SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Minot State University (MSU) men’s wrestling team was on the road for a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) duals. The team posted one win and one loss.

No. 8 Augustana 36, MSU Men 6

The MSU men’s wrestling team battled but the 8th-ranked Augustana Vikings proved to be a bit too much Saturday afternoon as the Beavers fell 36-6 in an NSIC dual.

Wayne Joint and Ryan Hrcka led the way for MSU (6-6 duals, 2-4 NSIC) as each picked up a win, while the Beavers’ Jake Swirple, who is ranked No. 9 nationally at 285 pounds, battled into overtime before suffering a setback.

Joint picked up a 3-2 win by decision over Braiden Kort at 133 pounds, getting the Beavers on the board in the dual, and Hrcka added a 3-2 win by decision over Davin Rose at 157 pounds, keeping Minot State close, down 14-6 midway through the dual.

An injury default at 165 pounds then sparked the Vikings, though, as Augustana, who won the next five matches to finish off the team victory.

That included a battle at 285 as Swirple and Max Balow went into overtime tied 1-1 before Balow made a late charge in the tie-breaker for a 6-1 win.

Minot State returns to the mats next weekend in non-conference action, battling in-state foe Dickinson State in a dual hosted by the Blue Hawks on Friday before competing in the Tyler Plummer Classic on Saturday in Dickinson.

MSU Men 24, Sioux Falls 18

Making their first trip to Sioux Falls to take on the 2nd-year Cougars, the MSU men’s wrestling team prevailed with a late surge in an NSIC dual on Friday night.

Brendan Barnes won by pin, helping the Beavers even up the dual, then Cannon Potts added another win by pin as Minot State pulled away late for a 24-18 win.

Dylan McDonald, Ryan Hrcka, Gavin Turk, and Jake Swirple all added wins by decision for Minot State, which is in action at No. 8 Augustana on Saturday night.

Trailing 12-3 in the dual, Hrcka started the charge for the Beavers with a 2-1 win in his 157-pound match over Lincoln Fink, then Barnes picked up a win by pin 1 minute, 40 seconds into the second round of his match at 165 against Cooper Sanders, tying the dual 12-12.

Turk then completed a run of three straight MSU wins with an 8-2 decision at 174 pounds over Grant Moraski, giving the Beavers a brief lead as a pin by the Cougars at 184 put them back on top.

Potts changed that for good in his 197-pound match, pinning Stetson Davis in 1:03 to give Minot State a 21-18 edge.

Swirple then iced the team win as the No. 9-ranked heavyweight picked up an 8-2 decision at 285 pounds over Isaiah Laguna for the final margin of victory.

McDonald got the Beavers started with an 11-5 decision win in the 125-pound match against Jaxton Packer in the first match of the evening.