Gophers will vie for No. 1 at the
Southern Scuffle
December 20, 2006
The second-ranked Golden
Gopher wrestling team will head to Greensboro, N.C., following the
holiday break to compete in the 2006 Southern Scuffle. Heading the
tournament field is No. 1 Missouri, and while they will not be squaring
off directly, the Gophers and Tigers will undoubtedly be battling for
national supremacy.
Fans can purchase a live video webcast for the entire Southern Scuffle
through the UNC Greensboro website at www.uncgspartans.com or its
associate website, www.southernscuffle.com,
which will be the source for the most up-to-date results throughout the
competition.
NOTES TO KNOW
Setting the Stage
Set up in a similar format to the NCAA Tournament, the Southern Scuffle
will offer the Gophers an opportunity to gauge themselves in a
championship-type atmosphere. A total of 32 schools from across the
nation will be on hand. Each team may enter up to 15 wrestlers in the
tournament with its top finisher in each weight class counting towards
the team score.
Eight nationally-ranked teams and 67 individuals ranked in the top 20
of their respective weight classes are scheduled to compete in the
Southern Scuffle. Top-ranked Missouri heads the list of teams traveling
to Greensboro. The tournament will also feature four individuals who
hold the top spot in their weight classes, two each from Minnesota and
Missouri. Dustin Schlatter (149) and Cole Konrad (Hwt) represent the
Gophers in that department, while brothers Ben and Max Askren, who
wrestle at 174 and 197 pounds respectively, are the top-ranked Tigers.
Battle for the Top Billing
While they are not squaring off directly, Minnesota and Missouri will
undoubtedly be battling for national supremacy in college wrestling.
The Tigers currently claim the top spot in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA
Coaches’ poll, while the Gophers are ranked second. The roles are
reversed in the W.I.N Magazine poll, where Minnesota is No. 1 and
Missouri No. 2.
The Best of the Rest
In addition to No. 1 Missouri and No. 2 Minnesota, six other teams
ranked in the top 25 nationally will be featured at the 2006 Southern
Scuffle. Here are the nationally-ranked teams who will be competing:
USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Top 25
1. Missouri
2. Minnesota
12. Edinboro
13. Cornell
18. Tennessee-Chattanooga
19. Ohio State
23. Lehigh
24. Pittsburgh
Looking Ahead
Following the Southern Scuffle, the Golden Gophers will return home for
the new year and will get right back into dual meet action on Jan. 2 by
hosting Arizona State. The Gophers will then have nearly two weeks off
before they travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where they will look to defend
their National Duals title from a year ago.