Photo courtesy of Brittany Louwagie/BOLD Athletics SMSU’s Jackson Ryan sizes up his opponent during the NCAA Championships on Friday.

INDIANAPOLIS – Southwest Minnesota State finished the first session Friday with Jackson Ryan going 2-0 advancing to the Semifinals upsetting the number two seed, Nicholas Mason the 2019 National Champion, along with taking down the seventh seed in the quarterfinals and earning All-American. Caden Steffen would go 1-1 on the day suffering a loss in the first round and would battle back on the consolation side winning his second-round match by DQ.

Steffen started the Mustangs off by taking on the number one seed at 184, Heath Gray from Central Oklahoma. Steffen would suffer five take downs, three of which he was able to earn escape points on, but ultimately would suffer a 12-3 major decision sending him to the consolation bracket. Steffen would be awarded a bye and would advance to the second round of consolation where he would go against the number seven seed Zebrandon Grant out of Newberry.

Grant would earn a total of three takedowns throughout the match, with Steffen being able to earn escape points on three of them. In the third period Grant led 7-3, with two seconds remaining SMSU called for a flagrant call against Grant and would have him disqualified from the tournament giving Steffen the win and advancing him to the third round of consolation where he’ll take on the number five seed Anderson Salisbury out of the Colorado School of Mines.

Ryan’s first match was up against the number two seed Nicholas Mason from Tiffin. Ryan would come out dominating in the first period racking up three takedowns making the score 6-3 at the end of the first. Ryan would earn three points in the second period pushing the score to 9-4. In the third period Ryan would be called for stalling bringing the match within one. Ryan would earn an additional point from riding time securing the upset with a 10-8 decision.

In the quarterfinals, Ryan would go against the number seven seed Joel Leise from Gannon. The match was tied at three going into the second period, Ryan would elect bottom and would earn an escape along with a takedown making the score 6-4 going into the final period. Ryan would add two more takedowns to this match with his last one being recorded with a second remaining. With the 10-6 decision over Leise, Ryan advances to the Semifinals where he is going against the number three seed Abney Dalton out of Central Oklahoma.

The second session of the tournament will begin at noon today, with the championship semifinals, third round consolation, consolation semis, and third, fifth and seventh place matches. The championships finals will start at 7 p.m.

— Content courtesy

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