorenzo De La Riva.
After another scoreless first period, NDSU 184-pounder Tyler McNutt recorded a takedown with 6-seconds left to take a 3-2 lead in the second and held the top spot for the entire third to earn the riding time point in a 4-2 decision over Caden McWhirter.
#22 North Dakota State 35, Northern Illinois 4
Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018
Scheels Center / North Dakota State University
Fargo, N.D.
125—#23 Brent Fleetwood (NDSU) dec Bryce West (NIU), 7-1
133—#17 Cam Sykora (NDSU) tech fall Alijah Jeffery (NIU), TF 15-0 5:00
141—Gavin Sutton (NDSU) dec Anthony Cheloni (NIU), 7-4
149—Jaden Van Maanen (NDSU) dec McCoy Kent (NIU), 8-4
157—Nick Knutson (NDSU) dec Mason Kauffman (NIU), 4-2
165—#12 Andrew Fogarty (NDSU) dec Kenny Moore (NIU), 3-2
174—Brit Wilson (NIU) major dec #24 Lorenzo De La Riva (NDSU), MD 15-4
184—Tyler McNutt (NDSU) dec Caden McWhirter (NIU), 4-2
197—Cordell Eaton (NDSU) fall Ross Sealby (NIU), 4:33
285—Brandon Metz (NDSU) fall Caleb Gossett (NIU), 0:21
Dual started at 125 pounds
Attendance: 502
Referees: Gary Wade, Brian Klevington
