Gable Steveson didn't waste any time feeling sorry for himself after losing in the heavyweight title match at the Big Ten tournament. The Gophers freshman knew if he was going to make the most of his next chance, he needed to move on immediately.
Steveson had 11 days to prepare for this weekend's NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh — and perhaps a rematch against Penn State's Anthony Cassar, who dealt him the first loss of his college career in the Big Ten final at Williams Arena.
After entering the league championships with the top seed and No. 1 ranking, Steveson (30-1) is seeded third at the NCAA meet, behind No. 2 Cassar (25-1) and No. 1 Derek White of Oklahoma State (28-1).
Steveson must win four matches to reach the title bout and would meet Cassar in Friday's semifinals if both advance. That also could set up a rematch with White, whose only loss this season came to Steveson.
The Gophers will send eight wrestlers to the tournament, which runs Thursday through Saturday at PPG Paints Arena. Penn State leads the field with three top-seeded wrestlers, including 174-pounder Mark Hall of Apple Valley, and is favored to win its eighth NCAA team title in the past nine years.
Steveson starts fresh
Steveson, of Apple Valley, has been the nation's top-ranked heavyweight for much of the season. He was favored to win the Big Ten title, but he was not aggressive enough against Cassar, leading to the end of his 30-match win streak.
Cassar, a senior, scored two points on a takedown with 20 seconds remaining to rally for a 4-3 victory. Gophers coach Brandon Eggum hoped the loss would remind Steveson that he has to pursue points rather than play defense. Steveson begins the NCAA tournament Thursday against No. 30 seed Colton McKiernan of Southern Illinois Edwardsville (21-12).
"I told him, 'That's the great thing. You've got a chance now to learn from this and grow from it,' " Eggum said. "Now, you've got to go back, and you've got to earn it."
