Gophers Win Two Dual Meets in California Late Saturday
December 8, 2007
It wasn’t always easy, but the defending national champion Minnesota
Golden Gopher wrestling team emerged with two dual meet victories late
Saturday night in San Luis Obispo, Calf. After cruising to a 32-9 win
over Cal State Fullerton, the Gophers won the final five matches of the
nightcap with Cal Poly to win 23-12 and improve their overall dual meet
record to 6-1. Both of Saturday’s meets took place at Cal Poly’s Mott
Gymnasium.
In the early West Coast match-up, the Gophers squared off with the
Titans of Cal State Fullerton for the first time since 1991. Even
without the nationally-ranked brother duo of Dustin and C.P. Schlatter,
the Gophers were able to win seven of 10 matches and collected two pins
and three tech falls en route to the comfortable 21-point victory.
Third-ranked sophomore Jayson Ness continued his impressive run this
season by pinning the Titans’ Sean Roman-Marin in just 2:30 to start
the early meet. Mack Reiter successfully followed up on his dramatic
victory over Nebraska’s Kenny Jordan Thursday night with an 18-2
technical fall against No. 14 T.J. Dillashaw at 133 pounds, and Manny
Rivera gave the Gophers a 17-0 lead by pinning Teddy Astorga in 3:48 in
the 141-pound match.
After freshman Luke Mellmer lost 8-1 while filling in for Dustin
Schlatter at 149 pounds, Tyler Safratowich earned his second dual meet
victory of the season as a replacement for the elder Schlatter (C.P.)
at 157 pounds, needing just 6:17 to emerge with a 16-1 tech fall win
over Devin Velasquez. Scott Glasser rebounded from two straight dual
meet losses with a 13-2 major decision over Bryan Tice at 165 pounds,
and Gabe Drestch followed that up with a 16-1 tech fall of his own.
Second-ranked Roger Kish squeaked out a 3-2 win over No. 14 Ian Murphy
before the Gophers lost the final two matches of the meet at 197 pounds
and heavyweight.
In a meet that did not get underway until after 9 p.m. Central time,
the second half of Minnesota’s doubleheader did not go as smoothly as
the first. It was not until Justin Bronson’s tight 3-2 decision over
Arturo Basulto at 197 pounds that the Gophers guaranteed themselves a
victory over the Mustangs of Cal Poly. Ness, Reiter, Glasser, Kish,
Bronson and Ben Berhow won their individual matches as the Gophers were
able to overcome surprising losses by Rivera and C.P. Schlatter to win
their third dual meet in a row.
Ness pushed his record to a perfect 13-0 on the season by starting the
Cal Poly meet off with a 10-1 major decision. The returning
All-American sophomore has now scored bonus points in six of seven dual
meets this year, including two pins and three major decisions.
After Reiter picked up his third straight dual meet victory with a 6-3
decision over No. 16 Filip Novachkov, eighth-ranked Chad Mendes was
able to pin second-ranked Rivera in just 1:34. It was Rivera’s first
loss of the 2007-08 season in 13 matches and marked the first time he
had been pinned since Jan. 29, 2006 (by then-No. 8 DeWitt Driscoll of
Penn State). Rivera has been pinned just two times in 124 official
collegiate matches.
After Luke Mellmer lost 11-6 at 149 pounds, the Mustangs’ second upset
of the meet came at the expense of No. 7 C.P. Schlatter. Cal Poly’s No.
18 Chase Pami was able to gain a 4-2 win that gave the home school a
12-7 lead in the dual. But the Gophers rebounded with three straight
wins – a Dretsch 13-1 major decision (174 pounds) sandwiched by
decision victories from Glasser (6-4 at 165 pounds) and Kish (7-2 at
184 pounds) – to regain the lead at 17-12.
The Gophers needed a win from either Bronson (197 pounds) or Berhow
(heavyweight) to avoid the upset, and Bronson quickly delivered with a
hard-fought 3-2 decision over the Mustangs’ Basulto. A second period
escape and two warning points allowed the senior to eek out the close
victory and guarantee Minnesota the team win. Berhow rounded out the
meet with a 6-3 win over Jim Powers that saw him score five points in
the final stanza.
An announced crowd of 1,227 came out to watch the defending national champions.
The Gophers now enjoy a three-week break from competition until they
travel to Greensboro, N.C. Dec. 29-30 for the Southern Scuffle, an
annual 32-team invitational tournament. This will be the third straight
year the Gophers have competed in the event, as they were runners-up a
year ago and finished first in 2005. Minnesota’s next dual meet action
will occur Jan. 12-13 as they seek to defend their 2007 National Duals
title in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Minnesota’s next home competition will take
place Jan. 20 against South Dakota State at the Sports Pavilion.
No. 2 Minnesota 34, Cal State Fullerton 9 (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
125: #3 Jayson Ness (MN) fall Sean Roman-Marin (CSUF) 2:30
133: #5 Mack Reiter (MN) tech fall No. 14 T.J. Dillashaw (CSUF) 18-2 (7:00)
141: #2 Manuel Rivera (MN) fall Teddy Astorga (CSUF) 3:48
149: #10 Morgan Atkinson (CSUF) dec. Luke Mellmer (MN) 8-1
157: Tyler Safratowich (MN) tech fall Devin Velasquez (CSUF) 16-1 (6:17)
165: #15 Scott Glasser (MN) maj Bryan Tice (CSUF) 13-2
174: #7 Gabe Dretsch (MN) tech fall Todd Noel (CSUF) 16-1 (4:34)
184: #2 Roger Kish (MN) dec #14 Ian Murphy (CSUF) 3-2
197: John Drake (CSUF) dec Justin Bronson (MN) 6-3
Hwt: #5 Wade Sauer (CSUF) dec Joe Nord (MN) 5-1
No. 2 Minnesota 25, Cal Poly 12 (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
125: #3 Jayson Ness (MN) maj #16 Boris Novachkov (CP) 10-1
133: #5 Mack Reiter (MN) dec #16 Filip Novachkov (CP) 6-3
141: #8 Chad Mendes (CP) fall #2 Manuel Rivera (MN) 1:34
149: Elwin Warsh (CP) dec Luke Mellmer (MN) 11-6
157: #18 Chase Pami (CP) dec #7 C.P. Schlatter (MN) 4-2
165: #15 Scott Glasser (MN) dec Ryan Williams (CP) 6-4
174: #7 Gabe Dretsch (MN) maj Evan Barbre (CP) 13-1
184: #2 Roger Kish (MN) dec Yuri Kalika (CP) 7-2
197: Justin Bronson (MN) dec Arturo Basulto (CP) 3-2
Hwt.: Ben Berhow (MN) dec Jim Powers (CP) 6-3