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Minnesota, South Dakota State Set for Friday Clash
12/16/2019 1:39:00 PM | Wrestling
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are set to travel to Brookings, South Dakota, for a dual against the South Dakota Jackrabbits. The two teams met every season since the 2015-16 campaign with the Maroon and Gold winning every dual.
Last season the Gophers won 35-6 with bonus points in five of eight individual victories. All action can be watched on FloWrestling with a "Pro" subscription.
Scouting the Jackrabbits
South Dakota State comes into the dual 1-1 with a victory over Utah Valley and a loss to Binghamton. In tournaments this season where both teams participated in the Gophers came out with 13 champions compared to the Jackrabbits' two.
The border rivals are coached by former Gophers two-time national champion Damion Hahn. Last season marked Hahn's first return to the pavilion since taking the head job.
Probable Lineups (FloWrestling Rankings):
Gophers:
125: No.19 Pat McKee (9-4) OR Jake Gliva (5-4)
133: Brent Jones (6-6)
141: No. 2 Mitch McKee (15-1)
149: No. 5 Brayton Lee (13-1)
157: Carson Brolsma (7-6) OR Kasper McIntosh (3-2)
165: Bailee O'Reilly (11-5) OR Jake Allar (0-0)
174: No. 7 Devin Skatzka (16-3)
184: No.18 Owen Webster (12-3) OR Hunter Ritter (11-2)
197: Garrett Joles (7-6) OR Dylan Anderson (5-3)
285: Bobby Steveson (4-3)
Jackrabbits:
125: Kahlen Morris (2-3) OR Danny Vega (7-3)
133: Zach Price (4-5)
141: Clay Carlson (10-4 overall)
149: No. 15 Henry Pohlmeyer (9-2 overall)
157: Colten Carlson (2-2)
165: Garrett Jordan (7-5) OR Kenny O'Neil (7-3) OR Tanner Cook (4-1)
174: Cade King (7-5) OR Kelby Hawkins (0-0)
184: No. 17 Zach Carlson (9-3)
197: No. 19 Tanner Sloan (5-3 )
285: Blake Wolters (6-7 overall)
Brayton's Bonanza
Redshirt freshman Brayton Lee felt right at home in Las Vegas where he reeled off five straight victories, including three over top-ten opponents, to take home the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas title.
Lee, the USA Wrestling Junior 65kg representative this summer in Estonia, is now 13-1 on the season with a pair of tournament titles already under his belt.
Lee already has four bonus point victories this season in addition to grinding out several close matches.
Folkstyle Mitch McKee
At 141-pounds Mitch McKee has started his senior campaign off on the right foot. After earning All-American status for the first time last season McKee seems to be a man on a mission racking up victories and bonus points.
McKee, 15-1 on the season, has only fallen to top-ranked Luke Pletcher of Ohio State. In his victories McKee was tallied ten bonus point victories.
Plus, the eldest McKee brother is climbing the Gophers all-time pin list and currently sits tied at 15th with 31 falls.
Ballin' Bailee
Goodhue native Bailee O'Reilly recorded his 30th victory in Las Vegas as he went 3-3 to ultimately finish in eighth place. Still, the tournament was a great showing from the redshirt sophomore who is starting for the first time this season.
Reilly is now 11-5 on the season with four bonus point wins as well as two dual victories.
Shakopee Products
So far this season the Gophers have relied upon a pair of Shakopee High School products in the starting lineup: 133-pound Brent Jones and 184-pound Owen Webster.
Thus far Jones has a 6-6 record while Webster has a 12-3 record. After knocking off Oklahoma State's Anthony Montalvo, then ranked, in late November, Webster continued the run in early December at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Webster recorded a technical fall in the first round before pinning then-No.4 Ben Darmstadt of Cornell in a minute.
Buena Vista Success
While some Gophers were out in Las Vegas, others were competing at the Buena Vista Open in Iowa. Eight Gophers placed on the podium while at 149-pounds Jakob Bergeland earned the team's lone title.
After starting his tournament with a pair of bonus point victories, Bergeland experienced his lone decision victory in the final round. In matches that didn't end in a pin or a forfeit, Bergeland outscored his opponents 33-1 on the weekend.
As a group, the Gophers racked up twelve pins on the weekend. At 133-pounds, Sebas Swiggum had three of those falls in his first three matches of the tournament.