University of Minnesota Athletics
GOLDEN GOPHERS CAPTURE THE 2001 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
3/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Iowa finished second in the team race with 125.5 points, followed by Oklahoma State with 115.5 points, Oklahoma with 93.5 points and Illinois with 89.0 points.
It is the first time in the 71-year history of the NCAA Championships that 10 wrestlers have earned the prestigious All-American honor in one NCAA tournament. The 10 All-Americans is also a Minnesota school record, breaking the previous mark of six, set in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Gold Country captured the national crown despite not placing a wrestler in the championship finals. No team in the history of the national tournament has won the team title without a finalist.
"We knew that the only way that we could win the title was to have a team effort," Minnesota Head Coach J Robinson said. "We had a game plan from last year to have all 10 guys wrestling well here. We knew that we couldn't win with a lot of ones and twos, but we thought we could win with 10 All-Americans. And that's what we did.
All 10 Golden Gopher grapplers finished in the top eight, earning All- America status and giving Minnesota significant team points. Gold Country had three wrestlers finish in third place (Leroy Vega, Owen Elzen, Garrett Lowney), three in fourth place (Luke Becker, Brad Pike, Jacob Volkmann), one finish in fifth place (Damion Hahn), one sixth- place finisher (Jared Lawrence) and two finish in eighth place (Brett Lawrence, Chad Erikson).
"To win this way was the best way that we could have won," Robinson said. "To have 10 All-Americans and nobody in the finals, and to do it in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, it's a special thing."
Six Golden Gophers earned their first All-America honor - Brett Lawrence, Erikson, Volkmann, Hahn, Elzen and Lowney. Leroy Vega, a junior at 125 pounds, gained his third All-America citation, keeping him on pace to become Minnesota second four-time All-American. Jared Lawrence, Becker and Pike each earned their second All-America honor.
"I can't stop smiling. It's been a great day," Robinson said. "It's a special win for our program. I know how important it is for the state of Minnesota and for our fans."
See below for highlights from Minnesota's consolation bracket final round matches.
The 2001 NCAA Champion Minnesota wrestling team will be honored at halftime of Monday night's NIT men's basketball game at Williams Arena at 7 p.m.
2001 NCAA Championships Session V Carver-Hawkeye Arena; University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa March 17, 2001 CONSOLATION BRACKET - Golden Gopher Wrestleback Semifinals Results 125 No. 3 seed Leroy Vega (MINN) dec. No. 6 seed Matt Brown (Okla. St.), 6-3 149 Mike Zadick (IOWA) maj. dec. No. 2 seed Jared Lawrence (MINN), 17- 5 157 No. 6 seed Luke Becker (MINN) dec. No. 4 seed Eric Jorgensen (Oregon St.), 3-2 165 No. 6 seed Brad Pike (MINN) dec. No. 9 seed Kevin Stanley (IND), 8-3 174 No. 10 seed Jacob Volkmann (MINN) dec. No. 4 seed Tyrone Lewis (Okla. St.), 5-2 184 No. 7 seed Andy Hrovat (MICH) dec. No. 5 seed Damion Hahn (MINN), 4-2 197 No. 5 seed Owen Elzen (MINN) dec. David Shunamon (Edinboro), 7-3 HWT No. 1 seed Garrett Lowney (MINN) dec. No. 7 seed Billy Blunt (Fresno St.), 4-3 Golden Gopher Consolation Bracket Semifinal Round Play-by-Play: 125 - No. 3 seed Leroy Vega (MINN) vs. No. 6 seed Matt Brown (Okla. St.) 1st period: Vega takedown 1:21 (2-0); Brown escape 1:59 (2-1); Advantage time Vega 0:38 2nd period: Brown starts down; Brown escape 0:33 (2-2); Vega takedown 0:41 (4-2); Vega stall warning; Brown escape 1:00 (4-3); Advantage time Vega 1:29 3rd period: