We did very well this weekend at the U20 and U23 U.S. World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio!! We got two current Gophers on the U23 teams, Michial Foy on the Greco-Roman team and Aaron Nagao on the Freestyle team.
Also doing well today in U23 Freestyle were Jake Gliva (2nd), Garrett Joles (3rd), Drew Roberts (4th) and Michial Foy (8th).
In the U20 Freestyle, three incoming MN recruits did well as 2022 Troy Spratley took 2nd (he should have won, not aggressive enough), 2022 Tagen Jamison took 4th, and 2023 #1 overall Cody Chittum took 3rd.
And remember, we also have 2023 Max MacEnelly who won a U17 Freestyle title in April and will be on that (Cadet) team!!
Also AA Jake Bergeland (7th this year) just announced that he is returning for his last year of eligibility!! This is excellent as it just adds to the very deep group of starters and high powered younger guys that will be wrestling for us later this year!!!
Last year when it looked like Aaron Nagao would start at 133 and Andrew Sparks would be back at 165, I thought we might be set-up for a stellar year. But, Nagao was redshirted and Sparks stayed out most of the year and will likely get a medical exemption. So now our 2022-23 year is really shaping up well and we should be very good!!
I'm getting very excited about this!!!
Here are the articles on the U20/U23 Team Trials along with an article on Jake Bergeland's return, all from Gophersports.com:
Gophersports.com
Wrestling
6/2/2022
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota wrestling program will be well represented in Geneva, Ohio this weekend, as a total of 18 Gophers will be competing in the U20 and U23 World Team Trials this weekend at the Spire Institute.
The group of Gophers will be headlined by three returning starters from last year's team, including Cael Carlson and Michial Foy who will be pulling double duty this weekend, as they are registered for both Greco-Roman and Freestyle competition this weekend.
The Gophers will have three competitors competing in the U20 division, Blaine Brenner, Gabe Nagel, and Bennett Tabor, while the remaining 15 competitors will compete in the U23 division. All athletes will be representing Gopher Wrestling Club, Minnesota's resident RTC program.
Action begins on Friday, June 3 with Greco-Roman competition and will continue through Sunday evening as freestyle competition will conclude on June 5. All tournament coverage will be broadcasted on FloWrestling, while fans can follow along to live results on Twitter at @GopherWrestlingClub.
U23 Greco-Roman Roster
77kg - Cael Carlson
87kg - Michial Foy
U20 Freestyle Roster
70kg - Blaine Brenner
97kg - Gabe Nagel
125kg - Bennett Tabor
U23 Freestyle Roster
61kg - Aaron Nagao
61kg - Jager Eisch
61kg - Jake Gliva
65kg - Vance VomBaur
65kg - Theo Cha
70kg - Sebas Swiggum
70kg - Ben Lunn
70kg - Drew Roberts
74kg - Nathan Fuller
79kg - Cael Carlson
79kg - Jared Krattiger
86kg - Sam Skillings
86kg - Michial Foy
92kg - Garrett Joles
125kg - Keaton Kluever
Gophersports.com
Wrestling
6/5/2022
Geneva, Ohio - A successful weekend of wrestling at the U23 World Team Trials saw a pair of Gophers qualify for the U23 World Championships, as both Michial Foy and Aaron Nagao won their brackets to earn a World Team spot.
Action got underway on Friday morning with Greco-Roman competition, as Michial Foy won his weight class at 87-kilograms to earn his spot on the U23 World Team. Foy, who was a late addition to the 87kg field, started the day with a trio of wins to reach the best-of-3 finals against Vincent Baker, including a technical fall in the quarterfinals and a fall over the top-seed in the semifinals.
In the finals against Baker, Foy would fall in match one by a score of 5-3 but would concede a point the rest of the way, sweeping the final two matches with a pair of dominant 8-0 technical falls en route to the gold medal at 87-kilograms.
