University of Minnesota Athletics

Friday, November 22
Fargo, ND
6:00 PM

University of Minnesota

39
at
0

North Dakota State

Gable Steveson
Photo by: Zachary Lucy

Steveson's Return Highlights Gophers' 39-0 Shutout of NDSU

11/22/2024 8:27:00 PM | Wrestling

MINNEAPOLIS – No. 8 Minnesota (2-0) won all 10 matches, highlighted by the return of two-time national champion Gable Steveson, in a 39-0 shutout of North Dakota State (0-3) Friday night in front of a record-crowd of 1,529 at the Scheels Center in Fargo, N.D.

Minnesota is now 22-2 all-time against North Dakota State, including 20 straight wins, their longest active winning streak against one program. In Fargo, the Gophers are 11-0 all-time, marking the most wins without a loss in program history against one school on the road. In addition, the 11-match win streak in Fargo is also its longest active road win streak.

Minnesota has also won eight straight duals dating back to last season. During the current streak, Minnesota has outscored opponents 255-51 and hasn't allowed more than 12 points in any dual.



The dual itself was long decided but the exclamation point came in the final matchup of the evening as Steveson, ranked No. 1 across all major publications, took to the mat 980 days after his last competition. If there was any rust it did not show as he needed only 1:50 to tech fall Drew Blackburn-Forst, 18-3. 

Steveson immediately got in on a single and flipped Blackburn-Forst over for four nearfall points. The second takedown resulted in two more nearfall points before Steveson finished him off to push his all-time record to 86-2, including 53 straight wins.

The evening started at 125 pounds where, after winning by forfeit in the dual opener against Bucknell, No. 14 Cooper Flynn competed in his first dual for the Golden Gophers against Tristan Daugherty. Both wrestlers recorded escapes to find the match tied at 1-1 in the third, but Flynn scored a late takedown to take the win, 4-1.

At 133 pounds, No. 8 Tyler Wells held off a late attack from Kyle Burwick in a 3-2 decision. Leading by one point, Burwick shot in with over 30 seconds to go, but Wells fended him off the remainder of the match in a hard-fought win that pushed him to 4-0 on the year.

The matchup at 141 pounds was all Vance VomBaur in a 22-6 (6:30) tech fall win over Kellyn March. The match was scoreless after one period, but VomBaur, ranked fifth in the country, posted two takedowns in the second period and put it away with a five-takedown third period. VomBaur improves to 6-0 on the season with two tech fall wins.

The lone ranked matchup of the night came at 149 pounds as No. 22 Drew Roberts met No. 32 Gavin Drexler. Roberts set the tone with a takedown mere seconds into the match, though Drexler did reverse before Roberts answered with an escape and a buzzer-beating takedown to lead 7-2. Roberts got the lead up to 8-3 and emerged with an 8-6 decision.

No. 7 Tommy Askey stayed undefeated on the season with a 14-7 decision over Gabriel Schumm. Askey got up 7-1 in the second period, but Schumm closed the gap and trailed 8-5 early in the third period, but Askey put him away with two takedowns to improve to 4-0.
Facing former Gopher Devin Wasley, No. 25 Clayton Whiting earned his first dual win of the season and snapped a two-match losing streak (both to ranked opponents) with an 8-3 victory at 174 pounds. 

At 184 pounds, No. 10 Max McEnelly continued his streak of posting a tech fall in every match this season. His victim Friday was Aidan Brenot, whom McEnelly topped 22-7 in 5:12. McEnelly tallied three takedowns in the first period, four more in the second and ended the match on an escape point. He's 5-0 on the year and has outscored opponents 107-22.

Isaiah Salazar made it two tech falls in a row for Minnesota as the seventh-ranked 197-pounder prevailed over Aiden Hight, 17-0 at the 4:42 mark. Salazar needed only two takedowns as he added four nearfall points on his first then separate instances of four- and three-point nearfalls on his second takedown. It was his Salazar's third shutout of the season, and he's 5-0 overall with four bonus-point wins.

Minnesota is back in action Sunday at Maturi Pavilion as it hosts Campbell at 1 p.m.

Match Results
#8 Minnesota 39, NDSU 0
Nov. 22, 2024 | Fargo, N.D. | Scheels Center | Attendance: 1,529


125: #14 Cooper Flynn dec. Tristan Daugherty (NDSU), 4-1 | MINN 3, NDSU 0
133: #8 Tyler Wells dec. Kyle Burwick (NDSU), 3-2 | MINN 6, NDSU 0
141: #5 Vance VomBaur TF Kellyn March (NDSU), 22-6 (6:30) | MINN 11, NDSU 0
149: #22 Drew Roberts dec. #32 Gavin Drexler (NDSU), 8-6 | MINN 14, NDSU 0
157: #7 Tommy Askey dec. Gabriel Schumm (NDSU), 14-7 | MINN 17, NDSU 0
165: #10 Andrew Sparks MD Boeden Greenley (NDSU), 16-2 | MINN 21, NDSU 0
174: #25 Clayton Whiting dec. Devin Wasley (NDSU), 8-3 | MINN 24, NDSU 0
184: #10 Max McEnelly TF Aidan Brenot (NDSU), 22-7 (5:12) | MINN 29, NDSU 0
197: #7 Isaiah Salazar TF Aiden Hight (NDSU), 17-0 (4:42) | MINN 34, NDSU 0
285: #1 Gable Steveson TF Drew Blackburn-Forst (NDSU), 18-3 (1:50) | MINN 39, NDSU 0
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Thursday, May 29
Steveson Advances to NCAA Title Match
Friday, March 21
Gable Steveson: NCAA Quarterfinals
Friday, March 21
Gable Steveson: NCAA Pin
Thursday, March 20