MINOT, N.D. – It's time for some action on the mat as the Minot State men's wrestling team opens its season this weekend and starts a new era under first-year head coach
Gresh Jones.
Jones and the Beavers head to Jamestown for the Jimmie Open on Sunday, ironically competing at the same place Coach Jones spent the last two seasons as head coach and where several of Minot State's top newcomers excelled last year.
"Preseason is going really well, we got all of our boys feeling pretty dang healthy and ready to roll," Jones said. "Guys are excited to put their hands on some guys who aren't their own teammates right now. …When you're in the room with same guys every day, it gets tough and wears on those guys. So, it's going to be fun to see them scrap against some different competition. And I'm excited to see what they can do."
As for the new Beaver coach's thoughts on making his Minot State debut at Jamestown, along with several of his wrestlers, well …
"Yeah, it'll be fun: I mean, just another tournament, you know, that's what we always say. It's all the same size mats out there; it's the same competitions. We just get to go show what we've been working on."
The Beavers will spend several weeks on the road, showing off what they've been working on and continually looking to improve as Minot State opens with four weekends of tournament action prior to the NSIC opening dual at rival Mary on Dec. 4.
Minot State finally makes its home debut at the MSU Dome on Friday, Dec. 11, hosting an exhibition dual against Dickinson State.
"It's all a learning experience," Coach Jones said of the first month of the season. "We take notes and stuff, but the big thing is we want to see that intensity; we want to see them put points on the board."
Leading the way are a couple of returners who put plenty of points on the board for the Beavers last season in sophomores
Kekoa Ogawa (141 pounds) and
Cole Faircloth (133 pounds), along with four sophomore newcomers who transferred from Jamestown in
Isaac Ronquillo (125 pounds),
Elijah Nose (133 pounds),
Rocker Aguilar (165 pounds), and
Colton Schaad (174 pounds).
Ogawa went 6-5 with 5 wins by pin as a freshman, wrestling in non-varsity tournaments, then put in an intense summer of training.
"He trained over in Japan this summer and man, when he came back, I could see it in him, he had a little bit of that, you know, that confidence where he stepped on the mat, and I saw it and I felt it," Jones said.
As for Faircloth, he was Minot State's top performer last season, going 20-13 overall and finishing 5
th at the Super Region V Tournament.
Then there are the newcomers in Ronquillo, Nose, Aguilar, and Schaad, all of who were NWCA Northwest Conference champions last season for the Jimmies, and all earned NWCA All-Americans honors as Ronquillo and Nose finished 3
rd at nationals, Aguilar 6
th, and Schaad 8th.
"We've got a bunch of guys who are going to step in right away and do good for the Beaver Nation up here," Jones said. "A couple of those guys are going to step in right away and do real well, and I'm excited for the other ones to get their crack in lineup and make the best out of it."
With one goal for the team being a strong showing at the Super Region V Tournament, hosted by Northern State, February 27.
"We didn't have a guy that made it to the national tournament last year, and we're expecting a lot more out of this team this year," Minot State's new coach said. "We've got guys who should be on the podium, and should be on the podium high. We want to send some guys to nationals and get some All-Americans on board for the Beavers."
But equally important to Coach Jones is developing a team that continues to grow throughout the season.
"A good season for us is all of our guys having fun out there and us just putting on a show every single time we step out," he said. "One of my favorite things as coach is to see where these guys are at right now and where they're at at the end of the year."
