Max Petersen and Ezekiel Witt led North Dakota State University’s wrestling team on March 19 by advancing to the second day of the NCAA Championships at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Both wrestlers lost their opening matches but came back with wins in the first consolation round, keeping their tournament hopes alive.
The progress of Petersen and Witt is significant for North Dakota State as they continue to compete against top talent from across the country. Their victories help maintain the team’s presence in the championship standings.
Witt, after losing to Jett Strickenberger of West Virginia, secured a 6-2 win over Missouri’s Mack Mauger. He scored a key takedown late in the second period and added over a minute of riding time in the third period to clinch his victory. Petersen was defeated by Aden Valencia of Stanford but responded with a major decision against Davidson’s Anderson Heap, winning 12-2 after an early takedown and four near fall points.
Both wrestlers will face elimination matches on Friday. Witt is set to compete against Spencer Moore of Illinois, while Petersen will take on David Evans of Utah Valley. Other NDSU wrestlers—Gavin Drexler, Aidan Brenot, and Devin Wasley—were eliminated after going winless on Thursday. Drexler and Brenot each finished their seasons with 16 wins; Wasley ended with 22 wins.
North Dakota State currently has two team points and is tied for 44th place out of 70 teams competing at the championships.
As competition continues into Friday, Petersen and Witt aim to extend their runs in the tournament while contributing valuable points for North Dakota State.
