University of Minnesota Athletics
No. 23 Purdue, No. 15 Illinois Await Fifth-Ranked Gophers
1/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
The No. 5 Golden Gophers (10-3 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) return to action this weekend with a pair of road duals against two nationally ranked Big Ten opponents. Minnesota starts off the weekend in West Lafayette against the No. 23 Purdue Boilermakers. The opening match is scheduled for a 6 p.m. CST start time. The Gophers are 44-17-2 all-time against the Boilermakers. Minnesota follows up on Sunday at No. 15 Illinois. That dual is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CST. The Gophers are 28-22-2 all-time against the Illinois.
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Match of the Meet(s)
Each and every Gopher wrestling match is full of excitement and entertainment but this weekend two bouts stand out among the rest. Friday's dual against Purdue will feature a matchup of nationally ranked 184 lbs. wrestlers. Minnesota's Kevin Steinhaus, ranked No. 7 in the nation, takes on Purdue's 13th ranked A.J. Kissel. On Sunday, college wrestling fans will have an opportunity to watch two of the top 141 pounders in the nation battle it out on the mat when No. 2 Mike Thorn takes on Illinois' Jimmy Kennedy -- the third-ranked grappler in the country in the 141 lbs. division.
Yohn Out for weekend
All-American 197-pounder Sonny Yohn will miss this weekend's duals with a lower-body injury. Yohn suffered a lower-body injury in his opening match at the Southern Scuffle but is not expected to miss a significant portion of the season.
Last Time Out
Minnesota kicked off the Big Ten season last Friday with a 25-14 win at home over Indiana before traveling to Ames, Iowa to pick up a 26-13 win over Iowa State. Zach Sanders posted a pair of technical fall wins over the weekend while Kevin Steinhaus scored a technical fall and a major decision. Mike Thorn remained unbeaten in dual action this season with a fall against Indiana before winning via forfeit in Ames.
Next Up
Minnesota heads home next weekend for a border battle showdown with Wisconsin next Sunday at the Sports Pavilion. The 2 p.m. dual will be a rematch of this year's third-place dual at National Duals which saw Minnesota's Big Ten rival edge the Gophers 19-17 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. As the rankings stand, the dual will also be a meeting of the fourth-ranked Badgers and the fifth-ranked Gophers.
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Robinson Signs Contract
For the first time in his 25 years as head coach, Minnesota's J Robinson signed a multi-year contract this week that will keep the two-time National Coach of the Year and six-time Big Ten Coach of the Year with the program through the 2013-14 season. Robinson has brought the program to a new level including coaching the Gophers to the first three NCAA titles in school history (2001, 2002, 2007).
Players Mentioned
