MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota wrestling’s 2024 signing class grew to eight members Thursday with the addition of Blake Beissel, who has signed a letter of acceptance with the Golden Gophers.
Beissel attends Hastings High School in Hastings, Minn., where he won two individual state championships. Beissel’s most recent title came in 2023 as a junior when he helped Hastings to the Class AAA team championship and took home the 113-pound title himself with a 52-1 record. In his sophomore season, he was 49-2 en route to the championship at 106 pounds.
This past year as a senior, Beissel wrapped up a 51-2 campaign with a third-place finish at 121 pounds. Beissel, who also placed fifth as a freshman at 106, ended his prep career with a record of 184-8.
“It’s been a dream of Blake’s to wrestle for the University of Minnesota,” Gophers head coach Brandon Eggum said. “His work ethic and love for wrestling will be a great addition to our program. We’re excited to welcome him and his family.”
The Guillotine ranked Beissel ninth in the state of Minnesota in its most recent pound-for-pound rankings, while MatScouts ranked him No. 165 nationally on its 2024 Big Board.
On the national scene, Beissel qualified for the 2023 Freestyle Junior Nationals at 120 pounds after winning the state freestyle championship and reaching the semifinals of the Northern Plains Regional. In 2022, he won the Northern Plains Regional for freestyle at 113 pounds and was the runner-up at the same event for Greco-Roman.
Beissel joins a group of six signees that was announced in November, as well as Dawson Johnson, who signed a letter of acceptance like Beissel last month.
