The weekend has already proven to be crazy in the realm of collegiate wrestling, and the Penn State Open hasn't even started yet. The Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas has been a source of major upsets so far, and the finals haven't even been wrestled yet.
141: Hunter Stieber of Ohio State knocked off the returning national champ #1 Kellen Russell 6-5. To make things more exciting at this weight, 2011 finalist Borislav Novachkov was beaten by Oregon State's Michael Mangrum 4-3. In a rematch of last year's final, Russell beat Boris 3-3 TB in order to advance to the 3rd place match.
149: The top seed #3 Tyler Nauman out of Pitt was knocked off the the unranked number nine seed David Habat from Edinboro 5-2.
157: The second seed #7 Walter Peppelman lost by medical forfeit.
165: Another #1 went down when Nick Amuchastegui also lost by medical forfeit. I don't know the extent of the injury at this time.
BREAKING NEWS
Unrelated to the invitational. Last night Iowa downed Illinois in a dual meet, however #1 Matt McDonough was defeated by #15 Jesse Delago 11-7 OT. This is the first dual meet loss McDonough has ever suffered.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Why PSU Fans Should Be Excited
Undoubtedly many PSU fans leaving the Minnesota dual will be disheartened and believing the worse about this team. I on the other hand am very excited to report that I believe Penn State will repeat as national champions. I may be getting ahead of myself here. First let's analyze what was learned today.
125: I don't see how you can come out of this match without feeling good about Nico. As a true freshman in his second collegiate match ever he went toe to toe with the #2 ranked Sanders and held his own. Not only did he hold his own but he was on the attack and close to securing a takedown at the end of the match. Sanders was not able to hold Nico down, which is one of Sanders's primary weapons. Most importantly Nico went full speed for the whole match and at note point seemed to mentally buckle.
133: People seem to think Martellotti will be PSU's savior at 133 but he is completely untested at this weight. Either way this weight should only improve as the year goes on.
141: Sherlock needs confidence. He was going toe to toe at the beginning of the match and even got in on a good shot, but as soon as he gave up a takedown he became a whole different wrestler.
149: Tank got a bit too comfortable here. Ness has an awesome ankle shot and wasn't nearly as tired as I think Molinaro assumed he was. Still, Molinaro dominated a very good opponent.
157: Dylan looked great for the first minute or so, then exhausted for the rest. He clearly had Deitchler outclassed on his feet when at full energy. I don't think this is any reason to panic because Dylan has all season to work on it. Really it's not fair for me to sit and criticize conditioning when every wrestler is in the room busting their hump day in and day out.
165: Taylor wrestled a very talented grappler in Yohn today and he had absolutely no problem getting the tech fall (was actually a pin). I'm pretty sure Taylor could have had the tech in the first period if he wanted to.
174: Ruth looked fresh and aggressive. Apparently the cradle still works too.
184: I have no doubt people are dissing Wright, but notice that Steinhaus didn't get too excited about beating the returning national qualifier. Until you beat Wright in one of the tournaments, you haven't really beaten Wright. Was it disappointing? Sure, but this should be what we have come to expect.
197: I can't say enough good things about this match. McIntosh lost but he didn't have to. Credit to Yohn for taking advantage of the moment to get his takedown, but McIntosh is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Put the nation on notice.
HWT: Wade being Wade...HWT's are inconsistent at best. There's really nothing to be learned here.
I say hold your judgements until the Southern Scuffle. Give the news kids in the lineup a chance to get comfortable. Penn State is a much better tournament team right now than dual team. Two true freshman in the lineup today showed they could be a source of big points come tournament time. Guys like Sherlock need a tournament like the Southern Scuffle to build some confidence. It's hard to go in cold turkey against a top 10 wrestler. So before the negative talk starts, please just wait until we actually know what this team is going to be.
