TULSA, Okla. – North Dakota State wrestling earned five placing finishes at the 2026 Big 12 Championships presented by Allstate held at the BOK Center. Ezekiel Witt led the Bison on the final day, earning two wins to take third overall and secure one of two Bison bids to the NCAA Championships, along with Gavin Drexler.
 
Witt started the day with a rematch of the regular season finale and duplicated the result, scoring three takedowns in an 11-3 major decision over #21 Brady Roark of South Dakota State to move to the third-place match. The win secured Witt's automatic qualification for the NCAA Championships.
 
The redshirt freshman then had another rematch, as Witt faced his opening match of the Big 12 Championships, #11 Jett Strickenberger of West Virginia, in the third-place match. Witt scored the opening takedown in the first period and then, after an escape in the second, secured another takedown into a pin. Witt finished 3-1 overall to take third in his first Big 12 Championship appearance.
 
Drexler dropped his first match of the afternoon, as he fell to #19 Cael Swensen of South Dakota State by an 8-3 decision to fall into the fifth-place match and the final allocated bid at 157 pounds. In the winner-take-all match, Drexler scored the first three takedowns against #16 Teague Travis of Missouri, to secure a 12-8 decision and earn his second-straight trip to the NCAA Championships.
 
Aidan Brenot took fourth overall for the Bison. Brenot advanced to the third-place match with a medical forfeit from Iowa State's Isaac Dean. However, Brenot would fall to #20 Ian Bush of West Virginia 6-4 in the third-place match.
 
Max Petersen suffered a pair of defeats on the final day, falling to a sixth-place finish. Petersen started the day with a loss to #10 David Evans of Utah Valley, 10-4, before a loss to #26 Gabe Willochell of Wyoming, 14-5.
 
Devin Wasley closed out the wrestling for the Bison on day two, winning his only match to take seventh overall. Wasley scored a reversal on Karson Tompkins of Air Force for the only scoring in a 2-0 decision.
 
NDSU finishes out the Big 12 Championships with 54.5 points, finishing ninth overall in the team standings.
 
With Witt and Drexler earning qualification on Saturday, the Bison secure four bids to the NCAA Championships in two weeks in Cleveland, Ohio, joining Wasley and Brenot's selections on Friday.

NDSU will await any possible at-large selections, with the Bison set to return to action in Cleveland. The NCAA Championships are set to begin on March 19.
 
NDSU Wrestling Results
125 | Ezekiel Witt | 3-1 | 3^rd Place
W over #11 Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia), Dec 9-6
L to #10 Stevo Poulin (Iowa State), Dec 9-3
W over #21 Brady Roark (South Dakota State), MD 11-3
W over #11 Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia), Fall 4:28
 
184 | Aidan Brenot | 4-2 | 4^th Place
W over Brian Burburija (Air Force), MD 17-3
L to #3 Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri), TF 23-7
W over David Alonso (California Baptist), SV 5-2
W over Caleb Uhlenhopp (Utah Valley), Dec 7-3
W over #12 Isaac Dean (Iowa State), MFF
L to #20 Ian Bush (West Virginia), Dec 6-4
 
157 | Gavin Drexler | 4-2 | 5^th Place
W over Lincoln Gregersen (Air Force), Fall 4:34
L to #8 Ty Watters (West Virginia), MD 14-3
W over Mark Takara (Utah Valley), MD 11-2
W over Jared Hill (Wyoming), Dec 19-12
L to #19 Cael Swensen (South Dakota State), Dec 8-3
W over #16 Travis Teague (Missouri), Dec 12-8
 
149 | Max Petersen | 2-3 | 6^th Place
W over Hunter Hollingsworth (Oklahoma), Dec 6-0
W over #20 Josh Edmond (Missouri), Dec 9-5
L to #9 Casey Swiderski (Oklahoma State), MD 16-3
L to #10 David Evans (Utah Valley), Dec 10-4
L to #26 Gabe Willochell (Wyoming), MD 14-5
 
197 | Devin Wasley | 2-2 | 7^th Place
L to #2 Rocky Elam (Iowa State), MD 9-1
W over Eli Sheeren (California Baptist), MD 8-0
L to #6 Bennett Berge (South Dakota State), Dec 7-2
W over Karson Tompkins (Air Force), Dec 2-0
 
Non-Placing Wrestlers
133 | Tristan Daugherty | 0-2
L to Cale Seaton (South Dakota State), Dec 4-1
L to Garrett Grice (Iowa State), Dec 5-2
 
141 | Michael Olson | 0-2
L to #2 Sergio Vega (Oklahoma State), MD 9-0
L to #33 Jesse Vasquez (California Baptist), Dec 7-2
 
165 | Boeden Greenley | 0-2
L to Sloan Swan (Wyoming), SV 2-1
L to Sasha Gavronsky (West Virginia), MD 11-3
 
174 | Max Magayna | 0-2
L to #16 Brody Conley (West Virginia), TF 15-0
L to Mason Espinoza (California Baptist), MD 14-4
 
285 | Shilo Jones | 1-2
W over #11 Christian Carroll (Wyoming), SV 4-1
L to #33 Luke Rasmussen (South Dakota State), DQ
L to Tristan Kemp (California Baptist), FFT