CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – North Dakota State wrestling took fifth overall at the 2026 Southern Scuffle, placing five wrestlers on Sunday at McKenzie Arena at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Ezekiel Witt led the way for the Bison on Sunday, taking second overall in the 125-pound bracket. Witt started the day with a 9-2 win over Cornell's Greg Diakomihalis to reach the final. Witt then took top seed and #4 Eddie Ventresca of Virginia Tech to sudden victory, but fell on a late takedown to the two-time All-American.
Max Magayna took fourth overall at 174 pounds for the Bison in his first Southern Scuffle appearance. After falling in his semifinal, Magayna recovered with a win over Penn's Liam Carlin to reach the third-place match. Magayna then fell to #22 Aidan Wallace of Duke in the medal match.
Max Petersen and
Aidan Brenot dropped their semifinal and the ensuing matches to fall to the fifth-place match. Petersen took fifth at 149 pounds on a medical forfeit from Maryland's Carter Young. Brenot took fifth at 184 pounds, defeating Chattanooga's Landon Jones in sudden victory.
Boeden Greenley secured the final placing finish for the Bison, starting the day with a thrilling come-from-behind 11-10 win over Nick Sanko of Virginia. Greenley then dropped his next match, sending him to the 165-pound seventh-place match, where he picked up a 15-3 major decision over Bellarmine's Noah Hall to take seventh.
NDSU took fifth overall out of 28 teams, scoring 99 points. Penn State won with 143.5 points. Penn (123.5), Little Rock (106) and Virginia Tech (105.5) also finished in the top five.
Zytavius Williams led the way for the Bison at the Soldier Salute on Sunday, winning both of his matches in the 149-pound silver bracket.
Ostin Blanchard,
Kody Tanimoto,
Peyton Moore and
Luke Hoag all picked up a win in silver bracket matches on the day.
The Bison will return to action and open up the Big 12 home schedule next Sunday, January 11, as NDSU hosts #3 Iowa State. The dual is slated for a 1 p.m. start inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
Southern Scuffle Placing Results
125 | Ezekiel Witt | 5-1 | 2nd Place
W over Julian Dawson (Morgan State); TF 20-5
W over Gylon Sims (The Citadel); Fall 6:44
W over Ty Tice (Chattanooga); Dec 4-0
W over Andrew Binni (Navy); SV 8-1
W over Greg Diakomihalis (Cornell); Dec 9-2
L to #4 Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech); SV 4-1
174 | Max Magayna | 4-2 | 4th Place
W over Brody Murray (Chattanooga); MD 13-0
W over Colt Campbell (Appalachian State); Fall 1:15
W over Tyson Sherlock (Davidson); Dec 3-0
L to Caden Bellis (Penn); Dec 4-1
W over Liam Carlin (Penn); Dec 8-5
L to #22 Aidan Wallace (Duke); MD 14-1
149 | Max Petersen | 4-2 | 5th Place
W over Kelly Dunnigan (Penn); MD 12-1
W over Kyle Lew (Little Rock); TF 17-1
W over Carson DesRosier (The Citadel); Dec 14-8
L to Connor Pierce (Penn State); Dec 8-2
L to #4 Cross Wasilewski (Penn); Dec 9-4
W over Carter Young (Maryland); MFF
184 | Aidan Brenot | 5-2 | 5th Place
W over Rylan Breen (NC State); MD 18-6
W over Tristin Greene (Bellarmine); TF 20-4
W over Greyson Meak (Penn); MD 15-2