125: I don't see how you can come out of this match without feeling good about Nico. As a true freshman in his second collegiate match ever he went toe to toe with the #2 ranked Sanders and held his own. Not only did he hold his own but he was on the attack and close to securing a takedown at the end of the match. Sanders was not able to hold Nico down, which is one of Sanders's primary weapons. Most importantly Nico went full speed for the whole match and at note point seemed to mentally buckle.
133: People seem to think Martellotti will be PSU's savior at 133 but he is completely untested at this weight. Either way this weight should only improve as the year goes on.
141: Sherlock needs confidence. He was going toe to toe at the beginning of the match and even got in on a good shot, but as soon as he gave up a takedown he became a whole different wrestler.
149: Tank got a bit too comfortable here. Ness has an awesome ankle shot and wasn't nearly as tired as I think Molinaro assumed he was. Still, Molinaro dominated a very good opponent.
157: Dylan looked great for the first minute or so, then exhausted for the rest. He clearly had Deitchler outclassed on his feet when at full energy. I don't think this is any reason to panic because Dylan has all season to work on it. Really it's not fair for me to sit and criticize conditioning when every wrestler is in the room busting their hump day in and day out.
165: Taylor wrestled a very talented grappler in Yohn today and he had absolutely no problem getting the tech fall (was actually a pin). I'm pretty sure Taylor could have had the tech in the first period if he wanted to.
174: Ruth looked fresh and aggressive. Apparently the cradle still works too.
184: I have no doubt people are dissing Wright, but notice that Steinhaus didn't get too excited about beating the returning national qualifier. Until you beat Wright in one of the tournaments, you haven't really beaten Wright. Was it disappointing? Sure, but this should be what we have come to expect.
197: I can't say enough good things about this match. McIntosh lost but he didn't have to. Credit to Yohn for taking advantage of the moment to get his takedown, but McIntosh is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Put the nation on notice.
HWT: Wade being Wade...HWT's are inconsistent at best. There's really nothing to be learned here.
I say hold your judgements until the Southern Scuffle. Give the news kids in the lineup a chance to get comfortable. Penn State is a much better tournament team right now than dual team. Two true freshman in the lineup today showed they could be a source of big points come tournament time. Guys like Sherlock need a tournament like the Southern Scuffle to build some confidence. It's hard to go in cold turkey against a top 10 wrestler. So before the negative talk starts, please just wait until we actually know what this team is going to be.
Five Nittany Lions Win at Mercyhurst Laker Open
Nine Penn State grapplers made the trip to the Mercyhurst Laker Open. Seven placed in the top three and five won individual titles.
Kyle Moran (141) - Champ
Seth Beitz (149) - Champ
Rex Lutz (165)
Matt Brown (174) - Champ
Andrew Church (174) - Finalist
Brandon Phillips (174)
Justin Ortega (197) - Champ
John Gingrich (HWT) - Champ
Collin Campbell (HWT) - 3rd
Kyle Moran (141) - Champ
Seth Beitz (149) - Champ
Rex Lutz (165)
Matt Brown (174) - Champ
Andrew Church (174) - Finalist
Brandon Phillips (174)
Justin Ortega (197) - Champ
John Gingrich (HWT) - Champ
Collin Campbell (HWT) - 3rd
Sunday, November 13, 2011
PREVIEW: Bloomsburg at Penn State
This will be both Penn State's and Bloom's first official duals of the season. Any way you slice it, Penn State looks to roll over Bloom. Last year I believe Bloom took one bout in their dual (I'd guess 197), but this year Penn State looks to blank Bloom. Expected Penn State lineup below.
125: #18 Nico Megaludis
133: Derek Reber
141: Sam Sherlock
149: #1 Frank Molinaro
157: #12 Dylan Alton
165: #1 David Taylor
174: #2 Ed Ruth
184: #1 Quentin Wright
197: #10 Morgan McIntosh
HWT: #5 Cameron Wade**
**Wade was injured preseason and did not participate in the wrestle-off despite going live in the room. I expect Wade to wrestle but it may be Gingrich or Campbell since they can win without Wade.
