Steinhaus, Dardanes Selected to NWCA All-Star Classic

Gopher All-Americans to compete in prestigious event

The 2012 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United State Marine Corps will feature two University of Minnesota athletes. Redshirt junior Kevin Steinhaus and redshirt sophomore Chris Dardanes will participate in the event taking place on Nov. 3, 2012 on the campus of American University in Washington D.C. The annual competition showcases top-ranked wrestlers from across the country.

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Steinhaus, the 2012 Big Ten Champion and two-time All-American will be wrestling against Robert Hamlin of Lehigh University in the 184-pound weight class. Steinhaus holds a career record of 67-18, including a 34-6 record last season. He went undefeated (8-0) in Big Ten conference action leading to the conference championship title.

The pairing will be a rematch of the NCAA Championships where the two met in the consolation semifinals. Hamlin came out on top with a 3-2 decision to advance to the bronze medal match. Steinhaus would go on to finish fifth and receive All-American honors for the second year in a row.

Competing at 133 pounds, Dardanes will also be featured in a redemption match. He will battle Aaron (A.J.) Schopp of Edinboro whom he defeated in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Championship Tournament by a 7-3 decision. Dardanes continued in the tournament and earned his first All-American accolade with a fourth-place finish.

Dardanes did not enter the starting lineup until after the Southern Scuffle but quickly proved his worth. He finished the season with a 25-12 overall record, 7-4 in duals and 5-2 in Big Ten. Dardanes registered six pins, a technical fall and seven major decisions during the 2011-2012 season.

The NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United State Marine Corps will take place at American University’s Bender Arena. For more information on the event, visit the NWCA website.