University of Minnesota Athletics
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Nebraska
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Gophers Drop Regular Season Finale To Cornhuskers
2/21/2020 10:15:00 PM | Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota program fell 29-12 to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday night as the team closed out the regular season in front of over 2,600 fans.
The Gophers three individual victories came from Brayton Lee, Devin Skatzka, and Gable Steveson. Lee and Steveson's victories were both bonus point victories while Skatzka earned the decision.
In the second match of the night and their seventh career meeting, Skatzka got the best of Mikey Labriola with an incredible third period that fired up the Pavilion crowd. Starting in top position, Skatzka rode Labriola the entire two minutes plus he earned a four-point nearfall to turn a 2-2 tie into a 7-2 victory.
As the senior got to his fight he screamed in delight to send the Gopher fans to their feet. The 2019 All-American improves to 3-4 against Labriola with three victories in the last four meetings.
Gable Steveson sent the Gophers into the intermission in emphatic fashion with a 19-7 major decision that featured eight takedowns by Steveson. The victory, Steveson's 12th of the year, gives him ten total bonus point victories this year.
Steveson now finishes his first two seasons 29-0 in dual competition and 47-2 overall
Brayton Lee got the victory for the Gophers in the penultimate match of the evening with a 23-8 technical fall. The redshirt freshman put on an offensive showcase with nine takedowns and a reversal including five in the final stanza.
Steveson and Lee, both two years out of high school, combined for a 33-4 record in the 2019-20 season, their first together.
The dual began with a Nebraska decision as No.5 Isaiah White defeated Bailee O'Reilly 4-2. The visitors took home two straight victories after Skatzka's win as Taylor Venz and Eric Schultz combined for seven team points. Nebraska came storming out of intermission with three straight victories to seal the dual in their favor.
The Gophers were forced to forfeit at 133-pounds after a skin check failure.
Minnesota is set to travel to New Jersey in two weeks as Rutgers hosts the Big Ten Championships at the Rutgers Athletic Center from March 7-8.
The Gophers will then close out the season right across the river at US Bank Stadium with the NCAA Championships lasting from March 19-21.
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Full Results (Numbers listed are FloWrestling rankings)
165: No.5 Isaiah White dec. (4-2) over Bailee O'Reilly (Cornhuskers lead 3-0)
174: No.8 Devin Skatzka dec. (7-2) over No.7 Mikey Labriola (Tied 3-3)
184: No.11 Taylor Venz dec. (5-2) over No. 19 Owen Webster (Cornhuskers lead 6-3)
197: No.8 Eric Shultz major dec. (17-5) Garrett Joles (Cornhuskers lead 10-3)
285: No.1 Gable Steveson major dec. (18-7) Christian Lance (Cornhuskers lead 10-7)
125: Alex Thomsen major dec. (9-1) Jake Gliva (Cornhuskers lead 14-7)
133: No.11 Ridge Lovett by forfeit (Cornhuskers lead 20-7)
141: No.8 Chad Red Jr. fall (3:53) No.5 Mitchell McKee (Cornshukers lead 26-7)
149: No.7 Brayton Lee tech. fall (23-8) Christian Miller (Cornhuskers lead 26-12)
157: No.24 Ryan Thomas Caleb Licking (Cornhuskers win 29-12)