University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, March 20
Philadelphia, PA
11:00 AM
University of Minnesota
at
NCAA Championships - Session I
Players Mentioned
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125 lbs.
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184 lbs.
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125 lbs.
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184 lbs.
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174 lbs.
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285 lbs.
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174 lbs.
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
NCAA Wrestling Championships Start Thursday in Philadelphia
3/19/2025 9:45:00 AM | Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS -- No. 5 Minnesota concludes its postseason journey this week at the 2025 NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, Pa. The three-day, six-session event will take place at the Wells Fargo Center starting Thursday, March 20. Linear and streaming coverage will be provided by the ESPN family of networks.
With eight automatic qualifiers based on performances at the Big Ten Championships and one at-large selection, Minnesota is one of 11 programs in the country to have at least nine qualifiers for the NCAA Championships. It's the 20th time in program history the Gophers have sent nine or more to NCAAs, including in each of the last five seasons. Six of Minnesota's nine qualifiers earned seeds of 10th or better. Only Penn State (10) and Oklahoma State (7) have more.
Minnesota ranks sixth in the NCAA all-time with three national titles in program history (2001, 2002, and 2007), as well as 40 top-10 finishes. The Gophers also have 24 individual national titles among 18 different champions, with nine of those championships coming in the heavyweight division to earn the program's moniker "Heavyweight U". The 24 champions rank tied for ninth in NCAA history.
Minnesota is making its eighth appearance at the NCAA Championships under head coach Brandon Eggum (2020 was canceled due to COVID). In the team's previous seven trips, they've finished 15th or better five times. The best finish came in 2021 when the team tied for seventh. Under Eggum, the Gophers have won two individual NCAA titles, both at heavyweight by Gable Steveson in 2021-22.
Minnesota Championship Roster (Intermat ranking)
125: No. 19 seed Cooper Flynn (No. 21)
133: No. 22 seed Tyler Wells (No. 21)
141: No. 6 seed Vance VomBaur (No. 6)
157: No. 9 seed Tommy Askey (No. 6)
165: No. 10 seed Andrew Sparks (No. 10)
174: No. 28 seed Clayton Whiting (No. 26)
184: No. 3 seed Max McEnelly (No. 3)
197: No. 10 seed Isaiah Salazar (No. 12)
285: No. 1 seed Gable Steveson (No. 1)
Competition Schedule
Thursday, March 20
11 a.m.: Session I (First Round) – ESPNU
6 p.m.: Session II (Second Round/Wrestlebacks) – ESPN
Friday, March 21
11 a.m.: Session III (Quarterfinals/Wrestlebacks) – ESPNU
7 p.m.: Session IV (Semifinals/Blood Round) – ESPN2
Saturday, March 22
10 a.m.: Session V (Medal Round) – ESPNU
6 p.m.: Session VI (Championship Finals) – ESPN
*ESPN+ will have individual mat coverage for all sessions
Last Gopher Champion // Finalist // All-American By Weight
With eight automatic qualifiers based on performances at the Big Ten Championships and one at-large selection, Minnesota is one of 11 programs in the country to have at least nine qualifiers for the NCAA Championships. It's the 20th time in program history the Gophers have sent nine or more to NCAAs, including in each of the last five seasons. Six of Minnesota's nine qualifiers earned seeds of 10th or better. Only Penn State (10) and Oklahoma State (7) have more.
Minnesota ranks sixth in the NCAA all-time with three national titles in program history (2001, 2002, and 2007), as well as 40 top-10 finishes. The Gophers also have 24 individual national titles among 18 different champions, with nine of those championships coming in the heavyweight division to earn the program's moniker "Heavyweight U". The 24 champions rank tied for ninth in NCAA history.
Minnesota is making its eighth appearance at the NCAA Championships under head coach Brandon Eggum (2020 was canceled due to COVID). In the team's previous seven trips, they've finished 15th or better five times. The best finish came in 2021 when the team tied for seventh. Under Eggum, the Gophers have won two individual NCAA titles, both at heavyweight by Gable Steveson in 2021-22.
