INSIDE WRESTLING
BY RYAN EVANS
@Badger_Wrestle
SCHEDULE (7-5, 4-3)
This Week
Feb. 10 #4 Minnesota
Coming Up
Feb. 17 NWCA
National Duals
Mar. 9-10 Big Ten
Championships
Mar. 21-23 NCAA
Championships
Border Battle to provide
exciting end to season
Badgers, Gophers to renew rivalry for 96th time
W
isconsin ends its
regular season this
Sunday with a showdown
against fourth-ranked Minnesota (12-2, 6-1), and Badgers' head coach Barry Davis
said that his team is looking
forward to facing its Border
Battle rival.
"Any Big Ten opponent is a
rival, but with Minnesota it's
58 » VARSITY
FEB R UA RY 7, 2013
a little bit more," Davis said.
Facing a team like the
Gophers, which features
nine ranked wrestlers in its
starting lineup, will provide
Wisconsin with a good test
of just how much it has improved this season ― a season that has seen the Badgers increase their Big Ten
win count by four from a
1 p.m.
All Day
All Day
All Day
year ago, something Davis said "not
many people expected from us."
"It's going to be a good dual meet
with some big matches," Davis added. "Minnesota has a very good team
right now, and I'm looking forward to
seeing how our guys respond."
One of the biggest matches will be
at heavyweight, where UW's No. 11
Connor Medbery and Minnesota's
No. 2 Tony Nelson will square off.
Nelson will be Medbery's sixth
ranked Big Ten opponent of the season, and Davis said that experience
should serve him well against the
reigning NCAA heavyweight champion.
"Connor has had a lot of big matches
already this year," Davis said, "which
has prepared him for this weekend."
"It's a good stepping stone for
him," he added.
Celebrating the seniors
» Sunday's dual against the Gophers
is Senior Day at the UW Field
House, and five departing members
of the wrestling team will be recognized: student manager Christina
Burke as well as wrestlers Shane
McQuade, Brad Nardick, Tom Kelliher and Cole Schmitt.