University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Wrestlers Travel to St. Louis to Defend National Title
3/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
#2/2 MINNESOTA (14-7, 5-3) at 2008 NCAA Championships
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Arena: Scottrade Center
Dates: Thursday-Saturday, March 20-22
Television: ESPNU/ESPN360.com will air the quarterfinals live at 10 a.m. (CT) on Friday, March 21. Additionally, ESPNU will be producing and syndicating live coverage of the semifinals beginning at 6 p.m. that same day. On Saturday morning, ESPNU will carry the medal rounds live at 10 a.m. ESPN/ESPN360.com will air the championships live later that evening at 7:30 p.m.
Live Updates: Play-by-play from Minnesota’s matches will be available via gophersports.com. Live text coverage from every match will also be available via InterMat.
Schedule of Events:
Thrusday, March 20
11 a.m. - Session 1 (Pigtails and First Round)
6:30 p.m. - Session 2 (Prelims and Wrestlebacks)
Friday, March 21
10 a.m. - Session 3 (Quarterfinals and Wrestlebacks)
6 p.m. - Session 4 (Semifinals and Wrestlebacks)
Saturday, March 22
10 a.m. - Session 5 (Wrestlebacks; 3rd, 5th, 7th Place)
7:30 p.m. - Session 6 (Championship Finals)
NCAA Championship Notes to Know
The defending national champion University of Minnesota wrestling team heads to the 2008 NCAA Championships this week at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. The Gophers finished runner-up to Iowa (127 112.5) at the 2008 Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis, Minn.
Minnesota is sending nine wrestlers to the 2008 NCAA Championships. Senior Justin Bronson (197) and heavyweight Ben Berhow (heavyweight) will be making their first appearances, while sophomore and returning All-American Jayson Ness (125) will be making his second trip; senior Manny Rivera (141) and juinor Dustin Schlatter are making their third trek to nationals. The Gophers’ senior core of Mack Reiter (133), C.P. Schlatter (157), Gabriel Dretsch (174) and Roger Kish (184) will each be competing in their fourth national tournament.
Minnesota had five wrestlers gain All-American status at last season’s NCAA Championships en route to the third national title in school history. Four of those athletes are making the return trip in 2008 Ness (fifth at 125), Dustin Schlatter (3rd at 149), C.P. Schlatter (6th at 157) and Kish (3rd at 184). Seven of Minnesota’s nine NCAA qualifiers from a year ago are also back in 2008.
The University of Minnesota wrestling team won its third NCAA Championship since 2001 on March 17, 2007 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Golden Gophers clinched the team race following back-to-back losses by Iowa State wrestlers in the 184- and 197-pound title matches. In the final bout of the tournament, heavyweight Cole Konrad concluded his stellar collegiate career with a pin of Penn State's Aaron Anspach in the finals, becoming the fourth two-time national champion in school history. Minnesota finished with 98.0 points, while Iowa State finished second with 88.5.
The Golden Gophers are seeking their fourth NCAA Championship in the last eight years in St. Louis. Either Minnesota, Oklahoma State or Iowa have won the national title in each of the last 18 years.
Second-ranked sophomore Ness will continue his march to history this weekend as he takes on the best the Big Ten has to offer. Ness is 35-1 this season and remains just two pins shy (18) of the Gophers’ single-season pins record of 20, set by current assistant head coach Marty Morgan in 1989-90.
Minnesota currently boasts seven wrestlers ranked in the latest USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll. Jayson Ness (No. 2 at 125 pounds), Mack Reiter (No. 8 at 133 pounds), Manny Rivera (No. 5 at 141), Dustin Schlatter (No. 2 at 149 pounds), C.P. Schlatter (No. 5 at 157), Gabe Dretsch (No. 8 at 174) and Roger Kish (No. 8 at 184) all rank among the nation’s finest.
Despite relinquishing their Big Ten title to Iowa and experiencing an up-and-down dual meet season, the Golden Gophers are still a favorite in a championship-style tournament. Minnesota is second in InterMat’s Tournament Strength Rankings and second in W.I.N. Magazine’s Tournament Power Index (75.5 points).
ESPNU, ESPN360.com and ESPN will be broadcasting all the action live from St. Louis beginning Friday morning. See the the left side of this page for a complete schedule.
MINNESOTA FALLS TO IOWA AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Golden Gopher wrestling team was unable to hold onto its opening day lead at the 2008 Big Ten Championships at Williams Arena, relinquishing the Big Ten team title to the Iowa Hawkeyes 127 112.5. Minnesota did qualify nine wrestlers for the the 2008 NCAA Championships in two weeks, but saw its four finalists come up short their championship matches.
Jayson Ness, Manuel Rivera, Dustin Schlatter and Gabe Dretsch all finished in second place after losing during the March 9 championship round. Minnesota’s Mack Reiter (fourth), C.P. Schlatter (sixth), Roger Kish (sixth), Justin Bronson (seventh) and Ben Berhow (sixth) will also make the trip to St. Louis March 20-22.
The disappointing final day performance came on the heels of an excellent Saturday effort by the former two-time defending conference champions. The Gophers held a 106-93.5 lead over Iowa after two sessions, but were also hurt by losing Kish and C.P. Schlatter to injuries during their semifinal matches.
GOPHERS SEEK SECOND STRAIGHT NATIONAL TITLE
The top-ranked University of Minnesota wrestling team won its third NCAA Championship since 2001 on March 17, 2007 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Golden Gophers clinched the team race following back-to-back losses by Iowa State wrestlers in the 184- and 197-pound title matches. In the final bout of the tournament, heavyweight Cole Konrad concluded his stellar collegiate career with a pin of Penn State's Aaron Anspach in the finals. Konrad became the fourth two-time national champion in school history. Minnesota finished with 98.0 points, while Iowa State finished second with 88.5.
