LINCOLN, Neb. - North Dakota State's
Brandon Metz won the United World Wrestling Under-23 Greco-Roman national championship Thursday, May 27, and earned a spot on Team USA for the U23 world championships this November in Belgrade, Serbia.
Metz, a two-time NCAA Division I championship qualifier from West Fargo, N.D., won all five of his matches in the 130kg weight class. He beat South Dakota State's Spencer Trenary in the best-of-three championship with a first-round win by fall in 44 seconds and a 5-0 victory in the second round of championship matches.
Metz opened the tournament with a 5-0 win over SIU Edwardsville's Colton McKiernan, then defeated SDSU's Bowen McConville 8-0 in the quarterfinals before a 4-1 victory over Nebraska-Kearney's Lee Herrington in the semifinals.
A three-time North Dakota state champion at heavyweight for West Fargo High School, Metz was also a two-time USA Wrestling Greco-Roman national champion. He placed third at the UWW Senior Greco-Roman Nationals in May.
Metz will be one of seven NDSU wrestlers representing the Bison Wrestling Club in freestyle competition Friday, May 28, and Saturday, May 29:
