The first-year tournament featured a different format than most. The four teams competing in the event - Minnesota, No. 20 Oregon State, Oklahoma and American University - were allowed to enter more than 10 wrestlers into the event (the Gophers elected to enter 12). At each weight class, there was a round-robin to determine the champion. Because some teams brought more than one competitor at a specific weight class, some of these round-robins were three matches per wrestler, while others were four or five.
At 133, Dardanes took the title with a 3-0 finish that included a pair of major decisions, giving him a team-high seven on the season, which accounts for half of his total victories. At 141 and 149, Rangell and Short also earned titles with 3-0 finishes, the only unranked Minnesota wrestlers to take first place at their weights. At 157, Ness kicked off his day with a pin, the 33rd of his career. That ties him with Jared Lawrence for 11th in program history and puts him one shy of cracking the top 10. At 174, Storley won all three of his matches in different fashions, racking up a technical fall, a decision and a major decision (respectively) on his way to the title. Finally, at 197, Schiller finished 4-0 with two major decisions and a pin. The second of those victories marked a career milestone for Schiller as it represented his 100th win for the Maroon and Gold. He joins teammate Storley in surpassing the 100-win mark this season after Storley did so at the Cliff Keen Invitational earlier this month.
In addition to the six individual champions, the Gophers also had a pair of wrestlers place second, Brandon Kingsley at 165 and No. 11 Brett Pfarr at 184, and a three more finish third: Jordan Bremer at 125, No. 18 Nick Wanzek at 165 and No. 12 Michael Kroells at 285.
A full listing of match results for each Gopher wrestler appears below.
After enjoying the sun and beaches in the Aloha State for a few more days, the Gophers will return home and begin preparing for their next competition, a Big Ten dual on Friday, January 9 at 8 p.m. CT against No. 17 Michigan at the Sports Pavilion. That dual will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network and will also be available on the BTN2Go app.
As always, to stay updated on the latest news around the Gopher Wrestling program, regularly check back here on GopherSports.com and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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