Vega starts down; Vega escape 0:06 (5-3); Brown stall warning; Advantage time Vega 1:23 (6-3) FINAL Vega dec. Brown, 6-2 149 - No. 2 seed Jared Lawrence (MINN) vs. Mike Zadick (IOWA) 1st period: Zadick takedown 0:11 (0-2); Lawrence escape 0:22 (1-2); Zadick takedown 0:29 (1-4); Zadick 3 pt near fall 1:09 (1-7); Lawrence escape 1:12 (2-7); Advantage time Zadick 0:53 2nd period: Zadick starts down; Zadick escape 0:10 (2-8); Zadick takedown 0:38 (2-10); Lawrence escape 1:10 (3-10); Zadick takedown 1:46 (3-12); Advantage time Zadick 3rd period: Lawrence starts down; Lawrence escape 0:03 (4-12); Zadick takedown 1:02 (4-14); Lawrence escape (5-14); Zadick takedown 1:45 (5- 16); Advantage time Zadick 1:54 (5-17) FINAL Zadick maj. dec. Lawrence, 17-5 157 - No. 6 seed Luke Becker (MINN) vs. No. 4 seed Eric Jorgensen (Oregon St.) 1st period: Becker takedown 2:23 (2-0); Jorgensen escape 2:42 (2-1); Advantage time Becker 0:19 2nd period: Becker starts down; Becker escape 1:18 (3-1); Advantage time Becker 0:59 3rd period: Jorgensen starts down; Jorgensen escape 0:04 (3-2); Advantage time Jorgensen 0:54 FINAL Becker dec. Jorgensen, 3-2 165 - No. 6 seed Brad Pike (MINN) vs. No. 9 seed Kevin Stanley (IND) No play-by-play available FINAL Pike dec. Stanley, 8-3 174 - No. 10 seed Jacob Volkmann (MINN) vs. No. 4 seed Tyrone Lewis (Okla. St.) 1st period: No scoring 2nd period: Volkmann starts down; Volkmann escape 0:02 (1-0); Advantage time Volkmann 0:02 3rd period: Lewis starts down; Lewis escape 0:03 (1-1); Volkmann takedown 1:14 (3-1); Lewis escape 1:17 (3-2); Volkmann takedown 1:51 (5-2); Advantage time Volkmann 0:48 FINAL Volkmann dec. Lewis, 5-2 184 - No. 5 seed Damion Hahn (MINN) vs. No. 7 seed Andy Hrovat (MICH) 1st period: Hrovat takedown 2:40 (0-2); Hahn escape 2:58 (1-2); Advantage time Hrovat 0:18 2nd period: Hrovat starts down; Hrovat escape 0:05 (1-3); Advantage time Hrovat 0:13 3rd period: Hahn starts down; Hahn escape 1:42 (2-3); Advantage time Hrovat 1:55 (2-4) FINAL Hrovat dec. Hahn, 4-2 197 - No. 5 seed Owen Elzen (MINN) vs. David Shunamon (Edinboro) No play-by-play available FINAL Elzen dec. Shunamon, 7-3 HWT - No. 1 seed Garrett Lowney (MINN) vs. No. 7 seed Billy Blunt (Fresno St.) 1st period: No scoring 2nd period: Blunt starts down; Blunt escape 0:07 (0-1); Blunt takedown 1:45 (0-3); Lowney reversal 1:56 (2-3) 3rd period: Lowney starts down; Lowney escape (3-3); Lowney (4-3) FINAL Lowney dec. Blunt, 4-3 CONSOLATION BRACKET - Golden Gopher Wrestleback Finals Match-ups 125 Third-place match No. 3 seed Leroy Vega (MINN) dec. No. 10 seed A.J. Grant (MICH), 3-1 133 Seventh-place match No. 11 David Douglas (Arizona St.) dec. No. 10 seed Brett Lawrence (MINN), 6-3 141 Seventh-place match Robert Sessley (Ohio St.) dec. No. 7 seed Chad Erikson (MINN), 7-6 149 Fifth-place match No. 7 seed JaMarr Billman (Lock Haven) dec. No. 2 seed Jared Lawrence (MINN), 7-4 157 Third-place match No. 12 seed Shane Roller (Okla. St.) dec. No. 6 seed Luke Becker (MINN), 12-10 165 Third-place match No. 5 seed Matt Lackey (ILL) dec. No. 6 seed Brad Pike (MINN), 3-2 174 Third-place match No. 2 seed Otto Olson (MICH) dec. No. 10 seed Jacob Volkmann (MINN), 3-2 184 Fifth-place match No. 5 seed Damion Hahn (MINN) dec. No. 9 seed Cash Edwards (Boise St.), 4-2 197 Third-place match No. 5 seed Owen Elzen (MINN) pinned No. 4 seed Rusty Cook (Boise St.), 3:59 HWT Third-place match No. 1 seed Garrett Lowney (MINN) pinned No. 9 seed Leonce Crump (Okla), 0:42 Golden Gopher Consolation Bracket Final Round Play-by-Play/Highlights: 125 pound Third-place match - No. 3 seed Leroy Vega (MINN) vs. No. 10 seed A.J. Grant (MICH) 1st period: No scoring 2nd period: Vega starts down; Vega escape 0:33 (1-0); Advantage time Grant 0:33 3rd period: Grant starts down; Grant escape 0:01 (1-1); Vega takedown 1:58 (3-1); Advantage time Grant 0:31 FINAL Vega dec. Grant, 3-1 Junior 125-pounder Leroy Vega earned his third All-America honor and improved on his past two national fifth-place finishes, downing A.J. Grant of Michigan 3-1 to capture third place. With the score tied at one, Vega scored a takedown with two seconds remaining in regulation to gain the hard-fought victory. Vega, now a three-time All-American, is on track to become Minnesota's second four-time All-American. 