I'm eager about this match in order to find out how the true freshman and unknowns are going to perform in their first real action. I think a lot of Penn State fans are especially anxious about Reber and Sherlock since they are wrestling at weights that were big for the Nittany Lions last season. Below is the "best guess" at the Bloomsburg lineup.
125: Sean Boylan So. 0-0
133: Craig Barker So. 0-0
OR Nick Wilcox So. 0-0
141: Matt Rappo Fr. 0-0
149: Bryce Busler Jr. 0-0
OR Josh Roosa Jr. 0-0
157: #14 Frank Hickman Jr. 0-0
165: Kevin Hartnett So. 0-0
OR Chris Smith So. 0-0
174: #20 Mike Dessino Jr. 0-0
184: Mike Mirra Fr. 0-0
197: Richard Perry So. 0-0
HWT: Zach Walsh So. 0-0
The first thing to notice is how young Bloom's team is. They are fielding no seniors and potentially three juniors. The rest are all Sophomores and a few freshman. The marquee match of the dual is undoubtedly at 157 where #12 Alton squares off with #14 Hickman. This will be a great first test for Alton since Hickman already has a couple years of experience under his belt on the college level. The other ranked match comes between #2 Ed Ruth and #20 Mike Dessino, although I don't see this as much of a match.
Prediction:
125: #18 Megaludis Dec. Boylan (3-0)
133: Reber Dec. Barker/Wilcox (6-0)
141: Sherlock Maj. Dec. Rappo (10-0)
149: #1 Molinaro Maj. Dec. Busler (14-0)
157: #12 Alton Dec. #14 Hickman (17-0)
165: #1 Taylor Pin Hartnett/Smith (23-0)
174: #2 Ruth Pin Dessino (29-0)
184: #1 Wright Pin Mirra (33-0)
197: #10 McIntosh Maj. Dec. Perry (36-0)
HWT: #5 Wade Pin Walsh (42-0)
125: #18 Nico Megaludis
133: Derek Reber
141: Sam Sherlock
149: #1 Frank Molinaro
157: #12 Dylan Alton
165: #1 David Taylor
174: #2 Ed Ruth
184: #1 Quentin Wright
197: #10 Morgan McIntosh
HWT: #5 Cameron Wade**
**Wade was injured preseason and did not participate in the wrestle-off despite going live in the room. I expect Wade to wrestle but it may be Gingrich or Campbell since they can win without Wade.
I'm eager about this match in order to find out how the true freshman and unknowns are going to perform in their first real action. I think a lot of Penn State fans are especially anxious about Reber and Sherlock since they are wrestling at weights that were big for the Nittany Lions last season. Below is the "best guess" at the Bloomsburg lineup.
125: Sean Boylan So. 0-0
133: Craig Barker So. 0-0
OR Nick Wilcox So. 0-0
141: Matt Rappo Fr. 0-0
149: Bryce Busler Jr. 0-0
OR Josh Roosa Jr. 0-0
157: #14 Frank Hickman Jr. 0-0
165: Kevin Hartnett So. 0-0
OR Chris Smith So. 0-0
174: #20 Mike Dessino Jr. 0-0
184: Mike Mirra Fr. 0-0
197: Richard Perry So. 0-0
HWT: Zach Walsh So. 0-0
The first thing to notice is how young Bloom's team is. They are fielding no seniors and potentially three juniors. The rest are all Sophomores and a few freshman. The marquee match of the dual is undoubtedly at 157 where #12 Alton squares off with #14 Hickman. This will be a great first test for Alton since Hickman already has a couple years of experience under his belt on the college level. The other ranked match comes between #2 Ed Ruth and #20 Mike Dessino, although I don't see this as much of a match.