W over Dylan Newsome (Virginia); Dec 4-2
L to #25 Caleb Campos (American); Dec 8-2
L to #30
Christian Hansen (Cornell); MD 16-2
W over Landon Jones (Chattanooga); SV 4-1
165 | Boeden Greenley | 5-2 | 7th Place
W over Tavian Camper (Chattanooga); Dec 11-6
L to Dylan Elmore (Navy); Dec 8-2
W over Jack Conley (Michigan State); MD 17-4
W over Mason Steffanelli (Virginia); Dec 9-5
W over Nick Sanko (Virginia); Dec 11-10
L to Anthony Ferrari (Campbell); Dec 10-4
W over Noah Hall (Bellarmine); MD 15-3
Southern Scuffle Non-Placing Results
141 | Devon Harrison | 2-2
W over Ryan Luna (Presbyterian); TF 16-1
W over #8 Aaron Nagao (Penn State); MFF
L to #19 Haiden Drury (Utah Valley); Dec 7-3
L to Kyren Butler (Virginia); TF 20-3
157 | Gavin Drexler | 3-2
W over Nate Rickards (Virginia); Dec 7-0
W over Alex Hutchcraft (Chattanooga); MD 10-1
W over Ethan Mojena (Brown); Dec 2-0
L to Jonathan Ley (Navy); Dec 5-2
L to Tanner Peake (Davidson); Dec 0-2
184 | Andrew McMonagle | 3-2
W over Brant Cracraft (Campbell); SV 10-7
L to #22 Jaden Bullock (Virginia Tech); SV 4-1
W over Jakob Gilfoil (Army); MD 14-5
W over Ryan Boucher (Michigan State); Dec 4-2
L to Caleb Uhlenhopp (Utah Valley); Dec 8-4
197 | Devin Wasley | 3-1
W over Martin Cosgrove (Penn); MD 9-1
L to Payton Thomas (Navy); Dec 4-2
W over Teage Calvin (American); TF 17-1
W over #29 Wolfgang Frable (Army); Dec 5-0
L to #31 Kael Wisler (Michigan State); Dec 13-10
285 | Drew Blackburn-Forst | 3-1
W over Oscar Williams (Maryland); MD 14-2
L to #18 Brady Colbert (Army); MD 12-1
W over John Pardo (Penn); TF 15-0
W over #30 Alex Semenenko (Brown); MFF
L to Lucas Stoddard (Army); Fall 1:43
133 | Tristan Daugherty | 2-2
L to Max Leete (American); Dec 8-2
W over Fernando Dominguez (Presbyterian); TF 16-1
W over Kyle Montaperto (Virginia); Dec 4-3
L to Geronimo Rivera (Utah Valley); SV 8-2
141 | Michal Olson | 2-2
L to #22 Tom Crook (Virginia Tech); MD 8-0
W over Joe Fongaro (Appalachian State); SV 4-1
W over Will Anderson (Chattanooga); Dec 4-2
L to Gable Porter (Virginia); MD 8-0
165 | Porter Craig | 0-2
L to Dakota Morris (Army); Dec 10-4
L to Tavian Camper (Chattanooga); Dec 7-5
285 | Shilo Jones | 1-2
W over John Pardo (Penn); Fall 2:35
L to #24 Connor Barket (Duke); SV 9-6
L to Oscar Williams (Maryland); Dec 4-3
Soldier Salute Silver Bracket Results
125 | Ostin Blanchard | 1-1
W over Abdl Unle (Nebraska); Dec 17-13
L to Hank Benter (Missouri); MD 14-3
125 | Kody Tanimoto | 1-1
W over Anthony Alanis (Bellarmine); Dec 8-1
L to Carson Dupill (South Dakota State); Dec 7-6
141 | Lawson Eller | 0-2
L to Liam Neitzel (South Dakota State); MD 16-5
L to Owen Uhls (Missouri); Fall 1:45
141 | Peyton Moore | 1-1
W over Travis Long (Bellarmine); Fall 0:36
L to Easton Hilton (Missouri); MD 12-0
149 | Zytavius Williams | 2-0
W over Scott Robertson (Nebraska); Dec 9-8
W over Wyatt DuChateau (Minnesota); Dec 6-5
165 | Dante Hutchings | 1-1
L to Clay Giddens (Oklahoma); Dec 8-2
W over Kyler Knaack (Northern Iowa); MFF
174 | Luke Hoag | 1-1
L to Peyton Westpfahl (Missouri); TF 25-9
W over Tyler Martinez (Bellarmine); MD 10-2
197 | Adam Cherne | 0-1
L to Anthony Harris (Oklahoma); Dec 11-5
