Matside Minnesota Extra — NCAA Special Edition with Tim Rice

We kick off our NCAA Nationals coverage with a special episode packed with road trip memories, wrestling stories, and the athletes we’ll be following in Cleveland. After 16 years of traveling together, we’ve got tales to tell!  We are spotlighting three groups of wrestlers:

• Minnesota high school grads chasing national glory
• North Dakota State standouts ready to make noise
• University of Minnesota Gophers with championship dreams

From the basement to the big stage, this is Matside Minnesota Extra — Special Edition.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to a special Map Side Minnesota Extra College edition. I'm Chris Etler and joined by my longtime wrestling travel buddy Tim Right. For sixteen years we've hit the road for the Division I Championship. But this year, we're watching all six sessions from the basement, or what we're gonna call Studio B. We'll share stories from the past tournaments, break down the action in Cleveland, and bring you our take on the matches, moments, and madness from the national stage. Let's go, Mat Side. Alright, well, we're back um for the we're gonna call it the special edition of the Mat Side Minnesota podcast. I have uh because Derek, I don't know if he's left yet, but he's he's heading for a beach. Oh. Yeah, so um so instead of Derek, I got Tim Rice with us today. Um so we're gonna do um, as you if you listen to our intro a little bit, Tim's been I probably watched more wrestling matches with Tim side by side than I'm not even gonna say probably. I know I have. Well, what do we what was the number at the NCAAs? Uh what's it 800 and something? Um it would be here, I know we're getting Well, all I know is six hundred and forty. Six hundred and forty. So six hundred and forty of them. That's how many matches at at every NCAA wrestling tournament every year. And we watch every one. And we don't miss one. That's our kind of our pact. Yeah. So you take that times twenty years. Yeah, it's a lot of wrestling matches. So yeah, sitting here with with Tim Um in what we're gonna call uh Studio B from my basement. Yeah. So we uh we left the uh the Holestaker studio to come here um because uh well for sixteen years we've been traveling the country going to the NCAA wrestling tournament. And uh the last couple years we decided to take a break, and uh, but not too much of a break. So we we kind of set up my downstairs here with a big screen and a couple other TVs and watch all the sessions. So um again, we're gonna call that studio B. But um maybe if you know you've obviously listened to me all winter long, and maybe you don't know who Tim is. So um other than my traveling buddy, my wrestling watching partner, yeah um, you know why I I mean, you know, the as far as the wrestling side of things, as far as being an official and just long time. But Tim, tell us maybe a little bit what uh what how where did you when when when did you get become a wrestling person?

SPEAKER_02 2:54

Yeah, how did that all happen? Well, first of all, I've just really enjoyed uh just all the the shows and uh uh the Matt Side uh podcast. It's been really fun listening to them and and uh I think you guys are doing a great job with it. Um as far as uh my story on on how I got into wrestling, when I was uh junior in high school, Malacca, Minnesota, uh a bunch of us decided to start a wrestling team. Well, back then, you know, it's all one system. I I don't even think we had a coach. We had to talk a teacher into driving us to meets. And back then, being one system, but we were 40 miles north of the cities, so we wrestled Anoka, Fridley, Spring Lake Park, the perennial powers at that time. Our wrestling meets were very quick. I think we had one kid win one match at subsection. Were you able to get a full team together? Or what do you remember? You know we did. We were able to get a full team, and uh and that is where I fell into wrestling, fell in love with wrestling, is because of what happened going down to these schools. I mean, it is how we were treated by those other wrestlers. When we got done, again the meets went really quick, um, they uh told us how proud they were that we're starting a team, and they would take us down into the wrestling room since we really didn't have a coach. Uh, and they would teach us things. And it was that respect they could have ridiculed us, they could have laughed at us, but never once from any team. And so it was that respect that um that we experienced is that to me it made wrestling something special because of how we were treated. So anyway, uh after high school, I finished college and I ended up in Olivia, Minnesota. Big wrestling. Yep. Uh Rick Kelvington. Yep. And our competition was Canby. And oh, those meets that used to be when Canby would come up to Olivia, it was just packed house. And so I was there for seven years, and then of all my luck, I get to move to Staples. Well, more wrestling. Yeah. So I I arrive in February 18th, 1980. So what happens first of March? Of course, I'm going to all the state wrestling tournaments. I end up two weeks after I start here in my job, I end up at the state wrestling tournament. So I'm sitting with all the people from Staples, and there was um a boy from um uh Olivia, Noel Nemitz, and I had watched him for seven years. He's wrestling uh at the state tournament. I'm cheering him on. And um the lady next to me says, uh, what are you doing? And I said, I'm cheering for Noel. And she goes, Do you know who's he wrestling? And I said, No. It was John Luicka. They said, You're not gonna last since I worked at the hospital. That's Dr. Lewicka's son. You're not gonna last very long, are you? So I that was my first two weeks. And then um, you know, then later on, um, we had our children, uh, you talked about Banda Brothers. Uh our two sons wrestled, they uh wrestled 189. Back then the competition was such if you if your boys could even make varsity by the time they were junior, you were lucky. Yeah. They both wrestled at 189. Uh I think Matt and Chris they were uh 6'5 and 6'6. So they um and uh Chris made uh uh state as an individual, made it to the blood round, and Matt, I think, was in one or two team type. I don't think he lost a match on team down there. Um I do remember when they go on the mat, the announcer did say one on Chris, look at the tithe of that guy, you know, being like 6'6, that's not yeah, that's not quite common. Um but then um it's really too bad. The other thing about wrestling is um we had a daughter, Stephanie, and um it's too bad that she would have loved wrestling because uh she went out for golf and she quit golf because she said it was if there's no blood, I don't want to do it. So and um I think in she wrestled with the boys all the time. Yeah. And I know for sure, but they only put her in the ER twice. Uh actually, we end up in the emergency room twice because of them wrestling at home with her. So she they anyway, so I think that would have fit her. Yeah. Uh but uh now she said that would have been really fun. Yeah. Uh she would have been uh like at that time one 190 actually in in high school. So anyway, um then uh they finished high school. So how do you keep involved in wrestling? Well, that's how the college wrestling started. Um I've been a long time uh gopher uh season ticket holder, but then trying to keep the boys involved with it and what kind of fun you have, and so we started going to the NCAAs, and that's where you and I came in, and we've been doing this for a long time.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

