The 5037 fans in the soldout arena perhaps purchased their tickets manifesting to see a moment like this. And it turned true. In the NCAA duel between Minnesota and Iowa, the latter certainly came with the intent of testing the Gophers. Also, how the meet was officiated made the ground even more risky to sustain. But despite all this, Gable Steveson’s biggest threat emerged in the form of none other than a teammate. Surprised? Don’t be!
We’re talking about none other than Max McEnelly. The 184-pound wrestling star is only in his first season with the Gophers wrestling yet. But what mark is he leaving on the fans and the program? A certainly indelible one. Do you remember, just last match against Ohio State, McEnelly wrapped up a 15-5 decision over Ryder Rogotzke, his old high school nemesis? How extraordinary was that! Also, if it hadn’t been for that 20-17 Minnesota win over Ohio, this historic feat against Iowa wouldn’t have been possible. Well, what has happened? Here are the details!
As per the post-match updates, Gophers wrestling star Max McEnelly has now officially finished his first season undefeated with the side, after he pulled off an overtime win over Number # 8, Gable Arnold. Not only did that give Minnesota their second victory moment of the night, but meant big things for the Wacnonian McEnelly. No wonder he received a huge ovation that night, one that was way grander than his well-accomplished teammate, Gable Steveson, who despite being an Olympic gold medalist settled for a softer bunch of claps.
No wonder McEnelly confessed after the match, “It’s awesome to come out here in front of the home crowd every single time…I don’t really think about going undefeated or whatever. I just think about going out there and, you know, wrestling every single match to the best of my abilities.” Clearly, this is Max McEnelly’s mantra that differentiates him from Gable Steveson. A focus on clean, good wrestling! “Winning’s cool, but at the end of the day, it’s about how you compete. The Minnesota crowd brought it today, so it was awesome to get a big win in front of them,” is how he summarized his feat briefly.
This story is developing…
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