Action would continue through Saturday and Sunday with freestyle competition, with Aaron Nagao and Jake Gliva highlighting the weekend as the Gopher teammates each rolled through the 61 kilogram bracket to meet each other in the best-of-3 finals with a World Team spot on the line. Both guys went a combined 11-0 en route to the finals series, with each wrestler earning some notable wins throughout the tournament. Nagao would defeat a pair of NCAA qualifiers in Brody Teske (Northern Iowa) and Dylan Shawver (Rutgers), while Gliva would earn three straight wins against Jace Koelzer (Northern Colorado), Julian Chlebove (Arizona State), and Julian Tagg (South Dakota State).
As the 61-kilogram finals got underway, it was Aaron Nagao who got the best of his fellow Gopher teammate, earning a 12-2 technical fall in match one, followed by a 13-6 win in match two to secure his spot on the world team.
While both Foy and Nagao won their World Team Trials brackets this weekend, USA Wrestling criteria states that does not automatically guarantee a World Team , as the highest ranked, age eligible, athlete from the 2022 Senior Men's Freestyle National Team (Final X winner, Final X runner-up or 3rd overall senior athlete via the 2022 Senior Men's Freestyle World Team Trials) can opt to take the spot. However in both weight classes, none of the national team members were age-eligible to drop down to the U23 team, allowing both Foy and Nagao the opportunity to make the team this weekend. Now, both men will prepare for the U23 World Championships later this fall, which will take place October 17-23 in Ponte Vedra, Spain.
Other notable Gopher performances this weekend included a trio of freestyle placewinners, with Garrett Joles taking third at 97-kilograms, Drew Roberts placing sixth at 70-kilograms, and Michial Foy pulling double duty on the weekend to take eighth at 86-kilograms.
U20/23 World Team Trials Results (Full Brackets Here)
U23 Greco-Roman
77kg - Cael Carlson: DNP (2-2 Record)
87kg - Michial Foy: Champion (5-1 Record)
U23 Freestyle
61kg - Aaron Nagao: Champion (7-0 Record)
61kg - Jake Gliva: 2nd Place (6-2 Record)
65kg - Jager Eisch: DNP (0-2 Record)
65kg - Theo Cha: DNP (4-2 Record)
65kg - Vance VomBaur: DNP (4-2 Record)
70kg - Drew Roberts: 6th Place (5-3 Record)
70kg - Benn Lunn: DNP (2-2 Record)
70kg - Sebas Swiggum: DNP (4-2 Record)
74kg - Nathan Fuller: DNP (2-2 Record)
86kg - Michial Foy: 8th Place (5-3 Record)
86kg - Jared Krattiger: DNP (3-2 Record)
86kg - Sam Skillings: DNP (3-2 Record)
97kg - Garrett Joles: 3rd Place (4-1 Record)
125kg - Keaton Kluever: DNP (3-2 Record)
U20 Freestyle
70kg - Blaine Brenner: DNP (0-2 Record)
92kg - Gabe Nagel: DNP (1-2 Record)
125kg - Bennett Tabor: DNP (2-2 Record)
Brad Rempel
Gophersports.com
Wrestling
5/24/2022
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota wrestling senior Jake Bergeland has announced that he will elect to return to the program for an additional year of competition next season.
The Hugo, Minn., native will be exercising his extra year of eligibility which was granted under NCAA guidelines due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bergeland was one of the more fascinating stories in all of collegiate wrestling last season, going from relatively unknown to a 2022 NCAA All-American at 141 pounds earlier this March. In his first season as a starter for the Maroon & Gold, Bergeland posted a 25-9 record on the season, including 12 wins over ranked opponents and a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Detroit.
His career marks currently sit at a record of 57-25, with 22 bonus-point victories and a 5-4 record in dual competition.
Now heading into the 2022-23 season, there will be lofty expectations for the sixth-year senior as Bergeland heads into next year as the fourth-highest returning NCAA placewinner and will also be one of the leaders of a deep Golden Gopher program that will return nine starters from a season ago.
Dates and opponents for the 2022-23 season are still yet to be announced.
Also doing well today in U23 Freestyle were Jake Gliva (2nd), Garrett Joles (3rd), Drew Roberts (4th) and Michial Foy (8th).