Well, and I you know, maybe I could share my story a little bit because I think uh um just kind of looking back at the years, if I remember right I started going with you on your second year, which would have been I think oh six. Right. It was in Oklahoma City. Right. And kind of the fun story with that is you it was a short notice because was it Chris had a work function or something and you had the extra tickets? Correct. Or ticket or he won a a work trip somewhere, yeah. And uh so you it was kind of a short notice. You asked me to you know if I wanted to go, and I remember looking, you were flying, and I remember looking at airline tickets to uh to Oklahoma City, and uh at short notice like that it was like twelve hundred bucks. And I'm like so I said, yeah, I'll go. I'll I'll meet you there. Um so I drove down, made the trip by myself to Oklahoma City, and actually I think I got there that that night before you. I was in the hotel when you got there, and then I think on Sunday morning I dropped you off at the airport. Yeah. So that was uh you know our first year, and and uh I uh you know I'm forever thankful for you inviting my uh inviting because uh it's been fun, just not only the the wrestling, but just the stories, the the fun uh the that we've had, all the people we've met, um the cities we've seen, um not only being, but you know, a lot of the trips we've done driving.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

So right. In fact, most of them. And I know in the beginning you had me driving in the car. I don't think I drove a mile. You've driven every time.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

Well, and yes, and what Tim was referring to is the little intro into this. If you're if you watched it, it shows Tim driving. Yes, I've kind of fought with Chat GPT for like an hour to get it to switch to me to drive, because yeah, I don't know if you've driven a mile, but No, I haven't.

SPEAKER_02 10:09

You know, even at the NCAA tournament, um one of the special things was Don Dravis and Mary. Yeah. But to see them every year at the tournament, you could look down, you could always find them. And even all those years, he's still watching every match and and his commitment and dedication was so evident even there. Yeah. At the NCAA tournament.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Yep, yep, that's right. That's that was it was always, yeah, there was kind of something special about running into him at the uh uh you know, in the hallways and no, we have uh a lot of great memories.

SPEAKER_02 10:46

I don't know if we want to cover that uh later or not. Um but the um but yeah, um, but there's just something special about being at that tournament. Um you've got fifteen thousand people and yeah, or more, depending on the st the arena. But when something happens and you hear fifteen thousand people gasp because of a certain move, yeah, it it's hard to describe. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

I I think you know, I've talked to several people that you know, maybe their first time, and they would then say, now I know what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Right.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Because the energy in that those are that arena, I I've never experienced that in any other sporting event. It's it's different. And you know, I I'm I I know, you know, that well, we lost my my s my background. We did. Yeah. Um maybe we'll take a little break and put my background back on. But um just the you know, a basketball game, you know, I I think it you know it's the one court, all that energy is just focused there. But what the neat thing is is just when when you have those eight mount eight mats or the T-bone uh dog bone configuration coming, you know, and they're down to six mats and and it just I don't know, that blood round.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

How do you how do you how do you I mean well that and the semifinals? Yeah um just the most incredible uh wrestling and as you can see from every one of them, and and every match is just incredible, and the skill of those uh those wrestlers is just amazing.

SPEAKER_00 12:30

And and I think that's you know, you and I have kind of talked a little bit about going back to St. Louis next year.

SPEAKER_02 12:36

Yes, we are we are going. Okay, we're going. We're going. You heard that. Yes, we are going. And I think technology kind of changed, you know, our options for us the last few years. Yeah. And that's all nice, and you can what you can watch on TV, that kind of thing. But it's still not being there.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

It's it's we've had fun sitting here and and you know, we well, right now it's black, but I'll uh you know, we I hang up a big screen and we can have all eight mats. Right. And we can watch all eight, and then we use the other TVs if we want to zip in on a maybe a gopher wrestler or whatever. But it just it uh it doesn't have the energy. And we've we've had people come over and it's fun. We've had fun. I'm not gonna say we haven't had fun watching it here in Studio B. But um, but it's just the energy and and you know, again, just some of the stories. Um, you know, we talk about we think New York City.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

Oh well. I mean, yeah, tell them the story. I mean, we're outside Madison Square Gardens, and we got we were being interviewed. So I'll let you take that story. That's that's an amazing fun story.

SPEAKER_00 13:43

Yeah, it was fun. Um yeah, I think it was the day before. It was the Wednesday. We we got there early and we were walking around. We we were, I think, stayed, what, maybe six, eight blocks of Madison Square Gardens. So we walked over to kind of check check out the lay of the land. And the NCAA, it was them that had like a camera crew that was walking around interviewing people on the streets of New York, and they came to us and us, and it was Tim and myself and his his boys Matt and Chris, and they asked a bunch of questions and okay, whatever, we move on. Well, the next couple days in the arena before the as the events getting started and people are filtering in and about ready to go, they actually showed two different videos, two different clips. Um the one that wasn't quite as didn't get the laughs from the crowd, but the one was was me. So I I have this I can tell the story that I got to be on the Jumbotron. Yes. And so did Matt and Chris, and you were on there for two. Yeah, but not as good as you and Matt. Because remember the question. Yeah, the sec that was the second one. So the first one was the whole thing about they they they put up, they were doing like uh Jay, remember Jay Leno used to do the jaywalking thing where they ask people simple questions and they can't answer it. So the question was was West wrestling questions. Right. And the guy the guy asked me uh could if I could explain to him what near fall was. Well, you know, I'll a wrestling official. So I gave him basically recited the the rule book. Rule book, yeah. And and the guy just kind of looked and he looked at Matt or something, and kind of he goes, Well, he's unofficial. And you know, so that got they put that at the end after all these dumb answers they put that. So that guy got some chuckles in Madison Square Garden. But the funny one was so I think he asked me first, you know, what's your favorite move? And I just, you know, of course I'm from Staples, so you stay a cradle. Right. And he's kind of like, okay, what's well I think he kind of went, okay. And then then he asked Matt, what's your favorite move? And Matt said, Well, I'm gonna go with the crossface cradle. And the and the guy's like, Well, what's the difference? And whatever. Matt, Matt's like, well, you want me to show you? So Matt's, what'd you say? He's what, 6'6? 6'5, 6'6? 6'5, 6'6. And, you know, 300 or whatever. He's a big guy, you know, I'm five, whatever. And what so standing in the standing position, he throws a crossface, puts me on a cradle, lifts me up in the air. So they showed that before every session, just right before they started every session out there. So if there's some people out there that were in Madison Square Garden that night, um, but it was fun. We walked around. Gosh, we'd be walking out of the arena and people be like, hey, you guys are the cradle guys. Yeah, I know. So yeah, that was fun. That that New York City, I, you know, even that experience, like in Madison. Remember, we had the the seats with the TVs in the little TVs in front of us, yeah. Yeah, it was a little information overload, I think. That year we had the radios in the ear and the seats in front of us, or TVs in our seats. And yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

