Rodriguez, Ream Pins Push NDSU Past Cal Poly 27-9

FARGO, N.D.–North Dakota State University won seven of 10 matches including pins from 125-pound sophomore Josh Rodriguez and 149-pound redshirt freshman Clay Ream to push past Cal Poly 27-9 in a non-conference dual Friday, Jan. 23, before 377 spectators at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.

The Bison have won four straight dual matches to improve to 5-3 on the season, while Cal Poly drops to 1-11. The Mustangs wrestle at South Dakota State on Sunday. NDSU jumps back into Western Wrestling Conference action next weekend, traveling to Air Force on Friday, Jan. 30, and 18th-ranked Wyoming on Sunday, Feb. 1.

North Dakota State recorded four straight victories after Cal Poly’s Dominic Kastl posted a 6-3 decision over Kurtis Julson (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) in the 174-pound weight division. Julson drops to 12-8 overall and 4-4 in duals.

Click Here: All Blacks Rugby Jersey

NDSU 184-pound junior Hayden Zillmer (Crosby, Minn.) fell behind 2-1 early to the Mustangs’ Nick Fiegener, but used two-point takedown to take a 3-2 lead after the first period. Zillmer, who is ranked 9th nationally, outscored Fiegener 6-1 over the final two periods to post a 9-3 win. It was the eighth dual win in eight tries for Zillmer, who improved to 24-4 overall.

North Dakota State 197-pound redshirt freshman Tommy Petersen (Lakeville, Minn.) jumped out to a 10-3 lead after the first period with a pair of takedowns and two nearfalls against J.T. Goodwin. Petersen held off Goodwin’s late rally to record a hard-fought 14-12 win. Petersen broke a four-match losing streak with his first dual victory in five tries and is now 9-11 on the season.

NDSU 285-pound senior Evan Knutson (Wausau, Wis.) followed with an 8-3 decision over Cal Poly’s Nicolas Johnson to put the Bison ahead 9-3. Knutson improved to 18-7 overall and 6-2 in dual action.

North Dakota State received a boost when Rodriguez (Guadalupe, Calif.) recorded his first pin of the season at 6:58 over the Mustangs’ Yoshito Funakoshi at 125 to extend NDSU’s lead to 15-3. The 20th-ranked Rodriguez has won seven of his last nine matches to improve to 12-5 overall and 7-1 in duals.

Cal Poly stopped the Bison run when Victor Trujillo outlasted redshirt freshman Kyle Gliva (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) for a 9-7 decision. Gliva drops to 5-6 overall and 0-2 in duals.

NDSU started another run with redshirt freshman Mitch Bengtson’s 6-0 decision over Colton Schilling in the 141-pound weight class. Bengtson (St. Cloud, Minn.) is now 17-9 overall and 5-3 in duals.

North Dakota State 149-pounder Ream (Wentzville, Mo.) followed with his sixth pin of the season at 1:39 over Jacob Leon to put the Bison ahead 24-6. Ream, who has won six of his last eight, improve to 18-9 overall and 7-1 in duals.

NDSU redshirt freshman Grant Nehring (Kimball, Minn.) returned to the 157-pound weight division to earn an 8-2 decision over the Mustangs’ Colt Shorts. Nehring, who wrestled at 165 in the last two duals, improved to 4-9 overall and 1-2 in duals.

Cal Poly’s Travis Berridge recorded a takedown midway in the first overtime to defeat redshirt freshman Trevour Chavez (Bethel, Alaska) 3-1. Chavez drops to 4-8 overall and 0-2 in duals.

North Dakota State 27 Cal Poly 9
174: Dominic Kastl (CAPO) over Kurtis Julson (NDSU) (Dec 6-3)
184: Hayden Zillmer (NDSU) over Nick Fiegener (CAPO) (Dec 9-3)
197: Thomas Petersen (NDSU) over JT Goodwin (CAPO) (Dec 14-12)
285: Evan Knutson (NDSU) over Nicolas Johnson (CAPO) (Dec 8-3)
125: Joshua Rodriguez (NDSU) over Yoshi Funakoshi (CAPO) (Fall 6:58)
133: Victor Trujillo (CAPO) over Kyle Gliva (NDSU) (Dec 9-7)
141: Mitchell Bengtson (NDSU) over Colton Schilling (CAPO) (Dec 6-0)
149: Clayton Ream (NDSU) over Jacob Leon (CAPO) (Fall 1:39)
157: Grant Nehring (NDSU) over Colt Shorts (CAPO) (Dec 8-2)
165: Travis Berridge (CAPO) over Trevour Chavez (NDSU) (SV-1 3-1)

View more college results