Gopher wrestler Nelson wins second consecutive national title

March 17, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; Anthony Nelson of the Minnesota Golden Gophers celebrates after defeating Zachery Rey of the Lehigh Mountain Hawks during the finals of the Wrestling Division I Championship at the Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Junior wrestler Tony Nelson became a two-time national champion for the Golden Gophers Saturday as he took home the top crown from the heavyweight class.

Nelson defeated Northwestern’s Mike McMullan, 6-2, to win his second consecutive championship.

The feat has only been accomplished five times at the University of Minnesota, according to Gopher Sports. But winning back-to-back titles in the heavyweight class has only happened once — Cole Konrad did that in 2006 and 2007.

Nelson, a native of Cambridge, Minn, finishes the season with a 33-1 overall record and a Big Ten Championship along with his national championship.

As a team, Minnesota finished in third place. Big Ten rival Penn State took home top overall honors for the third straight year.

Follow Gold and Gopher on Twitter | Follow Frank Bi on Twitter