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.