Minnesota Championship Roster (Intermat ranking)
125: No. 19 seed Cooper Flynn (No. 21)
133: No. 22 seed Tyler Wells (No. 21)
141: No. 6 seed Vance VomBaur (No. 6)
157: No. 9 seed Tommy Askey (No. 6)
165: No. 10 seed Andrew Sparks (No. 10)
174: No. 28 seed Clayton Whiting (No. 26)
184: No. 3 seed Max McEnelly (No. 3)
197: No. 10 seed Isaiah Salazar (No. 12)
285: No. 1 seed Gable Steveson (No. 1)
Competition Schedule
Thursday, March 20
11 a.m.: Session I (First Round) – ESPNU
6 p.m.: Session II (Second Round/Wrestlebacks) – ESPN
Friday, March 21
11 a.m.: Session III (Quarterfinals/Wrestlebacks) – ESPNU
7 p.m.: Session IV (Semifinals/Blood Round) – ESPN2
Saturday, March 22
10 a.m.: Session V (Medal Round) – ESPNU
6 p.m.: Session VI (Championship Finals) – ESPN
*ESPN+ will have individual mat coverage for all sessions
Last Gopher Champion // Finalist // All-American By Weight
125: N/A // Ethan Lizak (2017) // Patrick McKee (2022)
133: Jayson Ness (2010) // Jayson Ness (2010) // Aaron Nagao (2023)
141: N/A // N/A // Vance VomBaur (2024)
149: Dustin Schlatter (2006) // Dylan Ness (2012) // Michael Blockhus (2023)
157: Luke Becker (2002) // Dylan Ness (2014) // Brayton Lee (2021)
165: N/A // N/A // Danny Zilverberg (2014)
174: N/A // N/A // Devin Skatzka (2020)
184: N/A // Roger Kish (2006) // Isaiah Salazar (2024)
197: Damion Hahn (2004) // Brett Pfarr (2017) // Brett Pfarr (2017)
HWT: Gable Steveson (2022) // Gable Steveson (2022) // Gable Steveson (2022)
The Golden Gophers are heading into NCAAs after the Big Ten Championships saw Steveson take home the heavyweight title in Evanston, Ill. Steveson was one of eight Gophers to reach the podium, and Minnesota finished in fourth place with 108.5 points, tying for the team's best finish under Eggum.
Steveson became the first heavyweight in Big Ten history to win four titles, and he became just the 19th wrestler to accomplish the feat overall. The only other Gopher to do so was Verne Gagne, who recorded wins in 1944 and 1947-49.
In addition to Steveson, Max McEnelly and Vance VomBaur were finalists at 184 and 141 pounds, respectively. Minnesota had multiple finalists for the third year in a row, while it was the first time since 2015 that the Gophers put three into the finals. Also reaching the podium were fourth-place finishers Andrew Sparks (165) and Isaiah Salazar (197), Tommy Askey, who was fifth at 157, as well as seventh-placers Cooper Flynn (125) and Clayton Whiting (174).
The Maroon & Gold are coming off an impressive 10-2 regular season with the only losses coming to Iowa and Nebraska, who were ranked second and fifth, respectively, in the final InterMat Dual Poll. Highlighting the dual season were wins over then-No. 17 South Dakota State (30-3), No. 21 Michigan (25-10), No. 12 Rutgers (28-9) and fourth-ranked Ohio State (20-17).
Steveson has been nothing but dominant this season. He's 14-0 with nine wins by tech fall, two by pin and two by major decision. His Match Power rating of 4.857 team points per match ranks third in the Big Ten and fifth in the country, according to WrestleStat.com. More on Steveson can be found on Page 3 of the notes
NCAA NUGGETS
The Golden Gophers are heading into NCAAs after the Big Ten Championships saw Steveson take home the heavyweight title in Evanston, Ill. Steveson was one of eight Gophers to reach the podium, and Minnesota finished in fourth place with 108.5 points, tying for the team's best finish under Eggum.
