Minot State Men's Wrestling battled through a competitive dual but ultimately fell 27-17 to Minnesota State Moorhead on Friday night.  The Beavers showed flashes of momentum throughout the lineup, picking up key wins and bonus points, but MSUM capitalized on early opportunities and depth across the weights to secure the team victory.  

The dual opened at 125 pounds where Minnesota State Moorhead grabbed an early lead, as Clayton Mele earned a fall over Austin Garcia.  Minot State quickly responded at 133 pounds, with Cole Faircloth igniting the Beavers by securing a fall of his own against Brody Toledo at the 2:40 mark.  Despite the momentum shift, MSUM answered back at 141 and 149 pounds, picking up a decision and a technical fall to widen the team margin.  

At 157 pounds, Minnesota State Moorhead extended its lead with another fall, but Minot State continued to fight in the middle weights.  John Armstrong delivered a tight 6-5 decision at 165 pounds, followed by a dominant performance from Gavin Turk at 174 pounds, who posted a 17-2 technical fall to bring the Beavers back within striking distance.  Payton Wayman added another solid win at 184 pounds, earning a 12-7 decision and keeping the dual competitive heading into the final two bouts.  Minnesota State Moorhead closed the night strong at 197 and 285 pounds, earning decisions in both matches to seal the 27-17 team victory.