157:

Depth Chart

157	Starter	Next Man Up	Keep your eye on
FR			Jaden Van Maanen-Redshirt	Austin Braun-Redshirt
RFR
SO		Nick Mergen
JR
SR	Clay Ream

Clay Ream didn’t have the prettiest NCAA tournament, but the NDSU senior returns the most experience (3X NCAA Qualifier) and best results (6th seed at NCAA Tournament) of anyone on the NDSU roster this season. Ream will be the leader of what is, for the most part, a Bison squad made up of sophomores and younger this season. The Wentzville, MO, native is NDSU’s best chance of ending a three year All American drought. Ream enters the season ranked 14th at 157, and is certainly capable of competing with wrestlers in the top eight. A major key will be maintaining consistency over the course of his final season with the Bison, something he has struggled with over the last two seasons. Ream has won the Elite 90 award, given to the best student at the NCAA tournament, each of the last two years. Ream will have two big early season tests with Iowa’s Michael Kemerer at the Iowa City Duals November 10, and Oklahoma State’s Joe Smith at home November 26. Both are returning All Americans and ranked in the top five.

Behind Ream is Nick Mergen, a redshirt sophomore from Albany, MN who finished 6-4 last season and 0-2 in two duals. From there, keep and eye on a couple of redshirts in Jaden Van Maanen and Austin Braun. Van Maanen was a 2X Wisconsin state champion who finished his four year prep career with a 191-4 record. Braun was third last season at 152 in AAA Minnesota, falling in the state semifinals to nationally ranked Peyton Robb of Owatonna. The Woodbury, MN high school graduate was Preseason Nationals champion and Folk Nationals All American.

165:

Depth Chart

165	Starter
FR
RFR		Colton Clingenpeel
SO	Andrew Fogarty
JR
SR

Scott West, MN, product Andrew Fogarty had a nice freshman season that ended with a 1-2 record at the NCAA tournament. Fogarty was 23-12 last season, including a 12-5 dual record and sixth place finish in the Big 12 tournament. Fogarty did score one win over a ranked opponent last season, and has a great chance of jumping into the Flowresting top 20 at some point. Colton Clingenpeel was 9-6 as a redshirt last year and will provide depth behind Fogarty.