Gophers senior Dustin Schlatter had a rough day on Wednesday at the World Wrestling Championships in Herning, Denmark.

Schlatter, an NCAA champion as a freshman and a three-time All-America finisher, narrowly lost his opening match in the round of 32.

Ramesh Kumar of India edged Schlatter 0-1, 2-0, 1-1 at 163 pounds in the freestyle competition. Even though the third period ended in a tie, Kumar advanced because he scored the last point.

Kumar was an experienced first opponent. He finished third in the Asian Championship in May and fourth in the 2004 Olympics.

After his loss, at about 7 a.m. Minneapolis time, Schlatter had to hope Kumar reached the final for a spot in the consolation bracket. He nearly did.

Kumar won his next two matches but then was pinned by Chamsulvara Chamsulvaraev of Azerbaijan in 1:21 in the semifinals. Kumar had to settle for one of the two bronze medals that were awarded.

Gophers coach J Robinson, who was in Herning with two of his assistants, has said he will give Schlatter at least a month off now before he joins the team for preseason training. The Gophers’ first competition is not until mid-November.

Schlatter red-shirted last season to heal from injuries and try to qualify for the U.S. freestyle team competing in these World Championships.

Defending champion Iowa will be one of the three top four teams in last March’s NCAA meet visiting the Gophers this wrestling season.

The Hawkeyes will be here on Feb. 14. Iowa State, third at nationals, will stop on Jan. 3, and Nebraska, fourth at nationals, will visit Dec. 10.

So the home schedule, with seven dual meets, sets up nicely.

The U is also having a Meet the Team Night at 6 p.m. on Oct. 2 at the Williams Arena Club Room.

RSVP by calling 612-625-1013 or going to wrestle@umn.edu.

The 2009-10 schedule:

This blog is primarily for men’s hockey but, once in a while, we venture off into other Gophers sports. Today the subject is rasslin’, a true tough-guy sport.

The Gophers, ranked No. 11 in the nation, will compete in the National Duals on Saturday and Sunday in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

They will face Buffalo at 9 a.m. in their first match in Northern Iowa’s UNI Dome. The winner will undoubtedly get No. 1-rated Iowa in the quarterfinals if the Hawkeyes beat Wyoming in their opener.

Last year Minnesota was 2-2 and finished fourth at the National Duals after winning the tournament the previous two years.

The Gopher to watch in this meet is junior Jayson Ness. He has 13 pins this season and 48 for his career — which is only three shy of the program record. Heavyweight Billy Pierce had 51.

So Ness could catch and pass Pierce this weekend.

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J Robinson and his Gophers wrestling coaching staff will host its annual coaches clinic at 1 p.m. Friday, October 24 at the Bierman Field Athletic Complex.

Former Olympian Cary Kolat will speak about technique. Former Gopher Mack Reiter, a three-time NCAA All-American, will break down cradles. Coaches will also be able to watch a Minnesota wrestling practice.

After dinner Duke University professor Gregory Dale, will talk about team-building and Kolat will offer a second clinic.

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The Big Ten Network will televise the Gophers’ dual meet with Iowa in Iowa City on Sun., Feb. 15.

The match starts at 2 p.m. and will be shown live. The Hawkeyes are the defending Big Ten and NCAA champions.

That’s good news for Gophers fans because the U has only five matches at home and none of those or any other away matches are on TV.

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Visiting pastor Gary Ries was giving his sermon at Christ Lutheran Church in Blaine and I was nodding off, as usual, when he mentioned J Robinson.

That jarred me. Who has the most successful athletic program in the state, pastor Ries asked rhetorically. J Robinson, he said, answering his own question.

Robinson’s teams are annually among the nation’s best in wrestling, pastor Ries said, and win more than any other pro or college sports program in Minnesota.

His sermon was about legacy, creating one and what it took. Pastor Ries used Robinson as an example of someone who is persistent. He also recruits athletes who have that trait.

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Gophers wrestling coach J Robinson said he is going to wait a while before filling the sudden opening on his staff.

Marty Morgan, the associate head coach who was with the program for 20 years, resigned this week.

“We’re going to take a little bit of time,” Robinson said. “I am not in any rush to do anything right now. I got an idea of what we want to do. But right now I am just going to sit back and look at the program and what our needs are and we will kind of go from there.

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So far, the Gophers wrestling season is off to a shakey start. First, Jake Deitchler decides not to attend the U, now assistant coach Marty Morgan abruptly resigns.

Morgan’s loss may hurt more even though Deitchler was a member of the U.S. Greco-Roman team in the Beijing Olympics. The three-time state champ from Anoka High decided to train full-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Morgan left to train Brock Lesnar full-time. Lesnar, a former Gophers heavyweight legend, is now involved in the Ultimate Fighting Championships.

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Jake Deitchler said Thursday there is no chance he will change his mind and wrestle for the Gophers.

Deitchler, a three-time state champion at Anoka High School, signed with the Gophers last fall but last week announced he would train year-round at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Deitchler made the U.S. Olympic team in Greco-Roman wrestling at 149.5 pounds but lost twice in Beijing to eventual medal winners.

He said he intends to spend two, three weeks at home before moving to Colorado. “I want to enjoy Minnesota, take time for myself,” he said. “[And then] I want to get rolling.”

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When Jake Deitchler decided last week he was not going to attend the University of Minnesota, Gophers wrestling coach J Robinson still was unconvinced. Maybe Deitchler will change his mind when he comes home, Robinson said.

Well, Deitchler is home from China and he has not had a change of heart.

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