Rose Bowl
- By junit3
- Inside Gopher Nation
- 8 Replies
OK, I need to know if I can dream or not?
If the Gophers win the last 4 games, and win the West title, and go to Indy, and somehow win the Big10 Championship, are we automatically in the Rose Bowl?
Please help, I need to know if I should book my airline tickets
If the Gophers win the last 4 games, and win the West title, and go to Indy, and somehow win the Big10 Championship, are we automatically in the Rose Bowl?
Please help, I need to know if I should book my airline tickets
Gopher Wrestling: Articles on Assistant Coaches and other news
- By Unlimited424
- Inside Gopher Nation
- 4 Replies
Gopher Wrestling has some of the best assistant coaches in D1 Wrestling. We had a thread on new Assistant Coach Dustin Schlatter a couple weeks ago, so here's another thread covering the other two main assistants: Head Assistant Coach Luke Becker and Volunteer Assistant Coach Zach Sanders.
These three assistants had quite a history with the Gophers as Becker was a 4x AA and a Natty Champ, Schlatter was a 3x AA and a Natty Champ, and Zach Sanders was a 4x AA. Not bad for three top assistants!! And this high level of achievement continues with the 3 Administrative Assistants on staff as Jayson Ness was a 4x AA, a Natty Champ and the Hodge Trophy winner (College Wrestler of the Year!), his younger brother Dylan Ness was a 4x AA, and Tony Nelson was a 4x AA and 2x Natty Champ!!
Show me another school that has 6 Assistant Coaches with this elite level of achievement. Not possible...as I don't think it exists!!!
Other news:
- Brett Pfarr is wrestling in the prestigious NWCA All Star Classic on Friday Nov. 5th at 6pm CT streamed live on TrackWrestling.com.
- Gopher Wrestling has its first action of the new season at the Daktronics Open in Brookings, SD on Sun. Nov. 6th. It's an all day tournament with SDSU, NE, ASU, MN and others and it will be streamed live on FloWrestling.com. I will do a thread on this tournament later this week as it's a really great event to start the year! Tune in, or drive on over to SDSU to help support our team.
Here are the articles on Zach Sanders and Luke Becker:
Get to Know Zach Sanders
One of just 10 four-time All-Americans in program history, Sanders brings a track record of consistent success to the Gophers' volunteer assistant position
Gophersports.com
Oct. 24, 2016
Minnesota has been a national wrestling powerhouse for essentially all of Zach Sanders' life. Growing up in Wabasha, Minn., about two hours southeast of the U of M along the Mississippi River, Sanders always dreamed of donning the Maroon singlet for his hometown school.
"As a kid growing up in Minnesota, wrestling for the Gophers was the goal. I wanted to be a part of it because this is something special," said Sanders. "I knew all the Gopher wrestlers. I watched them at the state high school tournament, all the Minnesota guys at least. I was just around wrestling and around Gopher wrestling constantly growing up."
As a junior wrestler, Sanders made frequent trips up Highway 61 from Wabasha to watch the Gopher dual meets or to train in the Minnesota wrestling room during the summer club season. He became friends with some of the state's other elite wrestlers when he was younger, multiple-time All-Americans like Jayson Ness and Mike Thorn. The three would later get the chance to wrestle together in Dinkytown, transforming from young wrestlers who idolized collegiate stars to the collegiate stars young wrestlers idolized.
"It was pretty special that we all had the chance to come here and wrestle on the same team," said Sanders.
Sanders' Gopher career remains one of the most-decorated in program history. While 17 different Gophers have won individual national championships, only 10 Gophers have earned All-America honors four times in their careers. Sanders is one of these rare four-timers.
"You can write that as a goal, be a four-time All-American, but it's not like you think about it," said Sanders. "Each year you're trying to be as good as you can. That's the goal. It's never a `I have to be a four-time All-American' thing. It's more like `Let's see how good we can be,' type of thing."
That genuine curiosity about his personal ceiling, and a willingness to invest the time and effort needed, helped Sanders accomplish all that he did as a Gopher.