During the morning medal round, Kish and Dustin Schlatter earned third place at 184 and 149 pounds, respectively. Jayson Ness claimed fifth place at 125 pounds with his third pin of the tournament. C.P. Schlatter finished his first All-American season with a sixth-place finish at 157 pounds.
J AND MINNESOTA AT NCAAS
Head Coach J Robinson has built Minnesota into a powerhouse in the world of collegiate wrestling during his tenure in Gold Country. In his 21 full seasons, Robinson has led the Golden Gophers to a top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships 15 times, including each of the past 11 seasons. Minnesota has won three national titles in the last seven seasons, including the 2007 championship and back-to-back titles in 2001 and ’02, and also has four runner-up finishes since 1997.
Under Robinson, the Maroon and Gold have earned 85 All-America honors, including a school-record 10 All-Americans in 2001. In 2006, Dustin Schlatter and Cole Konrad became the seventh and eighth Golden Gophers under Robinson to win an NCAA individual title, with Konrad winning again last year. Other national champions during the Robinson era include: Damian Hahn in 2003 and ’04, Jared Lawrence and Luke Becker in 2002, Brock Lesnar in 2000, Tim Hartung in 1998 and ’99 and Marty Morgan in 1991.
ALL-AMERICAN BOYS
Minnesota will have five returning All-Americans competing in this week’s NCAA Championships. Jayson Ness and C.P. Schlatter picked up their first career All-American awards last season at 125 and 157 pounds, respectively, while Dustin Schlatter (149) and Roger Kish (184) also finished in the top eight nationally a year ago. Mack Reiter earned All-America status as a freshman in 2005 and sophomore in 2006, taking fourth both instances.
A CUT ABOVE THE REST
Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Iowa have combined to win the last 19 NCAA Championships. The Golden Gophers (2007, 01-02) and Cowboys (2003-06) have won the last seven titles. The last team outside of those three to win a national title was Arizona State in 1988.
STILL THE CLASS OF THE CONFERENCE
Since snapping Iowa’s run of 25 consecutive conference titles at the 1999 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Golden Gophers have claimed six of the last 10 Big Ten Conference crowns to overtake the Hawkeyes as the class of the conference.
After their runner-up finish at the 2008 Big Ten Championships, Minnesota has finished either first or second at the Big Ten Championships 10 straight seasons and has placed in the top three each of the past 12 years.
ONE LAST HURRAH FOR SENIORS
The 2008 NCAA Championships will be the final collegiate competition for Minnesota’s six partcipating seniors. Gabe Dretsch, Roger Kish, Mack Reiter, Manuel Rivera, C.P. Schlatter, and Justin Bronson comprise the remaining members of Minnesota’s 2003 recruiting class, which ranked as the nation’s finest at the time:
A few facts and figures about the 2008 senior class:
1 NCAA team titles (2007)
2 Big Ten team titles (2006, 2007)
5 All-American awards (Kish in ’06 and ’07, Reiter in ’05 and ’06, C.P. Schlatter in ’07)
4 Big Ten individual champions (Reiter in ’05, Kish in ’06, C.P. Schlatter in ’06 and ’07)
21 Big Ten Championships appearances
20 NCAA appearances (Dretsch has four, Reiter four, Kish four, Rivera three, Schlatter four, Bronson one)
.758 Dual meet winning percentage (75-24 overall record)
.700 Big Ten dual meet winning percentage (28-12)
686 Individual match wins in collegiate competition (no redshirt matches counted)
.672 Individual match winning percentage (686-335 record overall)
THE QUALIFIERS
Last season, the Gophers qualified nine of 10 wrestlers for the national tournament en route to their third NCAA title and qualified nine more this season. Only Iowa State and Edinboro qualified all 10 this season, with Iowa, Minnesota, Boise State, Central Michigan and Northern Iowa qualifying nine wrestlers. Below is a breakdown of Minnesota’s qualifiers in previous seasons:
2008: 9
2007: 9*
2006: 8
2005: 10
2004: 9
2003: 8
2002: 10*
2001: 9*
2000: 9
1999: 9
1998: 9
1997: 10
*Won national title
TOURNAMENT-READY
While Minnesota’s dual meet inconsistencies saw them finish at No. 8 in the final national dual meet poll, experts generally agree the Golden Gophers will again be a force come tournament time. W.I.N. Magazine’s weekly Tournament Power Index (TPI) projects the Gophers to finish second at NCAAs with 75.5 team points based upon individual performances.
The USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Division I Pre-NCAA Tournament Coaches Poll also ranks the defending national champions second with 482 voting points. Big Ten Champion Iowa is first in both polls.
FIRST-TIMERS
Minnesota will feature one of the conference’s most experienced squads this weekend, with six seniors and a total of seven upperclassmen participating. But two Gophers senior Justin Bronson (197 pounds) and redshirt freshman Ben Berhow (heavyweight) will be making their first-ever NCAA tournament appearances. Bronson is a veteran of 105 career matches and qualified with a seveth-place finish at Big Tens, while Berhow has wrestled only 35 times (he’s 16-19 this year) at the varsity level. Berhow qualified for the 2008 NCAA Championships with a sixth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, winning two matches in consolation competition.
RE-MATCH OF THE CENTURY’ LOOMS
The 2008 Big Ten Championships featured a number highly-memorable matches, yet none generated more excitement than the Dustin Schlatter Brent Metcalf (Iowa) 149-pound championship bout. These two former four-time high school state champions (Schlatter in Ohio and Metcalf in Michigan) met twice during their prep careers but had never faced off at the collegiate level before last Sunday at Williams Arena. Schlatter and Metcalf last met when Schlatter beat Metcalf in the finals of the Senior High School Nationals in 2005.
Metcalf won his first Big Ten title March 9 by a 5-3 decision. Schlatter grabbed the early lead in the much-anticipated “Match of the Century” with a takedown of Metcalf a little over one minute into the match. But the Hawkeye tied the score at two with escapes in the first and second periods. Schlatter started down in the second and jumped ahead with an escape, but was called for stalling late in the match and finally suffered a takedown with 11 seconds remaining in the final frame.
