BISON CAREER
2009-10 (Junior): Went 22-10 overall and 11-5 in duals at 157 pounds...Won the West Regional title and earned first trip to the NCAA Championships...Claimed the Dragon Open title...Won five straight duals...Pinned South Dakota State’s Nick Flynn in the opening round of the West Regional...Upset second-seeded Justin Gaethje of Northern Colorado, 12-9, in the semifinals...Won an 8-4 decision over UNI’s Tyson Reiner in the title bout...Wrestled top-seeded and undefeated J.P. O’Connor of Harvard in the opening round of the NCAA Championships, losing a 15-2 major decision...Pinned by Arizona State’s Tejovan Edwards in the first round of the consolation bracket.
2008-09 (Sophomore): Finished the season with a 17-15 overall record and a 7-9 mark in duals at 157 pounds...Went 5-1 at the Bison Open to claim third place...Won his final four dual matches of the season, including a pin of Northern Iowa’s Tyson Reiner...Went 2-2 at the NCAA West Regional..Defeated Joseph Stafford of Air Force in a 10-0 major decision before dropped a 12-7 decision to Northern Colorado’s Justin Gaethje...Won first match in consolation bracket against Weston Blasius of South Dakota State before falling to Wyoming’s Eric Coxbill.
2007-08 (Freshman): Went 12-15 overall and 4-10 in duals at 149 and 165...Had six pins...Finished second at the Bison Open and won the Dragon Open...Competed at the NCAA West Regional, going 0-2 at 165...Named to the Western Wrestling Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll for academics.
2006-07 (Redshirt): Saw action in three tournaments at 149 as an unattached wrestler, posting an impressive 10-3 record...Captured the Dragon Open championship after defeating teammate Andrey Patselov 7-4...Runner-up in the Bison Open after going 4-1 in the tournament and recording three pins.
HIGH SCHOOL
Graduated from Skyview High School...Coached by Rich Malia...Finished his high school career with a 131-10 record and 84 pins...State champion both his junior and senior seasons and placed third as a sophomore and second as a freshman...Named to “The Clash” National Wrestling Duals all-tournament team...Most outstanding wrestler at 152 pounds and crowned national champion at the Brute/Adidas Nationals at 140 pounds in 2005...During his AAU career, was a three-time Ironman champion and freestyle state champion, a four-time folkstyle state champion, a five-time Greco-Roman and Sombo state champion, and was a seven-time runner-up....Crowned Grand National Sombo Champion in 1999 and earned runner-up honors twice...National champion in both Greco-Roman and freestyle in 2000...Was a member of the Montana National Team for the last three years and is a four-time national placewinner...Member of the National Honor Society for two years.
Personal
Majoring in construction managament with a minor in business administration...Son of Shane and Tina Salminen of Billings...Family includes one brother, Paolo.
