2008-09 College Results
Gophers Grind Out Win in State College
January 30, 2009
The 10th-ranked University of Minnesota wrestling team
(12-4, 2-0) got pivotal wins from Gordon Bierschenk and Tyler
Safratowich to best No. 16 Penn State (7-7-2, 0-1-2) in a Big Ten
wrestling dual at Rec Hall in State College, Pa. Friday night.
With his team trailing by a 15-11 score with three matches remaining,
Bierschenk pinned Penn State’s J.R. Brown in the 197-pound match to
give Minnesota a 17-15 lead that it would not relinquish. The pin was
Bierschenk’s third of the season and improved his record in Big Ten
duals to 2-0. Leading by an 8-3 score midway through the third period,
Bierschenk turned what would have been a decision win – which would
have cut the Gophers’ deficit in the dual to 15-14 – into a pin with
less than one minute remaining in the match to earn six team points for
a 17-15 lead in the dual.
After a frustrating loss in his last match to Michigan State’s Anthony
Jones, Safratowich bounced back with a resounding 23-8 win by technical
fall win in 6:33 over Shane Everett at 157 pounds. The 18th-ranked
Safratowich now needs just three more victories to become the 35th
wrestler in school history to amass 100 career wins.
Joe Grygelko earned the first dual meet win of his career when he
bested Penn State’s Colby Pisani in the 149-pound bout. A pair of
takedowns in the opening period and an escape in the second helped the
redshirt freshman vault to a 5-2 lead. After Pisani’s escape in the
final stanza cut the deficit to 5-3, Grygelko secured the win with a
late takedown. Riding time helped the Greenfield, Minn. native to the
final 8-3 margin.
Sophomore heavyweight Ben Berhow improved his season record to 18-6
with a 5-3 decision win over Stephan Tighe in the ninth match of the
evening to spot Minnesota a 20-15 advantage. The win by Berhow proved
valuable when PSU’s No. 17 Brad Pataky gained a 14-7 decision win over
the Gophers’ Zach Sanders in the final bout to close the final score to
20-19.
Mike Thorn’s 12-5 decision victory at 141 pounds over Frank Molinaro
tied the dual meet score at three points per side. The win by the
eighth-ranked Thorn came after the Gophers’ No. 5 Jayson Ness suffered
a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Nittany Lions’ 11th-ranked Jake
Strayer in the opening bout of the meet at 133 pounds.
The Gophers continue their first full weekend of Big Ten dual action on
Sunday when they meet No. 5 Ohio State in Columbus. The dual between
the Gophers and Buckeyes is scheduled for a 10:00 a.m. start and can be
viewed live in the Gold Zone at gophersports.com.
January 30, 2009 at State College, PA
#10 Minnesota 20 #16 Penn State 19
133: #11 Jake Strayer (PSU) dec. #5 Jayson Ness (MN), 4-3 (0-3)
141: #8 Mike Thorn (MN) dec. Frank Molinaro (PSU), 12-5 (3-3)
149: Joe Grygelko (MN) dec. Colby Pisani (PSU), 8-3 (6-3)
157: #18 Tyler Safratowich (MN) tech. fall Shane Everett (PSU), 23-8 (6:33) (11-3)
165: Dan Vallimont (PSU) maj. dec. Scott Glasser (MN), 13-5 (11-7)
174: #16 Quentin Wright (PSU) tech. fall Matt Everson (MN), 15-0 (5:18) (11-12)
184: Jack Decker (PSU) dec. Sonny Yohn (MN) 6-4 (11-15)
197: Gordon Bierschenk (MN) pinned J.R. Brown (PSU), 6:01 (17-15)
Hwt: #20 Ben Berhow (MN) dec. Stephan Tighe (PSU), 5-3 (20-15)
125: #17 Brad Pataky (PSU), maj. dec. #5 Zach Sanders (MN), 15-7 (20-19)