Prediction:
125: #18 Megaludis Dec. Boylan (3-0)
133: Reber Dec. Barker/Wilcox (6-0)
141: Sherlock Maj. Dec. Rappo (10-0)
149: #1 Molinaro Maj. Dec. Busler (14-0)
157: #12 Alton Dec. #14 Hickman (17-0)
165: #1 Taylor Pin Hartnett/Smith (23-0)
174: #2 Ruth Pin Dessino (29-0)
184: #1 Wright Pin Mirra (33-0)
197: #10 McIntosh Maj. Dec. Perry (36-0)
HWT: #5 Wade Pin Walsh (42-0)
#18 Pitt Edges #6 Lehigh
Pitt shocked Lehigh's home crowd by snapping their 26 home dual win streak with an 18-16 upset. Perhaps this was doing Lehigh a favor though since PSU will visiting their gym this year.
There were three ranked grapplers that did not participate in the dual. For Lehigh, #6 Stephen Dutton at 141 has been out after getting hurt at the Clarion Open (although he may have been red shirting anyway). For Pitt, neither of the Thomusseit brothers wrestled, Max being #18 at 184 and Zac #15 at HWT. Looking at the results of the dual I have to believe Lehigh having Dutton back in the lineup more or less guarantees them the win. The only thing I think the Thomusseit brothers would achieve is giving Lehigh less points. Despite missing Dutton, Lehigh still had chances to win, especially at 149 where unranked Rosser took #3 Nauman the distance and only lost 7-6.
The marquee matchup of the event was at 197 where #7 (Pitt) faced off against #9. Wilps and Kennedy already wrestled once this season, with Wilps eeking out a win.
Penn State will visit Lehigh on December 9th, for their historic 100th dual.
Results:
125 - #19 Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. Mason Beckman (Lehigh) 9-2
133 - Shelton Mack (Pitt) dec. Chris Dinnien (Lehigh) 10-5
141 - Travis Shaffer (Pitt) dec. Alex Abreu (Lehigh) 3-0
149 - #3 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. Kyle Rosser (Lehigh) 7-6
157 - Donnie Tasser (Pitt) dec. Shane Welsh (Lehigh) 6-2
165 - #4 Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) dec. Tyler Wilps (Pitt) 7-4
174 - Nate Brown (Lehigh) dec. P.J. Tasser (Pitt) 4-3
184 - #2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) major dec. Andy Vaughan (Pitt) 18-6
197 - #7 Matt Wilps (Pitt) dec. #9 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) 4-3
285 - #1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) pinned Joel Yahner (Pitt) 1:01
There were three ranked grapplers that did not participate in the dual. For Lehigh, #6 Stephen Dutton at 141 has been out after getting hurt at the Clarion Open (although he may have been red shirting anyway). For Pitt, neither of the Thomusseit brothers wrestled, Max being #18 at 184 and Zac #15 at HWT. Looking at the results of the dual I have to believe Lehigh having Dutton back in the lineup more or less guarantees them the win. The only thing I think the Thomusseit brothers would achieve is giving Lehigh less points. Despite missing Dutton, Lehigh still had chances to win, especially at 149 where unranked Rosser took #3 Nauman the distance and only lost 7-6.
The marquee matchup of the event was at 197 where #7 (Pitt) faced off against #9. Wilps and Kennedy already wrestled once this season, with Wilps eeking out a win.
Penn State will visit Lehigh on December 9th, for their historic 100th dual.
Results:
125 - #19 Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. Mason Beckman (Lehigh) 9-2
133 - Shelton Mack (Pitt) dec. Chris Dinnien (Lehigh) 10-5
141 - Travis Shaffer (Pitt) dec. Alex Abreu (Lehigh) 3-0
149 - #3 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. Kyle Rosser (Lehigh) 7-6
157 - Donnie Tasser (Pitt) dec. Shane Welsh (Lehigh) 6-2
165 - #4 Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) dec. Tyler Wilps (Pitt) 7-4
174 - Nate Brown (Lehigh) dec. P.J. Tasser (Pitt) 4-3
184 - #2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) major dec. Andy Vaughan (Pitt) 18-6
197 - #7 Matt Wilps (Pitt) dec. #9 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) 4-3
285 - #1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) pinned Joel Yahner (Pitt) 1:01
Sunday, November 6, 2011
#19 Northwestern Thrashes #14 Stanford
I suppose credit should be given to Stanford for upping their schedule strength by adding a Big Ten team. However if they thought Northwestern was going to be a pushover they were sorely mistaken. In fact the only two people to pick up wins for Stanford were their ranked grapplers.
