TULSA, Okla. – The University of Minnesota wrestling program closed out a solid first day at the NCAA Championships as they currently sit in fourth place in the team race with 16.5 points.
Minnesota finished the opening two sessions with a total of three quarter-finalists and seven grapplers still alive in the tournament.
Aaron Nagao was the first Gopher to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals after an impressive showing in his first career NCAA tournament appearance. Nagao rolled to an 8-0 major decision over Bucknell’s Kurtis Phipps before pinning Pittsburgh’s Micky Phillippi in the first period of his second round match. Nagao now faces a Big Ten finals rematch against Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young in tomorrow morning’s session.