University of Minnesota Athletics

2018-19 Wrestling Roster

Lizak vs deSanto
Lizak
Photo by: Eric Miller
Ethan Lizak
Photo by: Jerry Lee
Ethan Lizak
Photo by: Jerry E. Lee
Photo by: Jerry E. Lee
Photo by: Jerry E. Lee
Photo by: Jerry E. Lee
Ethan Lizak

Ethan Lizak

  • Class:
    Redshirt Senior
  • Hometown:
    Schnecksville, Pa.
  • High School:
    Parkland High School
  • Position:
    133 lbs.
PRONUNCIATION
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
  • All-American ('17, '18, '19)
  • NCAA finalist ('17)
  • Four-time NCAA Qualifier ('15, '17, '18, '19)
  • Four-time letterwinner ('15, '17, '18, '19)
  • NWCA All-Academic ('17)
  • Three-time Academic All-Big Ten ('17, '18,'19)
  • Five career open tournament titles
  • Earned bonus point victories in 20 of 30 wins during 2017-18 season, 22 of 30 wins during 2016-17 and in 16 of 17 wins during redshirt season (2015-16) the year prior
  • Voted as the team's most outstanding wrestler ('18)
  • Awarded Most Exciting wrestler ('19)
2018-19 • REDSHIRT SENIOR
Overall Record:  32-7
Dual Meet Record:  13-2
 
Big Ten Record: 
17-5
Pins: 
4
Major Decisions: 
2
Technical Falls: 
10

 • Letterwinner • Daktronics Open Champion • Fourth Place at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational • Began season with four straight falls or tech. falls before finishing regular season with three straight • Third-place finish at 2019 Big Ten Championships • Seventh-place finish at 2019 NCAA Championships • Finished career at Williams Arena/Maturi Pavilion and overall career with victories • Academic All-Big Ten • Awarded Most Exciting Wrestler at team's annual award's banquet •

2017-18 • REDSHIRT JUNIOR
Overall Record:  30-7
Dual Meet Record:  12-3
 
Big Ten Record: 6-5

Pins: 5

Major Decisions: 6

Technical Falls: 9


All-American • NCAA Qualifier • Letterwinner • Academic All-Big Ten • NWCA All-Academic • Daktronics Open Champion •  Finished 2nd at Big Tens • Led team in bonus point wins (20) and tech falls (9) • 20 of 30 wins on the season came with bonus points • Finished in third place at Cliff Keen Invite • Finished with most ranked wins on the team • Started season 9-0 • Second straight 30-win season • Finished with sixth most tech falls in the nation (9) • Became 53rd multiple time All-American at Minnesota.  


2016-17 • REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE
Dual Meet Record: 30-7
 
Big Ten Record: 4-4

Pins:
4
Major Decisions:
8
Technical Falls:
10

All-American • NCAA Finalist • Letterwinner • Academic All-Big Ten • NWCA All-Academic • Southern Scuffle champion • won all five matches at Southern Scuffle with bonus points (four major decisions, one tech fall) • also won two open tournament titles - the Daktronics Open to begin season and UNI Open • runner-up at Cyclone Open • finised 3rd at Big Tens • Led team in bonus point wins (22) and tech falls (10) • 22 of 30 wins on the season came with bonus points

2015-16 • SOPHOMORE (REDSHIRTED)

Overall Record:
17-4
Dual Meet Record:
- - 
Big Ten Record:
- -
Pins: 7
Major Decisions: - -
Technical Falls: 9


Won Cyclone Open, UNI Open, and Duhawk Open • placed in four tournaments • recorded one pin and two technical falls in tournament final matches • recorded nine technical falls • recorded six falls, five of which came in the first period • had nine match win streak in which every victory came by pin or technical fall • three of four losses came against ranked opponents • won by fall or technical fall in every round of the three tournaments he won

2014-15 • FRESHMAN
Overall Record:
28-15
Dual Meet Record: 2-4
Big Ten Record: 1-3
Pins: 3
Major Decisions: 7
Technical Falls:
4


NCAA qualifier • Letterwinner • Began season wrestling in open tournaments, but pressed into action when the starter and backup at 125 were injured during the season • Began season by competing in five open tournaments and finishing top-five in each event • Of his five losses in open tournaments, only two came to non-Gopher wrestlers • Won the 125 title at the Cobber Open • Placed (seventh) at the prestigious Midlands tournament in late December • Made his career dual debut at Penn State on Jan. 25 • Began his dual career by facing three consecutive top-10 ranked wrestlers, including eventual national champ Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) • Won his first career dual match with an 11-0 major decision over Josh Polacek (Maryland) on Feb. 8 • Earned his first career victory over a ranked opponent on Feb. 15 by defeating No. 13 Josh Rodriguez (North Dakota State), 2-1 • Placed seventh at the Big Ten Championships • Won two matches as an unseeded competitor at the NCAA Championships, including an 11-4 decision over No. 20 Josh Martinez (Air Force)

HIGH SCHOOL
Four-time Regional Champion • Three-time District Champion • Two-time State Champion • Two-time All-American, once at Fargo Junior Freestyle and once at FILA Junior World Team Trials • Coached by Ryan Nun

PERSONAL

Son of Rich and Ann Lizak • Has two younger brothers, Jake and Adam • Most memorable sports thrill was winning his first State Championship • Lists playing video games as his main interest outside of wrestling • Plans to major in kinesiology

Season Overall Dual Big Ten Pins Maj. Dec. Tech. Fall B1G Finish NCAA Finish
2014-15 28-15 2-4 1-3 3 7 4 7th DNP
2015-16 (RS) 17-4 - - - - 7 - - 9 - - - -
2016-17 30-7 4-4 3-4 4 8 10 3rd 2nd
2017-18 30-7 12-3 6-5 5 6 9 2nd 4th
2018-19 32-7 13-2 17-5 4 2 10 3rd 7th
Totals 119-45 31-13 27-17 15 23 33 2nd 2nd


 

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