133 pound Seventh-place match - No. 10 seed Brett Lawrence (MINN) vs. No. 11 seed David Douglas (Arizona St.) 1st period: Lawrence takedown 1:30 (2-0); Advantage time Lawrence 1:29 2nd period: Lawrence starts down; No scoring 3rd period: Douglas starts down; Douglas escape (2-1); Douglas takedown 0:39 (2-3); Lawrence escape 1:22 (3-3); Douglas takedown 1:53 (3-5); Advantage time Douglas 1:53 (3-6) FINAL Douglas dec. Lawrence, 6-3 Senior Brett Lawrence captured his first All-America honor at 133 pounds despite losing to David Douglas of Arizona State 6-3 in the seventh-place match. Lawrence led 2-1 at the start of the third period but Douglas scored six points in the final stanza to win. Lawrence took eighth place and went 4-3 at the national tournament. 141 pound Seventh-place match - No. 7 seed Chad Erikson (MINN) vs. Robert Sessley (Ohio St.) 1st period: Erikson takedown 1:41 (2-0); Sessley escape 1:59 (2-1); Sessley takedown 2:03 (2-3); Erikson reversal 2:37 (4-3); Sessley reversal 2:49 (4-5); Advantage time Sessley 0:04 2nd period: Erikson starts down; Erikson reversal 0:43 (6-5); Sessley escape 1:35 (6-6); Advantage time Erikson 0:06 3rd period: Sessley starts down; Sessley escape 0:15 (6-7); Advantage time Sessley 0:21 FINAL Sessley dec. Erikson, 7-6 Junior Chad Erikson became the third Golden Gopher on the day to become an All-American although he fell 7-6 to Robert Sessley of Ohio State in the seventh-place match. The match went back and forth between the two Big Ten grapplers, but Sessley's third-period escape proved to be the difference. Erikson finishes in eighth place and captures his first All-America honor in his first NCAA Championships. 149 pound Fifth-place match - No. 2 seed Jared Lawrence (MINN) vs. No. 7 seed JaMarr Billman (Lock Haven) 1st period: No scoring 2nd period: Lawrence starts down; Lawrence escape 0:13 (1-0); Billman takedown 1:59 (1-2); Advantage time Billman 0:12 3rd period: Billman starts down; Billman escape 0:05 (1-3); Billman takedown (1-5); Lawrence escape 0:29 (2-5); Lawrence takedown 1:02 (4- 5); Billman escape 1:11 (4-6); Advantage time Billman (4-7) FINAL Billman dec. Lawrence, 7-4 Sophomore Jared Lawrence lost his third-straight match to finish the tournament, falling 7-4 to JaMarr Billman of Lock Haven in the 149- pound fifth-place match. Billman, a 6-3 loser to Lawrence in the quarterfinals, used a four-point third period to roll to the victory. Lawrence matches his sixth-place All-American finish from last year to gain his second All-America honor. 157 pound Third-place match - No. 6 seed Luke Becker (MINN) vs. No. 12 seed Shane Roller (Okla. St.) 1st period: Becker takedown 0:58 (2-0); Roller escape 1:02 (2-1); Roller takedown 1:13 (2-3); Roller 2 pt near fall 2:40 (2-5); Roller 2 pt near fall 2:25 (2-7); Roller 2 pt near fall 2:30 (2-9); Becker reversal 2:56 (4-9); Roller escape 3:00 (4-10); Advantage time Roller 1:26 2nd period: Becker starts down; Becker escape 0:04 (5-10); Becker takedown 1:50 (7-10); Advantage time Roller 1:15 3rd period: Roller starts down; Roller escape (7-11); Becker takedown 0:32 (8-11); Roller escape (8-12); Becker takedown 1:35 (10-12); Advantage time Roller 0:48 FINAL Roller dec. Becker, 12-10 Sophomore Luke Becker earned his second All-American honor despite losing to Oklahoma State's Shane Roller 12-10 in the 157-pound third- place match. Roller scored 10 points in the first period with one takedown, three near falls and an escape to cruise to a third-place finish. Becker improves upon his sixth-place finish at the 2000 NCAAs. 