LAS VEGAS – The Gophers finished up their weekend at the Cliff Keen Invitational with one champion, Gable Steveson, and four other placers on the podium.
As a team, the Gophers scored 79.5 team points to finish in sixth place.
Heavyweight Gable Steveson continued his run of success in his first major tournament as a Golden Gopher. The true freshman defeated Cory Daniel 9-3 in the semifinals with over three minutes of riding time by the end of the match.
In the championship match, Steveson got yet another major decision, this time over Utah Valley’s six-seed Tate Orndorff. Steveson got several takedowns in addition to the riding time point to extend his undefeated season.
In a tough bout with little scoring 125-pound Sean Russell fell to Oregon State’s Ronnie Bresser, the second seed. With only a penalty point and escape Bresser was able to defeat Russell in a one-point decision. Russell bounced back with a decisive victory over Big Ten rival Drew Mattin of Michigan to advance to the third-place match.
Russell was attacking the entire bout and his third-period takedown of Brent Fleetwood clinched the decision.
After falling in his final match yesterday afternoon three-seed Ethan Lizak got back on track with a 15-0 tech fall to start the second day. After getting three first period nearfalls Lizak notched the reversal to finish off the match in the second period. Lizak again showed off his skill on top in his bout with Missouri’s John Erneste which ended 7-3 including the riding time point.
Lizak battled with Ohio State’s Luke Pletcher, the two-seed, and fell after late points in the third period.
174-pound Devin Skatzka, the ten-seed in his weight class, was pinned to end Friday’s action but he wasn’t deterred and won by decision over Andrew Morgan of Campbell 10-4 on Saturday morning. In the seventh place battle, Skatzka defeated Utah Valley’s Kimball Bastian for the second time in as many days. After a 10-1 major decision on Friday Skatzka defeated Bastian, previously the 18th ranked wrestler in the country, 9-4.
In his fourth match on the consolation side of the 165-pound bracket, Carson Brolsma dropped a decision to two-seed Branson Ashworth to end his tournament 3-2.
2018 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Results
125:
Sean Russell (6-1 )
Pigtails: No. 3 Sean Russell TF Brendon Fenton (Virginia) 20-5
Round of 32: No. 3 Sean Russell fall (3:49) Jacob Frias (North Idaho)
Round of 16: No. 3 Sean Russell major dec. Joey Prata (Virginia Tech) 20-7
Round of 8: No. 3 Sean Russell dec. No. 6 Travis Piotrowski (Illinois) 1-0
Semifinals: No. 2 Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) dec. No. 3 Sean Russell 2-1
Consolation semifinals: No. 3 Sean Russell dec. No. 8 Drew Mattin (Michigan) 7-3
Third Place Match: No. 3 Sean Russell dec. Brent Fleetwood (North Dakota State) 4-0
133:
Ethan Lizak (5-2)
Round of 32: No. 3 Ethan Lizak dec. Anthony Madrigal (Oklahoma) 9-2
Round of 16: No. 3 Ethan Lizak tech. fall John Twomey (Air Force) 16-0
Round of 8: No. 6 Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) dec. No. 3 Ethan Lizak 4-0
Consolation Round of 8: No. 3 Ethan Lizak tech. fall Sean Nickell (CSU-Bakersfield) 15-0
Consolation Round of 4: No. 3 Ethan Lizak dec. No. 7 Charles Tucker 7-0
Consolation Semifinals: No. 3 Ethan Lizak dec. No. 4 John Erneste (Missouri) 7-3
Third Place Match: No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) dec. No.3 Ethan Lizak 5-4
165:
Carson Brolsma (3-2)
Round of 32: No. 11 Cam Coy (Virginia) dec. Carson Brolsma 7-0
Cons Rnd. 1: Carson Brolsma dec. Jacob Thalin (Cal State Bakersfield) 8-4
Cons Rnd. 2: Carson Brolsma major dec. Cole Wysocki (Purdue) 11-0
Cons Rnd 3: Carson Brolsma fall (6:20) Evan Delong (Clarion)
Consolation Round of 8: No. 2 Branson Ashwroth (Wyoming) dec. Carson Brolsma 3-0
174:
Devin Skatzka (6-2)
Pigtails: No. 10 Devin Sktazka dec. Devin Kane (North Carolina) 7-4
Round of 32: No. 10 Devin Skatzka major dec. Colt Doyle (Oregon State) 19-5
Round of 16: No. 10 Devin Skatzka major dec. No. 7 Kimball Bastian (Utah Valley) 10-1
Round of 8: No. 2 Daniel Lewis (Missouri) fall (2:27) No. 10 Devin Skatzka
Consolation Round of 8: No. 10 Devin Skatzka dec. Andrew Morgan (Campbell) 10-4
Consolation Round of 4: No. 5 Dylan Lydy (Purdue) dec. No. 10 Devin Skatzka 6-4
Seventh Place Match: No. 10 Devin Skatzka dec. No. 7 Kimball Bastian (Utah Valley) 9-4
HWT:
Gable Steveson (5-0)
Round of 32: No. 1 Gable Steveson fall (4:25) Luke Ready (Michigan)
Round of 16: No. 1 Gable Steveson tech fall John Borst (Virginia Tech) 18-3
Round of 8: No. 1 Gable Steveson major dec. AJ Nevills (Fresno State) 15-6
Semifinals: No. 1 Gable Steveson dec. Cory Daniel (North Carolina) 9-3
Championships: No. 1 Gable Steveson major dec. Tate Orndorff (Utah Valley) 12-4
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