Division I, II, and III schools get set for NWCA National Duals this weekend in Columbus, Ohio
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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
01/16/2002
You name it, the Minnesota Gophers won it last year. The National Duals, the Big Ten and their first-ever NCAA championship. They were the first college wrestling champions invited to the White House. The Gophers returned 8 of their record-setting 10 All-Americans from last year's title team. Minnesota is ranked No. 1 and is unbeaten in dual meets this year, but Gophers coach J Robinson is far from satisfied from where his team is at right now. Minnesota struggled to a third-place finish at the Midlands last month. The Gophers were not at full strength, but Robinson is not making any excuses. "Our guys weren't ready to wrestle at the Midlands," Robinson said. "It was an eye-opener for us - we needed a meet like that. Ten guys won the national title for us last year, but now you start all over again this year. That is lost sometimes in all the praise and adulation we have received. "We were not as intense as I would like us to be at the Midlands and we need to do the little things better." The intensity level definitely will be high at this weekend's National Duals on Saturday and Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. For the first time, NCAA Division I, II and III teams will all be together at the same venue for the National Duals. There will be 16 teams in each division competing for three national titles. The Gophers are the favorite in Division I and already own a win over No. 2 Oklahoma State, but Robinson knows everybody will be looking to knock off the nation's top-ranked team. "I am excited to see where we are," Robinson said. "This is a good measuring stick to help us get ready for the end of the season." All 10 Minnesota wrestlers are ranked in the top eight. Oklahoma State is coming off a big road win over No. 5 Iowa. The Cowboys won 21-15 last Friday in Iowa City. Both teams won five matches, but Oklahoma State recorded two falls to earn the victory. Minnesota beat Oklahoma State 20-12 in the finals of last year's National Duals. One team nobody is overlooking is Iowa. The Hawkeyes have won this event three times, placed second three times and placed third five times. "We are looking forward to the National Duals," Iowa coach Jim Zalesky said. "All the top teams will be there, so it will be a good test to see where we are at and what we need to do in the next two months to get ready for the NCAA Championships." Third-ranked Oklahoma and fourth-ranked Michigan also expect to be in title contention. Barring an upset, the Wolverines will face Big Ten rival Iowa in the quarterfinals. In addition to the team race, everybody will be watching Iowa State senior Cael Sanderson. The remarkable Sanderson, seeking to become the first wrestler in NCAA history to be an unbeaten four-time national champion, is 138-0 in his career. Sanderson is 19-0 this year after moving up a weight class to 197 pounds. He has scored bonus points in every match but one this season. Like Minnesota, North Dakota State won both the National Duals and NCAA titles last season. The Bison, top-ranked in Division II, are the favorite to win the Division II portion of the National Duals. NDSU coach Bucky Maughan's team is loaded once again, led by returning national champions Todd Fuller (174) and Nick Severson (heavyweight). Even though they are ranked No. 1, the Bison appear to be on the tougher side of the bracket that includes No. 4 Nebraska-Omaha and No. 5 Pitt-Johnstown. "There are three really good teams on the top bracket," Maughan said. "The two best teams are on the same side of the bracket with us and Omaha." Nebraska-Omaha was ranked third before Ashland (Ohio) moved past the Mavericks in last week's national poll. Ashland is on the bottom of the bracket with No. 2 Central Oklahoma. "I don't understand why they dropped Omaha to fourth," Maughan said. Maughan's team has won the last two NCAA tournament titles in Division II. "We have the potential to be as good as we were last year," Maughan said. "We want to make sure we are peaking again by conference and nationals." Nebraska-Omaha, which won the 1997 National Duals, is coming off an impressive 37-6 win over No. 7 South Dakota State last Saturday. "We wrestled with some fire, our guys got after it," UNO coach Mike Denney said. "Now we know what we are capable of doing. We just have to develop some consistency." Denney said he likes the idea of having all three divisions at the same venue. "I think it is an incredible concept," Denney said. "We are excited and really looking forward to the event." In Division III, top-ranked Augsburg and No. 2 Wartburg College lead the way.