University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Wins NCAA Wrestling Championship; Lawrence and Becker Capture Titles
3/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The Maroon and Gold took the national crown with 126.5 points. Iowa State (103), Oklahoma (101.5), Iowa (89) and Oklahoma State (82.5) round out the top five.
Minnesota became the first Division I wrestling team since Iowa in 1995-96 to go undefeated in dual meets and win the National Duals, conference and NCAA team titles in a single season. In addition, the Golden Gophers became the first school to win the National Duals, conference and NCAA titles in consecutive seasons since Iowa accomplished the feat in 1994-95 and 1995-96.
The Maroon and Gold have now placed in the nation's top-ten 25 times in the history of the program. The Golden Gophers have finished in the top-three in the nation for the last six years with third-place finishes in 1997 & 2000, runner-up finishes in 1998 & 1999, and national titles in 2001 & 2002. With the team title, Head Coach J Robinson now has finished in the top ten at the NCAA Championships 10 times in his 16-year tenure.
Seven Minnesota wrestlers earned All-America honors ? Ryan Lewis (133 pounds), Chad Erikson (141), Jared Lawrence (149), Luke Becker (157), Damion Hahn (184), Owen Elzen (197), Garrett Lowney (heavyweight). Gold Country had two individual champions (Lawrence and Becker), one runner- up (Lewis), one fourth-place finisher (Elzen), two fifth-place finishers (Hahn and Lowney) and one seventh-place finisher (Erikson). With Minnesota's seven placewinners, the Maroon and Gold have now had 68 Golden Gophers earn 111 All-American citations in the history of the program.
The other NCAA individual champions were Stephen Abas of Fresno State at 125 pounds, Aaron Holker of Iowa State at 141 pounds, Joe Heskett of Iowa State at 165 pounds, Greg Jones of West Virginia at 174 pounds, Rob Rohn of Lehigh at 184 pounds, Cael Sanderson of Iowa State at 197 pounds and Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State.
Check below for play-by-play and highlights from each of Minnesota's championship matches (and quotes from Golden Gopher champions). Play- by-play of each of Gold Country's consolation matches, wrestled Saturday morning, are also below.
2002 NCAA Championships Session VI Pepsi Arena; Albany, N.Y. March 21-23, 2002 Championship Bracket - Golden Gopher Championship Match-ups 133 No. 2 Johnny Thompson (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 1 Ryan Lewis (MINN), 5-4 149 No. 2 Jared Lawrence (MINN) dec. No. 4 Jared Frayer (Oklahoma), 3- 1 157 No. 3 Luke Becker (MINN) dec. No. 1 Bryan Snyder (Nebraska), 5-4 TB Championship Match Play-by-Play/Highlightss: 133 - No. 1 Ryan Lewis (MINN) vs. No. 2 Johnny Thompson (Oklahoma State) First period: Thompson stall warning; No scoring Second period: Thompson starts down; Thompson escape 0:07 (0-1); Lewis takedown 0:50 (2-1); Thompson reversal (2-3); Thompson 2 pt near fall (2-5); Lewis escape 1:28 (3-5); Advantage time Lewis 0:11 Third period: Lewis starts down; Lewis escape 0:30 (4-5); Advantage time Thompson 0:19 Final: Thompson dec. Lewis, 5-4 Match Highlights: Top-seeded Ryan Lewis suffered his first loss of the season in a close, hard-fought NCAA title match versus No. 2 Johnny Thompson of Oklahoma State, falling 5-4. After a scoreless first period, Lewis tallied a takedown before allowing an OSU reversal and near fall to push the score to 5-2 in favor of Thompson. Lewis tallied an escape early in the final stanza to make it 5-4, but could not tally a winning takedown in the final 1:30. The junior from Vernal, Utah nearly took Thompson down in the final seconds, but time ran out before advantage could be obtained. Lewis, falls to 32-1 on the season and gained his first All-America honor with his runner-up finish. Lewis? mark of 32-straight victories is tied for fourth on Minnesota's