In the U20 Freestyle, three incoming MN recruits did well as 2022 Troy Spratley took 2nd (he should have won, not aggressive enough), 2022 Tagen Jamison took 4th, and 2023 #1 overall Cody Chittum took 3rd.
And remember, we also have 2023 Max MacEnelly who won a U17 Freestyle title in April and will be on that (Cadet) team!!
Also AA Jake Bergeland (7th this year) just announced that he is returning for his last year of eligibility!! This is excellent as it just adds to the very deep group of starters and high powered younger guys that will be wrestling for us later this year!!!
Last year when it looked like Aaron Nagao would start at 133 and Andrew Sparks would be back at 165, I thought we might be set-up for a stellar year. But, Nagao was redshirted and Sparks stayed out most of the year and will likely get a medical exemption. So now our 2022-23 year is really shaping up well and we should be very good!!
I'm getting very excited about this!!!
Here are the articles on the U20/U23 Team Trials along with an article on Jake Bergeland's return, all from Gophersports.com:
Deep Group of Gophers Heading to U20/U23 World Team Trials
Gophersports.com
Wrestling
6/2/2022
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota wrestling program will be well represented in Geneva, Ohio this weekend, as a total of 18 Gophers will be competing in the U20 and U23 World Team Trials this weekend at the Spire Institute.
The group of Gophers will be headlined by three returning starters from last year's team, including Cael Carlson and Michial Foy who will be pulling double duty this weekend, as they are registered for both Greco-Roman and Freestyle competition this weekend.
The Gophers will have three competitors competing in the U20 division, Blaine Brenner, Gabe Nagel, and Bennett Tabor, while the remaining 15 competitors will compete in the U23 division. All athletes will be representing Gopher Wrestling Club, Minnesota's resident RTC program.
Action begins on Friday, June 3 with Greco-Roman competition and will continue through Sunday evening as freestyle competition will conclude on June 5. All tournament coverage will be broadcasted on FloWrestling, while fans can follow along to live results on Twitter at @GopherWrestlingClub.
U23 Greco-Roman Roster
77kg - Cael Carlson
87kg - Michial Foy
U20 Freestyle Roster
70kg - Blaine Brenner
97kg - Gabe Nagel
125kg - Bennett Tabor
U23 Freestyle Roster
61kg - Aaron Nagao
61kg - Jager Eisch
61kg - Jake Gliva
65kg - Vance VomBaur
65kg - Theo Cha
70kg - Sebas Swiggum
70kg - Ben Lunn
70kg - Drew Roberts
74kg - Nathan Fuller
79kg - Cael Carlson
79kg - Jared Krattiger
86kg - Sam Skillings
86kg - Michial Foy
92kg - Garrett Joles
125kg - Keaton Kluever
Foy, Nagao make World Team as Competition Wraps at U23 World Team Trials
The pair of Gophers will travel to Spain to Represent Team USA later this fall for U23 World Championships
Gophersports.com
Wrestling
6/5/2022
Geneva, Ohio - A successful weekend of wrestling at the U23 World Team Trials saw a pair of Gophers qualify for the U23 World Championships, as both Michial Foy and Aaron Nagao won their brackets to earn a World Team spot.
Action got underway on Friday morning with Greco-Roman competition, as Michial Foy won his weight class at 87-kilograms to earn his spot on the U23 World Team. Foy, who was a late addition to the 87kg field, started the day with a trio of wins to reach the best-of-3 finals against Vincent Baker, including a technical fall in the quarterfinals and a fall over the top-seed in the semifinals.
In the finals against Baker, Foy would fall in match one by a score of 5-3 but would concede a point the rest of the way, sweeping the final two matches with a pair of dominant 8-0 technical falls en route to the gold medal at 87-kilograms.
