University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Head to National Duals
1/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Let's Dual
Continuing on in dual action, the Gophers head this week to the annual NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, hosted by Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. The National Duals boasts teams from all divisions and levels of college wrestling and will include 16 teams in the Division I bracket. The two-day Tournament will begin at 9:00 am on Jan. 9 and fifth-seeded Minnesota will open with Missouri. Its second match is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Jan. 9 and will be against either fourth-seeded Central Michigan or Northwestern.
The Records
Coming off a loss to Iowa State in their last match, the Gophers enter the National Duals with a 3-2 dual meet record on the season. Missouri has wrestled just three duals this season, losing their last two to sit at 1-2. Potential opponents Northwestern and Central Michigan are 2-3-1 and 7-0, respectively.
The Series
Minnesota and Missouri have met nine times, with the Gophers holding an 8-1 lead in the all-time series. The lone loss was in the 1977-78 season by a 32-8 final. Minnesota is 5-0 all-time against Central Michigan, but the teams have not met since 1993. Against Northwestern, Minnesota is 39-17-1.
Last Match-Up
The Gophers last meeting with the Tigers came in the Championship match of the 2007 National Duals. On Jan. 14, 2007, Minnesota claimed a 20-16 win for its most recent National Duals title. Last season against Northwestern, Minnesota won 18-16 on Feb. 8, and on Feb. 13, 1993, it beat Central Michigan, 41-9.
Follow Along
Follow all the action from the National Duals with a live video stream, courtesy of LiveSportsVideo.com. For just five dollars, fans can view all the weekend's action. To access the video simply visit: 
http://www.livesportsvideo.com/golive/goliveevents.asp?q=NWCA
Last Time Out
In their last meet, the Gophers met up with the second ranked team in the country in Iowa State. A win in the first match and a 13-12 lead late were not enough as the Cyclones earned the 19-16 win in the Sports Pavilion. Each team won five matches, but the difference in the final score was the one fall notched by Iowa State.
Next Up
Following the National Duals, the Gophers will get next weekend off as they prepare to open Big Ten action on Jan. 22. Minnesota hits the road to Michigan to open the league slate, taking on Michigan State on Jan. 22 and Michigan on Jan. 23. The Gophers do not return home until the following weekend, hosting a pair of Big Ten duals on Jan. 29 and 31.
All-Time at National Duals
The Gophers have appeared in 13 Nationals Duals, since competing in the first event in 1989. Minnesota holds a 42-12 record in National Duals competition, and its five championships are second only to Oklahoma State with eight. The Gophers' 42 wins are fifth all-time behind Oklahoma State (57), Iowa (56), Penn State (46) and Nebraska (43).
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