No. 9 Minnesota takes final nine bouts to defeat Air Force, 33-3 in dual meet openers for both teams
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Mitchell McKee of Minnesota flips over Lenny Peterson on the way to a first-period pin at 141 pounds. Photo by Patricia Fox.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – College wrestlers work hard in the off-season and look forward to getting on the mat again when the new season begins.
The season-opening battle between the Big Ten power Minnesota and the improving Big 12 Air Force squad looked like a mismatch on paper coming in, with the Gophers boasting eight ranked wrestlers and three past All-Americans and the Falcons leading off without a ranked athlete. Minnesota brought a No. 9 national ranking into the road dual meet.
However, Air Force struck first, as the dual meet began at 197 pounds, and Falcon team captain Anthony McLaughlin jumped out quickly and stopped Dylan Anderson, 5-4
McLaughlin scored the first takedown for host Air Force, with McLaughlin getting a quick escape. The second period was a quick Anderson escape and another McLaughlin takedown. McLaughlin escaped to make it 5-2, and was hit for two stalling points but secured the win.
The Gophers won the next nine bouts to secure a 33-3 victory, as both teams were able to assess where they stand going into the new year.
“We won nine of 10. I think some guys wrestled well. I thought we started slow in a few of the matches. It is something we have got to talk about and pick up. The guys did a good job. I wish we would score points a little bit earlier in the matches,” said Minnesota head coach Brandon Eggum.
The heavyweight bout was a close 3-0 victory for Minnesota’s Rylee Streifel over Matt Wagner. Streifel’s first period takedown on a cradle and a stalling point against Wagner in the second period were the only points secured.
All-American Sean Russell, a senior transfer from Edinboro, came on strong in the third period to defeat freshman Sidney Flores of Air Force, 12-5. Flores got the first takedown and led 2-1 after the first. Russell scored a tilt outside the out of bounds area to take the lead 3-2 after two periods. The third period had ton of action, with Russell getting two takedowns and a tilt to expand his lead at the end.
With the arrival of Russell in Minnesota, the next two Gopher stars in the lineup have moved up in weight class for this season.
Two-time All-American and past NCAA runner-up Ethan Lizak of Minnesota scored the only points in a 6-0 victory at 133 pounds over John Twomey. Lizak’s points came on a first-period takedown and a second-period four-point turn. Twomey rode Lizak the entire third period.
2017 Junior World silver medalist Mitch McKee was dominant in securing a pin in 1:09 over Lenny Peterson at 141 pounds. McKee scored the takedown, and drove Peterson over for four points on a turn. After Peterson got out of danger, McKee flipped him back to his back and locked up the fall.
After the intermission. All-American Tommy Thorn won the key positions to secure an 11-5 win over Alec Opsal. Thorn scored the first three takedowns for a 6-1 lead, but after Opsal was hit for stalling, Air Force coaches threw in a challenge brick to seek a reversal. Referees gave the reversal after review to make it and Minnesota tried to challenge the challenge, to no avail. Thorn got a quick reversal to make it 8-3. Thorn added a third period takedown and riding time for the comfortable win.
At 157, the Gophers’ No. 8 nationally ranked Steve Bleise scored a scrappy 18-6 victory over Alex Mossing, a Greco-Roman specialist who was a 2017 U23 World Team member. Mossing controlled the upper body position early in the match, but it was Bleise who got a throw on the edge for a takedown and a 2-0 lead. Bleise opened it up with a takedown and two four-point turns to push his lead to 13-2 at the end of the second. Mossing kept battling back, and both athletes had third-period takedowns, but Bleise came home with the major decision.
The Gophers ran their streak to three straight major decisions when Carson Brolsma defeated Tanner Johnson, 11-3 at 165 pounds and Devin Skatzka stopped Randy Meneweather, 16-4.
Brolsma jumped to a 6-1 lead after two periods, with two takedowns and a reversal. In the third period, Broslma had two more takedowns and secured riding time. Skatzka was tied with Meneweather 4-4 after the first period, but was able to get a pair of four-point near falls in the third period to stretch his lead.
