University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
NCAA Championships
Players Mentioned
Minnesota Closes Out NCAA Championships
3/18/2023 10:02:00 PM | Wrestling
TULSA, Okla. - The 2022-23 season has come to a close for the University of Minnesota wrestling program, as Aaron Nagao and Michael Blockhus locked in their spots on the NCAA podium on Saturday morning.
Nagao opened up the session in the consolation semifinals in a rematch with Oklahoma State's Daton Fix. It was a back-and-forth bout that appeared to be heading to overtime as Nagao had the riding time advantage to send the match to overtime, but Fix earned a reversal in the final fifteen seconds to steal a 6-4 win.
Nagao then dropped to the fifth-place match where he would once again face Jesse Mendez of Ohio State. This time around, Nagao dominated from start to finish, securing a takedown off the opening whistle and tallying nearly three minutes of riding time en route to a 4-0 decision.
Michael Blockhus only had one contest on the day, as he squared off against Missouri's Brock Mauller in the seventh-place bout. Blockhus would ultimately fall 6-2, with Mauller getting the match-clinching takedown early in the third period before he would ride out the frame for the win.
The Gophers finished the tournament with 30.5 points good for a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.