Um, yeah, that was uh Yeah, we just I think that's what's so special about going there is those kind of uh experiences that you don't have just watching it uh at home. Um I remember we were in Philadelphia, it was a uh a good one. And um you uh we played the rocking music and ran up the steps like the movie. Yeah. Well, I can tell the audience there's a lot more steps to the show in the movie. I thought it was gonna die. The steps just kept coming and coming.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

Yeah. Well, Philadelphia too, remember that last day we got off early? Because if you if you went if you've been to Philadelphia the for the for the tournaments, the the arenas are way down south, and you ride the subway down. And during the breaks, you ride the subway back up to downtown. Right. And uh we we haven't you know that Saturday break is a little longer, so we we were looking for a good Philly cheesesteak. And yeah, so we asked some people, we got off early, and uh we didn't know really where we were.

SPEAKER_02 17:54

No. But when we came up out of that, and and I thought we heard the two were talking about, well, I just got out of jail this morning and we're going, uh oh. But I tell you, they advised us like, oh, here's some good restaurants over here, and yeah, but boy, everywhere we went in Philly, the people were just they were ready for us. Yeah, and they were friendly and and we had a great time there.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

Well, and that begs the question, you know, we we've we've we've talked about this, you and I, over the years. Every year we go to a different city, we always kind of go, all right, where does this fit in? And uh so maybe we'll just real quick, you know. I mean, you got a favorite, or what's your number one?

SPEAKER_02 18:35

Oh, it had to be Philadelphia. Yeah. Uh I can tell you ones that we went those to uh Detroit. The first time in Detroit. First time in the middle of nowhere, but we didn't have technology, you couldn't even find a place to eat. Yeah. And what was it? Was it Oklahoma City that they didn't even know the rest of it?

SPEAKER_00 18:52

No, that was Omaha.

SPEAKER_02 18:53

That was Omaha. Yeah, that one they didn't like they didn't even know the term was going on, and they were they weren't ready for that number of people.

SPEAKER_00 19:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

But what about you for some of your favorites?

SPEAKER_00 19:04

Yeah, I mean, I I I you know, and it's funny for those that I've talked to, like, well, Derek, um we were just talking about this um as far as like Philadelphia from the football stit fan standpoint, you know, it kind of has that reputation of not being so friendly. Whereas as as we were there as wrestling fans, it was incredible. Right. So, you know, I think Philadelphia, New York, um, you know, St. Louis has always done a good job. But um, yeah, I I think those um, you know, I thought Des Moines, you know, one of the smaller cities we've been to, but they put on a pretty good show.

SPEAKER_02 19:47

Yeah, they do.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

Um, yes, Omaha was not my favorite. And then yeah, that first year, that would have been I think 07. It wasn't they were still up in Auburn Hills in in Michigan. So you're right. Yeah. Um whereas when we went back there three, four years ago, four years, twenty twenty-two or twenty-three, whenever we were back there.

SPEAKER_02 20:10

Yeah, that was that was a much yeah. That worked pretty well. Actually, that wasn't I I that was a fun time. That was a fun time. Really, there's I mean, if you look at them all over the twenty years, uh they're all all the cities are unique, and the fun part is is you know, you have these different breaks. So you're going, you're you're seeing different parts of the town, you're meeting at different places, and you got all these fans. And so we met a lot of people. Yeah, yeah. And then, well, one time you're, hey Chris, and here's a guy from New York Mills, a friend of yours, you know, or well, in New York City.

SPEAKER_00 20:44

Um, why am I drawing a blank? Um if he's listening or watching, um Jim. Was it Jim Urick? From the UPS. No, well, no, him too. Yeah, no, uh um Dan. Dan. Yeah, we ran into him a few times. But no, he was I remember walking down the street and it was like two blocks away, he hollered at me, and we're in downtown New York City. Right. So yeah, there's there that's that's the fun part when you and just over the years, even seeing and meeting people from other well, I mean, Tulsa. You and the you and Matt and Chris went somewhere for a while, and I stayed and did a little brewery tour on my own and ended up hanging out, and I know it's crazy, but hung out with Penn State people.

SPEAKER_02 21:29

Right. Um, but so you know, and then um and then afterwards uh being down there. W there was also these different social events with the the team and coaches and fans afterwards. Those were some so you actually got to hear Jay Robinson and Brendan Eggham just talk about the season, the team.

SPEAKER_03 21:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

The the wrestlers would speak, just you know, some of those more personal experiences, and you know, and uh and then what about?