Steveson became the first heavyweight in Big Ten history to win four titles, and he became just the 19th wrestler to accomplish the feat overall. The only other Gopher to do so was Verne Gagne, who recorded wins in 1944 and 1947-49.
In addition to Steveson, Max McEnelly and Vance VomBaur were finalists at 184 and 141 pounds, respectively. Minnesota had multiple finalists for the third year in a row, while it was the first time since 2015 that the Gophers put three into the finals. Also reaching the podium were fourth-place finishers Andrew Sparks (165) and Isaiah Salazar (197), Tommy Askey, who was fifth at 157, as well as seventh-placers Cooper Flynn (125) and Clayton Whiting (174).
The Maroon & Gold are coming off an impressive 10-2 regular season with the only losses coming to Iowa and Nebraska, who were ranked second and fifth, respectively, in the final InterMat Dual Poll. Highlighting the dual season were wins over then-No. 17 South Dakota State (30-3), No. 21 Michigan (25-10), No. 12 Rutgers (28-9) and fourth-ranked Ohio State (20-17).
Steveson has been nothing but dominant this season. He's 14-0 with nine wins by tech fall, two by pin and two by major decision. His Match Power rating of 4.857 team points per match ranks third in the Big Ten and fifth in the country, according to WrestleStat.com. More on Steveson can be found on Page 3 of the notes
NCAA NUGGETS
At 125 pounds, Cooper Flynn is making second career trip to the NCAA Championships, but his first with Minnesota, as he earned the No. 19 seed. Last year, he went 1-2 as the No. 11 seed while at Virginia Tech. It's the ninth straight year that Minnesota has had a 125-pound representative.
Tyler Wells, the No. 22 seed at 133 pounds, is making his second straight appearance at the NCAAs. Last year as the No. 20 seed, he reached the Blood Round, going 3-2. It's the fifth straight year for a Gopher at 133 to compete at NCAAs, and Wells is the first repeat at the weight for Minnesota since Mitch McKee in 2017-18.
Coming off an All-American campaign in 2024, Vance VomBaur is competing at NCAAs for the second time in his career, this time as the No. 6 seed. Last year as the No. 26 seed, VomBaur was the lowest seeded Gopher to become an All-American (finishing eighth) since David Thorn finished seventh at 125 pounds in 2013 after being unseeded (full seeding started in 2019). It's the 25th straight year with a 141-pounder at NCAA for Minnesota, while the No. 6 seed for VomBaur is the highest at the weight since Nick Dardanes also was seeded there in 2015.
A two-time SoCon Champion while at Appalachian State, Tommy Askey will take part in his first NCAA Championships with the Gophers. After going 0-2 as the No. 24 seed in 2023, Askey last year reached the Blood Round as the No. 19 seed. Now, he's earned a personal best ninth seed, the best for a Gopher since Brayton Lee was No. 6 in 2021. It's the second straight year for Minnesota to have someone at the weight.
After spending the 2024 campaign at 174 pounds, Andrew Sparks returns to 165 pounds as he competes at NCAAs for the fourth time in his career. His No. 10 seed this year is the best of his career after earning the No. 24 seed in both 2021 and 2024, while in 2023 he was 28th, and it's the best for a Gopher since Cody Yohn was also 10th in 2012. Sparks has won at least one match in each of his last two trips to the NCAA Championships. It's the ninth straight year for a Gopher at 165.
Clayton Whiting is one of two Gophers making his NCAA Championships debut. Whiting, who spent the last two seasons at Missouri, has earned the No. 28 seed at 174. It's the seventh straight year for a Gopher at the weight at NCAAs.
Like Whiting, Max McEnelly is set to compete at the NCAA Championships for the first time in his career. McEnelly earned the No. 3 seed at 184 pounds, marking the second year in a row the Gophers have had a top-3 seed at weight after teammate Isaiah Salazar was No. 2 there last year. It's the sixth straight year for a Gopher at the weight to compete at NCAAs.
