NCAA Wrestling Championships Notes to Know
• The defending national champion University of Minnesota wrestling team heads to the 2008 NCAA Championships this week at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. The Gophers finished runner-up to Iowa (127 – 112.5) at the 2008 Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis, Minn.

• Minnesota is sending nine wrestlers to the 2008 NCAA Championships. Senior Justin Bronson (197) and heavyweight Ben Berhow (heavyweight) will be making their first appearances, while sophomore and returning All-American Jayson Ness (125) will be making his second trip; senior Manny Rivera (141) and juinor Dustin Schlatter are making their third trek to nationals. The Gophers’ senior core of Mack Reiter (133), C.P. Schlatter (157), Gabriel Dretsch (174) and Roger Kish (184) will each be competing in their fourth national tournament.

• Minnesota had five wrestlers gain All-American status at last season’s NCAA Championships en route to the third national title in school history. Four of those athletes are making the return trip in 2008 – Ness (fifth at 125), Dustin Schlatter (3rd at 149), C.P. Schlatter (6th at 157) and Kish (3rd at 184). Seven of Minnesota’s nine NCAA qualifiers from a year ago are also back in 2008.

• The University of Minnesota wrestling team won its third NCAA Championship since 2001 on March 17, 2007 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Golden Gophers clinched the team race following back-to-back losses by Iowa State wrestlers in the 184- and 197-pound title matches. In the final bout of the tournament, heavyweight Cole Konrad concluded his stellar collegiate career with a pin of Penn State's Aaron Anspach in the finals, becoming the fourth two-time national champion in school history. Minnesota finished with 98.0 points, while Iowa State finished second with 88.5.

• The Golden Gophers are seeking their fourth NCAA Championship in the last eight years in St. Louis. Either Minnesota, Oklahoma State or Iowa have won the national title in each of the last 18 years.

• Second-ranked sophomore Ness will continue his march to history this weekend as he takes on the best the Big Ten has to offer. Ness is 35-1 this season and remains just two pins shy (18) of the Gophers’ single-season pins record of 20, set by current assistant head coach Marty Morgan in 1989-90.

• Minnesota currently boasts seven wrestlers ranked in the latest USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll. Jayson Ness (No. 2 at 125 pounds), Mack Reiter (No. 8 at 133 pounds), Manny Rivera (No. 5 at 141), Dustin Schlatter (No. 2 at 149 pounds), C.P. Schlatter (No. 5 at 157), Gabe Dretsch (No. 8 at 174) and Roger Kish (No. 8 at 184) all rank among the nation’s finest.

• Despite relinquishing their Big Ten title to Iowa and experiencing an up-and-down dual meet season, the Golden Gophers are still a favorite in a championship-style tournament. Minnesota is second in InterMat’s Tournament Strength Rankings and second in W.I.N. Magazine’s Tournament Power Index (75.5 points).

• ESPNU, ESPN360.com and ESPN will be broadcasting all the action live from St. Louis beginning Friday morning. See the the left side of this page for a complete schedule.