MINOT, N.D. – Two days ago, Minot State University redshirt freshman Bobby Bartz (Harvey, N.D.) wasn't thinking about wresting collegiately.

Ten minutes before the Beavers opening dual against the University of Mary, Bartz still wasn't sure.

Immediately after taking a 9-2 win over Jordan Stenson and securing the Beavers first dual win in 20 years, Bartz became a legend.

“I wasn't going to just go out there and lose the whole dual,” he said.

Bartz was a part of an important series of events that led to the Beavers to a 24-18 win in front of a large crowd at the MSU Dome as the Beavers returned to collegiate wrestling since dropping the program following the 1989-90 season.

“The crowd was great, the atmosphere was great, you can't ask for anything better,” said MSU head coach Robin Ersland. “I have been to a lot of (NCAA) Division I duals that didn't have this kind of atmosphere.”

It wasn't until teammate Luke Michaelson (R-Freshman, Williston, N.D.) won his match 6-2 to give the Beavers a three point lead with one match to go that Bartz figured it was time to return to wrestling. He was asked to come on with the Beavers to fill the heavyweight role for MSU Wednesday.

“When Luke got the takedown with about 30 seconds left, I said let's get it going,” he said. “Originally I was told they didn't have a heavyweight and I would get the forfeit. I figured I could do that. Even early on, when we were up 18-6, I thought there's no way I going to wrestle.”

But if Bartz, who hasn't wrestled in two years including no practice time before Thursday night's match, was hesitant to get back on the mat, he didn't waste any time making an impact on it.

“He says to me 'what do you think,' ” Ersland said. “I told him if you don't want to wrestle, I don't mind a bit. He says, 'I think I'll go one time,' and ends up winning the dang meet.”

“Football is more of an endurance thing, this is more quick, quick, quick,” he said of the difference between football and wrestling condition. “It's more muscles than anything. But it was fun. I was a little rusty, but it started to come back.”

Bartz's big win was set up by Michaelson's 6-2 win over Tim Thompson at 197 and even aided by Mitchell Houghton's (Fr., Bossier City, La.) technical fall loss to Brady Anderson at 184 and Cristian Molina's (Fr., Miami, Fla.) 18-5 loss to Kurt Wiedrich at 174 as both wrestlers kept Mary from earning extra points.

“We juggled the lineup a bit and 99 percent of the time it doesn't work,” Ersland said. Mitch was out there at 184 and he's a 167 and we moved Luke up. Luke got us a big win and Mitch doesn't get pinned so we keep those points.”

MSU took an 18-6 lead into the intermission on pins by Sam Loggins (Fr., Palmer, Alaska), Jon Wilson (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Marcus Wilson (So., Colorado Springs, Colo.) at 133, 149 and 157 respectively.

“It was awesome tonight,” Loggins said. “The crowd really pumped us up.”

“We needed to be ahead at the break if we were to have a shot,” Ersland said.

The large crowd, estimated at 1,678, included many former MSU wrestlers and donors, which were honored at the intermission.

“Tradition is everything,” Ersland said. “We talk a lot about it. We talk about how bad these people wanted wrestling back. You are upholding traditions and right now we are starting some new traditions. This is a great program and we want to start a new winning tradition.”

MSU has little time to celebrate as they head on the road to the Dakota Wesleyan University Open Saturday in Mitchell, S.D.

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