The loss was just the fifth in 102 collegiate matches for Schlatter, who was the two-time defending Big Ten champion.
The pair are currently ranked No. 1 and No. 2 nationally in what is generally considered to be the country’s deepest weight class.
RANKED WRESTLERS LEAD THE WAY
Team depth hurt Minnesota during the regular season, but the Gophers appear poised to make an impact during the postseason. The Gophers boast seven wrestlers ranked in the top ten nationally. With tournament success based soley upon individual performance, Minnesota should be a force to be reckoned with in March.
Minnesota’s ranked wrestlers:
#2/2 Jayson Ness (125 pounds)
#2/2 Dustin Schlatter (149 pounds)
#5/4 C.P. Schlatter (157 pounds)
#5/4 - Manuel Rivera (141 pounds)
#8/7 Mack Reiter (133 pounds)
#8/7 Gabriel Dretsch (174 pounds)
#8/8 Roger Kish (184 pounds)
Rankings from InterMat/W.I.N. Magazine
NCAA INDIVIDUAL HISTORY
Overall, Minnesota has claimed 19 NCAA individual titles, including 10 since 1997. In eight of the past 10 seasons, Minnesota has had at least one national champion, including Cole Konrad in 2007. The Golden Gophers have four two-time NCAA champions in Verne Gagne (191/Hwt; 1949-48), Tim Hartung (190/197; 1998-99), Damion Hahn (197; 2003-04) and Cole Konrad (2006-07). Minnesota’s other NCAA individual champions are Jared Lawrence (149; 2002), Luke Becker (157; 2002), Brock Lesnar (Hwt; 2000), Marty Morgan (177; 1991), Pat Neu (137; 1977), Evan Johnson (190; 1976); Dick Mueller (123; 1953), Leonard Levy (Hwt; 1941), Dale Hanson (128; 1939) and John Whitaker (175; 1937).
HEALTH STILL AN ISSUE
Minnesota entered the 2007-08 season as the heavy favorites to repeat as both national and Big Ten champions on the strength of their nine returning starters and four returning All-Americans. But things have not gone according to plan at various points this year the Gophers lost seven dual meets during the regular season (their highest total since 2004-05 and second-highest since 95-’96), including three conference duals, and had two wrestlers forfeit matches at the Big Ten Championships. Injuries were the main culprit for the team’s struggles. Former All-Americans Dustin Schlatter, C.P. Schlatter and Roger Kish all missed regular season time with various maladies, with Dustin Schlatter and Kish each missing significant action.
Seniors Roger Kish (shoulder) and C.P. Schlatter (hamstring) were each forced to bow out of their Big Ten semifinal matches at the conference tournament last weekend in Minneapolis. The pair did not wrestle on the tournament’s final day and defaulted to sixth-place, NCAA-qualifying finishes. Both are expected to wrestle in St. Louis.
BIG BEN’ HANGS TOUGH WITH THE BEST
After losing two-time NCAA and three-time Big Ten Champion Cole Konrad to graduation following last season, the Golden Gophers knew there would be a drop-off at heavyweight Konrad was, after all, arguably the greatest wrestler in Minnesota history. But redshirt freshman and Hayward, Minn. native Ben Berhow has stepped up and performed admirably in some difficult situations during his first season of varsity competition. Berhow has wrestled ranked heavyweights 10 times this season, and while he has yet to gain a signature win, he has been more than competitive in nearly every match.
Berhow has participated in six matches with ranked wrestlers that have been decided by three points or less, and eight that have been decided by five points or fewer. He defeated Penn State’s John Laboranti and Purdue’s Chris Kasten in the consolation bracket of the Big Ten Championships to qualify for his first-ever NCAA Tournament.
BIG TEN DOMINATES RANKINGS
The Big Ten is generally considered to be the most competitive wrestling conference in the nation, and this year is no exception. Nine of the conference’s 11 teams were ranked in the top-25 of the last USA Today/InterMat/NWCA dual meet poll, with a whopping 65 individual wrestlers also ranked in their respective weight classes.
The recently-released Pre-NCAA Power Rankings also saw eight Big Ten schools ranked in the top 15.
NESS SEES WIN STREAK SNAPPED
As the Hawkeyes knocked the Gophers off the two-time defending conference champs at the 2008 Big Ten Championships, Minnesota faithful saw another impressive streak come to an end. Entering his title match with Indiana’s Angel Escobedo, sophomore Jayson Ness had won 36 consecutive matches dating back to his pin of Lock Haven’s Obenson Blanc at the 2007 NCAAs, the second-longest active winning streak in Division I college wrestling behind 2007 197-pound national champion Josh Glenn of American University.
Escobedo is now the only wrestler to defeat Ness in his previous 38 matches. The Hoosier defeated Ness 7-3 in the consolation bracket at the 2007 NCAA Championships before Ness went on his historic run.
Longest winning streaks in Gopher history:
1. Cole Konrad (11/12/05-3/17/07) - 76
2. Dustin Schlatter (11/26/05-3/16/07) - 65
3. Tim Hartung (1/23/98-3/20/99) - 58
4. Marty Morgan (11/10/90-3/14/91) - 39
5. Willy Short (11/13/93-3/5/94) - 36
Jayson Ness (11/10/07-3/9/08) - 36
7. Manuel Rivera (11/11/06-3/3/07) - 35
NESS DOMINATES EN ROUTE TO RECORD
Ness burst onto the wrestling scene as a redshirt freshman last year, storming to a 40-5 record and taking fifth at the 2007 NCAA Championships. This year, Ness has taken another step forward and established himself as one of the country’s most dominant athletes. Ness is ranked second nationally with a 35-1 record and has pinned a whopping 18 opponents, already the seventh-highest total in program history. Ness is just two pins shy of the Gophers’ single-season mark of 20, set by current head assistant coach (and fellow Bloomington-Kennedy alumn) Marty Morgan in 1989-90.
