Top-ranked Gophers wrestling adds three promising recruits

The No. 1 nationally ranked Gophers don’t believe in spreading the wealth — at least not Minnesota’s wrestling talent.

The Gophers announced the additions of three in-state recruits on Monday: Jake Short, Nick Wanzek and Nate Thomas all signed National Letters of Intent and will wrestle with one of the best programs in the country on campus next season.

Short, a three-time state champion at Simley High School, is ranked as the top high school wrestler at 145 pounds in the nation. His career record of 189-20 has earned him the No. 8 national rank for overall seniors and has helped his high school win three of its five consecutive state finals.

Wanzek, also from Simley High School, is a two-time state champion at 170 pounds and will join his current teammate on campus next fall.

Thomas is a two-time Minnesota state finalist and took home the Class AA 103-pound championship as a freshman. He finished as the state runner-up for Kasson-Mantorville High School after switching to 112 pounds as a sophomore. He had to sit out his junior year with an injury, but is wrestling his senior season.

Minnesota coach J Robinson tends to redshirt his freshmen, since his teams year-to-year are generally championship contenders. The Gophers finished second in the nation last year behind Big Ten rival Penn State, but Minnesota’s Tony Nelson took home the individual crown as the nation’s top heavyweight wrestler.