By Rich Winter

605 Sports

FARGO, N.D. — The first time Kellyn March stepped into the North Dakota State University wrestling room he was humbled.

A four-time South Dakota state champ, March spent the first few months of his collegiate wrestling career adjusting to the level of wrestling at an NCAA Division I school.

“It was very humbling,” he said. “You don’t expect that when you go into a wrestling room that you are so far behind. There were so many little things that I had to learn and perfect.” 

A state champion at Beresford/Alcester-Hudson his freshman year, and a three-time state champion for Canton, the learning curve in college was hard and fast. 

“My first couple months I would get my butt kicked one day and then go kick someone’s butt the next day,” he said. “It took a lot of time to grow into my wrestling and step out on the mat as a freshman.”

March wrestled at 133 pounds his freshman and sophomore years and had some success. As a freshman he was named to the All-Big 12 Conference Team and finished the season with a No. 31 ranking in the NCAA Division I coaches poll. 

As a sophomore March compiled a 14-9 record and set a Bison record for a quick pin (12 seconds) as the fastest Bison pin against a Division I opponent and fastest pin in a dual and fastest overall pin since the Bison started competing at the Division I level in 2004-05. 

In each of his first two seasons March did not qualify for the NCAA Division I tournament and said he was the first alternate to go in each of those two seasons. 

“There is a huge amount of criteria that goes into deciding who gets at-large bids to the NCAA tournament,” March said. 

Each of those years March traveled to and attended the NCAA Division I tournament. He said it was tough being there and not getting to compete.

March finished fourth in the Big-12 tournament last season to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tourney - Photo courtesy of Zac Lucy/NDSU Athletics.

“Both years there were guys that I beat that got at-large bids,” he said. “I was the first alternate and it was tough knowing that if I had won just one more match I would have gotten in.” 

After wrestling at 133 pounds in each of his two years, March made the jump to 149 pounds for his junior season. March left no doubt that he belonged at the NCAA tournament last season when he got an automatic bid to the 2023 tournament after a fourth-place finish at the Big 12 tournament. 

He was selected as a No. 13 seed in the 149-pound bracket, finishing with a 1-2 record at nationals. 

March finished the 2023 season with a 25-9 record that included winning a tournament title at the Southern Scuffle tournament. He compiled a 9-3 record in dual matches including going 7-1 in Big 12 duals. 

The NCAA tournament was a sweet but short reward for March. 

“My first two years wrestling at 133 it was difficult to make weight,” he said. “I went 1-2 in the NCAA tournament and that was a great experience and was very happy to make the jump.” 

The NCAA tournament has an atmosphere unlike many other sports and March described what it felt like to be there. 

“The atmosphere is electric and people don’t understand how much pressure and energy is in that building,” he said. “There are 33 wrestlers that make it, they are all good and anyone can win. Being able to execute in that building and handle all that pressure requires a lot of concentration.”

March has only wrestled three matches this season as he’s been nursing an injury through November. He says he should be back on the mat prior to Christmas and that he has some big goals this season. 

“Going into this year I want to win the Southern Scuffle tournament and I want to go back to the NCAA tournament,” he said. 

Other Goals are to pull off wins against ranked opponents, have a great regular season and win the Big 12 tournament.

“I want to be an All-American this season and want to show people that I can compete at that level,” he said. 

March is listed as a senior for the North Dakota State team. Technically, he has a redshirt year and a COVID-19 year that he could use. He plans on wrestling for the 2024-2025 season before he shuts down his wrestling career. 

March finds his academic groove at North Dakota State

When March was in high school he said he wasn’t the best student. After colleges came recruiting during his junior year, he realized that grades were important so he buckled down his last two years of high school.

“I never tried in high school,” he said. “When I started getting recruited my junior year I managed to get my GPA up to a 3.0 by the time I graduated.”

March said academically he was capable of much more in high school so when he got to North Dakota State he hit the books immediately. 

“When I got to college I told myself that I was going to focus on my academics and make sure my grades were a priority,” he said. “In both his freshman and junior seasons March made the dean’s list at North Dakota state. He was named to the NWCA Academic All-Academic team as a freshman.”

He has already been accepted to one chiropractic school in Kansas City. 

March gives credit to his parents for much of his success. His mother Linda makes as many matches as she can and his dad has never missed a collegiate match.

“I would not be where I am without the support of my parents,” March said. “To say I’m grateful is an understatement and there aren’t enough words to describe their support. “Whether it was driving me 90 minutes to Beresford or finding the funds for me to travel across the country. My parents have helped me through a lot of things and they are always willing to do anything possible to get what I need to be successful.” 

March has a new supporter as he married his long-time girlfriend Ella this summer. 

Once a C-Hawk always a C-Hawk

March admits he keeps one eye on the wrestling team at Canton. The C-Hawk are going for their seventh straight team title and March had a hand in the first three championships. 

He said the success of the Canton program comes from team bonding and passionate coaches. 

“It’s how we carry ourselves as a program and we are always wrestling out of season. It’s not just the wrestling though. We go to movies together and we go canoeing together and we have such a strong bond,” he said. “The other thing is the passion of our coaches. They are always willing to do the extra stuff outside the wrestling room to make sure we are all doing what we’re supposed to do. Our sole purpose is to get better every day and that’s pretty easy to do when you have amazing coaches.”