Salazar joins VomBaur in coming off All-America seasons as Salazar placed sixth a year ago as the No. 2 seed at 184. Now up to 197, he's earned the No. 10 seed as he competes in his fourth NCAA Championships. He was the No. 9 seed in 2023 with a 2-2 record and went 1-2 as the No. 19 seed the year before that. It's the fourth straight year that Minnesota has sent a 197-pounder, while his No. 10 seed is the highest since Brett Pfarr was second in 2017.
Gable Steveson is the No. 1 seed at heavyweight for the fourth time in his career (includes 2020 when the NCAA Championships were canceled because of COVID-19), the first Gopher to earn that distinction. In fact, Larry Zilverberg is the only other Gopher to be a three-time No. 1 seed, doing so at 158 pounds in 1974-75 and 167 in 1976. It's the seventh straight season for a Gopher heavyweight to compete at NCAAs.
Steveson owns a 15-1 all-time record at the NCAA Championships, and he's won 12 straight there after a semifinal loss in 2019. With titles already in 2021-22, Steveson is looking to become the sixth three-time heavyweight champion in NCAA history.
GOPHERS VS. THE FIELD
Tyler Wells, the No. 22 seed at 133 pounds, is making his second straight appearance at the NCAAs. Last year as the No. 20 seed, he reached the Blood Round, going 3-2. It's the fifth straight year for a Gopher at 133 to compete at NCAAs, and Wells is the first repeat at the weight for Minnesota since Mitch McKee in 2017-18.
Coming off an All-American campaign in 2024, Vance VomBaur is competing at NCAAs for the second time in his career, this time as the No. 6 seed. Last year as the No. 26 seed, VomBaur was the lowest seeded Gopher to become an All-American (finishing eighth) since David Thorn finished seventh at 125 pounds in 2013 after being unseeded (full seeding started in 2019). It's the 25th straight year with a 141-pounder at NCAA for Minnesota, while the No. 6 seed for VomBaur is the highest at the weight since Nick Dardanes also was seeded there in 2015.
A two-time SoCon Champion while at Appalachian State, Tommy Askey will take part in his first NCAA Championships with the Gophers. After going 0-2 as the No. 24 seed in 2023, Askey last year reached the Blood Round as the No. 19 seed. Now, he's earned a personal best ninth seed, the best for a Gopher since Brayton Lee was No. 6 in 2021. It's the second straight year for Minnesota to have someone at the weight.
After spending the 2024 campaign at 174 pounds, Andrew Sparks returns to 165 pounds as he competes at NCAAs for the fourth time in his career. His No. 10 seed this year is the best of his career after earning the No. 24 seed in both 2021 and 2024, while in 2023 he was 28th, and it's the best for a Gopher since Cody Yohn was also 10th in 2012. Sparks has won at least one match in each of his last two trips to the NCAA Championships. It's the ninth straight year for a Gopher at 165.
Clayton Whiting is one of two Gophers making his NCAA Championships debut. Whiting, who spent the last two seasons at Missouri, has earned the No. 28 seed at 174. It's the seventh straight year for a Gopher at the weight at NCAAs.
Like Whiting, Max McEnelly is set to compete at the NCAA Championships for the first time in his career. McEnelly earned the No. 3 seed at 184 pounds, marking the second year in a row the Gophers have had a top-3 seed at weight after teammate Isaiah Salazar was No. 2 there last year. It's the sixth straight year for a Gopher at the weight to compete at NCAAs.
Salazar joins VomBaur in coming off All-America seasons as Salazar placed sixth a year ago as the No. 2 seed at 184. Now up to 197, he's earned the No. 10 seed as he competes in his fourth NCAA Championships. He was the No. 9 seed in 2023 with a 2-2 record and went 1-2 as the No. 19 seed the year before that. It's the fourth straight year that Minnesota has sent a 197-pounder, while his No. 10 seed is the highest since Brett Pfarr was second in 2017.