In a back-and-forth match at 185 pounds, Owen Webster won the key positions to stop Tyler Wiederholt, 8-6. Weiderholt scored the first takedown, but Webster rallied back to take a 5-3 lead after the first period. Webster was able to lead 7-4 early in the third. Weiderholt scored a late takedown to close it to 7-6, then cut Webster to make it 8-6, and was unable to score as time ran out.
“When you bring in a team like Minnesota, you bring in a top 10 team. The great thing about that is that they are going to expose your weaknesses a little bit. I think that is what happened, as we had some weaknesses exposed. We will take that. We can us it to get better. If you don’t wrestle teams like that, and wrestle lesser competition, you hide. Your weaknesses don’t come out. You don’t see where you are truly at against the competition to want to see at the NCAAs in Pittsburgh. It was a good opportunity for us to see where we are really at,” said Air Force Head Coach Sam Barber.
Minnesota ran its career record against Air Force to 9-0, including four wins on the road in Colorado Springs. The teams last met last season in Minnesota.
Minnesota heads home for two tough home duals, when Oklahoma State will be there on November 16 and South Dakota State is next up on November 25. Next up for Air Force is Fresno State on Sunday night at home.
No. 9 Minnesota 33, Air Force 3
197: Anthony McLaughlin (Air Force) dec. Dylan Anderson (Minnesota), 5-4
285: Rylee Streifel (Minnesota) dec. Matt Wagner (Air Force), 3-1
125: No. 5 Sean Russell (Minnesota) dec. Sidney Flores (Air Force), 12-5.
133: No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) dec. John Twomey (Air Force), 6-0
141: No. 8 Mitch McKee (Minnesota) pin Lenny Petersen (Air Force), 1:09
149: No. 12 Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) dec. Alec Opsal (Air Force), 11-5
157: No. 8 Steve Bleise (Minnesota) maj. dec. Alex Mossing (Air Force), 18-6
165: No. 24 Carson Brolsma (Minnesota) maj. dec. Tanner Johnson (Air Force), 11-3
174: No. 20 Devin Skatzka (Minnesota) maj. dec. Randy Meneweather (Air Force), 16-4
184: No. 18 Owen Webster (Minnesota) dec. Tyler Wiederholt (Air Force), 8-6
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – College wrestlers work hard in the off-season and look forward to getting on the mat again when the new season begins.
The season-opening battle between the Big Ten power Minnesota and the improving Big 12 Air Force squad looked like a mismatch on paper coming in, with the Gophers boasting eight ranked wrestlers and three past All-Americans and the Falcons leading off without a ranked athlete. Minnesota brought a No. 9 national ranking into the road dual meet.
However, Air Force struck first, as the dual meet began at 197 pounds, and Falcon team captain Anthony McLaughlin jumped out quickly and stopped Dylan Anderson, 5-4
McLaughlin scored the first takedown for host Air Force, with McLaughlin getting a quick escape. The second period was a quick Anderson escape and another McLaughlin takedown. McLaughlin escaped to make it 5-2, and was hit for two stalling points but secured the win.
The Gophers won the next nine bouts to secure a 33-3 victory, as both teams were able to assess where they stand going into the new year.
“We won nine of 10. I think some guys wrestled well. I thought we started slow in a few of the matches. It is something we have got to talk about and pick up. The guys did a good job. I wish we would score points a little bit earlier in the matches,” said Minnesota head coach Brandon Eggum.
The heavyweight bout was a close 3-0 victory for Minnesota’s Rylee Streifel over Matt Wagner. Streifel’s first period takedown on a cradle and a stalling point against Wagner in the second period were the only points secured.
All-American Sean Russell, a senior transfer from Edinboro, came on strong in the third period to defeat freshman Sidney Flores of Air Force, 12-5. Flores got the first takedown and led 2-1 after the first. Russell scored a tilt outside the out of bounds area to take the lead 3-2 after two periods. The third period had ton of action, with Russell getting two takedowns and a tilt to expand his lead at the end.
With the arrival of Russell in Minnesota, the next two Gopher stars in the lineup have moved up in weight class for this season.
