Beavers wrestling returns to the mat
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The Minot State men’s and women’s wrestling teams will return to the mat for their 2026-2027 season debut with the Minot State Intersquad Duals on Sunday, Oct. 25.
For both teams, the 2025-2026 season came to a close with their respective regional tournaments, but not before claiming a number of podium finishes.
The women closed out their season with a trip down south to Saint Charles, Mo. for the NCAA Region VI Tournament.
Their 2025-2026 season was the women’s first as part of the NCAA, as it was the NCAA’s first year officially sponsoring women’s wrestling. Prior to the NCAA sponsorship, the wrestlers competed under the NCWWC banner, and the Beavers sent a full line up to the Region Tournament, including now returning veterans senior Haleigh Lematta and junior Aniya Herbin.
Lematta is a a two-time national qualifier, having qualified for NCWWC Nationals at 143 pounds her 2023-2024 season and did so again for the second year in a row in the 2024-2025 season where she earned her first National Tournament win at 145 pounds.
Last season, Lematta finished with a record of 20 wins and six losses, earning the title at 145 pounds at the inaugural Beaver Bash Open, and finishing the season at the Region Tournament.
On Sunday, Oct. 25, the now senior from Fessenden will return to the mat for the Beavers as she looks to earn another winning season.
Junior Aniya Herbin will also make her return to the mat this season after her fourth place finish in the 207-pound weight class at the NCAA Region VI Tournament last season.
Last season was Herbin’s first as a wrestler for Minot State, after previously ranking as high as eighth in the NAIA individual national rankings during her inaugural collegiate season in 2024 and 2025 for Missouri Valley.
In her first year at Minot State, Herbin earned a record of 17 wins and nine losses, closing out her season in the Region Tournament after a close loss in the third place match left her without an automatic invite to NCAA National Tournament.
Back in March of this year, the women’s wrestling program named Keegan Berry as the team’s new head coach.
Coach Berry, a graduate of Minot State, acted as an assistant coach for the team the previous three seasons.
“Keegan has been instrumental in the development and growth of our program, and he offers our student-athletes the best possible opportunity for a smooth and successful transition,” said Minot State’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Intercollegiate Athletics, Kevin Harmon, at the time. “His leadership, work ethic, and commitment to our mission make him the right person to guide this program forward.”
Berry has seen and helped guide six of Minot State’s wrestlers to national tournament berths during his time as an assistant coach, and he is looking to continue that success into the new season.
“We have a great foundation that has been built over the past 4 years, and I am excited to continue to grow and mold this program into something special,” Coach Berry said.
The Beavers men’s wrestling team will also be starting their new season on Sunday, Oct. 25, as part of the Minot State Intersquad Duals.
Last season, the team closed out the year with a tenth place finish at the NCAA Super Region V Tournament in Marshall, MN.
Then freshman and now returning sophomore Cole Faircloth finished the Region Tournament with a fifth place finish in the 133-pound weight class.
Sophomore Braxton Rance will also make his return to the mat for the Beavers this season. Last season, Rance was named to the NWCA Scholar All-American Team and finished last season with a win by pin in 5:26 over Evan Thompson from Southwest Minnesota State in their opening-round match at 285 pounds.
Like the women’s team, the men will enter the new season with a new head coach.
After 11 years with head coach Evan Forde at the wheel, the Beavers announced in April of this year that two-time All-American Gresh Jones would take over as head coach of the team.
The the past two seasons, Jones operated at the head coach of NSIC newcomer Jamestown. This season will be his first with Minot State.
“I was drawn to Minot because of the opportunity within the wrestling program and the community,” Head Coach Jones said at the time of his hiring. “There’s a strong wrestling tradition, great support from the local wrestling community, and a lot of potential to grow the program.”
With Jones now at the helm, the Beavers men’s team will look to make a long post season berth.
The Minot State Intersquad Duals will kick off the season for both teams at the Minot State Dome beginning at 2 p.m.