SPEAKER_00 22:00

our time that there was a an event um an event down in the cities to meet gable stevens stevenson and and um i didn't read the invitation very well and here it was a formal and we come down in jeans and t-shirts basically well well the funny thing was is we were sitting in the parking lot yeah in polos and jeans and and everybody's pull we were listening to the gopher football game yeah and people were pulling up getting out in like formal aware and everything we're in yeah I should have read the invitation a little closer we were reminded by yeah but others that it was called a gala right but I didn't look at that but but uh Mary is it Mary Christensen White yeah she helped us so much as uh helped the fans and she got us in and we got to meet Gable and talk with him that was fun yeah yeah yeah that was a fun event yeah no it's been fun we've had a lot of whether it's just you know the road trips part of it you know we've uh just that part whether it's been to the NCAAs going down to just the the the matches that the U've gotten together just to watch Doom Eats you know way Doom Meets whether it's been here or whatever too so um it's been fun and that's why you know I thought you know when Derek and I kind of you know started talking about doing the Matside Minnesota podcast we really wanted to just focus on high school wrestling and that's really what we did. But yet you probably heard a few times out the throughout the course of the the the year that you know I bring up some college stuff. And I just thought you know it'd be fun to to come and you know Tim and I share some of our stories and experiences and just maybe talk a little bit about some of what's going on this weekend. So we kind of got we're gonna we're not gonna be here long but one of the things that we didn't want to do was do like today I drove I was on the road for an hour and 52 minutes I listened to the flow wrestling guys awesome they're they're an awesome podcast but you know they do a deep dive into the brackets and and and that's not what we're gonna do. We kind of thought you know what we're Matsai Minnesota that's who we still are this might be a little special NCAA tournament edition but let's let's just talk about more of that Minnesota connection. So we kind of we kind of came up with a a list of the Minnesota the right there's eleven uh Minnesota high school wrestlers um that are in the tournament so we thought we'd kind of just quickly go through them um the gophers and then you know being up here where we're at uh you know kind of a horse piece between here and Fargo so NDSU is also represented pretty well there. Right. So and real quick I'm gonna we're gonna pause for just a second. Get that screen back up. All right we got the screen back on I needed I needed a background and I thought well we were using that big screen so that that picture I think I took uh um I think it was Tulsa was that where we were sitting in Tulsa do you remember?

SPEAKER_02 25:09

I think so I think so and and um well and what's just amazing is the technology even at the tournaments and all that's changed. Yeah what you can see and how you can track yeah see before you had to kind of look through your program and try to find where that wrestler was and now you all the scores of each match are up on up on the screen and you can um yeah you can see who's which ones are close matches and you can um you know um you know kind of just decide which one you really want to watch and you can look for your wrestler on you know because we look for Big Ten yeah uh Minnesota NDSU there's s always somebody out there that you want to watch or that you've seen from prior years or that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

And you know one of the things you know I mentioned earlier about the radios um for some people that have been there and I kind of a little disappointed they haven't done that the last couple years. But for several years when you'd walk into the arena yeah um I think they were like you what get one for ten dollars and two for fifteen or something. Yeah and they were um they were just little FM radios that you hook on your ear and there were eight channels and so the NCAA had play by play people at each of the eight mats. Right. So you could not only watch a mat, but you could also listen and you know it became a little bit so if especially like Tim said you know you're there to watch some wrestlers and maybe you know gophers I got you know we all we know wrestling sometimes there's two, three, four guys you want to watch on those eight mats. So you could listen to one and watch another and it was just kind of a fun way to kind of keep up another way to keep up.

SPEAKER_02 26:51

So why do you think they discontinued that I'm not sure I think maybe because of technology you can see it on the screen.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

You see it on the screen you know with the track and you know flow or however we're following it now. I mean I think those things all kind of came and helped us follow it a little bit more. But yeah that was a that was a fun technology that that uh I don't know I I wish they still had it. Yeah I I do too.

SPEAKER_02 27:16

So anyway when we get done with this though I want a something to think about. What was your probably your best two matches that you remember? Something to think about here.

SPEAKER_00 27:27

Yeah I'm gonna have to think about that one.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

All right.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

You know I'm just gonna tell you the other day I kind of I I I didn't mean to snap at Aaron at work and he said he asked me about favorite. What's your favorite? And I'm like you know most of my family and friends know better not to ask me favorites because I'm not a favorite guy. So I don't tend to kind of but I'll think about that.

SPEAKER_02 27:47

I really will because I uh well since I asked a question I know mine.