"I was just so excited every single day walking down those stairs for practice. I enjoyed the process," said Sanders. "I wanted to get pushed every day. Even if I knew it was going to be a tough day, I looked forward to it. Practice was the best time of the day. I embraced it and tried to be my best every day."
Since graduating in 2012 following a third-place performance at the NCAA Championships, Sanders has stayed close to his alma mater by serving as a graduate assistant for the program while training and competing in freestyle on both the national and international level. His Minnesota pride and competitive spirit made him a natural fit for the volunteer assistant coach position on this year's staff, a spot vacated when Dustin Schlatter was promoted to assistant coach this year. Just as he did during his time as a Gopher wrestler, Sanders brings enthusiasm, effort and a competitive spirit to the wrestling room as a Gopher coach.
"I ready to go every day when I come here and work out with the guys. Get up early in the morning to work out? That's what I like to do. I'm up the night before planning what I want to show the guys or where they have been struggling because it's all about progress. I have been through it, so I feel like I can contribute a lot of things that I learned along the way and pass it on to them. I have a lot of pride for being a part of this program. I couldn't imagine doing anything else, or doing it anywhere else, honestly."
Get to Know Luke Becker
A national champion wrestler and coach, Becker sees potential to accomplish more at his home state school
Gophersports.com
Sept. 16, 2016
Luke Becker came to the Gopher program as one of the most prized high school recruits in the country. The three-time state champion amassed 210 career wins at Cambridge-Isanti (Minn.) High School were the most in Minnesota state history to that point and the Gopher staff expected him to compete for a starting position immediately after his redshirt season.
“Minnesota was on the rise. There were a lot of good things happening here when they began recruiting me,” said Becker. Though staying at home may have added pressure to perform, Becker embraced it. “Being able to stay home and wrestle for your home state and help build something great, that was exciting for me.”
Not only did Becker compete for and win that position, he quickly established himself as one of the best 157-pounders in the nation. Becker finished sixth as a redshirt freshman, earning All-America recognition. That podium finish, which would be the highlight of many collegiate careers, was just a starting point for Becker.
Becker added a fourth-place finish the following season before reaching the very top of his weight class in 2002, winning an individual Big Ten title before earning the national title to help Minnesota capture its second straight National Championship.
“Obviously 2001 was unbelievable, to win a national title and to win it the way we did with 10 All-Americans. In 2002, it wasn’t just about finding a way to win that first title anymore. It went from focusing on winning the title as a team to guys winning individuals titles. We had the talent and we knew the team thing would take care of itself. It’s pretty amazing what we were able to do, when you look back it,” said Becker.
After adding a second Big Ten title in 2003, Becker made it a perfect four-for-four at NCAAs, picking up his fourth All-America finish as a senior. Becker and teammate Jared Lawrence graduated as the first four-time All-Americans to win individual national titles in program history.
In addition to his celebrated individual resume, Becker contributed to some of the most legendary teams in the history of Gopher Wrestling. He wrestled for back-to-back-to-back Big Ten Championships teams (2001-03) and also played a major role in the program’s first two national titles (2001, 2002).
“I think some of our success can be attributed the class of Tim Hartung, Chad Kraft, Brandon Eggum, those guys. They built this thing and helped us realize that winning national titles was possible,” said Becker. “Things didn’t quite turn out for them as a team, but our success was because of them. They set the stage for us and we took it from there.”
Even today, more than a decade after his last match for the Gophers, several of Becker’s career marks remain among the best ever for a Minnesota wrestler, including his 126 wins, 60 dual wins and 29 pins.
Becker immediately joined the Gopher staff following graduation and has worked his way up to his current head assistant coach position over the course of the past 14 years. He began as the team’s marketing and promotions coordinator before becoming a volunteer head coach and then an assistant coach for the previous seven seasons.
“When I tell people about our program, I’m not just telling them what I’ve been told. I’ve lived through it,” said Becker. “From a freshman, to a senior, to a grad assistant, to a volunteer, to an assistant, I’ve worked through the ranks. I know this program and I know what it means to the state of Minnesota.”
Since taking on a coaching role with the program, Becker has coached 18 different All-Americans, a collective that has claimed 41 All-America finishes at the national tournament. That stable also won six individual conference titles and three National Championships.
