University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Four Former Gophers Inducted Into MWCA Hall of Fame
5/8/2022 2:34:00 PM | Wrestling, M Club
MINNEAPOLIS - Four former Golden Gopher wrestlers were honored for their contributions to the sport of wrestling in the state of Minnesota, as Zach Sanders, Tony Nelson, Kevin Steinhaus, and Steve Carlson were each inducted into the Dave Bartelma Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame yesterday evening.
The Hall of Fame is named after former Minnesota head coach Dave Bartelma, who coached thirteen years in the Maroon & Gold and helped lead Minnesota to an 82-32-5 record over that span, including a Big Ten title in 1941 and seven NCAA top-10 finishes.
Zach Sanders was a five-time MSHSL state champion for Wabasha-Kellogg high school, compiling a 223-5 record over his prep career. Sanders then went on to compete for the Maroon & Gold, where he became the seventh four-time NCAA All-American in program history and currently ranks six in program history with 134 wins. Sanders currently serves on the Minnesota coaching staff where he has helped lead the recent success of the Golden Gopher lightweights including Ethan Lizak, Sean Russell, and Patrick McKee.
Tony Nelson, a Cambridge-Isanti high school graduate, was a 2009 high school state champion at 215 pounds and garnered a 141-18 high school career record. In his time in a Gopher singlet, Nelson will long be remembered as one of the most dominant heavyweights in program history, earning three Big Ten titles and two NCAA titles. His name is scattered across the program record books, as he ranks in the top-20 in career wins (127), career winning percentage (.891), and career dual meet wins (52).
Kevin Steinhaus, a Pennock, Minn., native, was a three-time high school state champion for Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg high school, going undefeated in his final three years of high school. At Minnesota, Steinhaus was a staple in the Gopher lineup at 184 pounds, where he became a 2012 Big Ten Champion and a three-time NCAA All-American.
Steve Carlson, a Fridley high school graduate, was a two-time Minnesota high school state champion in 1967 and 1968 when the state tournament was still competed within a single-class system. As a member of the Golden Gophers wrestling program, Carlson was a four-time letterwinner from 1969-1972.