On the day Michigan wrestling celebrated its 75th anniversary, things didn't exactly go as planned. In front of nearly 60 alumni, the No. 11 Michigan wrestling team fell to No. 3 Minnesota, 28-10.
"This is very disappointing," Michigan coach Dale Bahr said. "We knew Minnesota had a good team, but we could have fought them harder. They have some very talented wrestlers on that team, and they came out to win."
The loss denied Bahr his 100th Big Ten victory.
The Wolverines were handed a 6-0 lead as Minnesota forfeited the opening 118-pound match. But the Golden Gophers were quick to take those points back - and then the lead - with three consecutive wins at the 126- 134- and 142-pound weight classes.
Minnesota sophomore Pat Conners dropped Michigan sophomore Chris Viola, who was wrestling up from his regular position at 118.
In the 134-pound bracket, Michigan sophomore Corey Grant battled junior Troy Marr into overtime. Neither wrestler scored a point in the overtime period, sending the match into sudden death. Marr scored an escape and took the match, 4-3.
"I think Marr's win at 134 was really a momentum-builder for the team," Minnesota head coach Robinson said. "Conners gave us a good start coming out at 126, and Marr really got some big points on the board for us."
The next match pitted 142-pound Michigan redshirt freshman Teya Hill against Minnesota junior captain Jason Davids. Davids is the son of former Michigan All-American Bill Davids, who was in attendance as part of the 75th anniversary celebration.
"I was rooting for my son the whole way," Bill Davids said. "It's great to be back here, and I certainly have fond memories and friends from Michigan, but in this case, my heart is with my son."
Hill, still ailing from a knee injury suffered last week in Indiana, struggled in the first period and Davids held an 8-2 lead going into the second period. Davids never lost the lead and scored a 13-4 major decision over Hill to give the Gophers their first lead of the meet.
"It was basically a decision I made yesterday to let Teya wrestle," Bahr said. "He looked much better in practice near the end of the week, and he is our best wrestler at 142 pounds. Davids is a good wrestler, and even at 100 percent, Teya would have had a challenge ahead of him."
The 150-pound match showcased two ranked opponents and was expected to be the best match on the afternoon. Michigan junior tri-captain Bill Lacure put his 23-5 record on the line against Minnesota's junior Chad Craft, who boasted a 20-2 record.
The match turned out to be a romp, as Lacure shut out Craft for a 9-0 major decision. Lacure's win knotted the team score at 10.
"I was nervous going out there," Lacure said. "He isn't ranked for nothing, and I expected a battle today. I calmed down a little as soon as I got some points, and he seemed real timid.
"This is a big win for me, but in reality, we lost the meet, and this win means nothing."
With the match tied at 10, the teams had a 20-minute break as the 75th anniversary celebration continued. Each alumnus was announced and made a trip around the wrestling mat as the crowd sang "The Victors!"
"We weren't too upset at the break," Bahr said. "We still had two of our All-Americans yet to get on the mat, and we felt we could win three of the last five matches and possibility get the win."
But Michigan dropped its final five matches. At 158 pounds, Michigan freshman Otto Olson fell to junior Josh Holiday, 11-9. Holiday was called for stalling twice in the final two periods, giving Olson two points, but it wasn't enough to get the win.
Michigan tri-captain Jeff Catrabone, ranked third nationally, was upset by No. 5 Zac Taylor. The 7-5 win gave Minnesota a 16-10 lead.
"After the loss at 167, things really began to fall apart," Bahr said. "The ship was sinking."
Michigan freshman Joe DeGain (177) lost, 16-9, and at 190 pounds, sophomore Frank Lodeserto was pinned by junior Tim Hartung in the first period.
With the score 25-10, the Gophers had already clinched the win going into the heavyweight match.
Even Michigan's All-American Airron Richardson couldn't get it together and fell in overtime to junior Shelton Benjamin. Benjamin scored a takedown and three-point near fall in the extra period to cap off the victory for the Gophers.
"Today was just a bad day," the lone Michigan winner, Lacure said. "This happens sometimes, and we need to bounce back and learn from this loss."