165 pound Third-place match - No. 6 seed Brad Pike (MINN) vs. No. 5 seed Matt Lackey (ILL) 1st period: No scoring 2nd period: Pike starts down; Pike escape 0:05 (1-0); Lackey takedown 1:27 (1-2); Advantage time Lackey 0:33 3rd period: Lackey starts down; Lackey escape 0:03 (1-3); Lackey stall warning 2:00 (2-3); Advantage time Lackey 0:30 FINAL Lackey dec. Pike, 3-2 Minnesota's struggles continued in the consolation finals as senior Brad Pike was downed by Illinois' Matt Lackey 3-2 in the 165-pound third-place match. Lackey only allowed a Pike escape in the second period and used one takedown for the difference in the match. Pike finishes in fourth place, improving upon his seventh-place finish from a year ago and earning his second All-America honor. 174 pound Third-place match - No. 10 seed Jacob Volkmann (MINN) vs. No. 2 seed Otto Olson (MICH) 1st period: No scoring 2nd period: Volkmann starts down; Volkmann escape (1-0); Olson takedown 0:27 (1-2); Volkmann escape 0:39 (2-2); Advantage time Olson 0:07 3rd period: Olson starts down; Olson escape 0:07 (2-3); Advantage time even FINAL Olson dec. Volkmann, 3-2 Redshirt freshman Jacob Volkmann lost another tough battle to second- seeded Otto Olson of Michigan in the 174-pound third-place match. Olson used a second period escape and did not allow a Volkmann takedown to grab a 3-3 victory. Volkmann captures fourth place and his first All- America honor in his first NCAA Championships. 184 pound Fifth-place match - No. 5 seed Damion Hahn (MINN) vs. No. 9 seed Cash Edwards (Boise St.) 1st period: Hahn takedown 2:19 (2-0); Edwards escape 2:25 (2-1); Advantage time Hahn 0:06 2nd period: Hahn starts down; Hahn escape 0:03 (3-1); Advantage time Hahn 0:02 3rd period: Edwards starts down; Edwards escape 0:01 (3-2); Hahn (4-2) FINAL Hahn dec. Edwards, 4-2 Redshirt freshman Damion Hahn broke Minnesota's losing streak in the consolation finals, dropping Boise State's Cash Edwards 4-2 in the 184- pound fifth-place match. Hahn captures his first All-America citation in his first appearance at the national tournament. 197 pound Third-place match - No. 5 seed Owen Elzen (MINN) vs. No. 4 seed Rusty Cook (Boise St.) 1st period: Cook takedown 0:25 (0-2); Advantage time Cook 1:34 2nd period: Cook starts down; Cook reversal 0:11 (0-4); Elzen reversal (2-4); Elzen pin 0:59 FINAL Elzen pinned Cook, 3:59 Junior 197-pounder Owen Elzen captured third place at 197-pounds in dramatic fashion, pinning Boise State's Rusty Cook in 3:59 to earn his first All-America honor. Trailing 4-0 in the second period, Elzen scored a reversal on Cook and rolled the Bronco to his back for the fall. For the Championships, Elzen went 6-1 and provided the Golden Gophers with significant bonus points. HWT Third-place match - No. 1 seed Garrett Lowney (MINN) vs. No. 9 seed Leonce Crump (Okla) 1st period: Lowney takedown 0:18 (2-0); Lowney 3 pt near fall (0:28) 5- 0); Lowney pin 0:42 FINAL Lowney pinned Crump, 0:42 Redshirt freshman Garrett Lowney became the 10th Golden Gopher All- American, taking third place at heavyweight with his first-period pin of Oklahoma's Leonce Crump. Lowney stormed out of the gate, taking Crump down at 0:18, scoring a near fall 10 seconds later before pinning the Sooner at 0:42. Lowney earns his first All-America honor in his first year at the NCAA Championships. FINAL TEAM SCORES 1 Minnesota 138.5 2 Iowa 125.5 3 Oklahoma State 115.5 4 Oklahoma 93.5 5 Illinois 89.0