Minnesota Wrestling Well
Represented at U.S. National Championships
April 9, 2007
Seven current University of Minnesota wrestlers and two former Golden
Gophers placed at the 2007 U.S. National Wrestling Championships held
April 4-7 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Two-time defending NCAA Champion Cole Konrad (Freedom, Wis.) made it
clear that he will be one of the top contenders to make the U.S. World
Team after turning in a second-place showing at 120 kg/264.5 lbs in the
Senior Freestyle bracket. Konrad, who entered the tournament as the No.
4 seed, knocked off top-ranked Tolly Thompson in the semifinals before
being defeated by No. 3 Tommy Rowlands in the finals. Konrad will
compete at the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas, June 8-10.
Brandon Sitch (Kelso, Wash.) led a contingent of six Gopher freshmen to
place in the FILA Junior National brackets. Sitch captured the 79
kg/174 lbs title in Greco-Roman and also took third in freestyle. Ben
Berhow (Albert Lea, Minn.) was the only other Minnesota wrestler to
place in both disciplines, taking eighth-place in freestyle and seventh
in Greco-Roman at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Three other Gopher redshirt freshmen medaled in Greco-Roman, with Jake
Mellmer (Dickinson, N.D.) taking fourth place at 60 kg/132.25 lbs,
Jordan Kolbow (Forest Lake, Minn.) coming in seventh at 79 kg/163 lbs,
and Joe Nord claiming sixth at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Mike Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.), who competed in 16 dual meets as a
true freshman this season, took seventh place in freestyle at 60
kg/132.25 lbs.
The three former Gophers who competed in the Senior Freestyle
tournament were Jared Lawrence, who brought home fifth-place at 66
kg/145.5 lbs, Damion Hahn, who took seventh at 96 kg/211.5 lbs, and
Matt Nagel, who competed at 74 kg/163 lbs after advancing through the
qualifying bracket.
For complete results from the 2007 U.S. Nationals, visit www.usawrestling.org
Other
Minnesota Wrestlers
Senior
Greco-Roman National Championships
60 KG/132.25 lbs - Donavan Depatto (U.S. Marine Corps) 4th Place
84 KG/185 lbs - Chas Betts (Minn. Storm/USOEC) 4th Place
96 KG/211.5 lbs - RC Johnson (Sunkist Kids) 4th Place
120 KG/264.5 lbs - Mark Simmonds (U.S. Navy) 6th Place
Senior Women's Freestyle
48 KG/105.5 lbs - Rachael Holthaus (Sunkist Kids) 7th Place
51 KG/112 lbs - Jenny Wong (Sunkist Kids) 2nd Place
55 KG/121 lbs - Chelynne Pringle (Minnesota Storm) 5th Place
Veteran's Freestyle - Minnesota Storm
placewinners
Division B-69 KG - 152 lbs - John Short 1st place
Division C-58 KG - 127.75 lbs - Mark Levasseur 1st place
Division C-97 KG - 214 lbs - Mike Farrell 1st place
Division D-69 KG - 152 lbs - Michael Betts 2nd place
Gophers
at the 2007 U.S.
Nationals
2007 FILA Junior Freestyle National
Championships
Mike
Thorn, 7th Place (60 kg/132.25 lbs)
7th Place Match – Thorn over Aaron Navarrete, Inj. default
Brandon Sitch, 3rd Place (79 kg/174
lbs)
3rd Place Match – Sitch dec. Justin Kerber (4-0, 5-1)
Ben Berhow, 8th Place (120 kg/264.5
lbs)
7th Place Match – Kurt Klimek pinned Berhow (1-5, 0:46)
2007 FILA Junior Greco-Roman National
Championships
Jake
Mellmer, 4th Place (60 kg/132.25 lbs)
3rd Place Match – Aaron Navarrete dec. Mellmer (3-2, 0-6, 6-0)
Jordan Kolbow, 7th Place (74 kg/163
lbs)
7th Place Match – Kolbow won by forfeit over Dan Brascetta
Brandon Sitch, 1st Place (79 kg/174
lbs)
1st Place Match – Sitch dec. John Kent (1-1, 2-0)
Joe Nord, 6th Place (120 kg/264.5 lbs)
5th Place Match – Charlie Alexander dec. Nord (1-1, 1-1)
Ben Berhow, 7th Place (120 kg/264.5
lbs)
7th Place Match – Berhow dec. Sam Zylstra (1-3, 4-2, 4-1)
2007 U.S. Senior Freestyle National
Championships
#4
Cole Konrad, 2nd Place (120 kg/264.5 lbs)
1st Round – Konrad dec. Blake Gillis (4-0, 1-0)
Quarterfinals – Konrad dec. #9 Pat Cummins (4-0, 1-1, 1-0)
Semifinals – Konrad dec. #1 Tolly Thompson (1-1, 0-2, 3-0)
Finals – #3 Tommy Rowlands dec. Konrad (3-2, 1-0)
#3 Damion Hahn, 7th Place (96 kg/211.5
lbs)
1st Round – Casey Phelps dec. Hahn (3-0, 1-0)
Consolation – Hahn pinned Eric Lapotsky (0:37)
Consolation – Hahn over #5 Nik Fekete, Inj. Default
Consolation – #8 Sean Stender dec. Hahn (1-0, 4-1)
7th Place Match – Hahn dec. #9 Mike Tamillow (4-2, 3-0)
#1 Jared Lawrence, 5th Place (66
kg/145.5 lbs)
1st Round – Lawrence dec. Teyon Ware (2-1, 4-0)
Quarterfinals – Lawrence dec. Cyler Sanderson (7-1, 3-3, 6-0)
Semifinals – #4 Chris Bono dec. Lawrence (3-0, 0-3, 1-0)
Consolation – Cary Kolat dec. Lawrence (1-0, 0-1, 3-2)
5th Place Match – Lawrence over #3 Eric Larkin, Inj. Default