FARGO, N.D. - The North Dakota State wrestling team travels to Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend for the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The event will take place Thursday, March 16 through Saturday, March 18 at the BOK Center.
 
Franek Headlines Six NDSU Qualifiers
No. 4 seed Jared Franek (157, 22-1) is one of six NCAA qualifiers for the Bison, tied for the most in the NCAA Division I era with 2015 and 2020 (not competed due to COVID-19 pandemic). Franek's No. 4 seed matches the highest seed for a Bison in the Division I era (2004-05), matching Steven Monk (165, 2014), who went on to finish third.
 
Franek is joined by No. 7 seed Michael Caliendo (165, 24-3), No. 13 seed Kellyn March (149, 24-7), No. 16 seed Owen Pentz (197, 17-7), No. 29 seed DJ Parker (184, 18-10) and No. 32 seed McGwire Midkiff (133, 15-11).
 
Franek is a four-time national qualifier for the Bison, while Pentz is making his third trip. Caliendo, March, Midkiff and Parker are making their first trips to the national championships.
 
Weekend Schedule
Thursday, March 17
Session 1 - Pigtails and First-Round - 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
Session 2 - Second Round, Wrestle-Back Prelims, Wrestle-Back First Round - 6 p.m. (ESPN)
 
Friday, March 18
Session 3 - Quarterfinals, Wrestle-Back Second and Third Rounds - 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
Session 4 - Semifinals, Blood Round, Consolation Fourth Round - 7 p.m. (ESPN)
 
Saturday, March 19
Session 5 - Medal Rounds - 10 a.m. (ESPNU)
Session 6 - Championships - 6 p.m. (ESPN)
 
Tickets
All-session tickets are available through TicketMaster. Seats start as low as $5 for the first three sessions, with prices going up for the semifinal, medal round and championship sessions. To view all ticket options and availability, visit ticketmaster.com A link to purchase tickets can be found on the wrestling schedule page at gobison.com.
 
TV Coverage
All matches from each of the six sessions will be available on the ESPN family of networks. The day sessions will all be televised live on ESPNU, with the evening sessions, including the championship matches, televised on ESPN. The ESPN app will also contain live links to individual mat feeds, as well as mat cast and command center feeds throughout the entire tournament.
 
Live Statistics
Statistics of all matches will be available through TrackWrestling. Statistics will also be available on the NCAA mobile app, which is available at: www.ncaatickets.com/championship/wrestling/champinfo
 
Highest Ranking In Program History
The Bison reached No. 15 in the NWCA Coaches Poll, the highest official ranking in the program's Division I history. Prior to this season, the Bison had never been ranked higher than 19. In the InterMat rankings the Bison reached No. 12, which marks the highest the Bison have ever been in any poll in the Division I era.
 
Jared Franek Claims Ranked Win NDSU Record
With Franek's victory over #13 Jacob Wright (Wyoming) in a dual on January 21, he secured his 27th ranked victory, passing Steven Monk's (NCAA All-American; 3rd in 2014) NDSU Division I record (26). Franek now has 32 ranked wins.
 
Big 12 Wrestler of the Week Honors
Senior Jared Franek and redshirt freshman Michael Caliendo became the sixth and seventh Bison to win Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honors this season, as both claimed the award for the first time.
 
Three Scuffle Titles
Jared Franek (157) claimed his second-straight Southern Scuffle title to open 2023, while Kellyn March (149) had two ranked wins and Owen Pentz (197) added three ranked wins, as both went 5-0 for their first Scuffle titles. The Bison took second overall, finishing behind Oklahoma State, but ahead of Missouri, Stanford and Minnesota.
 
Pentz Climbing Pin Charts
Owen Pentz is sixth for the Bison in the D1 era with 26 pins. The junior pinned #2/4 Ethan Laird (Rider) in the semis of the Southern Scuffle earlier this season. With that pin, Pentz has pinned a #2 wrestler three times in his career.
 
Freshman Caliendo Makes Strong Statement with Battles Against NCAA Champions
Michael Caliendo (24-3) took runner up at the Southern Scuffle, falling 3-2 to #2 Shane Griffith (Stanford), 2021 NCAA Champion. Caliendo avenged the loss, defeating Griffith 6-3 in a dual two weeks later. Caliendo's other two losses have come to Keegan O'Toole (Missouri), the 2022 NCAA Champion. Caliendo secured two takedowns and led before falling in his first matchup with O'Toole.
 
March Nearly Matches Own NDSU Pin Record, Reaches Personal Best In Pins
In a dual against Buffalo, Kellyn March pinned Kaleb Burgess in 13 seconds, one second shy of March's fastest pin and the NDSU Division I record pin of 12 seconds, set last season in a dual against Edinboro's Clayton Bashor. At the Big 12 Championships, March recorded four victories, with three coming by fall, bringing his season total to six, one more than his previous season best of five last year.
 
100 W's for Kish
With NDSU's 30-6 victory over Buffalo in mid-December, North Dakota State head coach Roger Kish scooped up his 100th career dual victory. Kish has since improved to 108-69 in his 12th season as the leader of the Herd.
 
Program Hits 600
In a dual victory at Stanford, NDSU wrestling secured program victory No. 600 in dual competition. NDSU currently has 606 wins as a program, with 167 in the Division I era and 72 in the Big 12 era.
 
NCAA D1 Qualifiers
The Bison have had 64 NCAA Div. I qualifiers in 15 years of postseason eligibility, including 21 over the last four seasons. Rich in wrestling history, the Bison sent 26 to NCAA Div. I Championships from 1971 to 1991, bringing the total to 90. The Bison have 10 All-Americans at the Div. I Championships, including a best finish of 3rd by Steven Monk at 165 in 2014. In 2015, Kurtis Julson and Hayden Zillmer both placed in the top 8.
 
Head Coach Roger Kish
Roger Kish is in his 12th season at the helm of NDSU wrestling, taking over the program in 2011-12 after he spent two years as an assistant coach under the legendary Bucky Maughan. Under his tenure, the Bison have had seven All-Americans and two Big 12 Champions; Cam Sykora (133 in 2020) and Luke Weber (165 in 2021). Kish was a two-time All-American and two-time NCAA runner-up for Minnesota at 184 pounds with a career record of 117-27 for the Gophers. He then spent two seasons on staff at Minnesota as a graduate assistant.