all- time list for most consecutive wins. 149 - No. 2 Jared Lawrence (MINN) vs. No. 4 Jared Frayer (Oklahoma) First period: Double stall warning 2:40; Lawrence takedown 2:58 (2-0); Advantage time Lawrence 0:01 Second period: Lawrence starts down; Lawrence escape 0:13 (3-0); Advantage time Frayer 0:11 Third period: Frayer starts down; Frayer escape 1:00 (3-1); Advantage time Lawrence 0:50 Final: Lawrence dec. Frayer, 3-1 Match Highlights: Junior Jared Lawrence became the 11th Minnesota wrestler to capture an NCAA individual title in school history, defeating No. 4 Jared Frayer of Oklahoma, 3-1, in the 149-pound championship bout. The difference in the match was a Lawrence takedown with two seconds remaining in the first period. A three-time All- American, Lawrence added an escape in the second period and didn?t allow an OU point until midway through the final period. Lawrence ends the 2001-02 season with a 34-3 overall record. The Sandpoint, Idaho native's lone losses on the season came to Iowa's Mike Zadick, the seventh-place finisher in 2002. Quotes: o On winning: "It's the greatest feeling in the world right now." o On if he was worried about getting a stalling call: "I figured I was up 3-1, so if they gave me a stalling call, I?d be all right." o On his strategy: "I really wanted to stay on him real quick and move a lot more. The first takedown was huge, right there at the end." o On team vs. individual: "The individual (championship) is the highest high you can have; you?re on top of the world. A national championship is a national championship; it doesn?t matter who it is." o On different approach this year, team vs. individual: "I had a different approach this year. I?m usually really for the team, but this year we talked in the beginning of the year that I had to be selfish to win a national championship. I worried just about (my success). I was a lot more concerned with myself this year than in the past." o On team's individual successes: It's nice to have some people in the finals. It's nice to have the coaches dressed up for the last day to go out there and show what they?ve done." 157 - No. 3 Luke Becker (MINN) vs. No. 1 Bryan Snyder (Nebraska) First period: Becker takedown 2:12 (2-0); Snyder escape 2:16 (2-1); Snyder takedown 2:36 (2-3); Becker escape 2:42 (3-3); Advantage time Snyder 0:02 Second period: Snyder starts down; Snyder escape 0:04 (3-4); Advantage time Becker 0:01 Third period: Becker starts down; Becker escape 0:09 (4-4); Advantage time Snyder 0:08 Overtime: No scoring Tiebreaker: Becker starts down; Becker escape 0:04 (5-4) Final: Becker dec. Snyder, 5-4 TB Match Highlights: Junior Luke Becker gained his first NCAA individual title and Minnesota's second of the day, tallying an escape four seconds into the tiebreaker period to defeat No. 1 and previously undefeated Bryan Snyder of Nebraska, 5-4 TB. Becker notched the all- important first offensive points of the bout, taking Snyder down 2:12 into the first period. Snyder took the lead with a takedown about 30 seconds later, but Becker tied it at four with two escapes. After a scoreless overtime, the wrestlers went to the tiebreaker with Becker choosing the down position. Becker quickly got to his feet with Snyder hanging on to the Golden Gopher's ankle. But the Cambridge, Minn., native cleared his foot and captured the 157-pound national crown. Becker, a three-time All-American, ends his season 38-3 overall with his lone losses coming to No. 2 Yoshi Nakamura of Penn (twice) and Snyder in a dual meet in January. Quotes: o On importance of first takedown: "It's really big now, especially with the first offensive points (giving you the option in the) double overtime. Last time I wrestled Snyder, the same thing happened except he had the first takedown." o On Jared Lawrence winning before him: "Every time Jared steps on the mat, he usually comes out victorious. We?ve been roommates since we were freshmen