Wrestling | 11/5/2019 4:03:00 PM

MOORHEAD, Minn. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead wrestling team opens the 2019-20 season this Saturday at the Bison Open hosted by North Dakota State.  The event begins at 9 a.m. at the SHAC on the NDSU campus.

MSUM, entering its 11th season under the direction of Head Coach Kris Nelson, returns eight starters from a year ago.

Three national qualifiers are on the roster for the Dragons. MSUM will have three national qualifiers on the roster this season.  That includes junior All-American Cole Jones, who is ranked sixth in the nation at 125 pounds. He went 3-2 at the national championships a year ago. Jones finished 29-10 last season and was an All-NSIC First Team selection.

Junior Jordan Magnuson, also a national qualifier last season, is ranked 13th at 285 pounds. He was second at the Super Region 3 meet last season.Senior Zach Scott, who redshirted in 2018-19, was a national qualifier at 141 pounds in 2017-18.

Sophomore Evan Foster was 27-17 at 184 while sophomore Mason Schulz was 24-18 at 141 and sophomore Braydon Ortloff was 19-14 at 157.

The Dragon roster consists of two seniors, nine juniors, seven sophomores, two redshirt freshmen and five freshmen.

Here's a look at the new faces for MSUM in 2019-20:
Maxwell Dascher (149/157, Cochrane, Wis./Cochrane-Fountain City HS)
Wisconsin state runner up in 2017 (126 pounds) and 2019 (145); placed third in state in 2018 at 138…four-time state qualifier overall.

Cody Dravis (174, Park Rapids, Minn./Park Rapids Area HS)
Four-time state qualifier…finished third in state as a sophomore…career record of 168-42…recorded 117 career pins.

Fabyon Greer (133/141, Detroit Lakes, Minn./Detroit Lakes HS)
Finished with career record of 126-49...three-time state qualifier...finished third at state as a junior.…finished 30-5 as a senior.

Josh Irwin (141, New Salem, N.D./New Salem HS)
118-43 career record…state pin record at 138…placed in top six at state three times….two-time national dual team member.

Jaden Oestern (285, Valley City, N.D./Valley City HS)
Finished with 172-58 career record…Class A runner-up at 285…also 40-6 with 30 pins as a senior.

Transfers
Ethan Kiehm (149, Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS/Itasca CC)
Two-time NJCAA National Qualifier…2-time Minnesota state entrant at Minneapolis Washburn HS…City Conference Wrestling of the Year…finished 31-11 as a senior.

Cory Schmidt (145, Annandale, Minn./Maple Lake HS/Itasca CC)
NJCAA All-American in 2018…ranked as high as second in the nation…placed eighth at nationals…state qualifier at Maple Lake HS.

Richard Dralu (174, Fargo, N.D./Davies HS/)
Was a national qualifier and district champion at Northland CTC…all-state and all-conference at Davies.

Tell Ward (157, Jr., College Station, Texas/College Station HS/Iowa Western CC)
Four-time UIL State Qualifier …UIL State Runner-Up…NJCAA Natioanl Qualifier.