Five Seniors Win, Bison Clinch Share of WWC Regular Season Title
FARGO, N.D. – All five seniors won matches for the North Dakota State wrestling team on Senior Day, and the Bison defeated Northern Colorado 37-8 to clinch at least a share of the Western Wrestling Conference regular season title.
NDSU (9-8, 4-0 WWC) won eight of 10 matches and scored bonus points in six to easily defeat the Bears on Sunday in the Bison Sports Arena.
Seniors Trent Sprenkle, Mark Erickson, Joe Garner, Mac Stoll and Kallen Kleinschmidt all won their final home dual matches.
Evan Knutson started the dual at heavyweight with a 3-2 decision over Henry Chirino in the second tiebreaker period. Sprenkle and freshman Josh Rodriguez registered second-period pins at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively, to push the lead to 15-0.
Erickson posted a major decision at 141 pounds, and Garner won by 22-7 technical fall at 149 pounds to put the Bison up 24-0.
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Northern Colorado (1-9, 0-4 WWC) got a technical fall from Mitchell Polkowske at 157 pounds, but No. 6 Steven Monk quickly responded with a first-period fall at 165 pounds to improve to 30-3 on the season.
The Bears’ Jesse Nielsen earned a 7-6 decision over Hayden Zillmer in Zillmer’s second match at 174 pounds this season.
Seniors Stoll and Kleinschmidt closed out the dual victory with a 10-3 decision at 184 pounds and a 16-3 major decision at 197 pounds.
NDSU will wrestle its final WWC dual at South Dakota State on Friday, Feb. 15.
#25 North Dakota State 37, Northern Colorado 8
Hwt – Evan Knutson (NDSU) dec. Henry Chirino (NC), 3-2 (TB2)
125 – No. 9 Trent Sprenkle (NDSU) pinned Abe Fox (NC), 4:00
133 – Josh Rodriguez (NDSU) pinned Brandon Gallagher (NC), 4:02
141 – Mark Erickson (NDSU) maj. dec. Nick Adams (NC), 13-5
149 – Joe Garner (NDSU) tech. fall Nick Alspaugh (NC), 22-7
157 – Mitchell Polkowske (NC) tech. fall Tanner Carlisle (NDSU), 16-1
165 – No. 6 Steven Monk (NDSU) pinned Iver Sandoval (NC), 2:31
174 – Jesse Nielsen (NC) dec. Hayden Zillmer (NDSU), 7-6
184 – Mac Stoll (NDSU) dec. Keith Johnson (NC), 10-3
197 – Kallen Kleinschmidt (NDSU) maj. dec. Cody McAninch (NC), 16-3