MN added 4x WI State Champion Dawson Johnson to their 2024 Signing Class yesterday!!
And 3 other 2024 MN Signees won State Titles last Saturday, including Koy Hopke (his 4th), Charlie Millard (his 2nd), and Wyatt Duchateau (his 3rd)!!!
Finally, Andrew Sparks won a title at the Patriot's Open in Fairfax, VA. Sparks won over Sam Skillings, so he will be our NCAA 174# Qualifier!!
It's only 9 days until the B1G Wrestling Tournament,
so we're almost there!!!
Here are articles on these recent events from Gophersports.com:
Gopher Wrestling Adds Dawson Johnson to Signing Class
Gophersports.com
2/27/2024
Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota wrestling added another member to its
2024 signing class Tuesday with the addition of Dawson Johnson, who signed a letter of acceptance with the
Golden Gophers
Johnson attends Cumberland High School in Cumberland, Wis., and recently claimed his
fourth state championship, as he won the DIII, 138-pound title to cap an undefeated senior season at 58-0. According to
news reports, he is now just the 29th wrestler in Wisconsin history to win four individual state titles. Last season, Johnson took home the crown at 126 pounds after winning at 120 pounds as a sophomore and 106 pounds as a freshman.
"We are excited to formally announce the addition of Dawson Johnson to our program," Minnesota head coach
Brandon Eggum said. "He's a four-time state champion that loves to compete. He is a very dedicated and hard-working individual that will fit in well with our team."
Johnson, who also was undefeated as a sophomore, finished his high school career with a record of 178-3. He was ranked 14th in the state by WIWrestle in its most recent pound-for-pound rankings, while MatScouts had Johnson ranked No. 177 on its 2024 Big Board.
Four Wrestling Signees Win State Titles
Gophersports.com
2/24/2024
Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS – Four of Minnesota wrestling's
signees claimed titles at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Wrestling Championships in Madison, Wis., on Saturday.
After winning at 145 pounds last season and 132 as a sophomore, Wyatt Duchateau of Arrowhead High School became a three-time state champion after he took home the Division I, 150-pound title. Duchateau pinned each of his first two opponents in under a minute before posting an 8-1 decision in the semifinals. He then capped his senior season with a 10-5 victory in the finals.
Charlie Millard of Homestead High School made it back-to-back state championships for himself as he grabbed the DI, 157-pound title a year after winning at 160. Millard opened competition with a pin in 32 seconds Thursday before reaching the semifinals via medical forfeit. A 17-5 major decision advanced him to the finals where he posted a 9-3 decision.
Pinning each opponent along the way, Koy Hopke claimed his fourth state title for Amery High School. Hopke needed 2:24 to advance out of the quarterfinals for the DII, 285-pound championship, while the semifinals and finals were both decided in just 49 seconds. In total, Hopke was on the mat for 4:02 across three matches in the entire state tournament.
Minnesota's newest addition to the class, Dawson Johnson, joined Hopke in winning his fourth state title. Wrestling for Cumberland High School, Johnson completed an undefeated season with a DIII title at 138 pounds. Johnson entered with a 55-0 record on the year and breezed through his first two matches with a pair of pins. In the finals, he walked away with a 7-2 decision.
The Golden Gophers' other signee from the state of Wisconsin, Silas Dailey of Plymouth High School, was a finalist for the DII, 190-pound title.
Sparks Takes Title at Patriots Last Chance Open
Gophersports.com
2/26/2024
Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS -- In one final tuneup before the Big Ten Championships, March 9-10, Gophers senior
Andrew Sparks took home the title at the Patriots Last Chance Open in Fairfax, Va., Sunday.
Sparks and redshirt junior
Sam Skillings both competed at 174 pounds for Minnesota with Sparks taking home the title with a 3-0 record, while Skillings was second with a 2-1 mark.
The first match of the round-robin tournament began with Sparks and Skillings squaring off with one another. Skillings got an escape in the second period, while Sparks had one of his own plus a takedown in the third period to prevail 4-1.
In the second round, Sparks scored a 17-4 major decision over Logan Messer of George Mason, and Skillings pinned Drexel's George Rhodes at the 5:55 mark.
Sparks wrapped up his undefeated day with a pin of Rhodes at 2:04, while Skillings tallied his own major decision over Messer, 9-1.
minnesota.rivals.com