SPEAKER_00 27:54

All right. So we should go through this. Okay we'll get through um yeah because yeah we're doing all right. Um so yeah just right here these there's eleven Minnesota high school graduates. Um I it was kind of interesting because when I first like you uh in one of your sheets there you might see twelve because there is uh heavyweight for northern Illinois Devin Dawson uh grew up in in um uh the Twin Cities okay his brother wrestled for Simley but then they moved to he went they wrestled and graduated in in Kansas so that's why they're saying there's that's what when I first took 12th the 12th was because he's a basically a Minnesota native so that's why some you'll see some of my papers say 12 wrestlers but there's only there's 12 high school graduates um kind of I I got them listed in weight order um right off the in and so what we're gonna kind of do over the weekend is just these are kind of wrestlers that we want to follow. Right. So and and you know hopefully we might jump on and try to just kind of keep you updated if if you uh aren't yourself. So um first one gopher wrestler at least this year he was at uh um Wyoming prior to uh coming back to the University of Minnesota for his uh final year collegiate wrestling that's Jory Voge um he's going into the tournament at 22 and five at 125 pounds he's number six seed um currently ranked number eight in flow wrestling um took second in the Big Ten tournament and had a nice battle with uh um uh Lil Doll from Penn Penn State went to overtime yeah um this is his third appearance he was uh did not place in twenty three and uh took seventh in twenty-four um last year uh had some injuries and that's why he was from uh Lakeville North Lakeville North and uh what uh how many I think what three times state champion and four second four four times at the state tournament and four time finalist right so he'll be your sixth seed at 125 pounds um at 141 if you were um uh Tyler Wells who is now at Oklahoma University um he uh he started at actually if you want to go back right out of high school he committed to he verbally committed to St. Cloud State and then when Sprattley left he he then uh um flipped his commit to the U and wrestled for the Gophers um and uh now is at Oklahoma. He's a 21 seed he's from Princeton high school kind of your old back of the backyard right yep from just down the road uh yeah and he's currently ranked what twenty two in flow he was this is his third appearance hasn't placed at the NCAA's um he's a junior and he was a four time state champion for Princeton yeah so yeah and then at 149 uh coy bisjans I think that's how you say it Bizgins Bisgins yeah I I've kind of heard both he's at NC State um he's 21 21 and three is a number five seed um from New Prague um he uh this is his second appearance he didn't place last year currently ranked number four at 149 pounds um boy he was 57 and oh his senior year I I put that on there I'm like that's pretty impressive 57 and oh his senior year um he was a four time state entrant three time state champion again from New Prague um a wrestler up at NDSU Max Peterson he's a number 23 seed a junior from Byron Minnesota he's currently ranked 17th in the flow rankings it's his first appearance he was a what five times state entrant right yeah won it as an eighth grader yeah and all five times he was a state finalist with winning what three of them two of them right one two of them yeah two of them two that's not that's not a bad high school career no it's not five years being a finalist five years in the state finals and then uh at 157 Landon Robideau from St. Michael Albertville he's at Oklahoma State he's 16 and 2 to number five seed he's a freshman um he also is a what was he a six one two three four yeah six time state finalist finalist and he won four of them yep um he had 283 career ends wins on six losses yeah but it's also interesting who he's wrestled in in uh Minnesota yeah um I was just you know I try to I wish I'd I wish I had more time to dive do some deep dives into these but so I tried to kind of look through some see if I can find the some of those anomalies or kind of fun things and when this one I'm like this is what I'm looking for. So in 2020 at 106 pounds at the state triple A tournament Landon Robidou beat Coy Biskins who we mentioned he's at NC State he beat him in the semifinals and then lost to Jory Vogue in the finals. Right. So three three of these eleven guys that are from Minnesota they're wrestling in this year's tournament were all wrestling in one week class. Yeah in one week class so and then the following year Rabadu and and Vogue met again in the finals uh with with Vogue beating him again three to one. Right. Um isn't that amazing that three of them at 106 yeah uh they're not all at well now what 125 149 and 157 yeah but I just I think that's pretty cool and I it'd be kind of fun I I hope someone you know if uh Shane Sparks or someone gets a hold of that one for uh you know right the real the big boys on TV because I just think that's a really neat neat neat thing. Right. Um at 157 Kale Swenson from South Dakota State he's 24 and 7 he's a 16 seed he's a junior from Wyzetta high school currently ranked 18th um in the flow he was a four time state entrant with two state championships and this is his third appearance hasn't uh hasn't uh placed um last year he was he didn't wrestle he had a medical uh red shirt that's right so and then at 174 Patrick Kennedy kind of seems like he's one of those guys been wrestling forever isn't it yeah and I tell you he he every time you watch him it's just a battle yeah I mean that guy it just he just battles every second all the time and he's quite impressive. Yep but look at what was he in high school though one two three six six times he was at the state tournament yeah with four titles four titles currently ranked number five in flow he's from Casson Manorville High School this is his fourth appearance um with uh he's all American last year he was fourth didn't place in twenty four and then in twenty three he didn't place but he went in as the sixth seed so kind of a yeah I tell you the when you get to the NCAA's and so what would you say as far as rankings like like does one to twenty really make a difference at that level? Or what do you say probably the top I I would say oh well a good example today they were on when I was I I say today because I listened to it today the the flow guys and they were they were talking they were trying to come up with some of the highest seeds or depending on I say it the lowest you know the highest number seeds to win and you know twelve thirteen is about where that's a cutoff. That kind of that cutoff so I would going off that and just kind of I would say that yeah that top 1012 it's it's almost a toss up in a lot of weights yeah you you could see some on 10th or 12th but they could take it.

SPEAKER_02 36:20

I mean you look at uh um um Vincent Robinson who won won it last year 125 pounds he's 12th seed this year yeah and he's a returning champion right so I mean you know that just there's a a lot of yeah that level of of uh skill and yeah in well I think we've even said it the tournament could be uh hailed again the next day and you'd have all different winners pretty much maybe not some but a number of the weights could have a different champion.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

Yeah yep yep um 184 another golfer Max McInally from Waconia the sophomore is uh second last year last year he took third you know had those battles with uh Carter Storacci last season right um he's entering again as the third seed um but he was uh what uh two three four five time state entrant as well um winning what four yeah and what is he right now probably uh he's only lost what like three times or four times but um but they've all been like overtime yeah or last second season what he lost to Storraci uh in I think overtime in seasons and then that to uh um oh uh and he went on to uh South um I had a Yeah we'll think of it Kek Eisen yeah Kekeisen who is was a previous champion yeah and uh and only in the last second is the most incredible scramble yep it it it's one of those that you will not forget. And then actually look at the Big Ten finals this year with him and and uh and Rocco. Rocco Welsh yeah yeah Welsh yeah Welsh yeah Welsh I know and that was last second and yeah it's still debatable so he he's but you know that bracket that's a funky bracket if you if you look at you know they have Rocco's on top but on the bottom yeah it's McInally uh Sinclair and Ferrari are all on the bottom half.

SPEAKER_02 38:34

Right. Yeah that's what I mean those semifinals yeah oh well the quarterfinals there well even yeah even quarterfinals you you don't dare miss one. Yeah and that's one thing I'm proud of us going you know like we watch every match and uh sometimes you go there and you'll see people come to watch their own wrestlers and so they they finish and then they leave and I went oh my gosh you're missing so much.

SPEAKER_00 39:00

So anyway I just and you know it doesn't whether it's the consolation you know the heavyweights in that you know early round consolation matches it there's still there's some there's some fireworks.

SPEAKER_02 39:16

I know but you mentioned the heavyweights it's the same thing at that tournament too how the heavyweig sometimes hit the short end of the stick there's nobody there.

SPEAKER_00 39:24

Yeah there's sometimes on those Russell back there's nobody left in there but we're watching those last few heavyweights we sit there I Mancy everybody else is in line for their beer already and we're uh but anyway so they're holding it for us yeah so and then we got what 197 uh Joey Novak from Wyoming he's what he's another one from New Prague yeah yeah oh so they're oh yeah New Prague had so okay yeah you're right because we talked about that earlier yeah they have two they have two and and so does uh yeah but you know it Joey Novak from Wyoming this is his third appearance he was an all-American last year right now took fifth currently ranked third by flow he's the fifth seed and in Minnesota he uh he was a four time state entrant uh three time finalist and one you know he won it once but right you know you look at those sometimes you know you think of matches like for example this year at 189 AAA with you know Willie Ward and uh John Murphy you know one of them had to lose but those are two very outstanding wrestlers that's you know gonna they're both one you know Murphy to the U and and Ward to Arizona State. Right.