Action would continue through Saturday and Sunday with freestyle competition, with Aaron Nagao and Jake Gliva highlighting the weekend as the Gopher teammates each rolled through the 61 kilogram bracket to meet each other in the best-of-3 finals with a World Team spot on the line. Both guys went a combined 11-0 en route to the finals series, with each wrestler earning some notable wins throughout the tournament. Nagao would defeat a pair of NCAA qualifiers in Brody Teske (Northern Iowa) and Dylan Shawver (Rutgers), while Gliva would earn three straight wins against Jace Koelzer (Northern Colorado), Julian Chlebove (Arizona State), and Julian Tagg (South Dakota State).
As the 61-kilogram finals got underway, it was Aaron Nagao who got the best of his fellow Gopher teammate, earning a 12-2 technical fall in match one, followed by a 13-6 win in match two to secure his spot on the world team.
While both Foy and Nagao won their World Team Trials brackets this weekend, USA Wrestling criteria states that does not automatically guarantee a World Team , as the highest ranked, age eligible, athlete from the 2022 Senior Men's Freestyle National Team (Final X winner, Final X runner-up or 3rd overall senior athlete via the 2022 Senior Men's Freestyle World Team Trials) can opt to take the spot. However in both weight classes, none of the national team members were age-eligible to drop down to the U23 team, allowing both Foy and Nagao the opportunity to make the team this weekend. Now, both men will prepare for the U23 World Championships later this fall, which will take place October 17-23 in Ponte Vedra, Spain.
Other notable Gopher performances this weekend included a trio of freestyle placewinners, with Garrett Joles taking third at 97-kilograms, Drew Roberts placing sixth at 70-kilograms, and Michial Foy pulling double duty on the weekend to take eighth at 86-kilograms.
U20/23 World Team Trials Results (Full Brackets Here)
U23 Greco-Roman
77kg - Cael Carlson: DNP (2-2 Record)
87kg - Michial Foy: Champion (5-1 Record)
U23 Freestyle
61kg - Aaron Nagao: Champion (7-0 Record)
61kg - Jake Gliva: 2nd Place (6-2 Record)
65kg - Jager Eisch: DNP (0-2 Record)
65kg - Theo Cha: DNP (4-2 Record)
65kg - Vance VomBaur: DNP (4-2 Record)
70kg - Drew Roberts: 6th Place (5-3 Record)
70kg - Benn Lunn: DNP (2-2 Record)
70kg - Sebas Swiggum: DNP (4-2 Record)
74kg - Nathan Fuller: DNP (2-2 Record)
86kg - Michial Foy: 8th Place (5-3 Record)
86kg - Jared Krattiger: DNP (3-2 Record)
86kg - Sam Skillings: DNP (3-2 Record)
97kg - Garrett Joles: 3rd Place (4-1 Record)
125kg - Keaton Kluever: DNP (3-2 Record)
U20 Freestyle
70kg - Blaine Brenner: DNP (0-2 Record)
92kg - Gabe Nagel: DNP (1-2 Record)
125kg - Bennett Tabor: DNP (2-2 Record)
All-American Jake Bergeland Returning to Gophers for 2022-23 Season
The sixth-year senior will look to build on his 7th place finish at NCAA last season in his final year of eligibility
Brad Rempel
Gophersports.com
Wrestling
5/24/2022
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota wrestling senior Jake Bergeland has announced that he will elect to return to the program for an additional year of competition next season.
The Hugo, Minn., native will be exercising his extra year of eligibility which was granted under NCAA guidelines due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bergeland was one of the more fascinating stories in all of collegiate wrestling last season, going from relatively unknown to a 2022 NCAA All-American at 141 pounds earlier this March. In his first season as a starter for the Maroon & Gold, Bergeland posted a 25-9 record on the season, including 12 wins over ranked opponents and a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Detroit.
His career marks currently sit at a record of 57-25, with 22 bonus-point victories and a 5-4 record in dual competition.
Now heading into the 2022-23 season, there will be lofty expectations for the sixth-year senior as Bergeland heads into next year as the fourth-highest returning NCAA placewinner and will also be one of the leaders of a deep Golden Gopher program that will return nine starters from a season ago.
Dates and opponents for the 2022-23 season are still yet to be announced.
