LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The No. 15 North Dakota State wrestling program started off its final road trip of the semester with a 33-6 victory over Little Rock Sunday evening at the Jack Stephens Center. The Bison recorded a pair of pins and secured five bonus-point victories in the dual.
 
After Little Rock started off the match with a victory at 125 pounds, McGwire Midkiff leveled the score with a 9-5 decision over Joshua Sarpy at 133 pounds. Midkiff had two takedowns in the first period and added another in the second to lead to the victory.
 
#8 Dylan Droegemueller would then put the Bison in front in the 141-pound match, as he used takedowns in the first and second to pick up a 6-1 win over Jayden Gomez, as North Dakota State took a 6-3 lead. Kellyn March would extend the lead with another 6-1 win as he secured a takedown in the first and another in the third with a two-point near fall to defeat Joseph Bianchi in the 149-pound match.
 
#4 Jared Franek then picked up the first bonus points of the night as he picked up a major decision at 157 pounds with a 9-0 victory over Matthew Bianchi to extend the Bison lead to 13-3 headed into the intermission.
 
Coming out of the break in the 165-pound match, #12 Michael Caliendo secured a late takedown and four near fall points to go up 12-0 before a pin with three seconds left to defeat Bilal Bailey.
 
The Bison then scooped up a pair of major decisions, as Gaven Sax first defeated Triston Wills at 174 by a 11-1 score with two takedowns, a reversal and a pair of two-point near falls. DJ Parker then used a pair of four-point near falls in the first to jump out in front as he cruised to a 13-0 win over Mason Diel at 184 pounds.
 
#27 Owen Pentz then secured the second and final pin of the evening for the Bison as he secured a second period takedown and a four-point near fall before pinning Tylynn Lukens at 4:07 in the 197-pound match.
 
Little Rock would claim the final match of the night with a 3-2 decision at heavyweight.
 
North Dakota State will be back in action on Tuesday as the Bison head to Columbia, Missouri to face #10 Missouri in the first Big 12 dual of the season. The match is set to begin
 
Full Results:
#15 North Dakota State 33, Little Rock 6
Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 | Jack Stephens Center | Little Rock, Ark.
125: Jeremiah Reno (LR) over #27 Carlos Negrete Jr. (NDSU) (Dec 8-3); LR 3-0
133: McGwire Midkiff (NDSU) over Joshua Sarpy (LR) (Dec 9-5); Tied 3-3
141: #8 Dylan Droegemueller (NDSU) over Jayden Gomez (LR) (Dec 6-1); NDSU 6-3
149: Kellyn March (NDSU) over Joseph Bianchi (LR) (Dec 6-1); NDSU 9-3
157: #4 Jared Franek (NDSU) over Matthew Bianchi (LR) (MD 9-0); NDSU 13-3
165: #12 Michael Caliendo (NDSU) over Bilal Bailey (LR) (Fall 6:57); NDSU 19-3
174: Gaven Sax (NDSU) over Triston Wills (LR) (MD 11-1); NDSU 23-3
184: DJ Parker (NDSU) over Mason Diel (LR) (MD 13-0); NDSU 27-3
197: #27 Owen Pentz (NDSU) over Tylynn Lukens (LR) (Fall 4:07); NDSU 33-3
285: Josiah Hill (LR) over Juan Mora (NDSU) (Dec 3-2); NDSU 33-6