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Truman downed nationally ranked Missouri Valley College in home wrestling action on Thursday night by a 25-18 score.

The Bulldogs will compete at the Simpson (Iowa) College Invitational this weekend.
 
Truman got a strong start from sophomore Jabez Zinabu who picked up a major decision 16-6 in the opening contest. Daniel Karlskin won via forfeit to put Truman up 12-0 and Nick Shea followed with a pinfall in at the 2:28 mark to make it 16-0 in favor of the Bulldogs.
 
In the featured bout at 149 between two nationally ranked combatants, the Vikings Jake Ekster got a hard fought takedown in the waning seconds to defeat Truman’s Ryan Maus 3-2. Ekster is ranked fourth nationally in the NAIA and Maus is seventh in Division II. 
 
Dylan King trimmed Truman’s lead to 10 points with a 10-3 win over Dustin McClintlock, however Colton Schmitz got the points right back with a third period escape and added a point for advantage time in a 4-2 win at 165.
 
The Vikings Jamall Bufford got a reversal in the third overtime period to defeat Chase Wriginger 5-4 in an injury plagued 174-pound match.
 
The clincher for the Bulldogs came from Ryan Ward in the next contest. Ward was able to surprise Brett Bader with a takedown and turned him on his back for a pin at the 4:20 mark of the match at 184-pounds.
 
Missouri Valley picked up the final team points on a fall win by Josh Manu over Helmut Rentschler as the second period clock expired and an 18-9 major by James Alter over Nate Helmig.
 
The Vikings came into the dual ranked fourth in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll but fall to 1-1 on the season. Truman improves to 2-0 in dual contest. It was the Bulldogs first win over the Vikings since the 1998-99 season.
 
The team will be back in action on Saturday at the Simpson (Iowa) College Invitational and back in dual action next Wednesday night against William Penn (Iowa) in Oskaloosa.

Courtesy Truman State University