The Golden Gopher wrestling team has announced that senior Matt Nagel and junior Cole Konrad have been named captains for the 2005-06 season. Nagel and Konrad will lead a Minnesota team that returns three All-Americans and seven starters from a year ago.
Matt NagelNagel became a first-time All-American in 2005 with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He was named the team's most improved wrestler after compiling a 31-15 record. More impressive, 29 of his 46 matches on the year came against wrestlers that qualified for the NCAA Championships. A three-year letterwinner, Nagel finished with a 5-3 record in conference dual meets and placed a career-best third at the Big Ten Championships.
Cole KonradKonrad is a two-time All-American heavyweight for the Golden Gophers. Last season as a sophomore, Konrad won a Big Ten title and finished second at the NCAA Championships. Konrad finished the 2005 season with a 41-3 record, the fourth-highest win total in school history. In just two seasons, Konrad has a 79-13 career record. His 79 wins are the most by a Golden Gopher in back-to-back season since Dan Zilverberg's 88 victories from 1978-80.
Minnesota begins the season at the Bison Open on Nov. 12. The Golden Gophers open their dual meet season on Dec. 2 at Northern Iowa.
