Guillotine Grapevine Podcast: Nick Wanzek and Brandon Eggum talk Gophers individual and team performance

The Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling team current sits as the 14th-ranked team in Division I wrestling. After a 30-7 drubbing at the hands of Michigan on Sunday, January 21, Coach Brandon Eggum explains what has to be done and how the team is fighting through a litany of injuries.

We’ll open up Episode 39 of The Guillotine Grapevine talking with Simley alum Nick Wanzek. The senior 165-pounder is coming off a big win over Logan Massa and has been wrestling well of late. Then we get into a long conversation with Eggum analyzing the dual with Michigan and the performances within as the team heads into a weekend with No. 1 Penn State and No. 20 Northwestern.

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Three Gophers Capture Titles at Daktronics

Of the 32 wrestlers that the University of Minnesota wrestling team sent to Brookings, S.D., 17 came back with honors from the Daktronics Open. No. 4 Ethan Lizak, No. 6 Mitch McKee and No. 11 Nick Wanzek each came away with titles in their respective weights.

Minnesota also came away with five runner-up finishers. Steve Polakowski made it to the final of 133 before McKee took him out. No. 6 Tommy Thorn made a run but was tripped up in sudden victory in his finals match.

No. 7 Steve Bleise wrestled a full 11 minutes in his title match but came away just short of the title. No. 10 Jake Short also was narrowly a champion but was defeated in sudden victory time, 4-2. At 285, Rylee Streifel was the final Gopher in the top two and fell to his unattached opponent in a high scoring affair.

“I thought our guys wrestled well overall,” head coach Brandon Eggum said. “I liked the attitude our team wrestled with, from the upperclassmen all the way down to our redshirt guys. There is always room for improvement, but it is a long season so we will continue to get better.”

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GG07: The Guillotine’s Jeff Beshey & Gophers Brandon Eggum, Tommy Thorn and Nick Wanzek

gg-7-thornWith the Gophers hosting Rutgers, it was an opportune time to talk with publisher of The Guillotine, Jeff Beshey about the state of Minnesota wrestling this season and to get a halfway-point look in at the University of Minnesota.

On Episode 7, we talk with Beshey about the results system at The Guillotine and how busy the season has been for him and the staff, as well as a look towards what we plan to do at the MHSHL State Championship later in February.

Minnesota knocked off No. 6 Rutgers on Saturday, January 17 at the Sports Pavilion. We’ll catch up with Head Assistant Coach Brandon Eggum and Gopher wrestlers Tommy Thorn and Nick Wanzek, both of whom picked up huge wins for the Gophers.

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