MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State women's wrestlers tuned up for the season last Sunday with their intersquad dual, and this coming weekend the Beavers officially start a new season, and a new era under the guidance of first-year head coach Keegan Berry.

Minot State's fifth-year wrestling program opens the 2026-27 campaign competing in the Dakota Duals, going head-to-head with the University of Sioux Falls in a unique event hosted by North Dakota State. While the Beavers battle the Cougars on one mat this Sunday at 2 p.m. on the NDSU campus, the Bison men's wrestling team competes against the University of Mary men at the same time.

"Super excited to see us compete against someone other than ourselves, and the Dakota Duals is something cool, something different; wrestling at the same time as an NCAA Division I men's program taking on Mary," said Berry, who takes over as head coach after 3 seasons as assistant coach.

"It'll be a great start for the year, and I'm excited to see the work we've been putting in here in the preseason and see it pay off on the mat this weekend."

The Beavers continue to test their early-season training with a tournament at Dickinson State on November 7, then compete at the NSIC Duals hosted by Jamestown on November 14.

Minot State then makes its home debut at the MSU Dome for a busy weekend of women's wrestling competition at the annual Beaver Bash Duals and Beaver Bash Open on November 20 and 21.

"(We're) continuing to grow it the best we can," Berry said of the Beaver Bash. "We should have a few more (teams) than years past."

That includes Simon Fraser, which is ranked No. 24 in the NWCA preseason poll, and Canada's University of Alberta, along with familiar foes like Dickinson State, Saskatchewan, and Chadron State (Kan.).

An exciting weekend of action on the mats for Beaver fans to enjoy, hosted by a Minot State team featuring some standout returners and several impact newcomers.

Leading the way among the returners is senior Haleigh Lematta (145 pounds), the all-time wins leader in Beaver history with 54 victories on the mats at Minot State. Lematta is a two-time national qualifier who also played softball for Minot State, but who will only wrestle this year.

"Super excited to just have her on our side and bought in all the way. So excited to see some noise that she'll make," Minot State's coach said.

Lematta heads into the season ranked No. 5 in Region VI in the NWCA preseason regional rankings at 145 pounds.

Also back and ready for a big season is junior Aniya Herbin (207 pounds), who went 17-9 last season and finished 4^th at the Region VI Tournament, one spot away from nationals in her first year with the Beavers. Herbin comes in ranked No. 15 in the HerMat preseason rankings at 207 pounds, and No. 2 in Region VI in the NWCA regional rankings.

One other top returner is sophomore Kaiya Lopes (103 pounds), who picked up 13 wins as a true freshman last season.

"One that's made a lot of progress and put on a little size is Kaiya Lopes," Berry said. "So excited to see her get down on the mat."

Joining them as impact newcomers are a pair of transfers from Emmanuel University (Ga.) in Alyssa Arana (180 pounds) and Vida Beckel (160 pounds), both national qualifiers for the Lions, along with freshmen Aliah Bertalotto (103 pounds), from Turlock, California, and Taylor Dorvall (131 pounds), from Whitefish, Montana.

Arana is a 5^th-year senior and 3-time national qualifier who missed most of last season with an injury, while Beckel finished 3^rd at 160 pounds last year at the NCAA National Tournament and is ranked No. 9 in the nation in the preseason NWCA poll.

"First time in the NWCA coaches poll we've had a Top-10 wrestler in the preseason here, so excited to see her make some noise," Berry said of Beckel.

They're joined by high school standouts in Bertalotto, the younger sister of Beaver assistant coach and former wrestler Isaac Bertalotto, and Dorvall. Bertalotto went 33-11 as a senior and is a 3-time team MVP, while Dorvall went 37-2 as a senior and earned All-State honors in Montana as a junior and senior.

"(Taylor) scraps real hard in the room and I'm just excited to see her in live competition," Berry said.

"(Aliah)'s super tough; she's a California state placer, and I'm excited to see her on the mat, as well."

All the Beavers will have a busy season on the mats as they prepare for the NCAA Region VI Tournament in mid-February hosted by Fort Hays State. With no official women's wrestling conference, the goal for Minot State will be to continue to improve as the season goes along in preparation for regionals, where the top 3 finishers in each weight class advance to the NCAA National Tournament, hosted in Coralville, Iowa, March 5-6.

"Get as many girls as we can to that national tournament, and, you know, ultimately it's that time where we're ready to get our first All-American," Berry said. "So those are really the big goals we're chasing."