ST. LOUIS, Mo.— North Dakota State University seniors, 174-pound Kurtis Julson and 285 Evan Knutson, both won first round matches to advance in the championship bracket during the first session of the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships held Thursday, March 19, in the Scottrade Center. The second session is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. tonight
Julson recorded a takedown with 5-seconds left in the second tie-breaker 2 overtime period to upset No. 10-seed Mark Martin by the score of 5-3. Julson recorded an escape in his 30-second tie-breaker 2 period. He allowed a Martin escape with 20-seconds left and then went high to send Martin to the mat.
Julson (20-9) is scheduled to square off with No. 7-seed Zach Epperly (26-6) of Virginia Tech in the championship round. Julson (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) lost to Epperly 6-4 in a dual match Nov. 16 at Blacksburg.
Knutson (23-8) grinded out a 6-2 decision over George Mason’s Jacob Kettler (27-12) to advance in the upper part of the bracket. Knutson and Kettler were scoreless until midway in the second period when the pair traded reversals. Knutson gained an escape early, registered a takedown and built 1:54 of riding time to secure the win. Knutson (Wausau, Wis.) will face undefeated Nick Gwiazdowski in tonight’s session II.
NDSU redshirt freshman Clay Ream (Wentzville, Mdropped 10-3 decision to Northern Carolina’s Christian Barber (13-9) in a pigtail match in the 149-pound bracket. Ream recorded the first takedown, but Barber gained a reversal and near fall to take build a 5-2 lead in the first period. Barber, who had 4:18 of riding time, had a takedown in both the second and third periods. Ream is scheduled to wrestle Joshua Kundig (14-4) of Oklahoma State in the consolation round Thursday night.
Edinboro University’s No. 2-ranked 141-pound Mitchell Port rolled past NDSU’s Mitch Bengtson by the score of 17-4 in the opener. Port led 2-0 after one period but picked up steam and gained 4:51 of riding time. Bengtson will face Northwestern’s Jameston Oster (21-13) in consolation round Thursday
Air Force Academy’s Josh Martinez recorded a takedown midway in the third period to defeat Bison No. 14-ranked Josh Rodriguez. The Western Wrestling Conference opponents were scoreless after the first and Rodriguez took a 2-1 lead into the third period. Rodriguez faces Pitt’s Dom Forys (17-13) in consolation round Thursday evening.
Ohio State’s Kenny Courts (23-9) recorded a takedown with 15-seconds left in sudden victory overtime period to defeat NDSU’s Hayden Zillmer 6-4 in the 184-pound division. Zillmer had a takedown in the first 15-seconds of the first period and led 3-1 going into the third period. Courts escaped early, recorded a takedown with 1:22 left. Zillmer logged an escape to force overtime. His opponent will either be Binghamton’s Jack McKeever or Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr.
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