Gable Steveson is the No. 1 seed at heavyweight for the fourth time in his career (includes 2020 when the NCAA Championships were canceled because of COVID-19), the first Gopher to earn that distinction. In fact, Larry Zilverberg is the only other Gopher to be a three-time No. 1 seed, doing so at 158 pounds in 1974-75 and 167 in 1976. It's the seventh straight season for a Gopher heavyweight to compete at NCAAs.
Steveson owns a 15-1 all-time record at the NCAA Championships, and he's won 12 straight there after a semifinal loss in 2019. With titles already in 2021-22, Steveson is looking to become the sixth three-time heavyweight champion in NCAA history.
GOPHERS VS. THE FIELD
At 125 pounds, No. 19 Cooper Flynn has gone 4-6 against the field this year, including wins over No. 10 Stevo Poulin of Northern Colorado and No. 11 Nicolar Rivera of Wisconsin. In Flynn's first match, he will face No. 14 Spencer Moore of North Carolina. The pair met twice while Flynn was at Virginia Tech with Flynn prevailing in both matchups in 2021 and 2024
No. 22 Tyler Wells is 5-6 this season against his respective field at 133 pounds. He's got a win over No. 6 Connor McGonagle of Virginia Tech, and all six losses have come against those seeded higher than him. Wells opens against Iowa State's No. 11 Evan Frost. The pair met last year in the Blood Round with Frost winning 2-1.
Sixth-seeded Vance VomBaur is 9-3 versus the 141-pound class. Two of his three losses were to top-seeded Brock Hardy of Nebraska, while the other was to No. 3 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State. Among VomBaur's wins include victories over No. 2 Beau Bartlett of Penn State, No. 14 Sergio Lemley of Michigan and No. 15 Joey Olivieri of Rutgers. VomBaur will open with Purdue's No. 27 Greyson Clark in their first ever matchup.
No. 9 Tommy Askey went 5-5 against those at 157 pounds. His top wins have come over No. 5 Brandon Cannon of Ohio State and No. 10 Ethen Miller of Maryland. Three of the five losses came to those seeded eighth or higher. Askey will first take on No. 20 Dylan Evans of Pitt as the two meet for the first time
Tenth-seeded Andrew Sparks is 5-7 versus the 165-pound field with five of the losses coming to No. 3 Michael Caliendo (2 times) and No. 6 Beau Mantanona (3 times). Sparks' top victory was over No. 11 Braeden Scoles of Illinois. Sparks has drawn No. 23 Thomas Snipes of The Citadel in the opening round as the two square off for their first matchup
At 174 pounds, No. 28 Clayton Whiting went 3-10 during the regular season against the field. Two of the three wins were over No. 26 Brody Baumann of Purdue. Whiting will take to the mat first against No. 5 Simon Ruiz of Cornell.
Third-seed Max McEnelly is 9-1 against the field at 184 pounds this year with the lone loss coming to top-seeded Penn State's Carter Starocci in the Big Ten finals. He recorded overtime wins over No. 5 Bennett Berge of South Dakota State and No. 11 Gabe Arnold of Iowa, plus major decisions versus No. 10 Edmond Ruth of Illinois and No. 12 Silas Allred of Nebraska, as well as additional bonus point wins against No. 16, No. 23, No. 24 and No. 26. McEnelly is opening against No. 30 Colin Fegley of Lock Haven in the first meeting between the two.
No. 10 Isaiah Salazar enjoyed a 7-4 mark against the field this year. His best win was by injury default over No. 4 Josh Barr of Penn State, while the the next best was an 8-1 decision over No. 14 Zach Glazier of South Dakota State. Salazar. whose four losses came against those seeded ninth or higher, will take on a familiar face in No. 23 Seth Shumate of Ohio State. They've already met twice this year with Salazar winning in overtime in Columbus in the regular season and by major decision at the Big Ten Championships.
Top-seeded Gable Steveson is 9-0 against the heavyweight field with eight of the wins coming by bonus points. In addition to his Big Ten Championship decision over Penn State's No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet, Steveson pinned No. 6 Joshua Heindselman of Michigan and No. 16 Yaraslau Slavikouski of Rutgers, while scoring a tech fall over No. 5 Ben Kueter of Iowa and two major decisions against No. 12 Nick Feldman of Ohio State. Steveson will begin his final run against the winner of the opening round match between No. 32 Stephan Monchery of Appalachian State and No. 33 Hayden Filipovich of Purdue. Steveson defeated Filipovich by tech fall during the regular season and has never faced Monchery.
