The top-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling
team will open its 2006-07 season this weekend at the Bison Open in
Fargo, N.D. The first round of competition is scheduled to begin at 10
a.m., at the Bison Sports Arena.
Minnesota wrestlers have dominated the Bison Open over the course of
its 36-year history, producing 142 individual champions. The Gophers
claimed nine of 10 titles at the season-opening tournament last year.
Minnesota also had three wrestlers place second and four wrestlers
place third a year ago. Manuel Rivera, Dustin Schlatter, C.P.
Schlatter, Gabriel Dretsch and Roger Kish will all return looking to
defend their titles this weekend.
The 37th annual Bison Open will feature wrestlers from North Dakota
State, Stanford, MSU-Moorhead, Concordia-Moorhead, University of Mary,
Dickinson State, Jamestown College, Dakota Community and Technical
College and Ridgewater Community College.
Following the Bison Open, Minnesota will compete at the Kaufman-Brand
Open on Nov. 18 and the Northeast Duals in Albany, N.Y., on Nov. 25.
The Golden Gophers will open the dual meet season on Friday, Dec. 1 at
Northern Colorado before hosting Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Dec. 6 in
a showdown between the top two teams in the nation.