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Minnesota claims third place at the National Duals
January 23, 2005 - The eighth-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team (6-4) rallied for a 24-13 victory over fifth-ranked Lehigh to claim third place at the National Duals in Cleveland, Ohio. A tight battle throughout, a late disqualification for Lehigh proved to be the difference in the match.
Lehigh led 14-13 entering the 197-pound match, but Lehigh All-American Jon Trenge was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct after throwing a punch at Minnesota freshman Matt Koz in the first period. Both teams were penalized one team point, but the six-point disqualification gave Minnesota an 18-14 lead. Lehigh forfeited the heavyweight bout and Minnesota claimed the match by the score of 24-13.
Minnesota jumped ahead in the match with victories from Bobbe Lowe and Mack Reiter. Lowe jumped out to an 8-2 second-period lead against Andrew Rizzi at 125 pounds, but Rizzi tied the match after a takedown and a near fall. Lowe recovered and put the match away with a pair of takedowns in a 16-11 decision.
Reiter capped off a strong tournament with a 1-0 decision against sixth-ranked Matt Ciasulli. Scoreless after the first period, Reiter rode Ciasulli the entire second period to gain a two minute advantage in riding time. That advantage resulted in a bonus point for Reiter, the lone score in the match.
Lehigh cut the lead to 6-3 behind fourth-ranked Cory Cooperman's 4-0 decision against Tommy Owen at 141 pounds. Cooperman scored a takedown late in the second period to take a 3-0 lead and was awarded a bonus point for riding time.
The Golden Gophers rebounded at 149 pounds behind 11th-ranked C.P. Schlatter. Schlatter posted two second-period takedowns against Dave Nakasone en route to an 8-3 decision.
Lehigh rallied with three straight wins, including a pair by major decision. 12th-ranked Derek Zinck had an 11-3 major decision at 157 pounds against Jeremy Anderson, while top-ranked Troy Letters defeated eighth-ranked Matt Nagel, 8-2, at 165 pounds. Lehigh took a 14-9 lead after 10th-ranked Travis Frick's 16-5 major decision against Jeremy Larson.
Once again, freshman Roger Kish got the Golden Gophers back on track. Thanks to four third-period takedowns, he earned Minnesota a bonus point with his 12-4 major decision against Matt Cassidy at 184 pounds. That cut Lehigh's lead to 14-13 as Minnesota went on to claim the 24-14 victory.
"I would say we are pleased at the amount of progress we have made since the start of the season," head coach J Robinson said. "One of our goals was to raise our intensity level and I think we were able to accomplish that. We beat a couple of teams ranked higher than us and had a good match against Illinois in the semifinals. We are not where we want to be at this point, but we took some positive steps this weekend."
Minnesota returns home to open Big Ten competition with a pair of dual meets at the Sports Pavilion. The Golden Gophers will host Michigan State on Friday and then will battle second-ranked Michigan on Sunday afternoon. Minnesota posted a 21-16 victory over the Wolverines in the quarterfinals of the National Duals.
Konrad delivers again as Minnesota advances to third-place match
January 23, 2005 - Sophomore All-American Cole Konrad delivered again as the Golden Gopher wrestling team (5-4) defeated No. 13 Central Michigan, 18-15, to advance to the third-place match at the National Duals in Cleveland, Ohio. Seeded sixth in the tournament, Minnesota will face fourth-seeded Lehigh at 2 p.m. Central time.
The Chippewas got off to a surprising start at 125 pounds as 13th-ranked Luke Smith upset No. 4 Bobbe Lowe of the Golden Gophers. Lowe was in complete control of the match after taking a 5-0 first-period lead on a takedown and near fall. Leading 5-1 in the third period, Smith stunned Lowe with a takedown and near fall to take a 7-6 lead with less than a minute to go in the match. Smith then scored another takedown just before the buzzer to claim the 9-8 decision.
Minnesota got back on track with three straight wins, including a forfeit in favor of Mack Reiter at 133 pounds. Junior Tommy Owen increased Minnesota's lead to 9-3 with a 4-1 decision against Brandon Carter at 141 pounds. Owen's takedown 12 seconds into the match proved to be the difference as he improved to 3-1 in the tournament.