and we drive each other every day. I can?t wait to go find him and celebrate." o On wrestling Snyder for the seventh time: "It helps a lot. When we wrestle, we?re very cautious of each other. We know what each other is going to do. Final Team Standings 1. Minnesota 126.5 2. Iowa State 103.0 3. Oklahoma 101.5 4. Iowa 89.0 5. Oklahoma State 82.5 2002 NCAA Championships Session V Pepsi Arena; Albany, N.Y. March 21-23, 2002 Consolation Bracket Semifinals - Golden Gopher Results 184 Tom Tanis (Rutgers) dec. No. 2 Damion Hahn (MINN), 4-1 197 No. 3 Owen Elzen (MINN) dec. No. 5 Scott Barker (Missouri), 7-0 HWT No. 5 John Lockhart (Illinois) dec. No. 4 Garrett Lowney (MINN), 2-1 TB Consolation Play-by-Play: 184 - No. 2 Damion Hahn (MINN) vs. Tom Tanis (Rutgers) First period: No scoring Second period: Hahn starts down; Hahn escape 1:42 (1-0); Advantage time Tanis 1:42 Third period: Tanis starts down; Tanis escape 0:11 (1-1); Tanis stall warning; Tanis takedown 1:33 (1-3); Advantage time Tanis 1:59 (1-4) Final: Tanis dec. Hahn, 4-1 197 - No. 3 Owen Elzen (MINN) vs. No. 5 Scott Barker (Missouri) First period: Elzen takedown 2:41 (2-0); Advantage time Elzen 0:19 Second period: Elzen starts down; Elzen reversal 1:03 (4-0); Elzen 2 pt near fall (6-0); Advantage time Elzen 0:13 Third period: Barker starts down; Barker stall warning; Advantage time Elzen 2:13 (7-0) Final: Elzen dec. Barker, 7-0 HWT - No. 4 Garrett Lowney (MINN) vs. No. 5 John Lockhart (Illinois) First period: No scoring Second period: Lockhart starts down; Lockhart escape 0:03 (0-1); Advantage time Lowney 0:03 Third period: Lowney starts down; Lowney escape 0:03 (1-1); Advantage time even Overtime: No scoring Tiebreaker: Lockhart starts down; Lockhart escape 0:04 (1-2) Final: Lockhart dec. Lowney, 2-1 TB Consolation Bracket Finals - Golden Gopher Results 141 ? Seventh-place match No. 8 Chad Erikson (MINN) dec. Mike Maney (Lock Haven), 4-3 184 ? Fifth-place match No. 2 Damion Hahn (MINN) dec. No. 7 Clint Wattenberg (Cornell), 3-3 TB 197 ? Third-place match No. 4 Nick Preston (Ohio State) dec. No. 3 Owen Elzen (MINN), 7-4 HWT ? Fifth-place match No. 4 Garrett Lowney (MINN) dec. No. 9 Paul Hynek (Northern Iowa), 6-1 Consolation Play-by-Play: 141 ? Seventh-place match - No. 8 Chad Erikson (MINN) vs. Mike Maney (Lock Haven) First period: Erikson takedown 0:46 (2-0); Erikson 2 pt near fall 1:00 (4-0); Advantage time Erikson 2:14 Second period: Erikson starts down; Advantage time Erikson 0:14 Third period: Maney takedown 1:15 (4-2); Erikson stall warning (4-3); Advantage time Maney 0:31 Final: Erikson dec. Maney, 4-3 184 ? Fifth-place match ? No. 2 Damion Hahn (MINN) vs. No. 7 Clint Wattenberg (Cornell) First period: No scoring Second period: Wattenberg starts down; Wattenberg escape 0:30 (0-1); Advantage time Hahn 0:30 Third period: Hahn starts down; Hahn escape 0:08 (1-1); Wattenberg takedown 0:41 (1-3); Hahn reversal 1:15 (3-3); Advantage time Wattenberg 0:30 Overtime: No scoring Tiebreaker: Wattenberg starts down; No scoring Final: Hahn dec. Wattenberg, 3-3 TB 197 ? Third-place match ? No. 3 Owen Elzen (MINN) vs. No. 4 Nick Preston (Ohio State) First period: No scoring Second period: Elzen starts down; Elzen escape 0:04 (1-0); Preston takedown 0:45 (1-2); Elzen escape 1:01 (2-2); Advantage time Preston 0:20 Third period: Preston starts down; Preston escape 0:13 (2-3); Preston takedown 0:39 (2-5); Elzen escape 0:53 (3-5); Preston takedown 1:21 (3- 7); Elzen escape 1:31 (4-7); Advantage time Preston 0:30 Final: Preston dec. Elzen, 7-4 HWT ? Fifth-place match ? No. 4 Garrett Lowney (MINN) vs. No. 9 Paul Hynek (Northern Iowa) First period: Lowney takedown 2:12 (2-0); Advantage time Lowney 0:48 Second period: Lowney starts down; Lowney escape 0:12 (3-0); Advantage time Lowney 0:36 Third period: Hynek starts down; Hynek escape 0:22 (3-1); Lowney takedown 1:24 (5-1); Advantage time Lowney 1:34 (6-1) Final: Lowney dec. Hynek, 6-1
