Minot State Men's Wresling returns home this week for a challenging NSIC weekend, hosting No. 11 Augustana on Friday, February 13 at 7 p.m., before welcoming Sioux Falls on Saturday, February 14th at 2 p.m. The Beavers enter the weekend with a 5-8 overall record and a 1-4 mark in conference action, looking to build momentum against two familiar opponents.
Friday's dual against Augustana presents a tough test for Minot State. The Beavers have dropped their last four meetings with the Vikings, though they last earned a win in the series with a 21-19 victory back in February 2020 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Augustana comes in ranked No. 11 nationally by the NWCA with an 11-6 overall record and a strong 7-1 NSIC mark. Minot State's lineup is expected to feature
Dylan McDonald (0-9) or
Austin Garcia (1-8) at 125,
Cole Faircloth (15-11) at 133,
Ethan Wonser (6-6) or
Kekoa Ogawa (6-5) at 141,
Brayden Guerrero (2-8) at 149,
Roman Leifridt (4-9) at 157,
John Armstrong (10-12) or
Daniels Bendiks (7-9) at 165,
Gavin Turk (15-9) at 174,
Mario Esposito (3-7) at 184,
Shafer Ehmke (13-10) at 197, and
Braxton Rance (7-8) or
Zach Allen (6-11) at heavyweight.
Augustana brings depth throughout its lineup, beginning at 125 with Christian Olsen (6-10) or Brandon Board (8-9), while Board is also an option at 133 along with Braiden Kort (1-9). At 141, the Vikings feature No. 15 in the NWCA rankings Luke Koenen (22-10) or Alex Mentzer (8-7). At 149, No. 6 nationally ranked Nolan Ambrose (23-4) or Mentzer could take the mat. The Vikings continue with Cael Larson (4-2) or Cash Raymond (10-10) at 157, Payton Handevidt (15-5) or Logan Butzon (21-11) at 165, and No. 5 nationally ranked Coy Gunderson (17-6) or Butzon at 174. At 184, Charlie Petit (13-6) or Josh Wagener (10-4) are projected, while 197 features top-ranked Max Ramberg (10-0) along with Owen Wesley (12-7) or Sam McEnelly (6-7) as options. The heavyweight spot includes Jaret Peterson (13-8) or Max Balow (14-7).
The Beavers will then shift their focus to Saturday's dual against Sioux Falls, a program Minot State has had success against since the Cougars began wrestling during the 2023-24 season. Minot State is 2-0 all-time against Sioux Falls and will look to keep that streak intact. The Cougars enter the weekend 6-8 in duals and 2-6 in NSIC competition, with Vincent Mayberry (11-13) at 1125, Bray Skinner (9-8) at 133, Jordon Oehme (14-9) at 141, Sir Brandon Watts (10-6) at 149, Cooper Sanders (18-9) at 157, Luke Swanson (13-5) or Lincoln Fink (15-13) at 165, Ashtin Johnson (1-20) at 174, Mishael Mauck (3-18) at 184, Hank Meyer (11-10) at 197, and Stetson Davis (14-10) at 285. Minot State will aim to capitalize on experience and consistency across the lineup as they close out the weekend at home.
