CEDAR FALLS, IOWA – The No. 5 Minnesota wrestling team finished fourth this weekend at the 2011 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. After opening the weekend with a pair of wins over Northern Illinois and No. 6 Boise State, Minnesota fell twice on Sunday to No. 1 Cornell and finally to No. 4 Wisconsin 19-17 in the third-place dual.
In a dual that featured 11 nationally ranked wrestlers, neither side could mount a formidable upset. No. 6 Zach Sanders opened the dual against Wisconsin with a 12-4 major decision over unranked Thomas Kelliher at 125 lbs. But the Badgers answered right back with a 7-3 decision in the 133 lbs. match over David Thorn before Thorn’s brother, Mike, scored the only fall of the match at 141 lbs. Thorn, the No. 2 141 pounder in the nation, pinned Daniel Arnel at 4:31, but the Gophers would then drop the next three matches to their Big Ten border rival.
No. 10 Coulthurst Schmitt picked up a 7-0 decision in the 149 lbs. match over Danny Zilverberg followed by Shawn Perry scoring an 11-2 major decision over Alec Ortiz at 157 lbs and No. 2 Andrew Howe scoring an 8-3 decision over No. 7 Cody Yohn in the 165 lbs. bout.
The Gophers (8-3 overall) would jump back into the dual following a 15-5 major by No. 8 Scott Glasser over Charles York in the 174 lbs. match but Wisconsin would take the next two bouts as both Kevin Steinhaus and Joe Nord lost via decisions to bring the score to 14-19 in favor of the Badgers. No. 9 Tony Nelson was able to win his match but a 2-1 decision in his favor was not enough as the Gophers finished the 2011 National Duals in fourth place behind Cornell, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.
No. 5 Minnesota vs. No. 4 Wisconsin
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Cedar Falls, Iowa (National Duals Third Place Dual)
Wisconsin 19 Minnesota 17
125: No. 6 Zach Sanders (MINN) maj. Thomas Kelliher (WISC) 12-4
133: No. 3 Tyler Graff (WISC) dec. David Thorn (MINN) 7-3
141: No. 2 Mike Thorn (MINN) fall Daniel Arnel (WISC) 4:31
149: No. 10 Coulthurst Schmitt (WISC) dec. Danny Zilverberg (MINN) 7-0
157: Shawn Perry (WISC) maj. Alec Ortiz (MINN) 11-2
165: No. 2 Andrew Howe (WISC) dec. No. 7 Cody Yohn (MINN) 8-3
174: No. 8 Scott Glasser (MINN) maj. Charles York (WISC) 15-5
184: No. 5 Travis Rutt (WISC) dec. No. 7 Kevin Steinhaus (MINN) 3-2
197: Derrick Borlie (WISC) dec. Joe Nord (MINN) 8-2
285: No. 9 Tony Nelson (MINN) dec. No. 18 Eric Bugenhagen (WISC) 2-1