The Big Ten Conference released today its pre-seeds for this weekend’s Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, Ind. Based on today’s release, nine Gophers will be seeded for the tournament, including seven in places that would automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Brett Pfarr leads the way for Minnesota by locking down the top seed at 197 pounds. Pfarr is undefeated against the field, including a 5-0 record against the wrestlers seeded second through fifth (Pfarr has two wins over second seed Kollin Moore from Ohio State).
The most common seed for Minnesota wrestlers is fourth, which is the spot assigned to three different Gophers: Ethan Lizak at 125, Jake Short at 157 and Michael Kroells at heavyweight. For Lizak and Short, fourth-place finishes would be career-best marks at the conference tournament. Taking fourth would match Kroells’ best career finish in the event.
Outside of Pfarr, Tommy Thorn has the highest seed of any Gopher. He’ll compete off the three-line at 141 pounds.
Other Gophers seeded to place high enough for automatic NCAA qualification are Nick Wanzek, who will be No. 6 at 165 pounds, and Mitch McKee, who is No. 7 at 133.
At 174 and 184 pounds, the two other pre-seeded Minnesota wrestlers are seeded one spot out of automatic qualification. Both Chris Pfarr and Bobby Steveson are pre-seeded tenth at weights that will send their top-nine finishers to St. Louis.
At 149 pounds, the Gophers will have an unseeded entrant in the field.
The Big Ten Championships get started from Assembly Hall on the University of Indiana campus this Saturday (March 4) at 9 a.m. Central time.
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125 lbs.
- Thomas Gilman, IOWA
- Nick Suriano, PSU
- Tim Lambert, NEB
- Ethan Lizak, MINN
- Conor Youtsey, MICH
- Johnny Jimenez, WIS
- Elijah Oliver, IND
- Jose Rodriguez, OSU
133 lbs.
- Nathan Tomasello, OSU
- Eric Montoya, NEB
- Cory Clark, IOWA
- Zane Richards, ILL
- Stevan Micic, MICH
- Billy Rappo, MD
- Mitch McKee, MINN
- Luke Welch, PUR
- Scott Delvecchio, RU
- Eli Stickley, WIS
- Jason Ipsarides, NU
- Austin Eicher, MSU
- Garrett Pepple, IND
- Triston Law, PSU
141 lbs.
- Anthony Ashnault, RU
- Jimmy Gulibon, PSU
- Tommy Thorn, MINN
- Colton McCrystal, NEB
- Luke Pletcher, OSU
- Topher Carton, IOWA
- Javier Gasca III, MSU
- Cole Martin, WIS
- Salvator Profaci, MICH
- Alec McKenna, NU
- Cole Weaver, IND
- Kyle Ayersman, PUR
- Ryan Diehl, MD
- Mousa Jodeh, ILL
149 lbs.
- Zain Retherford, PSU
- Brandon Sorensen, IOWA
- Micah Jordan, OSU
- Alfred Bannister, MD
- Kenny Theobald, RU
- Andrew Crone, WIS
- Eric Barone, ILL
- Chris Perez, IND
157 lbs.
- Jason Nolf, PSU
- Michael Kemerer, IOWA
- Tyler Berger, NEB
- Jake Short, MINN
- Kyle Langenderfer, ILL
- Brian Murphy, MICH
- John Van Brill, RU
- Jake Danishek, IND
- TJ Ruschell, WIS
- Alex Griffin, PUR
- Jake Ryan, OSU
- Austin Thompson, MSU
- Justin Alexander, MD
- Ben Sullivan, NU
165 lbs.
- Isaiah Martinez, ILL
- Logan Massa, MICH
- Isaac Jordan, WIS
- Vincenzo Joseph, PSU
- Joey Gunther, IOWA
- Nick Wanzek, MINN
- Dustin Williams, NEB
- Drew Hughes, MSU
174 lbs.
- Bo Jordan, OSU
- Mark Hall, PSU
- Zach Brunson, ILL
- Myles Amine, MICH
- Alex Meyer, IOWA
- Jordan Pagano, RU
- Jacob Morrissey, PUR
- Devin Skatzka, IND
- Micah Barnes, NEB
- Chris Pfarr, MINN
- Ryan Christensen, WIS
- Drew Barnes, MSU
- Josh Ugalde, MD
- Braxton Cody, NU
184 lbs.
- Bo Nickal, PSU
- Sammy Brooks, IOWA
- Nate Jackson, IND
- Myles Martin, OSU
- TJ Dudley, NEB
- Emery Parker, ILL
- Nick Gravina, RU
- Hunter Ritter, WIS
- Mitch Sliga, NU
- Bobby Steveson, MINN
- Tanner Lynde, PUR
- Ernest Battaglia, MICH
- Shwan Shadaia, MSU
- Idris White, MD
197 lbs.
- Brett Pfarr, MINN
- Kollin Moore, OSU
- Aaron Studebaker, NEB
- Matt McCutcheon, PSU
- Ricky Robertson, WIS
- Jacob Berkowitz, NU
- Cash Wilcke, IOWA
- Christian Brunner, PUR
285 lbs.
- Kyle Snyder, OSU
- Connor Medbery, WIS
- Nick Nevills, PSU
- Michael Kroells, MINN
- Collin Jensen, NEB
- Brooks Black, ILL
- Youssif Hemida, MD
- Razohnn Gross, RU