University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Wrestlers Ranked Seventh by the NWCA
10/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The Golden Gophers enter the 2004-05 season with a lineup that could feature as many as five redshirt freshmen from a recruiting class that was ranked number one in the nation in the summer of 2003. Minnesota also returns seven wrestlers that qualified for the 2004 NCAA Championship.
Sophomore heavyweight Cole Konrad is ranked second in the nation, behind 2003 NCAA Champion Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State. Mocco transferred from the University of Iowa during the offseason. Konrad earned his first All-American citation last season after finishing fourth at the NCAA Championship. His 38-10 record gave him the most wins in a single-season by a Minnesota heavyweight. Konrad and Mocco are scheduled to meet in Minnesota's first dual meet against Oklahoma State at the Sports Pavilion on Dec. 5.
Senior Bobbe Lowe is ranked ninth in the nation at 125 pounds. The 2003 All-American is a former transfer from Iowa Central Community College. Junior Tommy Owen advanced to his first national tournament a year ago and is ranked 12th in the country at 141 pounds. A starter at 157 pounds last season, junior Matt Nagel is ranked 14th in the nation at 165 pounds. Nagel will look to replace three-time All-American Jacob Volkmann. A former transfer from St. Cloud State, senior Jon Duncombe is rated 12th in the country at 174 pounds. Duncombe finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships and reached his first NCAA Championship
A trio of redshirt freshmen are also included in the preseason rankings. Mack Reiter, Minnesota's first blue-chip recruit out of Iowa, is ranked 20th at 133 pounds. C.P. Schlatter, a four-time Ohio state champion, is rated eighth at 149 pounds. The top recruit in the nation in 2003, Roger Kish is the projected starter at 184 pounds for Minnesota. He is ranked 15th in the nation.
Minnesota kicks off the 2004-05 season at the Bison Open on Nov. 13. The Golden Gophers open the dual meet season on Dec. 5 against Oklahoma State. Minnesota handed the Cowboys their only loss of the 2003-04 season with a 17-16 win in Stillwater, Okla.
The WrestlingMall.com Preseason Top 25
1. Oklahoma State (11)
2. Lehigh
3. Nebraska
4. Illinois
5. Iowa State
6. Michigan
7. Minnesota
8. Oklahoma
9. Iowa
10. West Virginia
11. Missouri
12. Cornell
13t. Hofstra
13t. Central Michigan
15. Northern Iowa
16. Cal-Poly
17. Penn State
18. Wisconsin
19. Edinboro
20. Pennsylvania
21. Purdue
22. Arizona State
23. Rider
24. Cal-Bakersfield
25. Stanford
Also receiving votes: Boise State, Citadel, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio U., Ohio State and Oregon
Golden Gophers in Individual Rankings
125 - No. 9 Bobbe Lowe
133 - No. 20 Mack Reiter
141 - No. 12 Tommy Owen
149 - No. 8 C.P. Schlatter
165 - No. 14 Matt Nagel
174 - No. 12 Jon Duncombe
184 - No. 15 Roger Kish
HWT - No. 2 Cole Konrad
