Weekly Release #10

Upcoming Schedule:
Saturday, Feb. 15 -- vs. Penn State (Cliff Keen Arena), 6 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 16 -- vs. Ohio State (Cliff Keen Arena), 1 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 22 -- at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.), 7 p.m.
March 8-9 -- Big Ten Championships (Madison, Wis.)

Wolverines Welcome Big Ten Foes for a Pair of Home Duals
The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team (8-6, 3-2 Big Ten) will host back-to-back Big Ten dual meets at Cliff Keen Arena The Wolverines will take on No. 12 Penn State (10-5, 3-2 Big Ten) in a dual slated for 6 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 15) and face No. 4 Ohio State (11-4, 3-1 Big Ten) at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Feb. 16). Last weekend, the Wolverines suffered a pair of Big Ten losses at Minnesota and Michigan State.

Foam Headgear Giveaway
Michigan wrestling fans are encouraged to arrive early to Saturday night's dual meet against Penn State (Feb. 15). The first 500 spectators will receive a free U-M wrestling foam headgear. Doors to Cliff Keen Arena will open at 4:30 p.m.

Jim Keen to be Honored
Mr. Jim Keen, the son of legendary Michigan coach Cliff Keen, will be honored during the halftime intermission of Sunday's dual meet against Ohio State. Keen was awarded the Wrestling USA 2002 Master of Wrestling Award for his dedication and contributions to the sport of wrestling.
Wrestling USA Story (PDF: 1 page, 89 KB)

The Series vs. Penn State
Penn State leads the all-time series against the Wolverines by a slight 19-18 margin, dating back to 1933. In recent years the series has been split evenly between the two squads with each team winning six of the last 12 meetings. However, the Wolverines currently hold a four-meet winning streak over Penn State. In Ann Arbor U-M owns a 12-4 record. Michigan head coach Joe McFarland owns a perfect 3-0 record against the Nittany Lions since taking the helm of the Wolverine squad.

Last Meeting vs. Penn State
In the last meeting between Michigan and Penn State, the Wolverines traveled to State College, Pa., on Feb. 8, 2002, and dominated the dual, winning eight individual matches, including six with bonus points, to cruise to a 33-6 conference win.  In back-to-back matches at 174 and 184 pounds, sixth-year senior Otto Olson collected a 25-8 technical fall over Todd Brennan and senior captain Andy Hrovat pinned PSU's Curt Thompson at 6:16 to give the Wolverines the commanding lead.

About the Nittany Lions
Entering this weekend's dual meet, Penn State owns a season mark of 10-6 and is 3-3 in Big Ten meets. The Nittany Lions took fourth place at the Virginia Duals (Jan. 10-11) with wins over Rider (38-3), Cal State-Bakersfield (43-3) and Hofstra (29-16) and losses to Lehigh (22-12) and Illinois (19-12). In the conference portion of its schedule, Penn State has collected wins over Purdue (Jan. 26, 21-15) and Indiana (Jan. 24, 27-9), but suffered losses against Minnesota (Jan. 31, 19-15), Ohio State (Feb. 6, 18-18 by criteria) and Iowa (Feb. 9, 26-10). The Nittany Lions are led by returning NCAA qualifiers Josh Moore at 133 pounds, Nate Wachter (157), Mark Becks (184) Pat Cummins (heavyweight). Head coach Troy Sunderland holds a 31-41 career record in his fifth season at Illinois and is 0-3 against the Wolverines.
Penn State on the Web: www.gopsusports.com

The Series vs. Ohio State
Michigan leads the all-time series against Ohio State by a 61-13-4 margin, dating back to 1923. In recent years Michigan has been the dominant team, winning the last nine meetings. In Ann Arbor the Wolverines own an impressive 34-5-1 career record. Michigan head coach Joe McFarland is 3-0 against the Buckeyes since taking the helm of the Wolverine squad.

Last Meeting vs. Ohio State
The Wolverines last faced off against Ohio State on Feb. 10, 2002, in Columbus in a conference dual meet Michigan took 23-12.  With six Wolverines winning their individual matches, bonus points played a key role in the lopsided team score.  Four Wolverine wrestlers earned bonus-points victories -- Mike Kulczycki (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward HS) at 149 pounds with a 17-7 major decision, Otto Olson at 174 pounds with a 22-7 technical fall, Andy Hrovat at 184 pounds with a 22-8 major decision and A.J. Grant (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS) at 125 pounds with a 12-3 major decision.

