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NDSU to compete in the Northern Iowa Open on Sunday
November 30, 2004
THIS WEEK: North Dakota State travels to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to compete in the Northern Iowa Open on Sunday, Dec. 5, hosted by the University of Northern Iowa. The all-day event will begin at 9 a.m., at the UNI Dome. The Bison return to the UNI Open for the first time after years of competing in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
DRAGON OPEN: NDSU will also have wrestlers competing in the Dragon Open hosted by Minnesota State-Moorhead on Saturday, Dec. 4. Wrestling action begins at 9 a.m., at Alex Nemzek Hall on the campus of MSU-Moorhead.
BISON CAPTAINS: NDSU is captained by seniors Nick Magee, Lucas Christianson and Collin Kelly in its first season of Division I wrestling. The trio has combined for 154 career wins on the mat for the Bison.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS: Nick Magee, Lucas Christianson and Matt Hermann are all returning Division II All-Americans. Hermann placed second and Magee finished third last season. Christianson has performed the feat twice, capturing eighth in 2003 and sixth in 2002 before sitting out most of last season.
60 WIN-PLATAU: Senior Lucas Christianson eclipsed the 60 career win mark with a 13-4 decision over Tyler Safratowich of Minnesota at this year's Bison Open. Christianson is 63-41 as a Bison. Junior Zach Stevens has gone over 50 career wins and has amassed 53 victories as a Bison. Seniors Collin Kelly and Nick Magee are nearing 50 career wins, with Kelly currently sitting at 46 and Magee at 45. Sophomore Matt Hermann is closing in as well with 42 career wins.
PINNING WAYS: In three open tournaments this season, NDSU wrestlers have compiled 40 pins. Freshman Skip Johnson is leading the way with 10 of his 11 wins coming by way of pin fall. Heavyweight Tim Kraemer has flattened six of his opponents, while freshmen Andy Pickar and Mike Quamme have each secured three.
BISON WINNING STREAKS: The Bison will carry a 19-match overall winning streak into the Princeton dual on Dec. 9. North Dakota State was 5-0 on its home mat in the 2003-04 season and the Bison have won 17 straight duals at the Bison Sports Arena dating back to the 2000-01 season when Division III power Augsburg defeated NDSU 19-12.
MAKING THE TRANSITION: NDSU is in its first year of a two-year waiting period for the NCAA tournament. Wrestling received notification of acceptance from the NCAA for multidivisional classification that will provide NCAA Division I postseason opportunities in 2006-07. Originally, NDSU was not eligible for the NCAA national tournament until the 2008-09 season.
DIVISION II TITLE YEARS: North Dakota State captured four NCAA titles in its storied history in Division II. The Bison won in 1988, 1998, 2000 and 2001. NDSU's four titles is second most among teams still in Division II. Central Oklahoma has six championships. Cal Poly and Cal State-Bakersfield each won eight crowns before moving to Division I wrestling.
HEAD COACH BUCKY MAUGHAN: North Dakota State is coached by a National Wrestling Hall of Famer. Bucky Maughan is in his 41st year at the helm of the Bison. Maughan is only the second full-time wrestling coach in the school's history. He has a 408-112-11 record to date in dual meets and has guided the Herd to 17 North Central Conference titles, four NCAA Division II championships, and 26 top-five national finishes. The Bison won nine straight NCC titles from 1982 to 1990 under his direction. He is a member of five halls of fame after his 2003 induction to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
BISON ASSISTANTS: Beginning his fourth year at NDSU, assistant coach Bret Maughan brings a wealth of experience to the Bison program. The two-time All-American on the mat at NDSU had head coaching stints at Moorhead (Minn.) High School and Bismarck State College before returning to his alma mater. Former three-time All-American and national champion Kris Nelson begins his fifth season as an assistant. Fellow NDSU All-Americans Thad Pike, Joe Bryce and Paul Carlson will serve as student assistants this season.
BISON PLACE TWO IN KAUFMAN-BRAND OPEN: True freshman Jacob Bryce captured the 184 pound title of the 20-and-under division at the Kaufman-Brand Open on Saturday, Nov. 20. Bryce defeated four straight opponents to reach the finals and was crowned champion after receiving a medical forfeit from Hofstra's Joe Rovelli in the championship bout. Nineteen NDSU wrestlers competed in the two divisions of the tournament The Kaufman-Brand Open featured 700 wrestlers from 40 colleges and universities representing 14 states at the Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse. In the open division, 141 pound senior Lucas Christianson was the Bison's only placewinner. Christianson battled his way into the semifinals before settling for a sixth place finish. Zach Stevens (149), Andy Pickar (165) and Tim Kraemer (Heavyweight) were each one victory away from finishing in the top six. Stevens went 2-2, Pickar finished 4-2 and Kramer finished 3-2 in the open division. Skip Johnson was one win shy of placing in the 20-and-under division at 197 pounds. Johnson posted a 3-2 record in the tournament.
35TH ANNUAL BISON OPEN RECAP: Senior Collin Kelly captured the 157 pound title in dramatic fashion as NDSU placed five straight wrestlers in the finals from 157 to 197 pounds at the Bison Open held on Saturday, Nov. 13. Kelly scored a last second takedown against Minnesota's Mitch Kuhlman to win 6-5 in the finals.
The Bison placed 16 wrestlers in the top six. Lucas Christianson (141), Andy Pickar (165), Adam Dahlstrom (174), Matt Hermann (184) and Dustin Benz (197) all reached the finals and placed second. The Bison placed 16 wrestlers in the top six. Lucas Christianson (141), Andy Pickar (165), Adam Dahlstrom (174), Matt Hermann (184) and Dustin Benz (197) all reached the finals and placed second. Skip Johnson (197) and Tim Kraemer (Heavyweight) finished third. Mike Meger (125), Zach Stevens (149), Dan Flatau (197) and Chris Tuchscherer (Heavyweight) placed fourth. Gabriel Mooney (149), Jacob Bryce (184) and Nathan Stoen (197) captured fifth, while Adam Aho (157) secured sixth place.
STRONG SHOWING AT DAKTRONICS OPEN: Redshirt freshman Andy Pickar captured an individual championship at 165 pounds at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Saturday, Nov. 6 hosted by South Dakota State. Thirteen other Bison placed in the tournament which featured over 200 wrestlers from 15 different teams. Heavyweight Tim Kraemer recorded the most pins in the tournament with four, on way to placing fifth in the tournament. Five other Bison wrestlers reached the finals. Senior Lucas Christianson (141), senior Collin Kelly (157), sophomore Matt Hermann (184), sophomore Dustin Benz (197) and senior Chris Tuchscherer all finished runners-up in the tournament. NDSU received a pair of third place finishes from true freshman Gabriel Mooney at 149 and junior Adam Dahlstrom at 174. Junior Zach Stevens (149), freshman Adam Aho (157) and Kraemer all placed fifth. True freshmen Mike Quamme (157) and Jacob Bryce (184) captured sixth place, along with redshirt Skip Johnson at 197.