Final Score: 27 - 8 Northwestern
Bout by bout:
125: #16 Levi Mele (Northwestern) maj dec. Matt Sencenbaugh (Stanford), 13-3, NU leads 4-0
133: #7 Ryan Mango (Stanford) maj dec. Jameson Oster (Northwestern), 12-4, Dual tied 4-4
141: Colin Shober (Northwestern) maj dec. Donovan Halpin (Stanford), 12-3, NU leads 8-4
149: #20 Kaleb Friedley (Northwestern) dec. Timmy Boone (Stanford), 6-2, NU leads 11-4
157: #3 Jason Welch (Northwestern) dec. Mike Kent (Stanford), 6-1, NU leads 14-4
165: Kevin Mialka (Northwestern) dec. Matt Schneider (Stanford), 8-2, NU leads 17-4
174: #1 Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) maj dec. #10 Lee Munster (Northwestern), 9-1, NU leads 17-8
184: Brian Roddy (Northwestern) dec. Spence Patrick (Stanford), 6-4, NU leads 20-8
197: Alex Polizzi (Northwestern) maj dec. Alan Yen (Stanford), 13-3, NU leads 24-8
Hwt.: #11 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. Dan Scherer (Stanford), 6-2, NU wins 27-8
Important things to note:
Amuchastegui, who every Penn State fan should remember, got his season off and rolling with an impressive 9-1 major over the top ten ranked Lee Munster. Perhaps Amuchastegui has gained some swagger after his finals appearance last year?
Jason Welch's performance could perhaps be called underwhelming considering his is the #3 guy at 157 right now. But to be fair three or four of the best grapplers at that weight either graduated or moved up a weight plus Welch was never one to blow guys out of the water often.
Levi Mele wrestled at 133 for Northwestern last season. Apparently 125 is the more natural fit except when Brandon Precin was standing in the way. This takes some depth away from an already skimpy Big Ten 133 weight class and adds more depth to the deep Big Ten 125 weight class.
Should this put the Big Ten on notice about Northwestern? Not necessarily.
Final Score: 27 - 8 Northwestern
Bout by bout:
125: #16 Levi Mele (Northwestern) maj dec. Matt Sencenbaugh (Stanford), 13-3, NU leads 4-0
133: #7 Ryan Mango (Stanford) maj dec. Jameson Oster (Northwestern), 12-4, Dual tied 4-4
141: Colin Shober (Northwestern) maj dec. Donovan Halpin (Stanford), 12-3, NU leads 8-4
149: #20 Kaleb Friedley (Northwestern) dec. Timmy Boone (Stanford), 6-2, NU leads 11-4
157: #3 Jason Welch (Northwestern) dec. Mike Kent (Stanford), 6-1, NU leads 14-4
165: Kevin Mialka (Northwestern) dec. Matt Schneider (Stanford), 8-2, NU leads 17-4
174: #1 Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) maj dec. #10 Lee Munster (Northwestern), 9-1, NU leads 17-8
184: Brian Roddy (Northwestern) dec. Spence Patrick (Stanford), 6-4, NU leads 20-8
197: Alex Polizzi (Northwestern) maj dec. Alan Yen (Stanford), 13-3, NU leads 24-8
Hwt.: #11 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. Dan Scherer (Stanford), 6-2, NU wins 27-8
Important things to note:
Amuchastegui, who every Penn State fan should remember, got his season off and rolling with an impressive 9-1 major over the top ten ranked Lee Munster. Perhaps Amuchastegui has gained some swagger after his finals appearance last year?
