LINCOLN, NEB. – Gophers wrestler Gable Steveson won his third Big Ten heavyweight without breaking a sweat.
Gophers' Gable Steveson wins third Big Ten championship via forfeit
The heavyweight did not get a chance to face Iowa's Tony Cassioppi.
March 7, 2022 at 1:59PM
The Olympic gold medalist from Apple Valley received a standing ovation Sunday at the Big Ten wrestling meet after his scheduled final opponent, Iowa junior Tony Cassioppi, took a medical forfeit.
Michigan won the program's first Big Ten title and 12th overall, finishing with a team score of 143, edging Penn State, which had 141.5. The Gophers finished sixth with 77.5 points.
Steveson is the seventh Gophers wrestler to win at least three Big Ten championships, and the first since fellow heavyweight Tony Nelson (2012-14). Steveson was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, an award given to the conference's best wrestler each season as voted on by coaches.
He will be one of eight Gophers to wrestle in the NCAA meet, which begins March 17 in Detroit.
Two other Gophers wrestlers finished in third place Sunday. Patrick McKee beat Northwestern's Mike DeAugustino 3-1 at 125 pounds, extending his consolation winning streak to 10 dating to last year's NCAA championships. Jake Bergeland defeated Michigan's Stevan Micic 4-0 to finish in third at 141.
Michael Blockhus also won via medical forfeit to finish in fifth place at 149. Other Gophers headed to Detroit include Cael Carlson (seventh place, 165), Jake Gliva (eighth, 133), Isaiah Salazar (eighth, 184) and Michial Foy (11th, 197).
No. 3 Michigan State scored the final four goals and rallied past top-ranked Minnesota for a 5-3 victory.
