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December 7, 2004
North Dakota State hosts Princeton University on Thursday, Dec. 9, to open the 2004-05 dual season. The opening bout will begin at 8 p.m., at the Bison Sports Arena. The dual will be NDSU's first ever competing as a Division I program.
SEASON OPENERS: North Dakota State is 28-19 all-time in season opening duals. The Bison are 25-15 all-time under head coach Bucky Maughan to open the season and have won their last three in a row with victories at St. Cloud State 43-0 in 2003, at Minnesota State-Moorhead 38-4 in 2002 and at home against Northern State 37-13 in 2001. Minnesota was the last team to beat NDSU in an opener when the Gophers handed the Bison a 44-0 setback in the 2000-01 season opener in Fargo.
BISON WINNING STREAKS: The Bison will carry a 19-match overall winning streak into the Princeton dual. 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.
MEET THE TIGERS: Head coach Michael New begins his fifth season at Princeton. A veteran of the Ivy League, New wrestled collegiately for Cornell and also served as an assistant before joining the Tigers' staff. This will be the first dual of the season for the Tigers and the team's first meeting with the Bison. Last season the Tigers of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) compiled a 2-13 dual record. The strength of the lineup is from 165-197 with junior Jake Butler returning at 197 after a team-best fifth place finish at the EIWA championships a year ago. Princeton competed in the East Stroudsberg Open on Nov. 20, with top place winner 165 pounder Charlie Wiggins finishing in eighth place. Audrey Pang (125) will be the first female to start for head coach New, while 157 pounder Alex Enriques is the only starting freshman.
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 162 career wins on the mat for the Bison.
60 WIN-PLATEAU: 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 65-43 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 49 and Magee at 48. Sophomore Matt Hermann is closing in as well with 44 career wins.
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.
PINNING WAYS: In five open tournaments this season, NDSU wrestlers have compiled 49 pins. Freshman Skip Johnson is leading the way with 10 of his 11 wins coming by way of pinfall. Heavyweight Tim Kraemer has flattened seven of his opponents, while freshman Andy Pickar has secured four. Dustin Benz, Chris Tuchscherer and Mike Quamme each have three pins.
TWO PLACE AT UNI OPEN: North Dakota State upper weights Dustin Benz and Tim Kraemer each took home hardware at the UNI Open hosted by the University of Northern Iowa on Sunday, Dec. 5, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Benz posted a 5-2 record in the tournament and finished in fourth place at 197 pounds. Kraemer went 6-2 at heavyweight and captured fifth place. Adam Dahlstrom posted a 4-2 record and just missed out on medal contention at 174 pounds. Nick Magee (133), Collin Kelly (157), Andy Pickar (165) and Chris Tuchscherer (Hwt) all posted three wins in the tournament and narrowly missed out on the medal rounds.
WETTERLING 5TH AT DRAGON OPEN: North Dakota State freshman Matt Wetterling captured fifth place at the Dragon Open hosted by Minnesota State-Moorhead on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Alex Nemzek Hall. NDSU sent eight wrestlers to the event, with Wetterling being NDSU's only placewinner. He notched four wins in the tournament at 174 pounds.
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.