MINOT, N.D. – The old cliché "it was closer than the score indicated" truly fit the NSIC opener for the Minot State men's wrestling team Friday night.
Brendan Barnes and
Jake Swirple scored thrilling final-second victories and
Wayne Joint added a gutsy win, but No. 25-ranked Minot State fell 29-9 to the fourth-ranked St. Cloud State Huskies.
A Huskies team that grabbed a pair of last-second victories, as well, a 12-point swing in the final score as
Logen Fischer fell in overtime in his 125-pound match and
Kasius Graham also saw a match slip away in the final seconds at 149 pounds.
But in the matches the Beavers (2-1 overall, 0-1 NSIC) did win, they were equally thrilling as Swirple, the No. 3 ranked heavyweight in the nation, remained unbeaten with an 8-5 win in overtime.
Down late in his match, Swirple scored a takedown in the final minute of round three, tying it 5-5, then a takedown in sudden-victory overtime gave him the win and put the Beavers on the scoreboard down 13-3 in the dual.
The very next match again went to overtime as Fischer used a takedown and a four-point near fall late in the third to force the extra session, tied 9-9, before a takedown by Archer Heelan gave St. Cloud State (3-0 duals, 1-0 NSIC) the victory.
Minot State answered back at 133 as Joint used an early takedown to grab a 3-0 lead against No. 9-ranked Caleb Meekins, then fended off the Huskies' Meekins who scored a point for riding time, but that was it in Joint's 3-1 decision win.
The Beavers' Graham then made his bid for a victory at 149 pounds, leading 13-7 late before a determined rally by Nolan Thorne, who scored a takedown and a four-point near fall to spoil Graham's plans as Thorne took a 14-13 decision.
But the highlight of the night came in the final match of the dual at 165 pounds as Barnes trailed 8-6 late against No. 4 ranked Anthony Herrera but the Beaver junior got a takedown, rolled Herrera on his back and racked up four near-fall points for the thrilling 13-8 upset decision.
Minot State now continues a busy weekend Saturday as the Beavers host Southwest Minnesota State at 2 p.m. at the MSU Dome.
