PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – North Dakota State wrestling’s Gavin Drexler became the 13th NCAA Division I All American for the Bison on Friday, as he picked up a couple of wins, including one in the Blood Round to reach the Medal Rounds on Saturday.
After advancing in the morning on a medical forfeit, Drexler battled Virginia’s Jack Gioffre and avenged a loss from last season, winning a battle 12-9 to reach the Friday evening session. Drexler recorded the first takedown in the match and never trailed. He added a two-point nearfall in the second and a second takedown in the third out of a long scramble to help secure the victory.
In the Blood Round, Drexler took down No. 7 seed Kannon Webster of Illinois with a 4-0 decision. Drexler escaped to start the second and then secured a takedown midway through the period and a rideout to take a 4-0 lead into the third. Drexler held off Webster’s attacks in the third to claim his first All American honor and the first for NDSU since 2023 when Jared Franek and Michael Caliendo claimed All American honors.
Drexler will wrestle in the seventh-place match on Saturday in the medal round after falling to No. 6 seed Lachlan McNeil of North Carolina later on Friday night. Drexler fell to McNeil 10-2.
Aidan Brenot also reached the Blood Round on Friday, recording a pair of upsets to make the night program. Brenot took down No. 9 seed Reece Heller of Pittsburgh with a first period pin in his first match of the day. Brenot then secured a takedown in sudden victory to defeat No. 16 seed Shane Cartagena-Walsh of Rutgers 4-1.
Brenot’s first NCAA Championships came to a close Friday night, as he fell to No. 6 seed Chris Foca of Cornell in the round of 12, falling 2-0.
With the wins from Drexler and Brenot, the Bison climbed the team standings and end day two of the NCAA Championships in a tie for 34th with 11.5 points.
The medal matches of session five at the NCAA Championships will begin at 10 a.m. CT from the Wells Fargo Center.
NDSU Results
149 | Gavin Drexler | 4-2 | 8.0 pts
L to #11 Sammy Alvarez (Rider); Dec 4-2
W over #27 Kaden Cassidy (George Mason); MD 13-1
W over #5 Kyle Parco (Iowa); MFF
W over #29 Jack Gioffre (Virginia); Dec 12-9
W over #7 Kannon Webster (Illinois); Dec 4-0
L to #6 Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina); MD 10-2
#11 Sammy Alvarez (Rider)
184 | Aidan Brenot | 3-2 | 3.5 pts
L to #10 Edmund Ruth (Illinois); MD 10-2
W over #26 Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State); Dec 13-7
W over #9 Reece Heller (Pittsburgh); Fall 2:35
W over #16 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers); SV 4-1
L to #6 Chris Foca (Cornell); Dec 2-0
125 | Tristan Daugherty | 0-2
L to #6 Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia); Dec 7-2
L to #22 Trever Anderson (Northern Iowa); Dec 2-0
133 | Kyle Burwick | 0-2
L to #9 Braxton Brown (Maryland); Dec 3-2
L to #25 Kurt Phipps (Bucknell); Dec 6-5
https://gobison.com/news/2025/3/21/wrestling-gavin-drexler-claims-all-american-honors-on-day-two-of-ncaa-championships.aspx