Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minnesota Unveils Full 2023-24 Schedule

MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota wrestling team announced its full schedule for the 2023-24 season on Monday.

The season officially kicks off Nov. 11 and features seven home duals inside Maturi Pavilion. The full season slate includes a total of 14 dual meets, as well as four tournaments. Start times and TV streaming coverage for the upcoming season will be announced at a later date.

The slate gets underway on November 11 when the Maroon & Gold travels to Fargo, N.D., to compete in the Bison Open, before kicking off the dual season at Bucknell on Nov. 16 in the first ever meeting between the schools.

Two days later, Minnesota will visit George Mason for a triangular with the Patriots and Morgan State. The second tournament of the season, the Daktronics Open, is slated for Nov. 19.

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2023-24 Big Ten Wrestling Schedule Announced

Conference duals begin January 12 and culminate with Big Ten Championships March 9-10

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference office has announced the dates and opponents for the 2023-24 wrestling season. The schedule features eight conference duals for each of the 14 Big Ten programs and concludes with the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, to be held over the second weekend in March at Maryland.

All 14 teams will open Big Ten action Jan. 12-21. On opening night, Jan. 12, Maryland, Nebraska, and Rutgers will play host to Michigan, Iowa, and Indiana, respectively. The final regular-season dual will take place on Sunday, Feb. 18, with Indiana traveling to Northwestern, Iowa hosting Wisconsin, and Nebraska visiting reigning Big Ten Champion Penn State.

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Former Gophers in Action This Weekend

Pat Smith Competes at Worlds, while Mitch McKee Headlines LFA168

MINNEAPOLIS – A pair of former Minnesota wrestlers are in action starting Friday as they look to showcase their respective talents to the world.

Pat Smith begins competition Friday at the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Competing in Greco-Roman at 72 kg for Minnesota Storm, Smith is set to open with a matchup against No. 13 Kamil Czarnecki of Poland. A victory would set up a bout with No. 5 Ibragim Magomadov of Kazakhstan.

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Former Gophers wrestler Logan Storley climbing rankings of Bellator MMA

Former Gophers wrestler Logan Storley continues to dominate the world of mixed martial arts, starring as one of the best fighters on the Bellator circuit.

He dominated Brennan Ward back in his home state of South Dakota at the Sanford Pentagon during Bellator 298 in August. That improved his record to 15-2.

Storley currently is the No. 1 contender for the Bellator Welterweight World Championship and hoping to get another crack at the only fighter he’s ever lost to and current champion, Yaroslav Amisov.

We caught up with Storley recently to hear about his recent domination, his days as a Gophers wrestler, and more. View/Continue reading at kstp.com →

Blockhus Returning to Gopher Wrestling

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota wrestling is welcoming a familiar face back to the program as sixth-year senior Michael Blockhus is returning to don the Maroon and Gold once more, head coach Brandon Eggum announced Saturday.

“After taking time to reflect and think, I’ve realized I have some unfinished business at Minnesota,” Blockhus said. “Finishing last year as an All-American, I know that I can help this team have a really special season, and I want to give it one more go with those guys that have become like brothers to me.”

Blockhus was a three-year starter for the Gophers after transferring from Northern Iowa following his redshirt freshman season, collecting a 69-41 career record and 23 bonus-point victories. A three-time NCAA qualifier for Minnesota, Blockhus broke through this past season to reach the podium for the first time in his career, placing eighth at 149 pounds at the 2023 NCAA Championships.

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Storley Headlining Bellator 298, Blockhus Making MMA Debut

MINNEAPOLIS – A pair of former Minnesota wrestlers are set to compete Friday night at Bellator 298 in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The main event features No. 1 Logan Storley (14-2) against No. 7 Brennan Ward (17-6) in a welterweight bout.

Storley was a four-time All-American at Minnesota from 2011-15. He finished his career with an overall record 119-27, including a 47-7 mark in duals and 27-3 record in Big Ten matchups. He claimed third place at the NCAA Championships as a junior, fourth as both a sophomore and senior and sixth as a freshman.

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Sanders Promoted to Assistant Coach

MINNEAPOLIS – Zach Sanders has been promoted to assistant coach, Minnesota wrestling head coach Brandon Eggum announced Thursday.

Sanders has spent the past six seasons as the team’s volunteer assistant coach, working primarily with the team’s lightweights. Including his four years as an administrative assistant, he’s been a member of the wrestling staff for over 10 seasons.

“I have given a lot of time and energy to the program because of the relationships I treasure from within the program,” Sanders said. “I have turned down a lot of opportunities over the years because this is where I want to be. Minnesota Wrestling is what I’m passionate about.”

During his tenure, he’s helped nine wrestlers at 125, 133 and 141 lbs., earn 14 All-America honors. In addition, 28 wrestlers at those weight classes have qualified for the NCAA Championships, highlighted by Ethan Lizak’s runner-up finish in 2017. Meanwhile, Chris Dardanes was Big Ten champion at 133 lbs., in 2015.

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