The No. 3 University
of Minnesota wrestling team sent an early season statement
Wednesday night with a 21-15 victory over top-ranked Oklahoma State.
The Golden Gophers won three of the final four matches of the night to
put the Cowboys away.
Minnesota has now won eight of the last 11 meetings between the two
storied programs. The Gophers snapped a streak of eight consecutive
duals between the two teams in which the home team was on the losing
end. The Maroon and Gold earned its first victory over the Cowboys at
home since a 23-16 victory on Feb. 5, 1994.
Jayson Ness got things started for the Gophers with a 6-3 decision over
OSU’s Tyler Shinn. Ness fell behind midway through the first period
after a Shinn takedown, but he came back to tie the match in the
second. Ness scored a takedown at 0:55 of the third and earned the
bonus point for time advantage to earn the victory.
The Cowboys took a 4-3 lead in the next match after Coleman Scott
defeated Mike Thorn by way of major decision, but it was the only lead
they would see, as the Gophers stormed back with a major decision and
tech fall in the next two matches.
The marquee match-up between No. 5 Manuel Rivera and No. 3 Nathan
Morgan did not occur, as Morgan did not make the trip to Minneapolis.
Rivera took advantage of the lesser caliber wrestler OSU sent to the
mat with a 13-3 major decision over Ethan Kyle.
Top-ranked sophomore Dustin Schlatter followed with his third
consecutive shutout, a 15-0 tech fall over Ryan Freeman at 149 pounds.
Schlatter scored a takedown just 17 seconds into the match and had
three near falls in the first period. Much of the same followed in the
second, as he scored another early takedown and earned five back points
to end the match at 1:06 of the second period.
Oklahoma State staged a rally to get back into the match, with major
decisions at 157 and 165, but a courageous effort by Jeremy Larson
against OSU’s top-ranked Johny Hendricks prevented the Cowboys from
seeing the lead.
With the match tied at 12 following two OSU major decisions, junior
Gabriel Dretsch turned the momentum in Minnesota’s favor with an
emotional victory over No. 8 Brandon Mason. Dretsch scored a takedown
lat in the first period and was awarded another point in the second
after Mason was warned for stalling twice. Dretsch looked to the crowd
of 4,926 fans that packed into the Sports Pavilion for the extra burst
of energy, and he was able to prevent Mason from scoring in the third
to come away with the 3-1 decision.
Second-ranked Roger Kish gave the crowd more to cheer about with an
exciting 13-7 victory over Jack Jensen in the following match. Kish
scored two takedowns in each period en route to the win. The crowd was
perhaps its loudest of the night following one of Kish’s shots in the
third in which he rode Jensen off the mat. Kish fed off the crowd,
pumping both arms in the air, and he utilized that energy to finish off
Jensen.
Oklahoma State cut Minnesota’s lead to three after Jared Shelton earned
a 9-2 decision over sophomore transfer Yura Malamura, but there was no
need to panic as top-ranked heavyweight Cole Konrad stepped onto the
mat to face Jared Rosholt. A first period takedown was all Konrad would
need to put the Cowboys away, though Rosholt gave him a tough match.
With one big victory in hand, the Gophers will face another tough test
on Friday night when they travel to No. 7 Iowa State to face the
Cyclones at 8 p.m. Live video of Friday's match will be available in
the Gold Zone, the premium content site for Golden Gopher athletics,
via the Clone Zone, ISU's premium site.
A replay of tonight's match against Oklahoma State will be available in
the Gold Zone following Fox Sports North's tape-delayed broadcast of
the match on Monday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.
1st: Edge-of-the-mat scramble - McSpadden takedown is waved off.
McSpadden bear hug takedown off the mat. McSpadden 2-0.
2nd: Safratowich is down. Safratowich escapes. Safratowich in on
a single leg - stalemate. McSpadden 2-1.
3rd: McSpadden chose down. McSpadden reversed. One point
McSpadden for illegal hold. Saf reversal. McSpadden escape. McSpadden
takedown and three nearfall - nearly a fall as time ran out. McSpadden
wins 11-3.
Half-time
165: #1 Johny
Hendricks (OSU) maj. Jeremy
Larson (MN) 18-6
1st: Hendricks single leg takedown. Hendricks cut Larson.
Hendricks takedwon to Larson's back. Three near-fall. Hendricks 7-1.
2nd: Hendricks chose down and escaped. Hendricksduck-under
takedown. Hendricks cut Larson. Hendricks double leg takedown. Larson
blood time. Larson escape at the buzzer. Hendricks 12-3.
1st: Dretsch takedown with 15 seconds left. Dretsch 2-0.
2nd: Mason choses up. Mason warned for stalling. One point for
Dretsch for stalling (hanging on while standing). Dretsch warned for
stalling. Mason rides out. Dretsch 3-0. 1:39 riding time for Mason.
3rd: Dretsch choses neutral. Near takedown on the edge for
Dretsch. Dretsch wins 3-1.
184: #2 Roger Kish (MN) dec.
Jack Jensen (OSU) 13-7
1st: Kish single leg takedown. Jensen escape. Kish double leg
takedown. Jensen escape. Kish 4-2.
3rd: Kish takes down. Kish escape. Jennen one point roughness.
Kish takedown. Kish cut Jensen. Kish double leg takedown. Jensen
escape. Kish near takedown at the buzzer. Kish wins 13-7 with :57 rt.
197: Jared Shelton
(OSU) dec Yura
Malamura (MN) 9-2
1st: Shelton takedown to Malamura's back. Nearly a pin for
Shelton. Shelton 5-0.
2nd: Shelton takes down. Malamura warned for stalling. Stall
point for Shelton. Shelton escape. Shelton 7-0.
3rd: Malamura takes down. Wrestlers come to their feet and
Shelton takes Malamura back to the mat and gets two nearfall. Shelton
warned for stalling. Malamura reversal. With :56 riding time, Shelton
wins 9-2.
Hwt: #1 Cole Konrad (MN) dec.
Jared Rosholt (OSU) 3-1
1st: Konrad edge-of-the-mat takedown (feet just barely in).
Konrad 2-0, 1:07 rt.
2nd: Konrad takes down. Rosholt rides tough for almost a minute
before Konrad escapes. Konrad 3-0.
3rd: Rosholt takes down. Rosholt escape. Konrad wins 3-1.
Cole Konrad vs. Jared Rosholt. Photo Dawn
Beshey