2008-09 College Results
Ness, Gophers dominate Northern Quad
November 29, 2008
The No. 11 University of Minnesota
wrestling team opened its dual meet season with a three-meet sweep over
Portland State (54-0) Northern Colorado (42-4) and North Dakota State
(36-6) at the Northern Quad on Saturday at the UCR Regional Sports
Center in Rochester, Minn. Jayson Ness led the Minnesota effort with
pins in each of his three matches at 133 pounds.
Ness stuck Portland State’s Thomas Cotterll in 2:13, Northern
Colorado’s Zach Maes in 2:33 and North Dakota State’s Tyler Steinwand
in 4:22. Ness, ranked first nationally at 133 pounds, owns a perfect
9-0 record this year with eight pins. The two-time All-American matched
a school record last year when he recorded 20 pins on his way to a 39-2
record and an appearance in the national title match as a 125-pounder.
Five other Gophers recorded perfect 3-0 records at the Northern Quad,
including #18 Zach Sanders (125 pounds) #15 Tyler Safratowich (157
pounds) Scott Glasser (165 pounds) Kaleb Young (174 pounds) and Chris
McPhail (197 pounds).
Gophers’ 141-pounder Mike Thorn, the reigning Big Ten Wrestler of the
Week, also went unbeaten on Saturday. Thorn pinned PSU’s Camrun Arkills
in his first match of the afternoon and recorded a 9-3 decision victory
over NDSU’s Gabe Mooney in the Gophers’ final dual of the day. With his
two victories Saturday, Thorn ran his record to 11-0 this season.
David Zilverburg also competed for the Gophers Saturday at 141 pounds.
The Wayzata, MInn. recorded a pin over Northern Colorado’s Lance
Gallegos in 2:39, helping the Gophers to a 42-4 dual meet victory over
the Bears.
The Gophers were also a perfect 3-0 at the heavyweight class on
Saturday, garnering a pair of wins from Hayward, Minn. native and
18th-ranked Ben Berhow. Berhow decisioned Portland State’s Levi Copper
17-9 in the Gophers’ opening match and pinned Northern Colorado’s
Justin Tuell in 6:54 to polish off a 42-4 Minnesota victory in the
second dual of the afternoon. Sophomore Joe Nord pinned NDSU’s Tyler
Hemmesch in 2:51 to polish a 36-6 Minnesota victory in the final dual
of the day.
Redshirt freshmen Sonny Yohn (184 pounds) and Brian Peterson (149
pounds) also recorded wins in their only matches of the day. Yohn stuck
Portland State’s Brady Garner in just 29 seconds, while Peterson pinned
the Vikings’ Henry Kofa in 4:39 as the Gophers cruised to a 54-4 win in
the opening dual of the day.
The Gophers return to action next weekend. Minnesota will participate
in the Las Vegas Invitational next Friday and Saturday in an individual
tournament format.
