Minot State’s Turk Claims Championship Title at Season Opener
BISMARCK,N.D. – Gavin Turk powered to a championship victory at 184 pounds, leading the Minot State University wrestling team to a strong showing at the season-opening Bismarck open this past weekend. Several Beavers recorded their first collegiate wins, and five additional wrestlers placed in the top six of their respective weight classes.
The tournament marked the start of the 2023-24 season for the Beavers, providing an early gauge of their performance and offering valuable competition experiance. Turk’s title win highlights a promising start for the program, while the success of several newcomers signals a luminous future for Minot State wrestling.
Turk’s path to the title included a 5-0 decision over Mason Butler of Mary, a 19-3 technical fall against Jarrett Roos of Sioux Falls in the quarterfinals, and a 13-3 major decision over Charles Severance of Mary in the semifinals. The championship bout saw Turk overcome a late deficit, tying the match 4-4 with an escape against Mary’s Wyatt Elam before securing a 5-4 decision victory thanks to a riding-time point.
Joining Turk with strong performances were Shafer Ehmke (5th at 197 pounds), Daniels bendiks (6th at 174 pounds), Will George (6th at 165 pounds), Carmine Morton (6th at 285 pounds), and Andrew Worthington (6th at 133 pounds).
Four Beavers earned their first collegiate wins: Austin Garcia (125 pounds) defeated Antonio Martinez of Sioux Falls with a 13-4 major decision; Brayden Guerrero (149 pounds) earned a 23-16 decision over Ethan Holstein of Jamestown; Roman Leifridt (157 pounds) pinned Ashton Leegard of Minnesota State Moorhead in 5:22; and robert Salehi (149 pounds) secured a 19-3 technical fall over Beau Daily of MSU Moorhead. Faircloth also notched his first collegiate victory, a pin of Mary’s Austin Berry in 1 minute, 43 seconds, en route to a 4th-place finish.
The Minot State men’s wrestling team will next compete in the Dakota Wesleyan Open tournament on Saturday.
