After losing three straight matches, the Gophers won the last two of 10 to edge host Wisconsin 19-15 on Saturday afternoon in Big Ten wrestling.
No. 9 Minnesota (12-3, 5-3 conference) took a 16-15 lead on Aaron Nagao's 5-1 decision over Taylor LaMont at 133 pounds. And Jake Bergeland clinched the outcome by beating Joseph Zargo 1-0 at 141 pounds. The only point came at the start of the second period when Zargo let Bergeland escape.
Other Gophers who won their matches in the team's final dual match of the regular season were Michael Blockhus, who got a pin at 1:05 of the third period at 149 pounds to give the visitors a 6-0 lead. Bailee O'Reilly had a 14-4 major decision at 174 and Sam Skillings won 11-4 at 184.
The loss dropped the Badgers, who won five matches as the Gophers did but didn't get any bonus points, to 7-8, 1-7.
Shuster, Peterson win national curling titles
Olympic skips John Shuster and Tabitha Peterson led their Minnesota-based teams to national titles Saturday, winning the men's and women's crowns at the USA Curling national championships in Denver.
Shuster, a five-time Olympian and 2018 Winter Games gold medalist, won his sixth U.S. title as a skip and ninth overall. The Chisholm native's team — which includes Chris Plys and John Landsteiner of Duluth, and Matt Hamilton of McFarland, Wis. — defeated Team Daniel Casper 8-3 in the finals. Team Shuster jumped out to a 3-0 lead and locked up the title with three points in the eighth end.
Peterson, an Eagan native and two-time Olympian, finished the tournament with a 9-0 record after beating Team Delaney Strouse 8-5 in the finals. Her team, which includes Tara Peterson of Eagan, Cory Thiesse of Duluth and Becca Hamilton of McFarland, Wis., broke a 5-5 tie in the title match with three points in the ninth end.
Team Shuster and Team Peterson will represent the U.S. at the world championships later this spring. The women's worlds are March 18-26 in Sandviken, Sweden, while the men's are April 1-9 in Ottawa, Canada.
