Minnesota Gophers Win Third National Wrestling Title

Minnesota won its third NCAA wrestling championship on Saturday, holding off a gutty effort by Iowa State in the finals. The Gophers, who were back to back winners in 2000 and 2001, scored 98 team points, only 9.5 ahead of Iowa State.

The Gophers, who held a skinny 3.5 lead after the morning session, entered the finals with only one wrestler - heavyweight Cole Konrad - who wouldn't wrestle until the very end. The Cyclones, on the other hand, had three wrestlers still alive. If all three Iowa State wrestlers won, they would have held a 4.5 lead over the Gophers, which would have forced Konrad to win by more than a regular decision.

All that ended up being moot, however. After Iowa State 157-pounder Trent Paulson won the title with a victory over Wisconsin's Craig Henning, Jake Varner - a freshman - lost his bout, which left any possibility of a Cyclone victory on the ninth-ranked Kurt Backes. Unfortunately for the Cyclone faithful, Backes was no match for second-ranked Josh Glenn, who scored a takedown in overtime to seal the Minnesota victory.

Konrad, however, said he wasn't aware of all the mathematical possibilities, and thought the Gophers title rested on his match. "I hadn't been paying attention, so I thought I needed a pin," he said after his victory, a pin over Penn State's Aaron Anspach in less than two minutes. "I was anticipating the whole night that it was going to come down to me."

In spite of, or maybe because of, the down-to-the-wire finish, Minnesota coach J Robinson couldn't have been more proud of his wresters. "I think the true character of a team is when you get yourself in a hole and you have to dig yourself out," he said. "They responded when they had to and that's what champions do. This was a team win. All nine guys contributed to this and that's the beauty of this victory."

After his victory, Konrad said he was thrilled for the program. Last year, Konrad won an individual title, but the Minnesota team was a distant second in the team standings behind Oklahoma State. This year, Konrad was singing a different tune.

"Last year, I was happy for myself, but disappointed for the team," Konrad said. "Now the future is bright. I'm the only one leaving."

Going into next season, the Gophers - who had five All-Americans, a sixth Big Ten title and fourth National Duels title - will return nine starters. The only loss will be Konrad, and he seems to be thrilled with the prospect.

Sources:

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_077101453.html
http://www.ncaasports.com/wrestling/mens/recaps/d1_final_recap/2007