Freshman C.P. Schlatter made up for Lowe's upset as he avenged a loss to 10th-ranked Mark DiSalvo with a 5-4 decision at 149 pounds. After being defeated by DiSalvo in their first-round matchup, Schlatter took a 4-1 lead in the second period on a reversal. DiSalvo knotted the match at four with 22 seconds to go in the match with a takedown, but Schlatter was awarded the bonus point with a 1:52 riding time advantage.
Trailing 12-3, the Chippewas battled back to tie the match at 12 with three straight wins, including Eric Neil's 10-3 decision against freshman Nik Lentz at 157 pounds. At 165 pounds, seventh-ranked David Bolyard picked up his second win over No. 8 Matt Nagel of the tournament by a 5-2 decision.
At 174 pounds, ninth-ranked Mitch Hancock completed the Central Michigan comeback with a 6-2 decision against redshirt freshman Jeremy Larson. Larson made his first career start in place of the injured Josh McLay. Larson redshirted for the Golden Gophers during the 2001-02 season and spent the past two years serving a mission in Argentina.
Redshirt freshman Roger Kish picked up Minnesota with a 4-2 decision against Brandon Sinnott at 184 pounds. Kish took a 2-1 first-period lead and then rode Sinnott for nearly the entire second period. He added an escape along with a bonus point for riding time to push Minnesota's lead to 15-12.
Central Michigan knotted the match again at 15-15 with a 7-5 overtime decision by Alex Lammers over Jon Duncombe at 197 pounds. Duncombe rallied from a 4-3 deficit in the third period with a reversal, but Lammers gained a point for his immediate escape. Tied at five in overtime, Lammers claimed the match with his takedown with 18 seconds to go in the extra session.
That set it up for Konrad at heavyweight as he clinched the team's third victory of the tournament. Trailing 1-0 in the second period against seventh-ranked Bill Stouffer, Konrad took his first lead with a takedown with just four seconds to go in the period. He held off Stouffer in the third period and received a bonus point for riding time to claim a 3-1 decision.
Miinnesota and Lehigh will meet for just the third time in the history of the two programs. The two teams last met in 1996.
Minnesota falls to #3 Illinois in National Duals semifinals
January 22, 2005 - The eighth-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team (4-4) was defeated by third-ranked Illinois (10-0), 20-15, in the semifinals of the National Duals in Cleveland, Ohio. Minnesota will face Central Michigan in the consolation semifinals on Sunday morning. The Golden Gophers defeated the Chippewas, 20-18, in the first round of the Duals on Saturday morning.
Illinois jumped out to a 3-0 lead as second-ranked Kyle Ott held on for a 3-2 decision against fourth-ranked Bobbe Lowe at 125 pounds. Ott scored a first-period takedown and added a second-period escape to take a 3-1 lead. Lowe cut the lead to 3-2 with an early escape in the third, but was unable to take Ott down. The loss ended Lowe's 24-match winning streak, which was the ninth-longest in school history.
The Golden Gophers rebounded behind freshman Mack Reiter. Ranked fifth in the country, he posted the biggest win of his young career with a 7-4 decision against third-ranked Mark Jayne at 133 pounds. With the match tied at three in the third period, Reiter took the lead on an escape and then took a 6-3 lead with a takedown with 18 seconds to go in the match.
Junior Tommy Owen followed with his second impressive win of the day at 141 pounds. He defeated Cassio Pero, 10-4, thanks to a dominant third period. Trailing 1-0 after two periods, Owen took the lead for good with a reversal just 25 seconds into the third. He added a takedown and back points to claim the win.
11th-ranked C.P. Schlatter increased Minnesota's lead to 9-3 with a 3-0 decision against 16th-ranked Anton Dietzen at 149 pounds. Schlatter began the second period with a reversal and added a point for riding time to earn the shutout.
