The same can be said for freshman women’s wrestler Alyssa Jones, who started her collegiate career strong and continues to get better for the Beavers.

Leading the way on the mats with a stellar 5-1 record last month, Jones has been named the Pinnacle Employee Benefits Minot State Female Athlete of the Month for December, while Benjamin’s continued leadership on the hardwood has earned him the Pinnacle Employee Benefits Minot State Male Athlete of the Month award for December.

Pinnacle Employee Benefits became the title sponsor for Minot State’s Athlete of the Month award during the 2021-22 academic year. The award recognizes the outstanding athletic achievements each month of one male and one female Beaver student-athlete.

A freshman from San Diego, California, who made her collegiate wrestling debut at the Waldorf Open in November, Jones has enjoyed a strong first season, compiling a 16-5 record to date on the mats.

Deuce Benjamin

That strong debut season includes a 5-1 effort in the month of December as Jones picked up a win by pin in 1 minute, 44 seconds in the Beavers dual at No. 10 Fort Hays State on December 5, then she finished 3rd in the 124-pound weight class at the Bob Smith Open hosted by Fort Hays State on December 6.

After scoring one of just two wins for Minot State in the dual Friday, Jones came out strong in Saturday’s open tournament with back-to-back technical fall victories, earning a spot in the semifinals against Fort Hays State’s Morgan Maschmann.

Maschmann handed Jones her lone setback of the month, but the Beaver freshman bounced back strong with a pair of consolation wins to claim third place, the top finish for Minot State’s team in the tournament.

Jones and the rest of the Minot State women’s wrestling team head to Nebraska next weekend as they return to action following the holiday break, competing at the Chadron State duals on Friday, January 9, then in the Chadron State Open on Saturday, January 10.

As for Benjamin, who averaged a team-best 19.1 points per game to earn Pinnacle Employee Benefits Minot State Male Athlete of the Month for November, he stepped up his game even more last month for the Beavers.

Named the NSIC Player of the Week on December 8 after helping lead the Beavers to a pair of conference victories, Benjamin led Minot State over six games in December, averaging 22.7 points per game as the Beavers went 4-2 on the month.

The junior from Las Cruces, New Mexico, also led Minot State, hitting 14 3-pointers during the month, was second on the team with 15 assists, and added 16 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocked shots for the Beavers.

On the season, Benjamin leads Minot State in scoring, averaging 20.8 points per game, which is 3rd-best in the NSIC, in 3-pointers made with 34, and shares the team lead in assists with Kiku Parker Jr., each with 38. Benjamin also is averaging 3.1 rebounds per game, has 10 steals, and 4 blocked shots for the Beavers.

Benjamin and the rest of the Beavers are back in action after the holiday break, hosting in-state rival the University of Mary in NSIC action at the MSU Dome this Saturday, with tip-off for the men’s game at 3:30 p.m., followed by the women’s game at 5:30 p.m.