U hopes fade with losses to Lions

Thursday's second session of the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia had the feel of a Minnesota-Penn State dual. Four matches featured Gophers vs. Nittany Lions, with the winners advancing to the quarterfinals. A sweep by either team would seriously damage the other's title hopes.

Consider the Gophers' hopes severely damaged.

Penn State swept those four second-round matches, and the Gophers advanced only two wrestlers -- Zach Sanders at 125 pounds and Mike Thorn at 141 -- into Friday's quarterfinals.

The Nittany Lions put seven into the quarterfinals and lead the tournament with 30.5 points. Cornell (29) is second, with Iowa and Oklahoma State (24 each) in third. The Gophers (19) are in eighth.

Minnesota had a strong first round, going 7-2, but the night session saw these Gophers fall to Nittany Lions:

• No. 6 seed David Thorn lost 7-5 in overtime to PSU's No. 3 Andrew Long at 133.

• Unseeded Scott Glasser at 174 fell 5-3 to PSU's No. 2 Ed Ruth.

• No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus lost 8-4 to PSU's No. 9 Quentin Wright at 184.

• No. 8 Tony Nelson fell 4-1 to PSU's No. 9 Cameron Wade at heavyweight.

In addition, Gophers ninth-seeded 197-pounder Sonny Yohn lost 5-3 in overtime to Indiana's Matt Powless.

Sanders, seeded No. 5, beat Virginia Tech's Jarrod Garnett 8-6 to make the quarterfinals at 125, where he'll face Utah Valley's Ben Kjar. Mike Thorn, No. 2 at 141, beat Virginia's Nick Nelson 6-1 in the second round and will face Missouri's Todd Schavrien, seeded No. 10, in the quarters.

Gophers 165-pounder Cody Yohn, seeded No. 9, stayed alive in the wrestlebacks by pinning Liberty's Chad Porter in 1:40. Gophers 149-pounder Danny Zilverberg lost twice and was eliminated.