Two-time All-American and past NCAA runner-up Ethan Lizak of Minnesota scored the only points in a 6-0 victory at 133 pounds over John Twomey. Lizak’s points came on a first-period takedown and a second-period four-point turn. Twomey rode Lizak the entire third period.
2017 Junior World silver medalist Mitch McKee was dominant in securing a pin in 1:09 over Lenny Peterson at 141 pounds. McKee scored the takedown, and drove Peterson over for four points on a turn. After Peterson got out of danger, McKee flipped him back to his back and locked up the fall.
After the intermission. All-American Tommy Thorn won the key positions to secure an 11-5 win over Alec Opsal. Thorn scored the first three takedowns for a 6-1 lead, but after Opsal was hit for stalling, Air Force coaches threw in a challenge brick to seek a reversal. Referees gave the reversal after review to make it and Minnesota tried to challenge the challenge, to no avail. Thorn got a quick reversal to make it 8-3. Thorn added a third period takedown and riding time for the comfortable win.
At 157, the Gophers’ No. 8 nationally ranked Steve Bleise scored a scrappy 18-6 victory over Alex Mossing, a Greco-Roman specialist who was a 2017 U23 World Team member. Mossing controlled the upper body position early in the match, but it was Bleise who got a throw on the edge for a takedown and a 2-0 lead. Bleise opened it up with a takedown and two four-point turns to push his lead to 13-2 at the end of the second. Mossing kept battling back, and both athletes had third-period takedowns, but Bleise came home with the major decision.
The Gophers ran their streak to three straight major decisions when Carson Brolsma defeated Tanner Johnson, 11-3 at 165 pounds and Devin Skatzka stopped Randy Meneweather, 16-4.
Brolsma jumped to a 6-1 lead after two periods, with two takedowns and a reversal. In the third period, Broslma had two more takedowns and secured riding time. Skatzka was tied with Meneweather 4-4 after the first period, but was able to get a pair of four-point near falls in the third period to stretch his lead.
In a back-and-forth match at 185 pounds, Owen Webster won the key positions to stop Tyler Wiederholt, 8-6. Weiderholt scored the first takedown, but Webster rallied back to take a 5-3 lead after the first period. Webster was able to lead 7-4 early in the third. Weiderholt scored a late takedown to close it to 7-6, then cut Webster to make it 8-6, and was unable to score as time ran out.
“When you bring in a team like Minnesota, you bring in a top 10 team. The great thing about that is that they are going to expose your weaknesses a little bit. I think that is what happened, as we had some weaknesses exposed. We will take that. We can us it to get better. If you don’t wrestle teams like that, and wrestle lesser competition, you hide. Your weaknesses don’t come out. You don’t see where you are truly at against the competition to want to see at the NCAAs in Pittsburgh. It was a good opportunity for us to see where we are really at,” said Air Force Head Coach Sam Barber.
Minnesota ran its career record against Air Force to 9-0, including four wins on the road in Colorado Springs. The teams last met last season in Minnesota.
Minnesota heads home for two tough home duals, when Oklahoma State will be there on November 16 and South Dakota State is next up on November 25. Next up for Air Force is Fresno State on Sunday night at home.
No. 9 Minnesota 33, Air Force 3
197: Anthony McLaughlin (Air Force) dec. Dylan Anderson (Minnesota), 5-4
285: Rylee Streifel (Minnesota) dec. Matt Wagner (Air Force), 3-1
125: No. 5 Sean Russell (Minnesota) dec. Sidney Flores (Air Force), 12-5.
133: No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) dec. John Twomey (Air Force), 6-0
141: No. 8 Mitch McKee (Minnesota) pin Lenny Petersen (Air Force), 1:09
149: No. 12 Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) dec. Alec Opsal (Air Force), 11-5
157: No. 8 Steve Bleise (Minnesota) maj. dec. Alex Mossing (Air Force), 18-6
165: No. 24 Carson Brolsma (Minnesota) maj. dec. Tanner Johnson (Air Force), 11-3
174: No. 20 Devin Skatzka (Minnesota) maj. dec. Randy Meneweather (Air Force), 16-4
184: No. 18 Owen Webster (Minnesota) dec. Tyler Wiederholt (Air Force), 8-6
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