Gophers gearing up to host
top-ranked Oklahoma State
December 4, 2006
Two of the most storied programs in college wrestling will face off on
Wednesday, Dec. 6 as the third-ranked Golden
Gophers host No. 1 Oklahoma State at 7 p.m., at the Sports Pavilion.
Minnesota began the year as the top-ranked team in the nation, but a
season-opening loss to No. 11 Hofstra knocked the Gophers out of the
top spot. The Maroon and Gold will look to regain the No. 1 ranking by
beating the defending national champion Cowboys.
The Gophers return eight starters and seven NCAA qualifiers from a team
that finished second to Oklahoma State at last year’s national meet.
Minnesota is led by defending national champions Dustin Schlatter (149)
and Cole Konrad (Hwt).
The Cowboys lose a lot of firepower, with the graduation of three
All-Americans and five NCAA qualifiers from last year’s national
championship team. OSU does return three other All-Americans, including
two-time defending national champion Johny Hendricks (165).
Minnesota’s 21-14 victory over Oklahoma State in the championship match
at the 2006 National Duals ended a streak of 30 consecutive victories
for the Cowboys. The Gophers also defeated OSU, 19-16, in a dual meet
in Stillwater, Okla., on Feb. 12. However, after the Gophers ended the
regular season as the top-ranked team in the nation, OSU got the upper
hand at the NCAA Championships by claiming its fourth straight national
title.
For tickets to Wednesday’s match, click
here, or call 1-800-UGOPHER.
FSN North will air the meet on tape delay on Monday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.
Highlights will be available on Gophersports.com following the match.
The meet will be available in its entirety in the Gold Zone, the
premium content site for Golden Gopher athletics, no earlier than 24
hours after the FSN broadcast on Dec. 11.
NOTES TO KNOW:
Home Sweet Home
Wednesday’s match will be Minnesota’s 2006-07 home opener. Since 1998,
Minnesota holds a 48-13-0 (.787) record at home. The Golden Gophers
have called the Sports Pavilion, Williams Arena, Target Center, the
Xcel Energy Center, Rochester, Minn., and Jackson, Minn., home during
that span.
The Golden Gophers finished the 2005-06 season unbeaten at home (8-0)
for the fifth time during J Robinson’s tenure. The last time Minnesota
finished perfect in its home schedule was in 2001-02 (8-0). The Golden
Gophers were also perfect in 1998-99 (4-0) and 1993-94 (8-0).
A Thorn In The Side
Not many teams other than Minnesota can boast a lot of success against
Oklahoma State in recent years. Since the 1999-2000 season, the Cowboys
have compiled a 123-13-1 dual meet record (Minnesota is 118-25). During
that span, the Golden Gophers have gone 7-3 against Oklahoma State,
including handing OSU its last three dual meet defeats. Here are the 13
Cowboy losses in the last seven seasons:
Oklahoma State
Losses since 1999-2000 Year
Opponent Score 99-00
Minnesota L 19-15 99-00
Minnesota L 16-15 99-00 Iowa
State L 22-10 99-00
Iowa L 20-14 99-00 Mich.
State L 21-10 00-01
Minnesota L 20-12 01-02
Minnesota L 21-12 01-02 Ohio
State L 19-13 01-02 Iowa
State L 25-20 03-04
Missouri L 21-17 03-04
Minnesota L 17-16 05-06
Minnesota L 21-14 05-06
Minnesota L 19-16
Tough to Defend
Since 1998, neither Minnesota nor Oklahoma State has been successful in
defending its home arena when facing each other. The last time either
team was able to defend its home arena when the other was in town was a
26-10 OSU victory in Stillwater on Jan. 31, 1997. The last time the
Gophers defeated the Cowboys at home was a 23-16 victory on Feb. 5,
1994. The Gophers will try to reverse that trend on Wednesday night.
Here is a look at the last eight meetings between the two schools which
have been contested at their home arenas:
Date
Host Result Feb. 12, 2006
OSU UM won 19-16 Dec. 5, 2004
UM OSU won 28-10 Feb. 22, 2004
OSU UM won 17-16 Jan. 3, 2003
UM OSU won 26-6 (at Target Center) Dec. 2, 2001
OSU UM won 21-12 Jan. 7, 2001
UM OSU won 25-12 Jan. 9, 2000
OSU UM won 19-15 Nov. 29, 1998
UM OSU won 21-17
*Does not include matches
contested at neutral sites
U.S. Navy SEALs and Minnesota
Wrestling to Launch Unique Event
In conjunction with Minnesota’s wrestling match Oklahoma State, the
U.S. Navy SEALs will be holding a unique event with an overriding goal
of promoting physical fitness. The Navy SEALs will conduct a Trident
Challenge on Sunday, Dec. 10 from 12 p.m.-5 p.m., at the University
Aquatic Center and Field House.
The Trident Challenge is an athletic competition consisting of running,
push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and a swim. The Navy SEALs have the
military's most successful physical training program, and it's a
training program they want to introduce nationally to coaches as an
athletic standard of excellence. While only men can be Navy SEALs, the
Trident Challenge is open to everyone, not just those interested in
joining the military. The competition is an opportunity for civilian to
put themselves to the test and see how they stack up against the Navy's
best.
Representatives from the Navy SEALs will be at the Minnesota-Oklahoma
State wrestling match on Dec. 6 to answer questions and kick off the
event.
For more information on the Trident Challenge, click here.