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Gable Steveson wins final match at Maturi Pavilion, finishes regular season undefeated

Steveson rolled through regular season competition with a perfect 10-0 record.
Tony Liebert|
Minnesota's Gable Steveson reacts after his match at 285 pounds in the finals during the sixth session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. 220319 Ncaa Session 6 Wr 023 Jpg
Minnesota's Gable Steveson reacts after his match at 285 pounds in the finals during the sixth session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. 220319 Ncaa Session 6 Wr 023 Jpg | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Legendary Gophers wrestler Gable Steveson officially wrestled his final match at Maturi Pavilion on Friday night. He picked up a first-period tech fall over Iowa's No. 11-ranked Ben Kueter, moving to a perfect 10-0 on the regular season.

In November, Steveson announced that he would be returning to college wrestling for one last season with the Gophers. The decision came after runs in the WWE and the NFL, but at 24 years old, he has proven that he remains one of the best amateur wrestlers in the world.

Minnesota was not able to find the same team success on Friday night against Iowa. The No. 3-ranked Hawkeyes won the regular season finale dual 23-11, as the Gophers finished the regular season 10-2.

Steveson will now look ahead to the Big Ten Championships on March 8-9. He will be eyeing his fourth conference title and first since 2022. He has not lost a collegiate wrestling match since 2019 against Anthony Cassar when he was a true freshman.

His top competition in Evanston, Illinois will be Penn State senior Greg Kerkvliet, who is a former Simley High School standout. Kerkvliet is also undefeated at 15-0, but Steveson has beaten him twice at the collegiate level — once in 2021 and then again in 2022. Steveson will ultimately be the heavy favorite to mow through the competition, as he looks to add to his trophy case.

The Gophers officially finished the 2024-25 regular season in third place in the Big Ten standings. A second or third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships in March would be their highest finish in the conference as a team since the 2013-14 season.

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Tony Liebert
TONY LIEBERT

Tony Liebert is particularly known for his coverage of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, though he also contributes to coverage of the Minnesota Vikings, Timberwolves and Twins. His writing style is noted for providing in-depth analysis and insights, making him a go-to source for fans looking for comprehensive coverage of Minnesota sports.

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