FARGO, ND--Lightweight GABRIEL MOONEY, one of the most highly regarded wrestlers in the country, is one of two wrestlers to sign a National Letter of Intent today to continue their education and wrestle at North Dakota State University.

Mooney, from Greenbush-Middle River High School in Minnesota, is accompanied by JACOB BRYCE of Minnewaska Area High School (MN) during this NCAA early signing period.

The announcement was made today by Bison head coach Bucky Maughan.

Mooney is one of the top 10 recruits in the nation at any level. Amateur Wrestling News currently has him ranked fifth in the country at 119 pounds. Mooney was seventh in last year's final high school national rankings at 112 pounds published by W.I.N. Magazine and the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

Mooney is the younger brother of former Bison middleweight Wayne Mooney, who won an NCAA Division II championship and was a three-time All-American for the Herd. Bryce is the younger brother of current Bison heavyweight Joe Bryce.

Both wrestlers will join the Bison for the 2004-05 season. They are the first student-athletes to sign with the Bison wrestling program as an NCAA Division I member.

North Dakota State finished fourth in Division II and second in the North Central Conference last year. NDSU has a streak of 35 straight winning seasons in dual meets, and the Bison have placed in the nation's top five 26 times in that span.

Here's a short bio on each of the new wrestlers...

Gabriel Mooney, 125/133 pounds...Four-time national champion currently riding a 113-match winning streak at the high school level...Has won three straight Section 8 and Minnesota Class 1A championships...Has a record of 145 wins, 4 losses in his prep career with all the losses coming in eighth grade, when he wrestled to second place in the section and fourth place in the state...Starred in the national spotlight for several years and has been one of the nation's top international-style wrestlers since the eighth grade...Won three Greco-Roman national championships and one freestyle national championship...Has a pair of runner-up finishes in national freestyle competition...National folkstyle runner-up in 1990...Northern Plains freestyle and Greco-Roman cadet champion in 2000...Forty-three more consecutive wins this year would tie him with current Bison assistant coach Bret Maughan, who entered his collegiate career with a 156-0 record and four state titles...Son of Ron and Collette Mooney, Greenbush, MN.

“Gabriel is definitely one of the nation's best lightweights,” Bucky Maughan said. “He is ranked as one of the top lightweights in all the rankings put out by wrestling publications.”

Jacob Bryce, 174/184 pounds...One of Minnesota's top upper-weight wrestlers...Has a high school career record of 115-32 entering his final season...Minnesota Class 1A champion last season and runner-up the year before...Currently the No. 1 rated wrestler in Minnesota at 171 pounds...An academic all-state first team selection...Son of Alan and Patricia Bryce, Glenwood, MN.