OMAHA, Neb. — Minnesota State senior heavyweight Brady Wilson’s bid to win a national championship came up one point short on Saturday as Wilson dropped a 1-0 decision to Elijah Madison of Nebraska-Omaha in the championship bout of the NCAA Division II national tournament.
The wrestlers were tied 0-0 after regulation, but Madison was awarded a point for riding time to get the victory. The loss was the first in four matches for Wilson in the two-day tournament.
“‘He took some shots but obviously he could have taken a few more,” MSU head coach Jim Makovsky said a few minutes after Wilson’s loss. “It’s an emotional time for him right now. He’s hurt, he’s disappointed but he’ll deal with it like the man that he is.”
The No. 1-ranked Wilson finishes his career as a four-time All-American. He placed fifth as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore, third as a junior and second as a senior in his four trips to nationals.
He also leaves as the winningest wrestler in MSU history with 143 victories. His final record is 143-24.
MSU junior Andy Forstner finished the tournament in fourth place at 125 pounds. The Madelia native began Saturday’s action with a 6-4 win over Terrell McKinney of Nebraska-Omaha.
Forstner then downed Thomas Edgmon of Fort Hays State 8-4. Edgmon had defeated Forstner in the first round of the tournament.
In the third-place match, Forstner dropped a 6-5 decision to Arksenia Barksdale of Adams State. This is the second time Forstner has earned All-American honors. He finished the year with a 25-12 record.
“Andy had a great tournament,” Makovsky said. “He finished strong and he’ll be ready for next year.”
Senior Travis Elg ended his final season with a fifth-place finish at 149 pounds.
The Mountain Lake native opened Saturday’s consolation round by building a 12-0 lead against Kevin McElhaney of Gannon before pinning him in 4:22.
Elg was then defeated by 12-4 major decision by Augustana’s Nate Herda. That put him in the fifth-place match where he quickly pinned Derek Bomstad of MSU-Moorhead in 1:12.
It was Elg’s third fall of the tournament. He finished 15-16 on the season and 83-38 for his career.
“A lot of people had jumped off Travis’ bandwagon this year,” Makovsky said. “But I never stopped believing in him and he never stopped believing in himself. He went out as an All-America and that’s a great way to go.”
Sophomore 189-pounder Aaron Norgren was defeated right away in wrestlebacks Saturday, getting pinned by Derek Ross of Nebraska-Kearney in 53 seconds.
The Maple River graduated rebounded with a 8-5 win over Ryan Bacerra of Grand Canyon to finish seventh overall and earn All-American honors for the first time in his career. Norgren closes out with a 16-11 record.
“This was a breakout tournament for Aaron,” Makovsky said. “He’s only scratched the surface of what he’s capable of. It’s going to be fun to see what he does the next two year.”
The Mavericks finished sixth in the team standings. Host Nebraska-Omaha won the team championship.
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Related Photos
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Minnesota State senior Brady Wilson (bottom) dropped a 1-0 decision in the title match at heavyweight Saturday. Photo courtesy of Tim Tushla
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Minnesota State junior Andy Forstner finished fourth at the NCAA Division II wrestling tournament in Omaha, Neb. Photo courtesy of Tim Tushla
Mavs' Wilson denied national championship
MSU senior falls in title bout
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