The Gophers will wrestle Penn State, the four-time defending NCAA champion, at 1 p.m. Sunday in University Park, Pa.
Minnesota is the favorite. The Gophers (9-0, 5-0) are rated No. 1 in the latest InterMat dual-meet rankings while the Nittany Lions (8-1, 4-1) are No. 6. They lost at Ohio State 22-15 two weeks ago.
Despite Penn State's recent success in national tournaments, the Gophers are 11-0-1 against them in their past 12 meetings, including an 18-17 upset win last Feb. 8 at the Sports Pavilion. The last PSU win in the series was in February of 1998.
The Gophers have three wrestlers rated No. 1 at their respective weight: Chris Dardanes at 133 pounds, Dylan Ness at 157 and Scott Schiller at 197.
Penn State's highest-rated wrestlers are Matt Brown, fourth at 174 — his likely opponent is No. 3 Logan Storley; Morgan McIntosh, sixth at 197, and Jimmy Lawson, sixth at heavyweight.
The Gophers have won 16 dual meets in a row going back to last season.
U tennis teams fall
The Gophers men's tennis team lost to No. 9 Texas 4-1 on Saturday in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend in Austin, Texas. Minnesota (2-1) won the double competition for one point, but lost the first four completed singles matches. Leandro Toledo and Felix Corwin won 6-4 at second singles and Eric Frueh and Matic Spec won 7-6 (6) at third singles. Toledo, rated No. 17 in singles, lost 7-1, 7-5 at first singles to No. 13 Soren Hess-Olesen.
Minnesota women's tennis team also played a national power and lost, falling to No. 3 North Carolina 4-0 in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Tar Heels won at No. 3, 4 and 6 singles in straight sets and won two of three double match for that point. Paula Rincon Otero and Julia Courter won 6-2 at second doubles for the Gophers (2-1).