SPEAKER_02 40:42

You know some people that aren't really familiar go, well gosh why we you know why we bringing in a guy that took second his senior year in the state well because yeah but see that's fun for us to go now we're gonna be able to see these guys be able to continue to watch them. That's the fun thing about going is a number of these Minnesota wrestlers we're gonna continue to be able to watch.

SPEAKER_00 41:02

Yeah yeah um and then real quick we got Bennett Berge he's at South Dakota State um 16 and five 13 seed flow's got him ranked 11th he's again another Cassimant Mantreville um last year took fourth um didn't place in or no two years ago he was a five time state champion five time state champion my goodness yeah and I his his his brother there is he's now uh coaching at uh uh was it Brady yeah and didn't his brother wrestle at Penn State yeah right yeah yeah yeah and then finally the last Minnesota guy on here is uh Vincent Mueller from Columbia University he's 25 and six junior for he wrestled at St. Thomas Academy and he was a two time state entrant won one state championship he's the 17th seed so those are the there's eleven Minnesota wrestlers that we're gonna keep close tabs on.

SPEAKER_02 42:02

So then and then we have uh there's some other gulfer wrestlers there's what four others that are there from besides uh Volk and Becchinelli from that are from Minnesota.

SPEAKER_00 42:14

But maybe a quick stat that you shared with me this this new how would you describe it that new uh report or whatever that 200 and some P we're going through uh uh Jason Bryant's NCAA guy if you if you're a stat geek um you like numbers um I I'd encourage you it's it i to reach out or find uh Jason Bryant's it's 200 and 290 pages.

SPEAKER_02 42:45

So we didn't so we'll be reviewing all those tomorrow.

SPEAKER_00 42:48

It just came out I got it downloaded last night at about 11 o'clock so read it today.

SPEAKER_02 42:54

But there was one stat it showed that Minnesota was in second place like in the last four years has like almost doubled the number of Minnesota wrestlers that are at the uh NCAA tournament so pretty proud of Minnesota for that.

SPEAKER_00 43:08

Yeah yeah that's pretty cool that's that's a fun stat. So yeah and the gophers this year probably I I was trying to think the last time we only had six um usually more yeah yeah but but there's six and uh we talked about Jory Vogue at 125 um you know so he this is his first year in wearing the gopher gold and root and gold um but we'll see him at 125 Vance von Bauer um this is his third appearance um he eight seems to be kind of his magic number because he took eighth on twenty four and twenty five and he's going in this year as the eighth seed um he's currently ranked uh ninth in flow um and he's from Greeley Colorado right and I think didn't I think his younger brother committed Yeah. Oh, he did? Yeah. Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 44:04

Who else for the gopher from Greeley? Was that the um Upper Weights? Salazar. Salazar, yeah, was from that area.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

Yep. And then at uh 157, Charlie Millard, the red shirt freshman from McQuan, Wisconsin. So as a freshman, it's his first appearance. He's 21 seed. So it'd be fun to see how Charlie does. Some people I kind of kind of heard, you know, a little bit of a dark horse feel with Charlie. Um I picked him in my uh Okay.

SPEAKER_02 44:36

Yeah, he's my pick.

SPEAKER_00 44:37

Oh, as you're so you'd be Yeah. Yeah. That's my pick.

SPEAKER_02 44:43

Oh shit.

SPEAKER_00 44:43

So we do a little we do a little uh the handful of us that come here and watch in Studio B, um the basement. Um we do we call it just the Mapmaster. We have a little just between us got a little traveling trophy. So you're going with Millard then. I'm going with Millard at the dark horse. Yep. All right. Uh 165, another wrestler, him and Kennedy. I think they got they might be, you know, their grandkids or kids are sharing time together. No, I shouldn't. Right. But Andrew Spark's got around. I feel like Andrew. You know, because I go back. So in 20 we didn't get to go to the U.S. bank. Right. But 21 we couldn't go to St. Louis. They wouldn't let, unless you're a parent, they wouldn't let us go. So that was when we started with the setup. And that's when Oh, that's how this started too, yes. And and uh Sparks was a freshman.

SPEAKER_02 45:33

And doesn't that seem like forever ago? Well, yeah, I it it does. I mean, of course he is a grad student now, but uh but uh uh one uh wrestler from uh California.

SPEAKER_00 45:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Costa Mesa, and this would be his fifth um appearance in the NCAA tournament. He didn't place in 21. Um well he to be honest, he's never placed. I know, but to be there five times. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:02

And uh I think he's wrestled through a number of injuries and things like that.

SPEAKER_00 46:06

And but boy, five times, who can say that? Yeah, there's not many. Not many.

SPEAKER_02 46:11

No.

SPEAKER_00 46:12

No. And then Max McAnally at 184, we kind of talked to him a little about it. We all know about Max. And you know, he's he's uh it's gonna have a tough run, like that bottom bracket, like we talked about. Um he his one one of his losses this season was to Sinclair. Right.

SPEAKER_02 46:28

Um so Yeah, but he wrestled that whole thing on the edge of the mat. I mean, that was quite a strategy. Yeah. Uh they're both gonna be ready. Yeah, yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 46:38

I think it'll be a different match. And then another red shirt freshman, Koy Hopke at heavyweight. Um, he would be the number 14 CDs from Amory, Wisconsin. Um, be obviously his first appearance. So those are the gopher wrestlers that are there. Um, you know, another I wish so when I downloaded that that uh guide, Jason Bryant's guide, um, their Matt Talk, um one of the million stats that are on there, they they break down the number of champions by school by weight. Okay. And actually it's not champions, it goes out to all the podium finishes. So they list like you know, heavyweight, and then all the schools and all the podium finishes. And that clearly shows the gophers as being heavyweight you. Right. Seven, seven championships, and then even uh podium finishes, it's like a spread.

unknown 47:36

Right.

