The University of Minnesota wrestling team opened their home dual season with a 23-13 New Year’s Day loss to Oklahoma State at the Sports Pavilion. Minnesota was able to get big wins from redshirt freshmen Kaleb Young and Sonny Yohn in front of an announced crowd of 3,278, but it wasn’t enough as the Cowboys improved their dual meet record to 7-2. The Gophers dual record fell to 3-2 on the season.
Following a draw, the meet started with the bout between the Gophers’ 14th-ranked Tyler Safratowich and OSU’s Neil Erisman at 157 pounds. Erisman parlayed a nearfall in the opening round to a 4-1 advantage through the opening period. Safratowich was able to record his first takedown of the match to trim the deficit midway through the final frame, but was unable to record a second takedown.
The Cowboys’ 12th-ranked Brandon Moore pushed the Oklahoma State lead to 7-0 with a victory over No. 15 Scott Glasser at 165 pounds. After recording an early takedown, the Gophers’ Scott Glasser clearly struggled with a leg injury that required a pair of injury timeouts for the Minnesota sophomore. Moore tallied a pair of three-point nearfalls in the opening period to vault to an 8-2 lead. A pair of stalling penalties assessed to Glasser midway through the second frame, a reversal in the third frame and riding time gave Moore the 16-2 major decision win.
Kaleb Young gained the Gophers’ first win of 2009 with a 5-3 decision win over Kyle Griffin at 174 pounds. In a closely-fought match that saw two lead changes, Young recorded a takedown with just 30 seconds remaining match to gain the victory and trim the Cowboys lead to 7-3 through three matches.
Redshirt freshman Sonny Yohn recorded his first career win over a ranked opponent in the 184-pound bout with an 8-5 decision victory over No. 20 Jared Shelton. A reversal and a two-point nearfall in the second period helped the Alamosa, Colo. native stretch his lead to 7-1 through two periods. Shelton scored a reversal and Yohn was called for a pair of stalling warnings to trim the lead to 7-5 with 32 seconds left in the match, but Yohn recorded an escape and thwarted Shelton’s attempt at a last-second takedown to secure the 8-5 win. Yohn’s win at 184 moved the team score to 7-6 through four matches.
Oklahoma State’s No. 12 Clayton Foster stopped the bleeding for the Cowboys when he pinned the Gophers’ Gordon Bierschenk in just 1:23 in the 197-pound match. Foster’s pin was his sixth of the year and improved the sophomore’s record to 15-1 this season. Foster’s triumph gave the Cowboys a 13-6 lead heading into the intermission.
Ben Berhow and top-ranked Jared Rosholt met in a closely-fought match at heavyweight. Rosholt held off Berhow for a 3-2 decision win to push OSU’s lead to 16-6, but the Sports Pavilion crowd was clearly impressed with the effort of the Minnesota heavyweight.
Minnesota’s seventh-ranked Zach Sanders recorded a takedown in the last 20 seconds of his match to gain a 7-6 decision win over Oklahoma State’s 14th-ranked Obenson Blanc at 125 pounds. After Blanc broke a tie with an escape to take a 6-5 lead midway through the final stanza, Sanders needed a takedown for a win. The Wabasha, Minn. native got the takedown he needed with just seven second left in the match to take the 7-6 lead. Sanders was able to control the Cowboys’ senior for the last seconds of the match to help the Gophers cut the Cowboys’ lead to 16-9.
Jayson Ness cut the Cowboys’ deficit to 16-13 with a 15-5 major decision win over Chris Notte at 133 pounds. Ness improved his season record to 16-1 with the victory, his second by major decision to go along with 11 pins this season.
Oklahoma State’s No. 18 Jamal Parks all but secured the dual victory for his squad with a 10-7 decision victory over the Gophers’ seventh-ranked Mike Thorn in the 141 pound bout. Parks managed Parks’ win pushed the Oklahoma State lead to 19-13.
The Cowboys’ Luke Silver controlled the 149-pound match against Minnesota’s Brian Peterson throughout, parlaying a pair of first period nearfalls to a 12-4 major decision victory. Silver’s win capped off OSU’s 23-13 win.
Minnesota returns to action Saturday at the Lone Star Duals in the Dallas, Texas metro area. The Gophers’ next home dual is set from Jan. 25 against Michigan State at the Sports Pavilion. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-U-GOPHER or by contacting the Gopher Ticket Office at 612-624-8080.
Final Meet Results
157: Neil Erisman (OSU) dec. #14 Tyler Safratowich (MN) 6-4
165: #12 Brandon Mason (OSU) maj. dec. #15 Scott Glasser (MN) 16-2
174: Kaleb Young (MN) dec. Kyle Griffin (OSU) 5-3
184: Sonny Yohn (MN) dec. #20 Jared Shelton (OSU) 8-5
197: #12 Clayton Foster (OSU) pins Gordon Bierschenk (MN) 1:23
Hwt: #1 Jared Shelton (OSU) dec. Ben Berhow (MN) 3-2
125: #7 Zach Sanders (MN) dec. #14 Obenson Blanc (OSU) 7-6
133: #5 Jayson Ness (MN) maj. dec. Chris Notte (OSU) 15-5
141: #18 Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. #7 Mike Thorn (MN) 10-7
149: Luke Silver (OSU) maj. dec. Brian Peterson (MN) 12-4
