Gophers wrestlers walk off Nebraska 19-13

The Gophers' dual wrestling meet against Nebraska came down to the final match.

In the only match this night pitting two wrestlers both ranked in the top five, Brayton Lee of the Gophers prevailed 4-0 over Peyton Robb at 157 pounds, thereby giving Minnesota a 19-13 victory over the Cornhuskers on Friday night at Maturi Pavilion.

The No. 14 Gophers (3-2, 2-1 Big Ten) won six of the 10 matches.

Lee, ranked No. 4, and No. 5 Robb, a sophomore from Owatonna, Minn., were tied 0-0 through two periods. But then Lee, a junior from Brownsburg, Ind., got a quick takedown in the third and later had an escape. Riding time gave him a fourth point. With the win, he improved to 13-0. Robb fell to 7-4.

Nebraska (3-2, 1-1) had beaten the Gophers in the past five duals. And this one was tight, tied 6-6 through four matches.

Gable Steveson, the Olympic champion and nation's No. 1 heavyweight, broke the tie with a 18-6 major decision over No. 11 Christian Lance. Patrick McKee and Jake Glive followed with wins at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively, to give Minnesota a 16-6 lead. Nebraska then won the next two matches and it was 16-13 and all up to the last match.

Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck hired Brick Haley to be the team's defensive line coach Friday, gaining the experience Haley has coaching more than 30 years at Missouri, LSU, Texas, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech and with the NFL's Chicago Bears.

Haley is joining a Gophers team that had the nation's sixth-best scoring defense (17.3 points per game) last season under defensive coordinator Joe Rossi.

Joe Christensen

The University of Minnesota system announced Friday it will put in place a temporary vaccination requirement to attend indoor events on all of its campuses.

Spectators will have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative, third-party COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event.

That will include athletic contests with more than 200 fans in attendance for the Gophers, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota Crookston and Minnesota Morris.

The university is not following the Minneapolis vaccination requirement mandate — because it is independent of city ordinances — but the rules for anyone over the age of 5 are the same.

As of now, the mandate is scheduled to be in place only from Jan. 26 through Feb. 9. The policy will apply to men's and women's basketball, men's and women's hockey, swimming and diving, tennis and track and field.

"Whatever is going to keep us safest, I'm for," Gophers women's basketball coach Lindsay Whalen said. "I support the decision and just hope we stay as safe as possible."

Minnesota's indoor mask or face-covering mandate also remains in effect for all home athletic indoor events.

Joe Christensen

Iowa has been added to the competition after the Hawkeyes' meet with Georgia the same day was postponed because of COVID-19 protocols within the Bulldogs' program.

The Bruins are No. 8 in the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association's preseason coaches poll, the Gophers No. 9 and Iowa No. 18.