Wyoming defeats North Dakota State 30-9 in Laramie
Wyoming used a midcard tech fall and a late string of bonus-point decisions, including an 11-3 major from No. 7 Christian Carroll at 285, to secure a 30-9 Big 12 dual victory.
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Wyoming defeated North Dakota State 30-9 on Feb. 8, 2026, turning a competitive early tempo into a one-sided finish with multiple bonus-point results down the lineup.
North Dakota State opened the dual with No. 26 Ezekiel Witt scoring a 19-4 technical fall at 125. Witt opened with a first-period takedown and recorded a string of third-period takedowns that reached the 15-point threshold for the tech fall.
Wyoming answered immediately when No. 28 Gabe Willochell posted a 17-1 technical fall at 149. Willochell’s second-period four-point nearfall and second-period scoring pushed the Cowboys ahead and halted the visitors’ early momentum.
NDSU cut the margin when Gavin Drexler won an 11-2 major decision at 157 over No. 24 Jared Hill, scoring takedowns in multiple periods and earning a riding-time point to secure the bonus.
After the break Wyoming accumulated bonus points across the middle and upper weights. Sloan Swan won 15-2 by major at 165 and Riley Davis followed with a 9-1 major at 174. Eddie Neitenbach, No. 9 at 184, recorded a 14-3 major, and No. 5 Joey Novak built an 8-1 decision at 197 that included a third-period takedown and a riding-time point.
The sequence of majors and the tech fall at 149 supplied the decisive swing: four of the final five matches were decided by major decision, a run that flipped the dual in Wyoming’s favor.
No. 7 Christian Carroll closed the dual at 285 with an 11-3 major. Carroll added a third-period takedown and received a riding-time point to finish the match and seal the 30-9 team outcome.
North Dakota State’s scoring highlights were Witt’s opening tech fall and Drexler’s major at 157, but Wyoming’s depth and the accumulation of bonus results in the late matches produced the decisive margin in Laramie.