Jason Welch's performance could perhaps be called underwhelming considering his is the #3 guy at 157 right now. But to be fair three or four of the best grapplers at that weight either graduated or moved up a weight plus Welch was never one to blow guys out of the water often.
Levi Mele wrestled at 133 for Northwestern last season. Apparently 125 is the more natural fit except when Brandon Precin was standing in the way. This takes some depth away from an already skimpy Big Ten 133 weight class and adds more depth to the deep Big Ten 125 weight class.
Should this put the Big Ten on notice about Northwestern? Not necessarily.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Big Ten Preview: Minnesota
We just want our wrestling props, we're golden for crying out loud
In all honesty Minnesota is coming off a disappointing season. After capturing a national title not to long ago, they have held expectations to be in the hunt year in and year out, but 2011 saw them finish outside of the top 5. The Gopher squad was a young one though, and seven of their starters will be returning for the 2012 campaign. A strong 2010 recruiting class should help further bolster the ranks as some come off red shirt seasons to push Minnesota further up the ladder. The loss of Mike Thorn is a huge one, however if they can't put themselves in the title hunt this season then their coaching staff should be bent over a knee and violently spanked.
2011 Summary
The Golden Gophers put an impressive nine wrestlers into the NCAA tournament and achieved five All Americans. Despite having more wrestlers and All Americans than many of the top teams, most of Minnesota's All Americans finished in the bottom four of the All American ladder which made for the disappointing finish.
Name: Zach Sanders (125)
Record: 34 - 6
Status: Senior
Big Ten place: 3rd
NCAA place: All American 5th
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won two, lost to Ben Kjar (Utah Valley, 3-5), won two more, lost to Brandon Precin (Northwestern, 4-5) then beat Ryan Mango (Standford, 6-2) for 5th
Vs. PSU: Beat Pataky 10-8
Name: David Thorn (133)
Record: 15 - 12
Status: Sophomore
Big Ten place: Seventh
NCAA place: Round of 16
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won one, lost to Andrew Long (PSU, SV 5-7), won one more then eliminated by Tony Ramos (Iowa, SV 5-7)
Vs. PSU: Lost to Long twice 4-14 and SV 5-7
Name: Mike Thorn (141)
Record: 39 - 5
Status: Graduated
Big Ten place: 2nd
NCAA place: All American 3rd
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won three, lost to Borislav Novachkov (Cal Poly, 3-9), pinned Jimmy Kennedy then beat Montell Marion (Iowa, 4-3)
Vs. PSU: Beat Alton 4-1
Name: Dan Zilverberg (149)
Record: 19 - 15
Status: Sophomore
Big Ten place: 6th
NCAA place: Round of 32
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Lost two straight to Jamal Parks (OSU, 3-5) and Desi Green (Buffalo, 5-8)
Vs. PSU: Lost to Molinaro twice 5-6 and 0-9
Name: Cody Yohn (165)
Record: 28 - 13
Status: Junior
Big Ten place: 4th
NCAA place: Round of 24
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Lost to Eren Civan (Columbia, Fall) then late to Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh, 3-8)
Vs. PSU: Beat Kemerer 8-0
Name: Scott Glasser (174)
Record: 31 - 13
Status: Graduated
Big Ten place: 5th
NCAA place: Round of 16
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won one, lost to Ed Ruth (PSU, 3-5) then eventually lost to Nick Heflin (Ohio St, 2-4)
Vs. PSU: Lost to Ruth twice 5-12 and 3-5
Name: Kevin Steinhaus (184)
Record: 34 - 12
Status: Sophomore
Big Ten place: 2nd
NCAA place: All American 8th
Notable win(s): Quentin Wright (10-1)
Season ended when: Won one, lost to Quentin Wright (PSU, 4-8), won three, lost to Joe LeBlanc (Wy, 9-11) and Travis Rutt (Wisc, 2-4)
Vs. PSU: Beat Wright 10-1, lost twice 3-4 and 4-8
Name: Sonny Yohn (197)
Record: 18 - 7
Status: Senior
Big Ten place: 5th
NCAA place: All American 7th
