Michigan
Big Ten Session III
Wolverines Fifth at Big Ten Meet, Send Seven to NCAAs
3/7/1999 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan wrestled to a fifth-place team finish in the 85th Big Ten Conference Championships, hosted by the Wolverines on Saturday and Sunday (Mar. 6-7) in Crisler Arena. Nine Wolverines took to the mat Sunday, with two earning victories while seven placed in the top seven and qualified for the NCAA Championships (Mar. 16-18) in State College, Pa.
Michigan added four points to its team total Sunday to place fifth with 76.5 points. Second-ranked Minnesota won the championship with 139 points, stopping Iowa's 25-year reign as Big Ten champion. The Hawkeyes were second (121), with Penn State (109) and Illinois (82.5) and Michigan rounding out the top five.
Top-seeded sophomore Otto Olson (Everett, Wash./Everett HS) earned a hard-fought win over Wisconsin's third-seeded Kole Clauson in the 174-pound third-place match. Freshman 184-pounder Andy Hrovat (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edward's HS) rebounded from two first-day losses to pin Illinois' third-seeded Nate Patrick with four seconds remaining in Sunday's seventh-place match. Hrovat and Olson are both first-time NCAA qualifiers.
Junior Joe Warren (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Kentwood HS) and sophomore Damion Logan (Garfield, N.J./St. Joseph's Regional HS) were Michigan's top performers in the tournament, but each suffered a setback in the championship bout, at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively. Warren lost a hard-fought, back-and-forth match to Michigan State's top-seeded Pat McNamara by a 12-10 count but earned his second trip to the NCAA Championships with a second straight Big Ten runner-up finish. Logan lost a close 6-4 decision to Iowa's top-seeded Doug Schwab.
Other Wolverines extending their seasons include senior Corey Grant (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS), who took fourth place at 149 pounds; junior Frank Lodeserto (North Haledon, N.J./St. Joseph's Regional HS), sixth at 197 pounds; and freshman Matt Brink (Muskegon, Mich./Fruitport HS), sixth at heavyweight. Each will be wrestling in the NCAA tournament for the first time.
Final Team Standings
1. Minnesota 139 2. Iowa 121 3. Penn State 109 4. Illinois 82.5 5. MICHIGAN 76.5 6. Wisconsin 59.5 7. Northwestern 56.5 8. Michigan State 53.5 9. Indiana 48 10. Purdue 31.5 11. Ohio State 30Michigan Results (Session III)
#3 seed Chris Viola (125)
Seventh-Place Match -- maj. dec. by #8 Steve Doerrer (IL), 12-1
#3 seed Joe Warren (133)
Championship Match -- dec. by No. 1 Pat McNamara (MSU), 12-10
#2 seed Damion Logan (141)
Championship Match -- dec. by No. 1 Doug Schwab (IA), 6-4
#4 seed Corey Grant (149)
Third-Place Match -- dec. by #3 Adam Tirapelle (IL), 5-2
#8 seed Jason Rawls (165)
Seventh-Place Match -- pinned by #7 Drew Pariano (NU), 6:26
#1 seed Otto Olson (174)
Third-Place Match -- dec. #3 Kole Clauson (WI), 9-6
#4 seed Andy Hrovat (184)
Seventh-Place Match -- pinned #3 Nate Patrick (IL), 6:56
#7 seed Frank Lodeserto (197)
Fifth-Place Match -- maj. dec. by #3 Sam Neider (NU), 10-0
#5 seed Matt Brink (Hwt)
Fifth-Place Match -- dec. by #4 David Pierce (PU), 8-1
Players Mentioned