As a wrestler, Becker was an integral piece on some of the greatest teams the Gophers have ever put on the mat. As a coach, he’s continued that legacy by helping train some of the latest Gopher legends. Looking ahead, he sees the opportunity to do so much more.
“I love the University of Minnesota. I love coaching, but I love coaching here. This is where I want to be,” said Becker. “There’s something special about this place. It’s exciting to spend every day in the room working with guys who want to get us back to the top again.”
These three assistants had quite a history with the Gophers as Becker was a 4x AA and a Natty Champ, Schlatter was a 3x AA and a Natty Champ, and Zach Sanders was a 4x AA. Not bad for three top assistants!! And this high level of achievement continues with the 3 Administrative Assistants on staff as Jayson Ness was a 4x AA, a Natty Champ and the Hodge Trophy winner (College Wrestler of the Year!), his younger brother Dylan Ness was a 4x AA, and Tony Nelson was a 4x AA and 2x Natty Champ!!
Show me another school that has 6 Assistant Coaches with this elite level of achievement. Not possible...as I don't think it exists!!!
Other news:
- Brett Pfarr is wrestling in the prestigious NWCA All Star Classic on Friday Nov. 5th at 6pm CT streamed live on TrackWrestling.com.
- Gopher Wrestling has its first action of the new season at the Daktronics Open in Brookings, SD on Sun. Nov. 6th. It's an all day tournament with SDSU, NE, ASU, MN and others and it will be streamed live on FloWrestling.com. I will do a thread on this tournament later this week as it's a really great event to start the year! Tune in, or drive on over to SDSU to help support our team.
Here are the articles on Zach Sanders and Luke Becker:
Get to Know Zach Sanders
One of just 10 four-time All-Americans in program history, Sanders brings a track record of consistent success to the Gophers' volunteer assistant position
Gophersports.com
Oct. 24, 2016
Minnesota has been a national wrestling powerhouse for essentially all of Zach Sanders' life. Growing up in Wabasha, Minn., about two hours southeast of the U of M along the Mississippi River, Sanders always dreamed of donning the Maroon singlet for his hometown school.
"As a kid growing up in Minnesota, wrestling for the Gophers was the goal. I wanted to be a part of it because this is something special," said Sanders. "I knew all the Gopher wrestlers. I watched them at the state high school tournament, all the Minnesota guys at least. I was just around wrestling and around Gopher wrestling constantly growing up."
As a junior wrestler, Sanders made frequent trips up Highway 61 from Wabasha to watch the Gopher dual meets or to train in the Minnesota wrestling room during the summer club season. He became friends with some of the state's other elite wrestlers when he was younger, multiple-time All-Americans like Jayson Ness and Mike Thorn. The three would later get the chance to wrestle together in Dinkytown, transforming from young wrestlers who idolized collegiate stars to the collegiate stars young wrestlers idolized.
"It was pretty special that we all had the chance to come here and wrestle on the same team," said Sanders.
Sanders' Gopher career remains one of the most-decorated in program history. While 17 different Gophers have won individual national championships, only 10 Gophers have earned All-America honors four times in their careers. Sanders is one of these rare four-timers.
"You can write that as a goal, be a four-time All-American, but it's not like you think about it," said Sanders. "Each year you're trying to be as good as you can. That's the goal. It's never a `I have to be a four-time All-American' thing. It's more like `Let's see how good we can be,' type of thing."
That genuine curiosity about his personal ceiling, and a willingness to invest the time and effort needed, helped Sanders accomplish all that he did as a Gopher.
"I was just so excited every single day walking down those stairs for practice. I enjoyed the process," said Sanders. "I wanted to get pushed every day. Even if I knew it was going to be a tough day, I looked forward to it. Practice was the best time of the day. I embraced it and tried to be my best every day."
Since graduating in 2012 following a third-place performance at the NCAA Championships, Sanders has stayed close to his alma mater by serving as a graduate assistant for the program while training and competing in freestyle on both the national and international level. His Minnesota pride and competitive spirit made him a natural fit for the volunteer assistant coach position on this year's staff, a spot vacated when Dustin Schlatter was promoted to assistant coach this year. Just as he did during his time as a Gopher wrestler, Sanders brings enthusiasm, effort and a competitive spirit to the wrestling room as a Gopher coach.
