Grapplers focus on regionals
The NDSU wrestling team didn’t end their regular season on a high note. With a loss to Northern Iowa and a tie to SDSU last weekend, the team finished the regular season with a dual record of 8-5-1.
A day and a half after losing to Northern Iowa 31-9, the Bison traveled to Brookings for their final conference match.
Eric Hoffman and Ryan Adams recorded technical falls, Jacob Bryce won and Eric Sander’s victory came via forfeit. The Bison built a 19-12 lead with two matches to go, but lost it.
SDSU’s Andy Everson’s technical fall over Adam Aho and Ryan Meyer’s 7-0 decision over NDSU’s Mike Quamme tied the score and ended the match.
“I wasn’t really happy about tying SDSU; I thought we wrestled very poorly,” NDSU coach Bucky Maughan said. “For them it was like the biggest thing in world to tie, but we were all bummed about it.”
The Jackrabbits had one victory in the Western Wrestling Conference and finished in sixth place, ahead of winless Utah Valley State.
The 19-19 tie and loss to Northern Iowa finished off the regular season on a sour note for the Bison. Especially since NDSU beat SDSU 30-14 earlier in this season.
“We had a different lineup back then, and now we have some injuries that we have to deal with. They wrestled very smart and we were just not prepared for that,” Maughan said about tying SDSU. “Back then we had a better dual meet team. But right now I think we have a better team as far as individuals. They are ready to do something in the tournaments we have.”
NDSU wrestlers are now preparing for the West Regional tournament, which begins March 3. It will be the first time an NDSU wrestling team will be a part of postseason action since the 2003-04 season.
The regional tournament is for wrestlers to qualify individuals for the nationals. Along with the individual advancement, each wrestler will earn points that go to team totals to crown a tournament champion.
With some individual wrestlers doing very well of late, the new format couldn’t have come at a better time.
NDSU 125-pounder Eric Hoffman has won his last seven matches and leads the team in wins this season. He will be one looking to submit a bid to Nationals. He finished the year with a 19-5 record.
Another wrestler anticipating the regional is Jacob Bryce. Bryce, who has won six of his last seven matches, was 5-1 against conference opponents and compiled a 15-7 record this season.
“Hoffman, Bryce, Ryan Adams and Eric Sanders, who have all been wrestling well of late, will make some noise for use in the regional, but we also need some other guys on our team to step it up,” Maughan said.