In addition to being just two pins shy of the Gophers’ single-season mark (a record he could tie or break at the NCAA Championships), Ness has scored bonus points in an amazing 75 percent of his matches entering this weekend (27 of 36).
Ness has beaten 11 ranked wrestlers already this season, including two top-five opponents (then-No. 3 Charlie Falck of Iowa and then-No. 1 Paul Donahoe of Nebraska). He beat 14 NCAA qualifiers total throughout the course of the 2007-08 season.
DRETSCH’S TOUGH STRETCH
Gopher senior Gabe Dretsch has put together a fine career at Minnesota, going 108-52 and qualifying for NCAAs four times. This season, the Frazee, Minn. native has gone 28-10 and is currently ranked eigth nationally at 174 pounds. While Dretsch was a solid 13-6 in dual meets this season and finished runner-up at the 2008 Big Ten Championships, the caliber of competition he has wrestled against is second to none in the entire nation. Dretsch has faced a whopping 15 ranked wrestlers since Dec. 29, including eight from the top 10; he has won four of his last five against ranked opponents. The battle-hardened Dretsch also wrestled a team-high 22 NCAA qualifiers entering this weekend’s tournament. Below is a rundown of Dretsch’s recent matches against ranked wrestlers:
MINNESOTA PRIDE
State pride is a big deal in the college wrestling world, and the state of Minnesota has been a breeding ground for outstanding grapplers for many years. In 2008, eight Minnesota natives will wrestle at the NCAA Championships, including four Golden Gophers. Here is a list of the Minnesota natives that will be participating this season:
MANNY ON A MISSION
After seeing limited action in 2005, Manuel Rivera worked his way into a full-time starting position as a sophomore in 2006 and has continued his progression to become one of the top 141-pounders in the nation (making NCAA appearances the last three seasons). After going on a 35-match winning streak last year, he has been one of the Gophers’ most solid performers during his senior season. Rivera enters the NCAA Championships with the No. 5 ranking nationally and a 30-7 record, which includes a Southern Scuffle individual crown and wins over seven ranked wrestlers (including four top-10 opponents). He is looking for his first All-American award at his final NCAA Tournament.
SAF GETS SNUBBED
Despite climbing to as high as No. 11 in both national polls (InterMat and W.I.N. Magazine), Gopher junior Tyler Safratowich was unable to qualify for his second NCAA Championships this season. Safratowich entered the conference tournament as the third seed at 165 pounds, but went 2-3 over the two days to finish in eighth place, one away from the top-seven qualifying spots. Safratowich seemed like a good candidate to earn one of the Big Ten’s two wild card spots, but lost out to Penn State’s Mark McKnight (125 pounds) and Indiana’s Kurt Kinser (149 pounds). After a season that saw him go 28-10 with an 11-2 dual meet record (7-1 in Big Ten meets), the Park Rapids, Minn. native was named the first alternate for NCAA Championship competition.
RENOVATED’ WILLIAMS ARENA PLAYS HOST TO BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Minnesota’s Williams Arena played host to the Big Ten Championships for the first time in 11 years March 8-9,. Prior to 2008, the last time the Golden Gophers hosted the annual conference tournament, Minnesota (led by two-time national champion Tim Hartung) finished runner-up to Iowa with 116.5 team points in 1997.
Due to rule changes enacted several years ago (regarding when wrestlers are considered “in bounds” or not), four regulation-size wrestling mats no longer fit on the normal Williams Arena court. The 2008 Championships featured a floor that had been raised 13 additional inches and extended approximately 20 feet on the north and south ends to accommodate a four-mat competition floor set-up.
BIG TEN ATTENDANCE IMPRESSIVE
Williams Arena’s first Big Ten Championships in 11 years was a success on many fronts. The hometown Gophers nearly came away with their third straight conference crown and saw nine athletes qualify for the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
The event was also a resounding success at the turnstiles. A grand total of 19,981 fans attended the three sessions, with 7,721 spectators seeing Sunday’s championship round. That crowd was one of the largest ever for a Big Ten conference championship, ranking alongside the 1983 final in Iowa City (11,748) and the 1993 final, also held at the University of Iowa (7,245)
Minnesota’s recent conference championship effort also drew more people than the 2005 event at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A brief comparison of the 2005 and 2007 Big Ten Wrestling events:
2005 Attendance Figures (Iowa):
Session I: 5,892
Session II: 6,193
Session III: 6,183
Total: 18,268
2008 Attendance Figures (Minneapolis):
Session I: 6,229
Session II: 6,391
Session III: 7,271
Total: 19,891
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Arena: Scottrade Center
Dates: Thursday-Saturday, March 20-22
Television: ESPNU/ESPN360.com will air the quarterfinals live at 10 a.m. (CT) on Friday, March 21. Additionally, ESPNU will be producing and syndicating live coverage of the semifinals beginning at 6 p.m. that same day. On Saturday morning, ESPNU will carry the medal rounds live at 10 a.m. ESPN/ESPN360.com will air the championships live later that evening at 7:30 p.m.
Live Updates: Play-by-play from Minnesota’s matches will be available via gophersports.com. Live text coverage from every match will also be available via InterMat.
Schedule of Events:
Thrusday, March 20
11 a.m. - Session 1 (Pigtails and First Round)
6:30 p.m. - Session 2 (Prelims and Wrestlebacks)
Friday, March 21
10 a.m. - Session 3 (Quarterfinals and Wrestlebacks)
6 p.m. - Session 4 (Semifinals and Wrestlebacks)
Saturday, March 22
10 a.m. - Session 5 (Wrestlebacks; 3rd, 5th, 7th Place)
7:30 p.m. - Session 6 (Championship Finals)
NCAA Championship Notes to Know
The defending national champion University of Minnesota wrestling team heads to the 2008 NCAA Championships this week at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. The Gophers finished runner-up to Iowa (127 112.5) at the 2008 Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis, Minn.