"I ready to go every day when I come here and work out with the guys. Get up early in the morning to work out? That's what I like to do. I'm up the night before planning what I want to show the guys or where they have been struggling because it's all about progress. I have been through it, so I feel like I can contribute a lot of things that I learned along the way and pass it on to them. I have a lot of pride for being a part of this program. I couldn't imagine doing anything else, or doing it anywhere else, honestly."
Get to Know Luke Becker
A national champion wrestler and coach, Becker sees potential to accomplish more at his home state school
Gophersports.com
Sept. 16, 2016
Luke Becker came to the Gopher program as one of the most prized high school recruits in the country. The three-time state champion amassed 210 career wins at Cambridge-Isanti (Minn.) High School were the most in Minnesota state history to that point and the Gopher staff expected him to compete for a starting position immediately after his redshirt season.
“Minnesota was on the rise. There were a lot of good things happening here when they began recruiting me,” said Becker. Though staying at home may have added pressure to perform, Becker embraced it. “Being able to stay home and wrestle for your home state and help build something great, that was exciting for me.”
Not only did Becker compete for and win that position, he quickly established himself as one of the best 157-pounders in the nation. Becker finished sixth as a redshirt freshman, earning All-America recognition. That podium finish, which would be the highlight of many collegiate careers, was just a starting point for Becker.
Becker added a fourth-place finish the following season before reaching the very top of his weight class in 2002, winning an individual Big Ten title before earning the national title to help Minnesota capture its second straight National Championship.
“Obviously 2001 was unbelievable, to win a national title and to win it the way we did with 10 All-Americans. In 2002, it wasn’t just about finding a way to win that first title anymore. It went from focusing on winning the title as a team to guys winning individuals titles. We had the talent and we knew the team thing would take care of itself. It’s pretty amazing what we were able to do, when you look back it,” said Becker.
After adding a second Big Ten title in 2003, Becker made it a perfect four-for-four at NCAAs, picking up his fourth All-America finish as a senior. Becker and teammate Jared Lawrence graduated as the first four-time All-Americans to win individual national titles in program history.
In addition to his celebrated individual resume, Becker contributed to some of the most legendary teams in the history of Gopher Wrestling. He wrestled for back-to-back-to-back Big Ten Championships teams (2001-03) and also played a major role in the program’s first two national titles (2001, 2002).
“I think some of our success can be attributed the class of Tim Hartung, Chad Kraft, Brandon Eggum, those guys. They built this thing and helped us realize that winning national titles was possible,” said Becker. “Things didn’t quite turn out for them as a team, but our success was because of them. They set the stage for us and we took it from there.”
Even today, more than a decade after his last match for the Gophers, several of Becker’s career marks remain among the best ever for a Minnesota wrestler, including his 126 wins, 60 dual wins and 29 pins.
Becker immediately joined the Gopher staff following graduation and has worked his way up to his current head assistant coach position over the course of the past 14 years. He began as the team’s marketing and promotions coordinator before becoming a volunteer head coach and then an assistant coach for the previous seven seasons.
“When I tell people about our program, I’m not just telling them what I’ve been told. I’ve lived through it,” said Becker. “From a freshman, to a senior, to a grad assistant, to a volunteer, to an assistant, I’ve worked through the ranks. I know this program and I know what it means to the state of Minnesota.”
Since taking on a coaching role with the program, Becker has coached 18 different All-Americans, a collective that has claimed 41 All-America finishes at the national tournament. That stable also won six individual conference titles and three National Championships.
As a wrestler, Becker was an integral piece on some of the greatest teams the Gophers have ever put on the mat. As a coach, he’s continued that legacy by helping train some of the latest Gopher legends. Looking ahead, he sees the opportunity to do so much more.
“I love the University of Minnesota. I love coaching, but I love coaching here. This is where I want to be,” said Becker. “There’s something special about this place. It’s exciting to spend every day in the room working with guys who want to get us back to the top again.”
