Minot State Men's Wrestling came up just short in a hard-fought home dual, falling 24-15 to Southwest Minnesota State on Sunday afternoon.  The Beavers earned five match victories and showed resilience throughout the lineup, but bonus-point wins by the Mustangs early in the dual proved to be the difference.  

Southwest Minnesota State opened the dual with back-to-back wins at 125 and 133 pounds, including a fall at 125, to take an early lead.  Minot State responded at 141 pounds as Ethan Wonser picked up a narrow 8-7 decision over Bronson Richins to put the Beavers on the board.  SMSU answered with consecutive falls at 149 and 157 to extend its advantage midway through the dual.  

The Beavers found momentum in the middle weights, starting at 165 pounds where Daniels Bendiks earned a 9-3 decision over Wyatt Pollard.  At 174 pounds, Gavin Turk delivered one of Minot State's most impressive performances of the night, securing a 20-7 major decision to cut into the deficit.  Minot State continued to battle at 197 pounds as Shafer Ehmke posted a 16-9 decision, followed by a gritty 4-1 win by Braxton Rance at heavyweight to close out the team scoring.  

Despite the loss, Minot State showed depth and competitiveness across the lineup, earning wins in five of the ten contested bouts.  The Beavers will look to build on the strong individual performances as they continue their season and prepare for upcoming conference action.