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won one, lost to Matt Powless (Ind, SV 3-5), won three more, lost to Zack Giesen (Standford, 2-3) then beat Matt Powless 5-2 for 7th
Vs. PSU: Beat Ruggear 10-2
Name: Tony Nelson (HWT)
Record: 34 - 8
Status: Sophomore
Big Ten place: 2nd
NCAA place: All American 7th
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won one, lost to Cameron Wade (PSU, 1-4), won three more, lost to Spencer Myers (Maryland, TB 1-2) then beat Levi Cooper (ASU, Fall)
Vs. PSU: Beat Wade 3-0, lost 0-2 and 1-4
The most important thing to note from all of this is that only one of five All Americans has graduated. Thorn was their highest placing All American but expect to see Steinhaus and Nelson to finish even higher in 2012 considering they were only freshman in 2011. If this these wrestlers develop well, they could be a feared tournament team in the coming season.
2011 Summary
The Golden Gophers put an impressive nine wrestlers into the NCAA tournament and achieved five All Americans. Despite having more wrestlers and All Americans than many of the top teams, most of Minnesota's All Americans finished in the bottom four of the All American ladder which made for the disappointing finish.
Record: 34 - 6
Status: Senior
Big Ten place: 3rd
NCAA place: All American 5th
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won two, lost to Ben Kjar (Utah Valley, 3-5), won two more, lost to Brandon Precin (Northwestern, 4-5) then beat Ryan Mango (Standford, 6-2) for 5th
Vs. PSU: Beat Pataky 10-8
Record: 15 - 12
Status: Sophomore
Big Ten place: Seventh
NCAA place: Round of 16
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won one, lost to Andrew Long (PSU, SV 5-7), won one more then eliminated by Tony Ramos (Iowa, SV 5-7)
Vs. PSU: Lost to Long twice 4-14 and SV 5-7
Name: Mike Thorn (141)Record: 39 - 5
Status: Graduated
Big Ten place: 2nd
NCAA place: All American 3rd
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won three, lost to Borislav Novachkov (Cal Poly, 3-9), pinned Jimmy Kennedy then beat Montell Marion (Iowa, 4-3)
Vs. PSU: Beat Alton 4-1
Record: 19 - 15
Status: Sophomore
Big Ten place: 6th
NCAA place: Round of 32
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Lost two straight to Jamal Parks (OSU, 3-5) and Desi Green (Buffalo, 5-8)
Vs. PSU: Lost to Molinaro twice 5-6 and 0-9
Record: 28 - 13
Status: Junior
Big Ten place: 4th
NCAA place: Round of 24
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Lost to Eren Civan (Columbia, Fall) then late to Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh, 3-8)
Vs. PSU: Beat Kemerer 8-0
Record: 31 - 13
Status: Graduated
Big Ten place: 5th
NCAA place: Round of 16
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won one, lost to Ed Ruth (PSU, 3-5) then eventually lost to Nick Heflin (Ohio St, 2-4)
Vs. PSU: Lost to Ruth twice 5-12 and 3-5
Record: 34 - 12
Status: Sophomore
Big Ten place: 2nd
NCAA place: All American 8th
Notable win(s): Quentin Wright (10-1)
Season ended when: Won one, lost to Quentin Wright (PSU, 4-8), won three, lost to Joe LeBlanc (Wy, 9-11) and Travis Rutt (Wisc, 2-4)
Vs. PSU: Beat Wright 10-1, lost twice 3-4 and 4-8
Record: 18 - 7
Status: Senior
Big Ten place: 5th
NCAA place: All American 7th
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won one, lost to Matt Powless (Ind, SV 3-5), won three more, lost to Zack Giesen (Standford, 2-3) then beat Matt Powless 5-2 for 7th
Vs. PSU: Beat Ruggear 10-2
Record: 34 - 8
Status: Sophomore
Big Ten place: 2nd
NCAA place: All American 7th
Notable win(s): none
Season ended when: Won one, lost to Cameron Wade (PSU, 1-4), won three more, lost to Spencer Myers (Maryland, TB 1-2) then beat Levi Cooper (ASU, Fall)
Vs. PSU: Beat Wade 3-0, lost 0-2 and 1-4
The most important thing to note from all of this is that only one of five All Americans has graduated. Thorn was their highest placing All American but expect to see Steinhaus and Nelson to finish even higher in 2012 considering they were only freshman in 2011. If this these wrestlers develop well, they could be a feared tournament team in the coming season.