Illinois rebounded with five straight victories, including third-ranked Alex Tirapelle's 13-5 major decision against sophomore Jeremy Anderson at 157 pounds. 15th-ranked Donny Reynolds followed with a 6-4 upset of eighth-ranked Matt Nagel at 165 pounds, while fourth-ranked Pete Friedl added a 14-4 major decision against senior Josh McLay at 174 pounds. McLay injured his knee just two seconds into the match, but fought through the pain to finish the match.
In another battle of top-10 opponents, fifth-ranked Brian Glynn gave Illinois a 14-9 advantage with an 8-3 decision against seventh-ranked Roger Kish at 184 pounds. Ninth- ranked Tyrone Byrd clinched the match for Illinois with a 4-0 decision over Jon Duncombe at 197 pounds.
After clinching Minnesota's first two wins of the day, second-ranked Cole Konrad capped an eventful day with a pin in just 2:33 against 17th-ranked Mike Behnke at heavyweight. Konrad improved to 23-2 on the season.
Minnesota reached the semifinals with a 21-16 upset of second-ranked Michigan in the quarterfinals. Michigan led 16-12, but the Golden Gophers closed out the match with three straight wins. Leading 18-16, Konrad defeated third-ranked Greg Wagner, 4-1, at heavyweight.
The Golden Gophers opened the tournament with a 20-18 victory against Central Michigan thanks to a 3-2 decision at heavyweight by Konrad over seventh-ranked Bill Stouffer.
Minnesota upsets No. 2 Michigan in National Duals quarterfinals
January 22, 2005 - The eighth-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team (4-3) upset second-ranked Michigan (7-2), 21-16, in the quarterfinals of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals on Saturday afternoon. Minnesota will wrestle in the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Central time tonight against third-ranked Illinois (9-0).
For the second straight dual meet, the match was decided at heavyweight and for the second straight match, sophomore All-American Cole Konrad delivered for Minnesota. Ranked second in the nation, he earned a 4-1 decision against third-ranked Greg Wagner of the Wolverines to seal the Golden Gopher upset.
Minnesota got off to a strong start thanks to a Michigan default at 125 pounds and then a pin by fifth-ranked Mack Reiter at 133 pounds. Reiter earned a fall in 4:04 against 18th- ranked Mark Moos to give Minnesota a 12-0 lead.
The Wolverines got back in the match thanks to the heart of their lineup. The Wolverines won the next five matches to claim a 16-12 lead. Seventh-ranked Josh Churella withstood a strong challenge at 141 pounds against Golden Gopher junior Tommy Owen. Churella had a 5-0 lead entering the third period and held on for a 6-4 decision.
Seventh-ranked Eric Tannenbaum followed with a 5-4 decision against Minnesota freshman C.P. Schlatter at 149 pounds. Tannenbaum took a 4-2 first-period lead thanks to a pair of takedowns, while Schlatter was only able to score a couple of escapes the remainder of the match.
Second-ranked Ryan Bertin cut the Golden Gopher lead to 12-10 with a 14-3 major decision against freshman Nik Lentz, while second-ranked Ryan Churella escaped with a 5-4 decision at 165 pounds against eighth-ranked Matt Nagel. Nagel took a 4-3 lead with a third-period takedown, but needed to ride Churella out in the final 20 seconds to claim the win. Churella earned the escape with 14 seconds left to tie the match, but earned a bonus point for a 1:06 advantage in riding time.
The Wolverines extended their lead to four as 15th-ranked Nick Roy scored a takedown with nine seconds to go in the match to escape with a 3-1 win at 174 pounds against Josh McLay.
Minnesota took over from there in the final three matches. Freshman Roger Kish cut the Michigan lead to 16-15 with a 3-1 decision against Josh Weitzel at 184 pounds. Following a scoreless first period, Kish rode Weitzel for the entire two minutes of the second period. He added a third-period takedown to seal the win.
Making just his second career start at 197 pounds after moving up from 174, senior Jon Duncombe provided a crucial three points with a 7-3 decision against Steve Heleniak. Duncombe took an early 2-0 lead in the first period and extended the lead to 5-1 in the second period. He put the match away with another takedown with just over 30 seconds to go in the match. His win gave the Golden Gophers an 18-16 and set up Konrad to clinch the match with his win at heavyweight.