Minnesota is sending nine wrestlers to the 2008 NCAA Championships. Senior Justin Bronson (197) and heavyweight Ben Berhow (heavyweight) will be making their first appearances, while sophomore and returning All-American Jayson Ness (125) will be making his second trip; senior Manny Rivera (141) and juinor Dustin Schlatter are making their third trek to nationals. The Gophers’ senior core of Mack Reiter (133), C.P. Schlatter (157), Gabriel Dretsch (174) and Roger Kish (184) will each be competing in their fourth national tournament.
Minnesota had five wrestlers gain All-American status at last season’s NCAA Championships en route to the third national title in school history. Four of those athletes are making the return trip in 2008 Ness (fifth at 125), Dustin Schlatter (3rd at 149), C.P. Schlatter (6th at 157) and Kish (3rd at 184). Seven of Minnesota’s nine NCAA qualifiers from a year ago are also back in 2008.
The University of Minnesota wrestling team won its third NCAA Championship since 2001 on March 17, 2007 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Golden Gophers clinched the team race following back-to-back losses by Iowa State wrestlers in the 184- and 197-pound title matches. In the final bout of the tournament, heavyweight Cole Konrad concluded his stellar collegiate career with a pin of Penn State's Aaron Anspach in the finals, becoming the fourth two-time national champion in school history. Minnesota finished with 98.0 points, while Iowa State finished second with 88.5.
The Golden Gophers are seeking their fourth NCAA Championship in the last eight years in St. Louis. Either Minnesota, Oklahoma State or Iowa have won the national title in each of the last 18 years.
Second-ranked sophomore Ness will continue his march to history this weekend as he takes on the best the Big Ten has to offer. Ness is 35-1 this season and remains just two pins shy (18) of the Gophers’ single-season pins record of 20, set by current assistant head coach Marty Morgan in 1989-90.
Minnesota currently boasts seven wrestlers ranked in the latest USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll. Jayson Ness (No. 2 at 125 pounds), Mack Reiter (No. 8 at 133 pounds), Manny Rivera (No. 5 at 141), Dustin Schlatter (No. 2 at 149 pounds), C.P. Schlatter (No. 5 at 157), Gabe Dretsch (No. 8 at 174) and Roger Kish (No. 8 at 184) all rank among the nation’s finest.
Despite relinquishing their Big Ten title to Iowa and experiencing an up-and-down dual meet season, the Golden Gophers are still a favorite in a championship-style tournament. Minnesota is second in InterMat’s Tournament Strength Rankings and second in W.I.N. Magazine’s Tournament Power Index (75.5 points).
ESPNU, ESPN360.com and ESPN will be broadcasting all the action live from St. Louis beginning Friday morning. See the the left side of this page for a complete schedule.
MINNESOTA FALLS TO IOWA AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Golden Gopher wrestling team was unable to hold onto its opening day lead at the 2008 Big Ten Championships at Williams Arena, relinquishing the Big Ten team title to the Iowa Hawkeyes 127 112.5. Minnesota did qualify nine wrestlers for the the 2008 NCAA Championships in two weeks, but saw its four finalists come up short their championship matches.
Jayson Ness, Manuel Rivera, Dustin Schlatter and Gabe Dretsch all finished in second place after losing during the March 9 championship round. Minnesota’s Mack Reiter (fourth), C.P. Schlatter (sixth), Roger Kish (sixth), Justin Bronson (seventh) and Ben Berhow (sixth) will also make the trip to St. Louis March 20-22.
The disappointing final day performance came on the heels of an excellent Saturday effort by the former two-time defending conference champions. The Gophers held a 106-93.5 lead over Iowa after two sessions, but were also hurt by losing Kish and C.P. Schlatter to injuries during their semifinal matches.
GOPHERS SEEK SECOND STRAIGHT NATIONAL TITLE
The top-ranked University of Minnesota wrestling team won its third NCAA Championship since 2001 on March 17, 2007 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Golden Gophers clinched the team race following back-to-back losses by Iowa State wrestlers in the 184- and 197-pound title matches. In the final bout of the tournament, heavyweight Cole Konrad concluded his stellar collegiate career with a pin of Penn State's Aaron Anspach in the finals. Konrad became the fourth two-time national champion in school history. Minnesota finished with 98.0 points, while Iowa State finished second with 88.5.
During the morning medal round, Kish and Dustin Schlatter earned third place at 184 and 149 pounds, respectively. Jayson Ness claimed fifth place at 125 pounds with his third pin of the tournament. C.P. Schlatter finished his first All-American season with a sixth-place finish at 157 pounds.
J AND MINNESOTA AT NCAAS
Head Coach J Robinson has built Minnesota into a powerhouse in the world of collegiate wrestling during his tenure in Gold Country. In his 21 full seasons, Robinson has led the Golden Gophers to a top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships 15 times, including each of the past 11 seasons. Minnesota has won three national titles in the last seven seasons, including the 2007 championship and back-to-back titles in 2001 and ’02, and also has four runner-up finishes since 1997.
Under Robinson, the Maroon and Gold have earned 85 All-America honors, including a school-record 10 All-Americans in 2001. In 2006, Dustin Schlatter and Cole Konrad became the seventh and eighth Golden Gophers under Robinson to win an NCAA individual title, with Konrad winning again last year. Other national champions during the Robinson era include: Damian Hahn in 2003 and ’04, Jared Lawrence and Luke Becker in 2002, Brock Lesnar in 2000, Tim Hartung in 1998 and ’99 and Marty Morgan in 1991.