2011 Team Stats
Dual Record: 15 - 4 - 1 (6 - 2 - 1 Big Ten)
Big Ten Championship: 3rd
NCAA Championship: 7th
Southern Scuffle: 5th
Individual Record: 507 - 251
Pins: 102
Tech. Falls: 21
Major Decisions: 101
Vs. PSU: Tie 18-18
Recruiting
The Golden Gopher 2011 recruiting class included the #5, #76, #79 and #138 recruits (d1wrestling.com). The only big gain there (and it is a big gain) was #5 Logan Storley (174lb). This class won't be enough to put the gold in the Golden Gophers (eh, see what I did there? Extremely dorky). Anything the 2011 class lacked they are trying very hard to make up for in the 2012 class. Minnesota already has commitments from the Intermat preseason #56, #48 and #6 recruits. Currently this is not a lineup in need of a lot of new talent, so look for them to continue trying to fill holes as they come rather than bring in one monster class.
2012 Outlook
Perhaps the depressing thing for Minnesota wrestling fans is that the only teams who finished ahead of them in the Big Ten are only expected to get better. Robinson and his staff put together a challenging 2011 schedule that included duals against Central Michigan, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Boise State and Cornell. They keep the pressure on in the 2012 season with duals against Cornell, Central Michigan, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. They will once again travel to the Southern Scuffle and participate in the National Duals.
Realistically Minnesota's goal should be to crack the top 5. Unless a couple of the wrestlers step up big time, a national championship is simply out of reach for them. They will still be a very tough dual team and make a lot of noise through the season. For the immediate future, Minnesota will continue to be the vanguard into the elite of the Big Ten.
Tech. Falls: 21
Major Decisions: 101
Vs. PSU: Tie 18-18
Recruiting
The Golden Gopher 2011 recruiting class included the #5, #76, #79 and #138 recruits (d1wrestling.com). The only big gain there (and it is a big gain) was #5 Logan Storley (174lb). This class won't be enough to put the gold in the Golden Gophers (eh, see what I did there? Extremely dorky). Anything the 2011 class lacked they are trying very hard to make up for in the 2012 class. Minnesota already has commitments from the Intermat preseason #56, #48 and #6 recruits. Currently this is not a lineup in need of a lot of new talent, so look for them to continue trying to fill holes as they come rather than bring in one monster class.
2012 Outlook
Perhaps the depressing thing for Minnesota wrestling fans is that the only teams who finished ahead of them in the Big Ten are only expected to get better. Robinson and his staff put together a challenging 2011 schedule that included duals against Central Michigan, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Boise State and Cornell. They keep the pressure on in the 2012 season with duals against Cornell, Central Michigan, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. They will once again travel to the Southern Scuffle and participate in the National Duals.
Realistically Minnesota's goal should be to crack the top 5. Unless a couple of the wrestlers step up big time, a national championship is simply out of reach for them. They will still be a very tough dual team and make a lot of noise through the season. For the immediate future, Minnesota will continue to be the vanguard into the elite of the Big Ten.
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