Thorn aims for the top

Mike Thorn is a big sports fan. He loves competing with friends, in everything from 5-on-5 football and soccer to table tennis and video games. ¶ But unlike nearly every other sports fan this week, he will not be filling out an NCAA basketball bracket. ¶ "I don't have time," said Thorn, a Gophers wrestler. The redshirt senior's true passion is wrestling, and he is part of a 33-man bracket himself. Thorn is the second seed at 141 pounds in the NCAA wrestling championships, which starts Thursday in Philadelphia.

"I've put myself in a position to win a national title," Thorn said. "What more can I ask for? I've got a great draw. It is just up to me now to wrestle."

Thorn is 34-4 this season with 12 pins and three technical falls. He was seventh in the NCAA meet last year. Now, in his third and final appearance in college wrestling's extravaganza, he is shooting higher: a national title.

Four victories would put Thorn in the championship match, probably against his nemesis, Kellen Russell. The redshirt junior from Michigan is 33-0 with three victories over Thorn by scores of 6-2, 3-1 and 8-4. Their last meeting was in a Big Ten tournament final March 6.

"I have to win four matches before him," Thorn said.

If he can win those matches, Thorn expects to beat Russell.

"He is maybe not a guy I am going to beat five out of 10 times," Thorn said, "but I just have to beat him one time."

"The trick is how much has [Mike] learned these last three matches against [Kellen]," Joe Russell said. "You hope you learn more than he has and can get after him. We will have a good game plan if it happens. But one match at a time, obviously."

Whatever happens, Thorn said his wrestling career ends after college.

"I have been wrestling year-round since eighth grade," said Thorn, who won three individual state titles at St. Michael-Albertville High School.

He comes from a wrestling family. His father, John, wrestled for Iowa State in the 1983 NCAA tournament, taking fourth place at 118 pounds.

His brother David, an unseeded redshirt freshmen, will wrestle at 133 for the Gophers in this week's national championships.

The plan was to redshirt Mike his first season in 2006-07, but an injury opened a spot for him. He wrestled at 133 and went 14-15 that season, then took a redshirt year, and has improved his record every season since.

"A couple of summers I pretty much lived in the weight room," Mike said. "I lifted like a maniac."

Lately, though, he has become the reflective one. He has tried to enjoy competition and being with his teammates more and even savor practices more.

"I am going to miss it," Mike said.

Notes: Nine Gophers are competing in the NCAA championships. Behind Mike Thorn, the team's next highest seed is junior Zach Sanders, seeded fifth at 125.