About the Buckeyes
Coming into this weekend's dual meet, Ohio State owns an overall record of 10-5 and is 2-2 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes claimed fourth place at the National Duals (Jan. 18-19) with wins over Ohio (37-4), Michigan State (19-15) and Cornell (28-12) while falling to Oklahoma State (23-14) and Iowa (34-10). They kicked off the Big Ten schedule with a win over Indiana (Jan. 30, 34-12) but fell to two-time defending champion Minnesota (Feb. 1, 20-15). Last week, Ohio State split a pair of duals, winning against Penn State (Feb. 6, 18-18 by criteria) before falling to Purdue (Feb. 9, 21-17). The Buckeyes boast six returning NCAA qualifiers in this season's lineup, led by Keaton Anderson at 157 pounds, John Clark (165), Blake Kaplan (174) and returning NCAA champion Tommy Rowlands (heavyweight). Head coach Russ Helickson holds a 239-128-6 career record in his 17th season at Ohio State and is 5-13 against the Wolverines.
Ohio State on the web: www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com

Marquee Matches
133 pounds -- #7 Foley Dowd vs. #9 Josh Moore (Penn State)
In the only previous meeting between Foley Dowd (Howell, N.J./The Peddie School) and Penn State's Josh Moore in last season's conference dual meet, Dowd earned a narrow 5-4 decision. This season Dowd is having a breakout year for the Wolverines, claiming the 133-pound crown at the Midlands (Dec. 28-29). He has posted a 21-4 overall record and is 10-3 in dual meets. Last weekend Dowd split a pair of conference matches, losing to Minnesota's Ryan Lewis 14-5 on Friday but rebounding to defeat Michigan State's Shane Martin 13-7 on Sunday. Moore, a second-year starter for the Nittany Lions, has matched Dowd's success this season with an impressive 28-6 overall record and 9-4 in duals. Last weekend Moore also split duals, earning a fall against Ohio State's Rob Rosenfeld just 21 second into the bout and narrowly falling to Iowa's Cliff Moore 8-6.

149 pounds -- #15 Ryan Churella vs. #16 Josh Daugherty (Ohio State)
Saturday's dual will mark the first meeting between Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and the Buckeyes' Josh Daugherty. After posting a 1-4 record in his collegiate debut at the National Duals (Jan. 18-19), Churella has been on fire winning four of five matches, with his only loss coming last weekend against defending NCAA champion Jared Lawrence of Minnesota. In his last appearance on the mat, the Wolverine wrestler earned a 4-1 upset victory over Michigan State's Karl Nadolsky. Daugherty has been somewhat inconsistent in his last season at Ohio State, posting a 13-15 overall mark and 7-8 dual record. Last weekend Daugherty recorded a 7-4 victory over Penn State's Nate Galloway but was upset by Purdue's Dan Jankowski 7-3 days later.

157 pounds -- #8 Ryan Bertin vs. #1 Keaton Anderson (Ohio State)
In the only meeting between Ryan Bertin (Broadview Heights, Ohio/St. Edward HS) and the Buckeyes' Keaton Anderson, which came earlier this season at the Cliff Keen Invitational (Dec. 6-7), Anderson was declared the winner by injury default after Bertin went down with an ankle injury -- an injury that kept him off the mat for over a month. Heading into the rematch, Bertin owns a 10-4 overall mark and is 8-3 in duals. He suffered a pair of tough losses last weekend, dropping a 10-4 decision to defending NCAA champion Luke Becker of Minnesota and falling to Michigan State's Gray Maynard 4-4 in the tiebreaker. Anderson, in his senior season at Ohio State, is putting together his most successful year with the Buckeyes. He claimed the top ranking in all major polls after earning a 10-3 win over Luke Becker two weeks ago. He owns a 28-1 overall mark and is a perfect 11-0 in duals. Last weekend Anderson collected a 3-1 decision over Penn State's Nate Wachter and earned a 18-3 technical fall over Purdue's Clovis Crane.

Heavyweight -- #14 Greg Wagner vs. #2 Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State)
Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) and Ohio State's Tommy Rowlands, the defending NCAA champion, will square off for the first time in Saturday's dual meet. Wagner has continued to improve and impress in his freshman season. The Wolverine has compiled a 21-10 overall mark and is 10-4 in dual meets. Last weekend Wagner suffered back-to-back losses at the hands of Minnesota's Garrett Lowney (5-2) and Michigan State's Mike Keenan (11-3). Rowlands has been one of the nation's top wrestlers all season, posting a 30-4 overall mark and 13-2 record in duals. Last weekend Rowlands suffered a 10-4 defeat to Penn State's Pat Cummins but rebounded with a 8-4 decision over Purdue's Israel Belvins.

Michigan Suffers a Pair of Big Ten Defeats
The Wolverines dropped their record to 8-6 and 3-2 in Big Ten duals after receiving back-to-back losses on the road last weekend against No. 3-ranked Minnesota and No. 16-ranked Michigan State. On Friday (Feb. 7) Michigan could not muster an aggressive attack against the two-time defending NCAA champion Gophers, only winning three matches in the 22-12 defeat. Senior/junior Pat Owen (Polson, Mont./Polson HS) picked up six team points for his fall over sixth-ranked Jacob Volkmann, scoring a takedown, a two-point near fall and a reversal all in the first minute and a half of the bout before earning the pin at the 1:38 mark. On Sunday (Feb. 9) the Wolverines lost a close 16-15 meet to intrastate rival Michigan State. U-M won five bouts in the defeat, but the Spartans' major decision at heavyweight proved the deciding factor.

