Heading into NCAAs, relive the top 10 moments of the 2012 wrestling season.
2011-12 • REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON
Overall Record: 25-12 Dual Meet Record: 7-4 Big Ten Record: 5-2 Pins: 6 Major Decisions: 7 Technical Falls: 1
All-American • finished fourth at his first NCAA championship • UNI Open Champion • Southern Scuffle Champion •voted the Gophers' Most Improved Wrestler of the Year • moved into the starting lineup after winning the Southern Scuffle • first dual was a 5-3 dec. over No.2 Logan Stieber of Ohio State • Dardanes scored a late takedown to defeat the future NCAA champion • took second at the Bison Open after falling to teammate David Thorn (2-1 dec.) in the championship match • finished second at the Body Bar with a fall over Virginia's Joe Martinez in the first round • won the UNI title after defeating Iowa's Alden Isenberg 9-4 in the finals • pinned Duane Robinson of Upper Iowa in the second round • defeated No. 13 Nick Soto of Chattanooga 7-2 for the Southern Scuffle (T.N.) championship• fell 9-6 to No. 5 Bernard Futrell of Illinois before battling picking up a 9-7 dec. over No. 8 Cashe Quiroga of Purdue • won a major decision over Wisconsin border rival Shane McQuade (14-4 maj) • beat No. 18 Zach Stevens of Michigan by a 5-1 dec • dropped a 5-2 dec. to Iowa's No.4 Tony Ramos before routing No.18 Ridge Kiley of Nebraska 15-6 • named to the Big Ten All-Academic • earned his first letter.
High School:A 2010 graduate of Oak Park River Forest High School •2010 Illinois State Champion at 135-pounds• placed fourth in the USA Wrestling Junior National Freestyle Tournament• ranked No. 5 nationally at 135 by Amateur Wrestling News and No. 13 nationally by Intermat•two-time state place winner as a junior and sophomore.
Personal:Twin brother, Nick, also is a member of the Gopher wrestling team.