Illinois enters tonight's semifinal with a 9-0 record. The Golden Gophers upset then- undefeated Illinois, 19-16, last year in Champaign, Ill.
Konrad clinches 20-18 Minnesota victory against Central Michigan
January 22, 2005 - Sophomore Cole Konrad's win at heavyweight gave the eighth-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team (3-3) a 20-18 victory against No. 13 Central Michigan (5-2) in the first round of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cleveland, Ohio. The Golden Gophers will face second-ranked Michigan in the quarterfinals at 2 p.m. Central time.
Minnesota jumped out to a 13-0 lead behind victories from fourth-ranked Bobbe Lowe, fifth-ranked Mack Reiter and Tommy Owen. At 125 pounds, Lowe was taken to overtime by 13th-ranked Luke Smith. The match was tied at two late in the third period, but Smith owned over a minute of riding time. With two seconds left in the match, Smith was called for stalling and Lowe took a 3-2 lead. Smith earned a point for riding time and the match went into overtime. In the first sudden death period, Lowe scored the deciding takedown with 48 seconds to go to earn a 5-3 victory. Lowe improved to 23-0 on the season, which moves him into a tie for ninth place all-time for consecutive wins in school history.
At 133 pounds, Reiter and 11th-ranked Jason Borrelli were locked in a tight match in the third period. Trailing 3-2, Reiter earned two points for a takedown 20 seconds into the third period. On the takedown, Borrelli injured his knee and after a brief delay, he was forced to forfeit.
Making just his second start in the dual meet season, Owen dominated in a 16-4 major decision against Brandon Carter at 141 pounds. Leading 3-2 in the second period, Owen earned a takedown and a near fall to take control of the match. He added another near fall in the third period to seal the major decision.
Down 13-0, Central Michigan got back into the match with four straight wins, including a pair of victories in matches pitting ranked opponents. At 149, 10th-ranked Mark DiSalvo claimed a 5-3 decision over 11th-ranked C.P. Schlatter. DiSalvo scored a pair of takedowns in the first period and was able to hold off Schlatter for the win.
The Chippewas cut the lead to 13-7 following Eric Neil's 18-7 major decision against sophomore Jeremy Anderson at 157 pounds. Originally planning to redshirt this season, Anderson made his first career start at 157 after competing at 149 for Minnesota as a true freshman last season.
In a battle of top-10 foes, seventh-ranked David Bolyard's third-period reversal erased a 3-2 deficit and gave him a 4-3 decision against No. 8 Matt Nagel at 165 pounds. Nagel fell to 18-5 on the season with all five defeats coming against top-10 opponents.
Central Michigan knotted the match at 13 as ninth-ranked Mitch Hancock foiled the upset bid of senior Josh McLay at 174 pounds. The pair traded escapes in the second and third periods and the match went into overtime. In the first 30-second overtime, Hancock scored a reversal with five seconds to go in the period to take a 3-1 lead. Hancock then rode McLay nearly the entire second overtime. He went on to earn a 3-2 decision.
Minnesota got back on track behind a major decision from seventh-ranked Roger Kish at 184 pounds. Leading just 2-0 entering the third period, Kish dominated Alex Lammers with four takedowns in the final two minutes to earn the 11-3 major decision and a bonus point to give the Golden Gophers a 17-13 lead. Kish improved to 20-3 on the season.
The Chippewas completed their comeback at 197 pounds as Wynn Michalak gave CMU an 18-17 lead with a 17-2 technical fall against redshirt freshman Matt Koz.
The match came down to the heavyweight match between second-ranked Konrad and seventh-ranked Bill Stouffer of Central Michigan. Stouffer appeared to be in control of the match with a riding time advantage of 1:57 entering the third period. With the score knotted at one, Konrad scored the takedown with just over a minute left in the match to take a 3-1 lead. He erased Stouffer's riding time advantage and earned a 3-2 decision to give Minnesota a 20-18 win.