ALL-AMERICAN BOYS
Minnesota will have five returning All-Americans competing in this week’s NCAA Championships. Jayson Ness and C.P. Schlatter picked up their first career All-American awards last season at 125 and 157 pounds, respectively, while Dustin Schlatter (149) and Roger Kish (184) also finished in the top eight nationally a year ago. Mack Reiter earned All-America status as a freshman in 2005 and sophomore in 2006, taking fourth both instances.
A CUT ABOVE THE REST
Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Iowa have combined to win the last 19 NCAA Championships. The Golden Gophers (2007, 01-02) and Cowboys (2003-06) have won the last seven titles. The last team outside of those three to win a national title was Arizona State in 1988.
STILL THE CLASS OF THE CONFERENCE
Since snapping Iowa’s run of 25 consecutive conference titles at the 1999 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Golden Gophers have claimed six of the last 10 Big Ten Conference crowns to overtake the Hawkeyes as the class of the conference.
After their runner-up finish at the 2008 Big Ten Championships, Minnesota has finished either first or second at the Big Ten Championships 10 straight seasons and has placed in the top three each of the past 12 years.
ONE LAST HURRAH FOR SENIORS
The 2008 NCAA Championships will be the final collegiate competition for Minnesota’s six partcipating seniors. Gabe Dretsch, Roger Kish, Mack Reiter, Manuel Rivera, C.P. Schlatter, and Justin Bronson comprise the remaining members of Minnesota’s 2003 recruiting class, which ranked as the nation’s finest at the time:
A few facts and figures about the 2008 senior class:
1 NCAA team titles (2007)
2 Big Ten team titles (2006, 2007)
5 All-American awards (Kish in ’06 and ’07, Reiter in ’05 and ’06, C.P. Schlatter in ’07)
4 Big Ten individual champions (Reiter in ’05, Kish in ’06, C.P. Schlatter in ’06 and ’07)
21 Big Ten Championships appearances
20 NCAA appearances (Dretsch has four, Reiter four, Kish four, Rivera three, Schlatter four, Bronson one)
.758 Dual meet winning percentage (75-24 overall record)
.700 Big Ten dual meet winning percentage (28-12)
686 Individual match wins in collegiate competition (no redshirt matches counted)
.672 Individual match winning percentage (686-335 record overall)
THE QUALIFIERS
Last season, the Gophers qualified nine of 10 wrestlers for the national tournament en route to their third NCAA title and qualified nine more this season. Only Iowa State and Edinboro qualified all 10 this season, with Iowa, Minnesota, Boise State, Central Michigan and Northern Iowa qualifying nine wrestlers. Below is a breakdown of Minnesota’s qualifiers in previous seasons:
2008: 9
2007: 9*
2006: 8
2005: 10
2004: 9
2003: 8
2002: 10*
2001: 9*
2000: 9
1999: 9
1998: 9
1997: 10
*Won national title
TOURNAMENT-READY
While Minnesota’s dual meet inconsistencies saw them finish at No. 8 in the final national dual meet poll, experts generally agree the Golden Gophers will again be a force come tournament time. W.I.N. Magazine’s weekly Tournament Power Index (TPI) projects the Gophers to finish second at NCAAs with 75.5 team points based upon individual performances.
The USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Division I Pre-NCAA Tournament Coaches Poll also ranks the defending national champions second with 482 voting points. Big Ten Champion Iowa is first in both polls.
FIRST-TIMERS
Minnesota will feature one of the conference’s most experienced squads this weekend, with six seniors and a total of seven upperclassmen participating. But two Gophers senior Justin Bronson (197 pounds) and redshirt freshman Ben Berhow (heavyweight) will be making their first-ever NCAA tournament appearances. Bronson is a veteran of 105 career matches and qualified with a seveth-place finish at Big Tens, while Berhow has wrestled only 35 times (he’s 16-19 this year) at the varsity level. Berhow qualified for the 2008 NCAA Championships with a sixth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, winning two matches in consolation competition.
RE-MATCH OF THE CENTURY’ LOOMS
The 2008 Big Ten Championships featured a number highly-memorable matches, yet none generated more excitement than the Dustin Schlatter Brent Metcalf (Iowa) 149-pound championship bout. These two former four-time high school state champions (Schlatter in Ohio and Metcalf in Michigan) met twice during their prep careers but had never faced off at the collegiate level before last Sunday at Williams Arena. Schlatter and Metcalf last met when Schlatter beat Metcalf in the finals of the Senior High School Nationals in 2005.
Metcalf won his first Big Ten title March 9 by a 5-3 decision. Schlatter grabbed the early lead in the much-anticipated “Match of the Century” with a takedown of Metcalf a little over one minute into the match. But the Hawkeye tied the score at two with escapes in the first and second periods. Schlatter started down in the second and jumped ahead with an escape, but was called for stalling late in the match and finally suffered a takedown with 11 seconds remaining in the final frame.
The loss was just the fifth in 102 collegiate matches for Schlatter, who was the two-time defending Big Ten champion.
The pair are currently ranked No. 1 and No. 2 nationally in what is generally considered to be the country’s deepest weight class.
RANKED WRESTLERS LEAD THE WAY
Team depth hurt Minnesota during the regular season, but the Gophers appear poised to make an impact during the postseason. The Gophers boast seven wrestlers ranked in the top ten nationally. With tournament success based soley upon individual performance, Minnesota should be a force to be reckoned with in March.
