University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, November 8
Brookings, SD
10:00 AM
University of Minnesota
vs
Daktronics Invitational
Photo by: Brad Rempel
11/6/2026 9:25:00 AM | Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota wrestling begins its 118th season of competition this weekend as it heads to Brookings, S.D, for the Daktronics Invitational. Action inside the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex starts at 10 a.m. with live stats via TrackWrestling.
The Golden Gophers enter the weekend ranked eighth in both Intermat's tournament rankings the NWCA Coaches Poll, while the InterMat dual rankings put the Gophers 10th.
Seven Gopher wrestlers are ranked in at least two of the major polls with five appearing in all three: InterMat, Flo and Win. Returning national champion Max McEnelly is the top-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds in all three polls, while two-time All-Americans Jore Volk (125) and Vance VomBaur (141) are top-five and top-seven in the polls, respectively. Volk's top ranking is No. 5 from InterMat, while the same poll has VomBaur's best ranking at No. 3.
In addition, heavyweight Koy Hopke is 11th or better in all three polls, and Charlie Millard (157) is top-18. Flo is highest on Hopke by putting him at No. 7, while Flo and WIN both have Millard 12th. At 197, Gavin Nelson is ranked 23rd by Flo and 24th by InterMat, while Ethan Riddle (174) is 22nd by Flo and 33rd by InterMat.
Minnesota Probable Competitors
Minnesota is coming off of a 2025-26 campaign that saw it finish in ninth at the NCAA Championships with 48.5 points. It was the team's fifth top-10 finish under head coach Brandon Eggum and 41st in program history.
McEnelly is coming off the program's first 184-pound national championship as he defeated Penn State's Rocco Welsh, 4-3. McEnelly became the 19th different Gopher to win a national title, and it was the 25th individual championship overall in program history.
The Golden Gophers also saw All-American performances from Volk (7th at 125) and Andrew Sparks (5th at 165). It was the second straight season with at least three All-Americans for Minnesota, the seventh time it had happened under Eggum and the 31st time with at least that many in program history.
Minnesota returns seven starters from last season's squad, including five that competed at the NCAA Championships, headlined by McEnelly. In addition, the Gophers bring back reigning All-American in Volk (125 pounds), as well as two-time All-American in VomBaur (141), plus Millard (157) and Hopke (285), who both competed in their first NCAA Championships last season. Minnesota also benefits from the return of starters Riddle (174) and Nelson (197). In addition, the team welcomes in transfers Drayden Morton (Cal Baptist) and Tegan Sherk (Iowa Central CC), as well as eight freshmen.
Former Minnesota All-American Leroy Vega has returned to his alma mater as the team's newest assistant coach. Vega comes back to the Gophers after seven years with Purdue. He was elevated to the role of head assistant coach in June 2024 following five years of service with the Purdue wrestling program. Prior to his stint as the head assistant coach, Vega was an assistant coach during the 2023-24 season, a player development associate in 2022-23 and a volunteer assistant coach from 2019-22.
The Golden Gophers enter the weekend ranked eighth in both Intermat's tournament rankings the NWCA Coaches Poll, while the InterMat dual rankings put the Gophers 10th.
Seven Gopher wrestlers are ranked in at least two of the major polls with five appearing in all three: InterMat, Flo and Win. Returning national champion Max McEnelly is the top-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds in all three polls, while two-time All-Americans Jore Volk (125) and Vance VomBaur (141) are top-five and top-seven in the polls, respectively. Volk's top ranking is No. 5 from InterMat, while the same poll has VomBaur's best ranking at No. 3.
In addition, heavyweight Koy Hopke is 11th or better in all three polls, and Charlie Millard (157) is top-18. Flo is highest on Hopke by putting him at No. 7, while Flo and WIN both have Millard 12th. At 197, Gavin Nelson is ranked 23rd by Flo and 24th by InterMat, while Ethan Riddle (174) is 22nd by Flo and 33rd by InterMat.
