OKLAHOMA CITY – Tony Nelson, the Gophers' two-time heavyweight champion, sat slumped on a wall as a trainer taped his left ankle.
Quite the microcosm of the Gophers' final session at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Saturday night.
It wasn't supposed to end this way, not for a four-time All-America, not for a Minnesota team that won seven matches earlier that day.
But it's what happened.
Penn State won its fourth consecutive national title with 109.5 points.
The Gophers finished second at 104 despite leading 104-101.5 entering the finals.
"You're right there, you got a chance to win it, then it slips away from you," Gophers coach J Robinson said. "We came here to do something, and when you fall short, it's painful. You carry it for a while."
With Penn State in the lead after Ed Ruth's victory at 184 pounds, Nelson led in the third period of his title match against North Carolina State's Nick Gwiazdowski. Then Gwiazdowski scored a takedown. Nelson twisted his left ankle and had to take injury time.