SPEAKER_00 47:37

Yeah. Um so pretty interesting. And so, you know, again, you look at Hopke. Right. Um, pretty highly recruited, and and uh so he could be that next uh in just a uh true freshman or uh a redshirt freshman, you know, coming in as a as a as a um high seed. So and then maybe real quick, should we how much how much what do we got here? We get a little long, we we got a few more minutes. A few more minutes. Yeah, a few more minutes. And so just you know, I I kind of this was you know being up here in the middle of Minnesota and about a horse apiece between the U and and uh NDSU and and uh kind of always had a little bit of uh green in me as well. So um I just thought it would be kind of fun to just maybe and we've done that. You know, I remember you remember some of those first years when NDSU just went to Division I. Right. And some of those early wrestlers that they got there, um, some of their first wrestlers, you know, they didn't bring a a lot of crowd, but the Gopher fans, they had a you know, some pseudo fans in the Gophers.

SPEAKER_02 48:45

Didn't didn't one of the first years knock off Donahue from Iowa? Yeah, yep. Oh and what was yeah oh I mean you'd never forgot that. I mean the whole place was a roar because that was a returning uh finalist and and uh them being new, but yeah, the whole crowd noticed it.

SPEAKER_00 49:03

Yeah. Yeah. So I think you know, it for a long time it was you know, especially early on when you know they had just kind of came into the Division I scene, they were getting a lot of support from the Gopher fans. Right. Um, wherever we were. So um so they have they they bring um is it five? Five uh this year to uh uh Cleveland. Um at 125 pounds, uh Ezekiel Witt Witt, he's a redshirt freshman. Um he's a 16 seed, but um, you know, redshirt freshman coming and he he finished third at the Big 12. Um and then Max Peterson, we talked a little bit about him from Byron. Um he's the 23 seed at 149. And then Gavin Drexler, he was there last year in All American. That's how Gerald won the Oh yeah, that's right. How he won the dark horse. Right. Gerald he's a a bison there. He graduated from NDSU, so when he was making his picks. That's all he picked. Yeah. And that's he got him enough points to uh because he we we pick a dark horse, and that dark horse gets you more points, and that's and he was what ranked 22nd, he ended up eighth for all Americans. Yeah, he was twenty-two seed and finished eighth. So um but yeah, that's Gavin Drexler, he's a junior from Stratford, Wisconsin. And then they have uh Aiden um I don't know how you is it how you say his last name. Is it Brennett or Brunel? Brunol. I don't know, yeah. From Clarksville, Tennessee. He was there last year as a 23 seed, he made it out to the blood round, um, and he's a sophomore, and then their 197-pounder Devin Wazley, um, who actually uh he wrestled two seasons at the at the University of Minnesota before he went up to NDSU. Um but he's from Hanman, Wisconsin. So we just gave you what I don't know, 15 wrestlers or so. That's that's who we're gonna kind of follow. Right.

SPEAKER_02 50:58

And uh so Yeah, the the only other things I heard is uh I was reading is there's two Cubans that made German and uh one from Hawaii. So those are some first. So so sometimes you read about some of those things going, oh let's just see how they do as well. Yeah, yeah. So um I think we want to go back to quickly um just the the special, you know, when you're there and you uh when Jason Ness won at the last second. And I I don't think you've ever seen a stadium just go that crazy. Because he won at the last second his and then won the title. Yeah. But that was an incredible match.

SPEAKER_00 51:44

And that that I so obviously that's the match you were you're thinking about, um right?

SPEAKER_02 51:49

Well that and um Spencer Lee getting getting beat. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I mean you never would expect it. Yeah. But how that could happen in the position he was in to get caught when he was on when he was down, but somehow gets on oh it just yeah. And it happened to the whole place just goes crazy.

SPEAKER_00 52:09

Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, I was thinking that that you know, I probably rew boom let me start over there, probably re-watch that Jason Ness video uh more than any other wrestling video I've watched. Uh huh and just yeah, because it was just so boom, it just happened.

SPEAKER_02 52:24

Right.

SPEAKER_00 52:25

And uh yeah, I that was I think we were in uh I think we were in Omaha.

SPEAKER_02 52:29

Yeah. Yeah. Well, and then when the Gophers won the title with not a champion. Yeah. I mean, and now last year what? Penn State did it? Yeah. We're going, yeah, well, Minnesota did it first. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:42

So yeah, there was uh the in those early years when when yeah, like when they did being, I think we were in were we in Oklahoma or Detroit when they won't. I think it was Detroit. Yeah. Yeah. Um that was fun being a part, you know, when they actually, you know, to win it. So because you know, if you think about it, you look back now and you know what Penn State. Right. Like Iowa and Ohio State, right. Over the last like 20 years, it's it's it's Penn State.

SPEAKER_02 53:09

Yeah. And yeah, and just Yeah, and uh and just even the spread last year. So it's like but the f unbelievable wrestling and it will continue. So So with that, do you have a pick?

SPEAKER_00 53:23

Is who's gonna win the whole thing? I'm just uh okay, then I'm just gonna go the what about second place? Because you know what? Second place.

SPEAKER_02 53:34

Yeah. So boy, I uh yeah, I didn't even think about that. But I would oh boy, I don't know. I mean, would it be uh Ohio State? Uh yeah, but Oklahoma State, I think, and it's interesting you look at all the years that they won it, and now are they gonna come back and are they gonna finally overtake Penn State? Well, that's I think that's where that's making it exciting again because you know will they continue to improve and challenge that?

SPEAKER_00 54:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 54:07

And uh it's gonna be fun to see, and it'll be fun for the sport.

SPEAKER_00 54:10

Yeah, and I you know, I yeah, I think we all want to see Penn State knocked off. That's just well it's just what it is, and that's what it it doesn't matter what you know, I like I said, I I'm a bison, I'm a bison football fan, and you know, I mean look at what they've won. And so it but it's it i it'd be fun to see what David Taylor's gonna do with Oklahoma State. I mean this whole Jax Forrest thing is just unreal. Right. Um and so you know, it's and that's if David Taylor wasn't at Oklahoma State is Jax Forrest at Penn State. Right.

SPEAKER_02 54:49

I mean that's that's well and look at the numbers of people who have gone there to be with David Taylor. Yeah. And uh again, another aspect of the whole event that makes it fun to be there. Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_00 55:02

Um one other kind of interesting, you know, we talk about Iowa and you know, we look at Iowa throughout the years kinda I was again looking in in Jason's guide last night, and he has all of the polls from throughout the season, every week's polls, right? And you know, early on Iowa was like three and four. Right. And you know, where they're the last poll there were seven. And you know, we've kind of seen them and so the conversation right now is it's been thirty-five years in a row that Iowa's had a finalist.