Minnesota Probable Competitors
| Weight | Wrestler | Year | 2025-26 Record |
| 125 | #5 Jore Volk | 5th | 26-7* |
| Joel Friederichs | Fr. | N/A | |
| Titan Friederichs | Fr. | N/A | |
| 133 | Blake Beissel | Jr. | 6-11@ |
| Brandon Morvari | Sr. | 1-10 | |
| Brett Swenson | So. | 0-0 | |
| Trey Beissel | Fr. | N/A | |
| 141 | #3 Vance VomBaur | 6th | 23-8 |
| Tyler Dekraker | Fr. | N/A | |
| 149 | Dawson Johnson | Jr. | 8-5# |
| 157 | #18 Charlie Millard | Jr. | 20-11 |
| 165 | Drayden Morton | Sr. | 15-11^ |
| Cooper Rowe | Fr. | N/A | |
| 174 | #33 Ethan Riddle | Sr. | 16-11 |
| Jed Wester | Jr. | 11-5 | |
| Gabe Nagel | 6th | 4-4$ | |
| John Murphy | Fr. | N/A | |
| Joey Muhlstein | Fr. | N/A | |
| 184 | Sutton Kenning | Fr. | N/A |
| 197 | #24 Gavin Nelson | Sr. | 12-14 |
| Silas Dailey | Jr. | 16-10 | |
| 285 | #8 Koy Hopke | Jr. | 23-11 |
| Evan McGuire | Fr. | N/A |
Intermat rankings listed | * All-American | @ competed at 125 lbs | # competed at 141 lbs | ^ competed at Cal Baptist | $ competed at 197 lbs
Minnesota is coming off of a 2025-26 campaign that saw it finish in ninth at the NCAA Championships with 48.5 points. It was the team's fifth top-10 finish under head coach Brandon Eggum and 41st in program history.
McEnelly is coming off the program's first 184-pound national championship as he defeated Penn State's Rocco Welsh, 4-3. McEnelly became the 19th different Gopher to win a national title, and it was the 25th individual championship overall in program history.
The Golden Gophers also saw All-American performances from Volk (7th at 125) and Andrew Sparks (5th at 165). It was the second straight season with at least three All-Americans for Minnesota, the seventh time it had happened under Eggum and the 31st time with at least that many in program history.
Minnesota returns seven starters from last season's squad, including five that competed at the NCAA Championships, headlined by McEnelly. In addition, the Gophers bring back reigning All-American in Volk (125 pounds), as well as two-time All-American in VomBaur (141), plus Millard (157) and Hopke (285), who both competed in their first NCAA Championships last season. Minnesota also benefits from the return of starters Riddle (174) and Nelson (197). In addition, the team welcomes in transfers Drayden Morton (Cal Baptist) and Tegan Sherk (Iowa Central CC), as well as eight freshmen.
Former Minnesota All-American Leroy Vega has returned to his alma mater as the team's newest assistant coach. Vega comes back to the Gophers after seven years with Purdue. He was elevated to the role of head assistant coach in June 2024 following five years of service with the Purdue wrestling program. Prior to his stint as the head assistant coach, Vega was an assistant coach during the 2023-24 season, a player development associate in 2022-23 and a volunteer assistant coach from 2019-22.
Players Mentioned
125 lbs.
/ Wrestling
133 lbs.
/ Wrestling
197 lbs.
/ Wrestling
141 lbs.
/ Wrestling
125 lbs.
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125 lbs.
/ Wrestling
285 lbs.
/ Wrestling
141 lbs.
/ Wrestling
197 lbs.
/ Wrestling
184 lbs.
/ Wrestling
285 lbs.
/ Wrestling
157 lbs.
/ Wrestling
165 lbs.
/ Wrestling
133 lbs.
/ Wrestling
184 lbs.
/ Wrestling
184 lbs.
/ Wrestling
197 lbs.
/ Wrestling
197 lbs.
/ Wrestling
174 lbs.
/ Wrestling
165 lbs.
/ Wrestling
133 lbs.
/ Wrestling
165 lbs.
/ Wrestling
133 lbs.
/ Wrestling
125 lbs.
/ Wrestling
141 lbs.
/ Wrestling
174 lbs.
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