University of Minnesota Athletics
2018-19 Wrestling Roster

Ethan Lizak
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Schnecksville, Pa.
- High School:
- Parkland High School
- Position:
- 133 lbs.
PRONUNCIATION |
- 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)
Overall Record:Â Â 32-7
Dual Meet Record:Â 13-2Â
Big Ten Record:Â 17-5
Pins:Â 4
Major Decisions:Â 2
Technical Falls:Â 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:Â 30-7
Dual Meet Record:Â 12-3Â
Big Ten Record:Â 6-5
Pins:Â 5
Major Decisions:Â 6
Technical Falls:Â 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. Â
2016-17 • REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE
Dual Meet Record: 30-7Â
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: - -Â
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 |
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