SPEAKER_02 55:46

Yeah. Looking through all this, who will that be?

SPEAKER_00 55:51

I mean, I is it you know, Cali Endo?

SPEAKER_02 55:54

Right. Could be. Hiella. But yeah, boy, I don't know, but they're gonna it would break that streak. It would break that streak. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:02

Thirty-five years they've had a finalist. So I I the kind of a something, I guess, you know, to watch this tournament, I I think you know, I kinda we try to you try to find those things, and that's what you're kind of it's like, okay, you know, I mean, uh it's easy to cheer against Iowa, and it's one of those things, you know, for some of us, it's it's like you know, Packers, Cowboys or something. Who do you cheer for when it comes to like Penn State and Iowa and that kind of thing? And right. You know, I don't not cheering against anybody to to lose, but yet it's kind of yeah, it'd be interesting to see if that streak is still here come Saturday.

SPEAKER_02 56:38

Yeah, it will be. Yeah, well, we have those things to look forward to. Again, we're following all these different wrestlers, the Minnesota wrestlers, NDSU, um, I mean the the Bison and uh you know, and then we look at we follow a lot of the Big Ten.

SPEAKER_00 56:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:54

You know, we see a lot of those, you know, and Logby. Just kind of see, you know, from our own I call it conference or our own just kind of you kind of look at all those and boy, if you do take a look at like who's the all Americans are, a lot of Big Ten are uh are there in the top eight and what a a tough tournament that watching the even the Big Ten was oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 57:20

And they were again on on Flo, I was listening to them, they were kind of debating a little bit about the whole allotment.

SPEAKER_01 57:28

Right.

SPEAKER_00 57:29

And one of the guys they're like, I think the Big Ten should get more. Really? Yeah. And you know, he kind of gave some pretty good arguments to kind of why, and I I'm not gonna get into it, and you know, we can listen to full flow of those guys if you want. But I just thought it was kind of interesting because you know it's you know, some of that what I think there was two-way classes this year where there was ten.

SPEAKER_02 57:52

Right. Yeah. And that's something you all can start setting to what are these allotments and how do that work? And yeah. You know, there's a 290-page document if you want to read.

SPEAKER_00 58:01

Yeah, and he it talks it. It's all in there. I know. So so well, uh you know, if if Jason, because Jason Jason Bryant, who who who does that, um, he is the public address announcer. One him in uh oh, I just I had his name for a second. The other guy, w uh. Yeah, drawing a blank on his partner there at the NCAA's now. I just had it in my head a little bit ago. Um so he's the public address announcer um at the NCAA's. He does it, he's been doing it for several years. He's also the voice of uh Husky Wrestling in St. Cloud State and Husky Hockey, um, but lives in New Brighton um and has a podcast and and then he's got some um Substack where you can go read a lot of his dad stats and so that it's just uh um it's a fun, like I said, if you're into kind of stats and numbers and kind of want to geek out on wrestling, um yeah, he he's he's your guy. So that's what we're referring to. You can kind of Google it or you can if you need to and you can find it.

SPEAKER_02 59:05

But well, I'm I'm looking forward to this upcoming tournament. I'm looking forward for you and I getting back. Uh I'm sure you're gonna drive again. So and um and uh it'll be in next year be in St. St. Louis. So so the last time we drove, I wanted to see Kansas City, but I think I fell asleep.

SPEAKER_00 59:26

Well, yeah, I told Tim, well, when on the way down, I'm like, what was that? Oh, because we went around, we went to Oklahoma City.

SPEAKER_01 59:34

Right.

SPEAKER_00 59:35

We went around Kansas City on the way down. I said, but you know, when we're driving home, we're gonna go through downtown. We're I want you to, you know, it's kind of cool. If you've never been to Kansas City, you know, it's kind of I don't know, it's nothing crazy, but it's just you know, we just we're driving from Minnesota to Oklahoma City. There's not a whole lot in between.

SPEAKER_01 59:52

Right.

SPEAKER_00 59:52

Kansas City's it. Uh huh. So he's like, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm driving, I'm driving. I look over and he's doing fine, and you can see Kansas City off in the distance, but then I look and he's over there sleeping. So I still haven't. Yeah, and and then I think we like the last curve out of town when he I wake up. Yeah. No. Anyway.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:11

Anyway, so we we still have some goals we have to achieve besides the wrestling.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:16

So it's fun. We we've we've had, like I said, some of the road trips over the years. It's been uh it's been fun. So well, with that, um I don't know, you got anything else, any fun, anything to add?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:28

Um No, I just um I think just that we just really uh uh encourage you to to kind of take a look at the NCAA tournament, just some fabulous wrestling, and just that we've just enjoyed these 20 years of uh not only all the experience of local wrestling and high school wrestling, but you add the college wrestling and it just adds so much uh to our wrestling experience that we get to enjoy during this whole winter season. And uh maybe give credit. I think we came back from vacation and we got off a plane and we uh oh, I think we were uh uh a trip overseas, we got off the plane and ran to a gopher's wrestling meet right from the plane. So uh anyway, uh credit to uh my wife for uh supporting uh Gopher Wrestling and going to all these different meets.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:21

Although I'm gonna, you know, give Lynn Lynn a little, you know, I I I used to get Tim to myself for these when I say my longtime wrestling partner, since Lynn retired, I it's but no, it's all good.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:34

I just keep working on that. But anyway, but thanks for all the great memories and times, and we're gonna have more.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:42

Oh, yeah, definitely. And well, thanks for sitting down and doing this with me. And and uh I don't know, we're we might try to jump on, bring you know, maybe an update or two over the weekend. We'll see how time goes. But uh um but yeah, no, thank you for uh for filling in for Derek. I know he's he'll I'm sure he's enjoying the beach right now, especially what it feels like outside. But um yeah. So well thank you.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:06

Thanks for having me on. All right, good night.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:08

Good night.