Minnesota’s ranked wrestlers:
#2/2 Jayson Ness (125 pounds)
#2/2 Dustin Schlatter (149 pounds)
#5/4 C.P. Schlatter (157 pounds)
#5/4 - Manuel Rivera (141 pounds)
#8/7 Mack Reiter (133 pounds)
#8/7 Gabriel Dretsch (174 pounds)
#8/8 Roger Kish (184 pounds)
Rankings from InterMat/W.I.N. Magazine
NCAA INDIVIDUAL HISTORY
Overall, Minnesota has claimed 19 NCAA individual titles, including 10 since 1997. In eight of the past 10 seasons, Minnesota has had at least one national champion, including Cole Konrad in 2007. The Golden Gophers have four two-time NCAA champions in Verne Gagne (191/Hwt; 1949-48), Tim Hartung (190/197; 1998-99), Damion Hahn (197; 2003-04) and Cole Konrad (2006-07). Minnesota’s other NCAA individual champions are Jared Lawrence (149; 2002), Luke Becker (157; 2002), Brock Lesnar (Hwt; 2000), Marty Morgan (177; 1991), Pat Neu (137; 1977), Evan Johnson (190; 1976); Dick Mueller (123; 1953), Leonard Levy (Hwt; 1941), Dale Hanson (128; 1939) and John Whitaker (175; 1937).
HEALTH STILL AN ISSUE
Minnesota entered the 2007-08 season as the heavy favorites to repeat as both national and Big Ten champions on the strength of their nine returning starters and four returning All-Americans. But things have not gone according to plan at various points this year the Gophers lost seven dual meets during the regular season (their highest total since 2004-05 and second-highest since 95-’96), including three conference duals, and had two wrestlers forfeit matches at the Big Ten Championships. Injuries were the main culprit for the team’s struggles. Former All-Americans Dustin Schlatter, C.P. Schlatter and Roger Kish all missed regular season time with various maladies, with Dustin Schlatter and Kish each missing significant action.
Seniors Roger Kish (shoulder) and C.P. Schlatter (hamstring) were each forced to bow out of their Big Ten semifinal matches at the conference tournament last weekend in Minneapolis. The pair did not wrestle on the tournament’s final day and defaulted to sixth-place, NCAA-qualifying finishes. Both are expected to wrestle in St. Louis.
BIG BEN’ HANGS TOUGH WITH THE BEST
After losing two-time NCAA and three-time Big Ten Champion Cole Konrad to graduation following last season, the Golden Gophers knew there would be a drop-off at heavyweight Konrad was, after all, arguably the greatest wrestler in Minnesota history. But redshirt freshman and Hayward, Minn. native Ben Berhow has stepped up and performed admirably in some difficult situations during his first season of varsity competition. Berhow has wrestled ranked heavyweights 10 times this season, and while he has yet to gain a signature win, he has been more than competitive in nearly every match.
Berhow has participated in six matches with ranked wrestlers that have been decided by three points or less, and eight that have been decided by five points or fewer. He defeated Penn State’s John Laboranti and Purdue’s Chris Kasten in the consolation bracket of the Big Ten Championships to qualify for his first-ever NCAA Tournament.
BIG TEN DOMINATES RANKINGS
The Big Ten is generally considered to be the most competitive wrestling conference in the nation, and this year is no exception. Nine of the conference’s 11 teams were ranked in the top-25 of the last USA Today/InterMat/NWCA dual meet poll, with a whopping 65 individual wrestlers also ranked in their respective weight classes.
The recently-released Pre-NCAA Power Rankings also saw eight Big Ten schools ranked in the top 15.
NESS SEES WIN STREAK SNAPPED
As the Hawkeyes knocked the Gophers off the two-time defending conference champs at the 2008 Big Ten Championships, Minnesota faithful saw another impressive streak come to an end. Entering his title match with Indiana’s Angel Escobedo, sophomore Jayson Ness had won 36 consecutive matches dating back to his pin of Lock Haven’s Obenson Blanc at the 2007 NCAAs, the second-longest active winning streak in Division I college wrestling behind 2007 197-pound national champion Josh Glenn of American University.
Escobedo is now the only wrestler to defeat Ness in his previous 38 matches. The Hoosier defeated Ness 7-3 in the consolation bracket at the 2007 NCAA Championships before Ness went on his historic run.
Longest winning streaks in Gopher history:
1. Cole Konrad (11/12/05-3/17/07) - 76
2. Dustin Schlatter (11/26/05-3/16/07) - 65
3. Tim Hartung (1/23/98-3/20/99) - 58
4. Marty Morgan (11/10/90-3/14/91) - 39
5. Willy Short (11/13/93-3/5/94) - 36
Jayson Ness (11/10/07-3/9/08) - 36
7. Manuel Rivera (11/11/06-3/3/07) - 35
NESS DOMINATES EN ROUTE TO RECORD
Ness burst onto the wrestling scene as a redshirt freshman last year, storming to a 40-5 record and taking fifth at the 2007 NCAA Championships. This year, Ness has taken another step forward and established himself as one of the country’s most dominant athletes. Ness is ranked second nationally with a 35-1 record and has pinned a whopping 18 opponents, already the seventh-highest total in program history. Ness is just two pins shy of the Gophers’ single-season mark of 20, set by current head assistant coach (and fellow Bloomington-Kennedy alumn) Marty Morgan in 1989-90.
In addition to being just two pins shy of the Gophers’ single-season mark (a record he could tie or break at the NCAA Championships), Ness has scored bonus points in an amazing 75 percent of his matches entering this weekend (27 of 36).
Ness has beaten 11 ranked wrestlers already this season, including two top-five opponents (then-No. 3 Charlie Falck of Iowa and then-No. 1 Paul Donahoe of Nebraska). He beat 14 NCAA qualifiers total throughout the course of the 2007-08 season.
