2011-12 REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE: Overall Record: 32-2 Dual Meet Record: 15-2 Big Ten Record: 8-0 Pins: 7 Major Decisions: 2 Technical Falls: 0
2012 NCAA Heavy National Champion • All-American • Defeated 2011 NCAA champion Zach Rey of Lehigh in the finals by a 4-1 decision • Named Best Male Athlete of the Year at the 2012 Golden Goldy's • Awarded the Most Outstanding Wrestler on the team • Big Ten Champion • Finished the season 32-2 overall and 25 consecutive wins • Second on the team with eight falls • Posted a perfect 8-0 record in Big Ten dual matches • Defeated Peter Sturgeon of Central Michigan in the second round of the NCAA's by a 6-0 decision to erase a previous loss earlier in the season • Gave up just four points at the NCAA's • Outscored his opponents 150-55 on the season • One of four captains who posted 30 or more wins on the year • Started off the season with a Bison Open title • Posted a 4-0 record at the Bison Open to win the heavyweight title • Picked up wins over No. 4 Cameron Wade of Penn State (5-0) and No. 20 Matthew Gibson of Iowa State (4-0) • Defeated Oregon State's Clayton Jack to earn the Southern Scuffle (T.N.) championship • Posted a perfect 8-0 record against regular season Big Ten opponents, highlighted by victories over No. 17 Peter Capone of Ohio State, No. 11 Ben Apland of Michigan, and No. 9 Tucker Lane of Nebraska • Went 2-0 at the National Duals, including a sudden victory over Kent State's Brendan Barlow (5-4) • Letterwinner.
2010-11 • REDSHIRT FRESHMAN: Overall Record: 33-8 Dual Meet Record: 13-4 Big Ten Record: 4-3 Pins: 2 Major Decisions: 3 Technical Falls: 0
All-American as a freshman, finished seventh at the NCAA national championships • Co-Most Outstanding Freshman team award winner with Kevin Steinhaus • Finished 33-8 overall with a record of 13-4 in duals matches and 4-3 in Big Ten matches • Recorded two pins and three major decisions • Opened the year with a pair of individual championships at the Bison Open and the Kaufman-Brand Open, finishing with a combined record of 8-0 • Finished third at the Southern Scuffle with a 6-1 record • Won the National Duals after beating Stryker Lane of Cornell in the semi-finals and Wisconsin's Eric Bugenhagen in the championship match • Finished second at the 2011 Big Ten Championships • Earned first letter.
2009-10 • REDSHIRTED:
Went 9-0 at heavyweight in his first season in the maroon and gold competing solely in open meets, joining Jayson Ness as the only Gophers to finish the season unbeaten • Won three matches by fall and one by major decision • Went 3-0 and was champion at the Duhawk Open beating Blake Rasing of Iowa 8-7 for the Championship • Went 4-0 at the Dragon Open, winning his first three matches by fall, and beating Tim Johnson of MSU Moorhead 4-2 in the Championship match • Opened the season with a split Championship at the Bison Open, going 2-0 share champion honors with Ben Berhow.
HIGH SCHOOL: 2009 graduate of Cambridge-Isanti High School • Nation's top prospect at 215 lbs. • Two-time Minnesota State champion (197, Hwt.) • 2009 Minnesota Class AAA state champion with a 47-0 record, including a staggering 35 wins by fall • Captured the 2009 National Wrestling Championship in the 215-pound class with a 6-0 mark during the tournament • Tallied three pins in the tournament including the National Championship match with a fall in 30 seconds • State tournament place-winner as a junior and a sophomore, finishing as the runner-up in 2008 after recording a third-place finish in 2007 • Also won more than 40 bouts in each of the final three seasons of his prep career, going 44-3 as a junior and 41-6 as a sophomore • Concluded high school career with an impressive 141-18 record as a prep, including 80 victories by fall • Named an academic All-American for his success in the classroom • Also starred on the gridiron as a standout defensive end and linebacker • 2008 Mississippi Eight Conference Linebacker of the Year • Collected 112 tackles, including 20 for losses • Earned all-metro and all-conference accolades, and received honorable mention all-state recognition from The Associated Press • Finished his three-year football career with 259 tackles.
PERSONAL: Born Sep. 27, 1990 • Son of Todd and Sandi Nelson • Has one brother Evan (22) and two sisters Kelli (21) and Grace (16) • Majoring in engineering • Lists winning national titles in both freestyle and folkstyle as his greatest sports thrills.