A full history of Minnesota's wrestlers against their respective fields can be found on the final three pages of the notes.
No. 22 Tyler Wells is 5-6 this season against his respective field at 133 pounds. He's got a win over No. 6 Connor McGonagle of Virginia Tech, and all six losses have come against those seeded higher than him. Wells opens against Iowa State's No. 11 Evan Frost. The pair met last year in the Blood Round with Frost winning 2-1.
Sixth-seeded Vance VomBaur is 9-3 versus the 141-pound class. Two of his three losses were to top-seeded Brock Hardy of Nebraska, while the other was to No. 3 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State. Among VomBaur's wins include victories over No. 2 Beau Bartlett of Penn State, No. 14 Sergio Lemley of Michigan and No. 15 Joey Olivieri of Rutgers. VomBaur will open with Purdue's No. 27 Greyson Clark in their first ever matchup.
No. 9 Tommy Askey went 5-5 against those at 157 pounds. His top wins have come over No. 5 Brandon Cannon of Ohio State and No. 10 Ethen Miller of Maryland. Three of the five losses came to those seeded eighth or higher. Askey will first take on No. 20 Dylan Evans of Pitt as the two meet for the first time
Tenth-seeded Andrew Sparks is 5-7 versus the 165-pound field with five of the losses coming to No. 3 Michael Caliendo (2 times) and No. 6 Beau Mantanona (3 times). Sparks' top victory was over No. 11 Braeden Scoles of Illinois. Sparks has drawn No. 23 Thomas Snipes of The Citadel in the opening round as the two square off for their first matchup
At 174 pounds, No. 28 Clayton Whiting went 3-10 during the regular season against the field. Two of the three wins were over No. 26 Brody Baumann of Purdue. Whiting will take to the mat first against No. 5 Simon Ruiz of Cornell.
Third-seed Max McEnelly is 9-1 against the field at 184 pounds this year with the lone loss coming to top-seeded Penn State's Carter Starocci in the Big Ten finals. He recorded overtime wins over No. 5 Bennett Berge of South Dakota State and No. 11 Gabe Arnold of Iowa, plus major decisions versus No. 10 Edmond Ruth of Illinois and No. 12 Silas Allred of Nebraska, as well as additional bonus point wins against No. 16, No. 23, No. 24 and No. 26. McEnelly is opening against No. 30 Colin Fegley of Lock Haven in the first meeting between the two.
No. 10 Isaiah Salazar enjoyed a 7-4 mark against the field this year. His best win was by injury default over No. 4 Josh Barr of Penn State, while the the next best was an 8-1 decision over No. 14 Zach Glazier of South Dakota State. Salazar. whose four losses came against those seeded ninth or higher, will take on a familiar face in No. 23 Seth Shumate of Ohio State. They've already met twice this year with Salazar winning in overtime in Columbus in the regular season and by major decision at the Big Ten Championships.
Top-seeded Gable Steveson is 9-0 against the heavyweight field with eight of the wins coming by bonus points. In addition to his Big Ten Championship decision over Penn State's No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet, Steveson pinned No. 6 Joshua Heindselman of Michigan and No. 16 Yaraslau Slavikouski of Rutgers, while scoring a tech fall over No. 5 Ben Kueter of Iowa and two major decisions against No. 12 Nick Feldman of Ohio State. Steveson will begin his final run against the winner of the opening round match between No. 32 Stephan Monchery of Appalachian State and No. 33 Hayden Filipovich of Purdue. Steveson defeated Filipovich by tech fall during the regular season and has never faced Monchery.
A full history of Minnesota's wrestlers against their respective fields can be found on the final three pages of the notes.
Gopher Wrestling Tries Gymnastics
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