DRETSCH’S TOUGH STRETCH
Gopher senior Gabe Dretsch has put together a fine career at Minnesota, going 108-52 and qualifying for NCAAs four times. This season, the Frazee, Minn. native has gone 28-10 and is currently ranked eigth nationally at 174 pounds. While Dretsch was a solid 13-6 in dual meets this season and finished runner-up at the 2008 Big Ten Championships, the caliber of competition he has wrestled against is second to none in the entire nation. Dretsch has faced a whopping 15 ranked wrestlers since Dec. 29, including eight from the top 10; he has won four of his last five against ranked opponents. The battle-hardened Dretsch also wrestled a team-high 22 NCAA qualifiers entering this weekend’s tournament. Below is a rundown of Dretsch’s recent matches against ranked wrestlers:
| Date | Opponent (School) | Result |
| 12/29 | #14 Alton Lucas (Hofstra) | L, 3-4 |
| 12/30 | #18 Eric Decker (Virginia Tech) | W, 5-2 |
| 12/30 | #11 Steve Anceravage (Cornell) | L, 4-7 |
| 12/30 | #12 Phil Moricone (Edinboro) | W, 5-3 |
| 1/12 | #3 Brandon Sinnott (C. Michigan) | W, 6-3 |
| 1/13 | #5 Brandon Browne (Nebraska) | L, 2-3 |
| 1/13 | #2 Steve Luke (Michigan) | L, 3-5 |
| 1/25 | #2 Steve Luke (Michigan) | L, 3-9 |
| 1/26 | #19 John Murphy (Michigan State) | W, P (0:46) |
| 2/1 | #2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) | L, 3-8 |
| 2/3 | #7 Brandon Mason (Okla. State) | W, 5-3 |
| 2/10 | #15 Nick Hayes (Northwestern) | W, 7-4 |
| 2/15 | #15 John Dergo (Illinois) | W, 7-2 |
| 3/8 | #3 Jay Borschel (Iowa | W, 6-4 |
| 3/9 | #2 Steve Luke (Michigan) | L, 3-5 |
MINNESOTA PRIDE
State pride is a big deal in the college wrestling world, and the state of Minnesota has been a breeding ground for outstanding grapplers for many years. In 2008, eight Minnesota natives will wrestle at the NCAA Championships, including four Golden Gophers. Here is a list of the Minnesota natives that will be participating this season:
| Wt | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| 125 | Jayson Ness | Minnesota | Soph. | Bloomington |
| 285 | Kyle Massey | Wisconsin | Jr. | Champlin |
| 149 | Ryan Adams | North Dakota State | Soph. | Coon Rapids |
| 174 | Gabe Dretsch | Minnesota | Sr. | Frazee |
| Hwt. | Ben Berhow | Minnesota | R-Fr. | Haward |
| Hwt. | Jon May | Nebraska | Sr. | Hutchinson |
| 197 | Jacob Bryce | North Dakota State | Jr. | Minnewaska |
| 197 | Justin Bronson | Minnesota | Sr. | Princeton |
MANNY ON A MISSION
After seeing limited action in 2005, Manuel Rivera worked his way into a full-time starting position as a sophomore in 2006 and has continued his progression to become one of the top 141-pounders in the nation (making NCAA appearances the last three seasons). After going on a 35-match winning streak last year, he has been one of the Gophers’ most solid performers during his senior season. Rivera enters the NCAA Championships with the No. 5 ranking nationally and a 30-7 record, which includes a Southern Scuffle individual crown and wins over seven ranked wrestlers (including four top-10 opponents). He is looking for his first All-American award at his final NCAA Tournament.
SAF GETS SNUBBED
Despite climbing to as high as No. 11 in both national polls (InterMat and W.I.N. Magazine), Gopher junior Tyler Safratowich was unable to qualify for his second NCAA Championships this season. Safratowich entered the conference tournament as the third seed at 165 pounds, but went 2-3 over the two days to finish in eighth place, one away from the top-seven qualifying spots. Safratowich seemed like a good candidate to earn one of the Big Ten’s two wild card spots, but lost out to Penn State’s Mark McKnight (125 pounds) and Indiana’s Kurt Kinser (149 pounds). After a season that saw him go 28-10 with an 11-2 dual meet record (7-1 in Big Ten meets), the Park Rapids, Minn. native was named the first alternate for NCAA Championship competition.
RENOVATED’ WILLIAMS ARENA PLAYS HOST TO BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Minnesota’s Williams Arena played host to the Big Ten Championships for the first time in 11 years March 8-9,. Prior to 2008, the last time the Golden Gophers hosted the annual conference tournament, Minnesota (led by two-time national champion Tim Hartung) finished runner-up to Iowa with 116.5 team points in 1997.
Due to rule changes enacted several years ago (regarding when wrestlers are considered “in bounds” or not), four regulation-size wrestling mats no longer fit on the normal Williams Arena court. The 2008 Championships featured a floor that had been raised 13 additional inches and extended approximately 20 feet on the north and south ends to accommodate a four-mat competition floor set-up.
BIG TEN ATTENDANCE IMPRESSIVE
Williams Arena’s first Big Ten Championships in 11 years was a success on many fronts. The hometown Gophers nearly came away with their third straight conference crown and saw nine athletes qualify for the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
The event was also a resounding success at the turnstiles. A grand total of 19,981 fans attended the three sessions, with 7,721 spectators seeing Sunday’s championship round. That crowd was one of the largest ever for a Big Ten conference championship, ranking alongside the 1983 final in Iowa City (11,748) and the 1993 final, also held at the University of Iowa (7,245)
Minnesota’s recent conference championship effort also drew more people than the 2005 event at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A brief comparison of the 2005 and 2007 Big Ten Wrestling events:
2005 Attendance Figures (Iowa):
Session I: 5,892
Session II: 6,193
Session III: 6,183
Total: 18,268
2008 Attendance Figures (Minneapolis):
Session I: 6,229
Session II: 6,391
Session III: 7,271
Total: 19,891
Players Mentioned
HWT
/ Wrestling
197
/ Wrestling
174
/ Wrestling
184
/ Wrestling
HWT
/ Wrestling
125
/ Wrestling
133
/ Wrestling
141
/ Wrestling
165
/ Wrestling
157
/ Wrestling
149
/ WrestlingGopher Round Table: Wrestling
Wednesday, March 11
Highlights: Big Ten Wrestling Session II
Saturday, March 07
Highlights: Big Ten Wrestling Session I
Saturday, March 07
Cinematic Recap: Gophers Smash the Spartans on Senior Day
Thursday, February 19