Minnesota had been there before in other dual meets, with things going the Gophers’ way until one match altered momentum.

This time, last Friday night in Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena, things were going Minnesota’s way and they stayed that way, as the Gophers won four of the first five bouts and two of the last three to beat Iowa, 21-16, for the first time in 11 years.

It’s a signature win, given that Iowa has won 80 of the 112 meetings the two schools have had since 1920. And coach Brandon Eggum said the Gophers’ supporters appreciated it.

“Yeah, a lot of people reached out. Obviously, the attention that came from that, they were really excited about it,” Eggum said. “People who have competed in Carver’s atmosphere know that it’s more challenging down there — that noise makes a difference. Fortunately, when you do take care of business, it kept the noise out of a lot of the matches and that was helpful.

“But our fans … alumni, a lot of them reached out to congratulate us. The administrators and our backers were all pretty excited. Even people who aren't traditional Gopher fans have reached out and thought it was quite a statement. So that was nice.”

Eggum thought the match was winnable going in, and after Jore Volk (125), Vance VomBaur (141), Drew Roberts (149) and Charlie Millard (157) each won, he thought the Gophers could take the Hawkeyes out.

“The team seemed really calm and we talked a lot about what it would take to win this dual — like composure and guys picking up some wins if they're not favored on paper,” Eggum said. “And so it seemed like going into it, that there was a strong feeling that we were going to win this dual, but we've had those before and lost some really close ones.”

Eggum said #9 VomBaur is capable of winning any match, and he downed #12 Nasir Bailey 10-1 at 141. 

“For him to get a win and get bonus points for us, that was a real big motivator for the rest of the team,” Eggum said. 

Roberts, ranked #26, made a first-period takedown stand up in a 4-2 win over #11 Ryder Block at 149. 

“That was a big one because maybe in some people’s eyes, we were maybe less likely to pull an upset there,” Eggum said. “But winning ‘25 by bonus, ‘41 by bonus and then Drew coming and getting that win, there was a lot of excitement.”

After #19 Charlie Millard majored #11 Jordan Williams 13-3 at 157, that excitement level was amplified. 

“Our energy was unmatched by their energy at that time, and I could see it in our guys … standing up (on the bench) and cheering for the guys. That's a really powerful thing — and a fun thing,” Eggum said.

Iowa drew to within 15-13 after 174, but #4 Max McEnelly at 184 and #25 Gavin Nelson at 197 clinched the dual with back-to-back wins over Gabe Arnold and Harvey Ludington, respectively.

Eggum challenged a waved-off takedown call for McEnelly early in the match but didn’t win it. 

“That was a tough one because I knew it was going to be tight, but Max stayed disciplined and scored in overtime,” Eggum said. 

“And that was really awesome for Gavin. He sealed it and it was a really exciting feeling for the team.”

Just Stay Consistent

The Gophers improved to 9-4 and head east for a weekend doubleheader at Rutgers (6 p.m. Friday) and Maryland (1 p.m. Sunday). They close at home against Michigan State on Feb. 15.

The win in Iowa City allows the Gophers to believe they belong, Eggum said, but …

“But it’s short-lived, you know,” he said. “This weekend’s coming up on us quick and the match at Rutgers is first and foremost on our minds. As long as we go out and use that momentum we have and don't just expect to win, I think it can springboard you to success. 

“We realize Friday is going to be a tough one, and we're going in there knowing that they're probably looking at it the same way, saying, ‘wow, we match up.’ We're going to make sure that our guys don't just expect a win.”

Just Stay Healthy

Barring the injury bug that ran rampant through the Gophers last season, their projected postseason lineup is pretty much intact.

“We’ve been shifting guys in at 133, but for the most part, we're pretty set on our starters,” Eggum said. “We're just trying to be smart. We're really smart about the way we recover after our competition, trying to peak each weekend. If we can do that and stay healthy, we can put ourselves in a really good spot for the Big Tens.

“I hope we can finish strong here. Rutgers has some great guys. Maryland has some good guys. So if we have a good weekend, we could just take another little step forward.”