Bertin Garners Big Ten Wrestler of Week Honors
Ryan Bertin earned Big Ten co-Wrestler of the Week honors for the week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2 following his dominant performances in the Wolverines' victories over Indiana and Northwestern the previous weekend. He shared the award with Minnesota's Jared Lawrence. Bertin scored nine takedowns and a three-point near fall en route to a 23-8 technical fall over Indiana's Isaac Knable, ending the bout at the 4:18 mark. The following night against Northwestern, Bertin did one better by earning a fall over the Wildcats' Mike Kimberlin at 3:24.

Big Ten Milestone
In what many consider the premiere collegiate wrestling conference, Michigan has always been a top contender among the Big Ten schools. With wins over Illinois, Indiana and Northwestern already this season, the Wolverines are only three wins shy of reaching 400 Big Ten Conference wins in their 81st year as a varsity program. Michigan owns an all-time conference record of 397-155-15.

A Pair of Milestones for McFarland
After earning his 50th victory at Michigan with the Wolverines' 26-14 win over Northern Iowa in the consolation round of the National Duals (Jan. 18), head coach Joe McFarland collected his 75th career win with U-M's 19-13 upset victory over Illinois (Jan. 24). Prior to Michigan, McFarland was the head coach at Indiana University, where he compiled a 24-20 record in three seasons.

Climbing up the Charts
Senior captain A.J. Grant collected his 100th career victory with a 4-0 decision over Iowa's Luke Eustice in the quarterfinal round of the National Duals (Jan. 18), making him the 22nd member of Michigan's prestigious 100-win club. Grant added another pair of wins last weekend with a 4-2 decision over Minnesota's Bobby Lowe on Friday (Feb. 7) and a 4-3 decision over Michigan State's Nick Simmons on Sunday (Feb. 9) to improve his career record to 108-54. The two wins moved Grant into the 15th spot on Michigan's all-time wins list, where he is tied with current Wolverine and fifth-year senior captain Mike Kulczycki, who owns a career record to 108-36, Fritz Lehrke (108-43-5; 1987-91) and Brian Harper (108-53-2; 1991-94).

Fresh Faces in the Lineup
Eight Wolverines have competed in their first collegiate dual meet this season. Most recently, redshirt freshman Ryan Churella and senior/junior Matt Thomas (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) both made their varsity debuts at 149 and 165 pounds, respectively, in the first day of competition at the National Duals (Jan. 18) -- Churella against Boise State in the first round and Thomas against Cornell in the consolation quarterfinals. Other Wolverines who broke into the starting lineup for the first time are redshirt freshman R.J. Boudro (Richmond, Mich./Armada HS), redshirt freshman Willie Breyer (Oxford, Mich./Oxford HS), redshirt freshman Tommy Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS), freshman Rob Sulaver (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn HS), junior/sophomore Jeremiah Tobias (Manchester, Mich./Manchester HS) and redshirt freshman Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS).

The Fall Guy
Junior/sophomore Jeremiah Tobias doubled his season falls mark by collecting five pins at last weekend's Edinboro Open (Feb. 8). With his first-place finish at the open tournament, Tobias brings his career falls total to 42 in his brief time at Michigan. After posting 15 falls in his first season and a Michigan-record 17 falls last year, Tobias ranks fifth on Michigan's career falls list, only one fall shy of the fourth spot, held by John Fisher (1985-89).

Season	Wins	Falls	Pct.
2000-01	19	15	.789
2001-02	24	17	.708
2002-03	18	10	.556
Career	61	42	.689

NWCA Division I Coaches Poll (2/5/03)

Rank, Team Points Prev. 1. Oklahoma State (11) 275 1 2. Iowa 264 2 3. Minnesota 253 4 4. Ohio State 242 3 5. Lehigh 223 6 6. Cornell 218 7 7. MICHIGAN 209 8 8. Illinois 191 10 9. Oklahoma 182 5 10. Arizona State 176 8 11. West Virginia 167 11 12. Penn State 142 15 13. Northern Iowa 136 13 14. Nebraska 127 12 15. Missouri 122 17 16. Michigan State 117 18 17. Boise State 104 19 18. Iowa State 91 14 19. Central Michigan 86 16 20. Wisconsin 55 21 21. Purdue 50 20 22. Pennsylvania 44 23 23. Hofstra 29 22 24. Edinboro 24 NR 25. Cleveland State 14 NR Northern Illinois 14 24

Individual Rankings by Intermat and Amateur Wrestling News (2/11/03)

Wgt.	Wrestler	Intermat	AWN
125	A.J. Grant	4th	4th
133	Foley Dowd	7th	7th
141	Clark Forward	NR	20th
149	Ryan Churella	15th	12th
157	Ryan Bertin	8th	6th
165	Mike Kulczycki	NR	16th
197	Kyle Smith	17th	16th
Hwt	Greg Wagner	14th	9th