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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Meet The Freshman: Bennett Tabor
11/4/2021 4:45:00 PM | Wrestling
The Inver Grove Heights native comes just down the road to Minnesota as he looks to become the next great Gopher heavyweight
The penultimate "Meet the Freshman" article before the season get underway is here, as this week's highlighted newcomer is Minnesota native and Simley high school graduate, Bennett Tabor.
Tabor ended his prep career with an 83 match win streak en route to two Minnesota high school state championships, while also claiming a Super 32 belt at 220 pounds.
GopherSports: What made you decide to come to the University of Minnesota?
Tabor: I chose to come here because I've been a huge Gopher fan my entire life. I remember watching wrestling and coming to the duals since I was five or six, so it's always been my dream to be a Gopher and to come here. Then once I met the coaches and all the guys, it just clicked for me.
GS: Of course you grew up right down the road from Minneapolis, so talk about what it means now to fulfill that childhood dream that you mentioned now that you are a Gopher?
Tabor: Yeah, it feels amazing. It means a lot to me just to know that I'm chasing my dream. I've known that this is always what I've wanted to do, and it feels awesome right now to be able to be in the room and compete with all the guys.
GS: How has your relationship with coaches and teammates been, whether it be through the recruiting process or now that you're in the room with the guys.
Tabor: The coaches have been amazing. Like I said, during the recruiting process, they were the main reason I chose to come here, and the guys in the room are all amazing too. They're all here for one reason. They want to get better and compete and so I love it.
GS: Since you've been on campus, who have been some of the guys in the room that you've been working with to get better and prepare for the season?
Tabor: I've been working with Michial Foy, I work with Keaton Kluever all the time, but it's been great. There's a lot of competition between all of us and I know we're all getting better. We're all pushing each other and it's a good environment to have between all of us.
GS: Here at Minnesota, we've carried the "Heavyweight U" mantra with all of the success that we've had at that weight class, and you wrestled heavyweight last season and won a state title there. Have you thought about the opportunity of being a part of that tradition and being the next great heavyweight at Minnesota?
Tabor: Yeah, I definitely want to be at heavyweight and get up to 250-260 pounds, but it would mean a lot to be able to carry the tradition here. Obviously with Gable, and all of the other great heavyweights we've had here, it's definitely a great school for that weight class and I want to be a part of that.
GS: As you made your college decision and now that you're in the room here, what excited you the most about this program?
Tabor: I mean we have a lot of great talent in the room already, and with our recruiting class that just came in, there's just so much fresh talent and we're all looking to get better. I think the team looks really bright and we have a lot of potential in our future to go get a trophy so it's super exciting.
GS: For the fans that haven't had a chance to watch you wrestle, talk about your wrestling style and where you like to be on the mat?
Tabor: I like to think that I'm an exciting wrestler. I don't like to win by just one point, I like to put a show on. My best position is definitely on top. I turn and pin a lot of people, but I'm getting a lot better on my feet too, so I feel I'm becoming a more diverse wrestler.
GS: You had a really successful end to your high school career with a pair of state titles and a Super 32 title, so do you carry that with you heading into your college career or has there been a jump that you've noticed since you've been in the room?
Tabor: Yeah, you know I was the big fish in high school, and now I'm a freshman again. It's been a new learning curve, and there's a lot more competition but I'm ready for it. One of the main things that I've learned since I've been here is toughness. Everybody that wrestles in college is going to be tough, but you have to have it in your mind that you're going to wrestle harder than the other guy for seven minutes. It's just a mindset and that's been a huge mental thing that I've developed already.
GS: As an individual, what are some goals that you're looking to accomplish as you begin your time here at Minnesota?
Tabor: NCAA championships and Big Ten championships. Straight and simple. That's my main goal, and that's what I'm here for.
Tabor ended his prep career with an 83 match win streak en route to two Minnesota high school state championships, while also claiming a Super 32 belt at 220 pounds.
GopherSports: What made you decide to come to the University of Minnesota?
Tabor: I chose to come here because I've been a huge Gopher fan my entire life. I remember watching wrestling and coming to the duals since I was five or six, so it's always been my dream to be a Gopher and to come here. Then once I met the coaches and all the guys, it just clicked for me.
GS: Of course you grew up right down the road from Minneapolis, so talk about what it means now to fulfill that childhood dream that you mentioned now that you are a Gopher?
Tabor: Yeah, it feels amazing. It means a lot to me just to know that I'm chasing my dream. I've known that this is always what I've wanted to do, and it feels awesome right now to be able to be in the room and compete with all the guys.
GS: How has your relationship with coaches and teammates been, whether it be through the recruiting process or now that you're in the room with the guys.
Tabor: The coaches have been amazing. Like I said, during the recruiting process, they were the main reason I chose to come here, and the guys in the room are all amazing too. They're all here for one reason. They want to get better and compete and so I love it.
GS: Since you've been on campus, who have been some of the guys in the room that you've been working with to get better and prepare for the season?
Tabor: I've been working with Michial Foy, I work with Keaton Kluever all the time, but it's been great. There's a lot of competition between all of us and I know we're all getting better. We're all pushing each other and it's a good environment to have between all of us.
GS: Here at Minnesota, we've carried the "Heavyweight U" mantra with all of the success that we've had at that weight class, and you wrestled heavyweight last season and won a state title there. Have you thought about the opportunity of being a part of that tradition and being the next great heavyweight at Minnesota?
Tabor: Yeah, I definitely want to be at heavyweight and get up to 250-260 pounds, but it would mean a lot to be able to carry the tradition here. Obviously with Gable, and all of the other great heavyweights we've had here, it's definitely a great school for that weight class and I want to be a part of that.
GS: As you made your college decision and now that you're in the room here, what excited you the most about this program?
Tabor: I mean we have a lot of great talent in the room already, and with our recruiting class that just came in, there's just so much fresh talent and we're all looking to get better. I think the team looks really bright and we have a lot of potential in our future to go get a trophy so it's super exciting.
GS: For the fans that haven't had a chance to watch you wrestle, talk about your wrestling style and where you like to be on the mat?
Tabor: I like to think that I'm an exciting wrestler. I don't like to win by just one point, I like to put a show on. My best position is definitely on top. I turn and pin a lot of people, but I'm getting a lot better on my feet too, so I feel I'm becoming a more diverse wrestler.
GS: You had a really successful end to your high school career with a pair of state titles and a Super 32 title, so do you carry that with you heading into your college career or has there been a jump that you've noticed since you've been in the room?
Tabor: Yeah, you know I was the big fish in high school, and now I'm a freshman again. It's been a new learning curve, and there's a lot more competition but I'm ready for it. One of the main things that I've learned since I've been here is toughness. Everybody that wrestles in college is going to be tough, but you have to have it in your mind that you're going to wrestle harder than the other guy for seven minutes. It's just a mindset and that's been a huge mental thing that I've developed already.
GS: As an individual, what are some goals that you're looking to accomplish as you begin your time here at Minnesota?
Tabor: NCAA championships and Big Ten championships. Straight and simple. That's my main goal, and that's what I'm here for.
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