Owen Collects Fall in Wolverines' Loss at No. 3 Minnesota

Friday, February 7

Minneapolis, Minn.

7:00 PM CT

Michigan

Minnesota

Owen Collects Fall in Wolverines' Loss at No. 3 Minnesota

2/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The No.7-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team suffered its first Big Ten Conference loss of the season tonight (Friday, Feb. 7), falling to No. 3-ranked Minnesota 22-12 at the Sports Pavilion. The Wolverines never recovered after giving up the early lead and only won three individual matches during the meet.

Owen wasted little time in pinning the nation's No. 6-ranked 165-pounder.

The Wolverines fell behind early with losses at the opening two weights of 197 pounds and heavyweight. Despite coming on strong late in the bout, fifth-year senior captain Kyle Smith (Butte, Mont./Butte HS), ranked 17th by InterMat, dropped a tough match against Minnesota's seventh-ranked Damion Hahn, 6-4. Down by one point entering the final period, Smith scored a takedown midway through the period to tie the score. Hahn responded, however, and scored a takedown of his own with only 20 seconds remaining to earn the win. Redshirt freshman Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS), ranked 10th, was held to only a pair of escapes against eighth-ranked Garrett Lowney and lost to the Gopher heavyweight 5-2.

No. 5-ranked senior captain A.J. Grant (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS) put Michigan on the board and pulled the Wolverines within three team points with his win at 125 pounds, beating Bobby Lowe 4-2. After a scoreless first period, Grant collected the bout's first advantage with a second-period escape. Lowe stole the lead early in the third, collecting two points for a reversal. Grant scored a reversal of his own only seconds later to reclaim the lead, to which he held on for the decision victory.

Minnesota collected the commanding lead after posting wins in the next four bouts. No. 7-ranked senior/junior Foley Dowd (Howell, N.J./The Peddie School) was outwrestled through all three periods by top-ranked Ryan Lewis at 133 pounds, dropping a 14-5 major decision. Senior/junior Clark Forward (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold HS) kept it close against 15th-ranked Derek Phillips, who transferred to Minnesota from Central Michigan this semester, but was unable to score any offensive points and lost 5-2.

At 149 pounds, redshirt freshman Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS), ranked 17th, collected three escapes against defending NCAA champion Jared Lawrence and held the advantage for the entirety of the second period, but fell to the second-ranked wrestler 5-3. Fifth-ranked junior/sophomore Ryan Bertin (Broadview Heights, Ohio/St. Edward HS) was taken down five times by second-ranked Luke Becker while only scoring four escapes in his 10-4 loss to the defending NCAA champion.

Senior/junior Pat Owen (Polson, Mont./Polson HS) pulled the Wolverines back into the meet, earning a fall over the Gophers' sixth-ranked Jacob Volkmann at 165 pounds. Competing in his first match since hurting his knee one month ago, Owen jumped out to an early lead, scoring a takedown and two-point near fall less than 10 seconds into the bout. Volkmann collected a takedown of his own at the one-minute mark in the period, but Owen responded with a reversal just 20 seconds later and put Volkmann on his back to get the pin at 1:38.

The teams split the final two bouts on the evening, with Minnesota taking the victory at 174 pounds and the Wolverines finishing the meet with a win at 184 pounds. Redshirt freshman R.J. Boudro (Richmond, Mich./Armada HS) wrestled a close match against the Gophers' Josh McLay but fell by the narrow 3-2 margin after the Gopher scored a third-period takedown. Redshirt freshman Willie Breyer (Oxford, Mich./Oxford HS) was able to shut out Matt Nagel, collecting a three-point near fall against the Gopher in the second period en route to a 4-0 decision.

The Wolverines will head up to East Lansing, Mich., on Sunday (Feb. 9) to take on No. 16-ranked Michigan State in a dual slated for 1 p.m. at Jenison Field House. The Spartans upset No. 2 Iowa in Jenison on Friday, winning on criteria B (most falls) after the teams wrestled to a 19-19 deadlock.

#3 Minnesota 22, #7 Michigan 12
(Individual rankings from Intermat)

197 -- #7 Damion Hahn (Minn.) dec. #17 Kyle Smith, 6-4	Minn., 3-0
Hwt -- #8 Garrett Lowney (Minn.) dec. #10 Greg Wagner, 5-2	Minn., 6-0
125 -- #5 A.J. Grant (Mich.) dec. Bobby Lowe, 4-2	Minn., 6-3
133 -- #1 Ryan Lewis (Minn.) major dec. #7 Foley Dowd, 14-5	Minn., 10-3
141 -- #15 Derek Phillips (Minn.) dec. Clark Forward, 5-2	Minn., 13-3
149 -- #2 Jared Lawrence (Minn.) dec. #17 Ryan Churella, 5-3	Minn., 16-3
157 -- #2 Luke Becker (Minn.) dec. #5 Ryan Bertin, 10-4	Minn., 19-3
165 -- Pat Owen (Mich.) pinned #6 Jacob Volkmann, 1:38	Minn., 19-9
174 -- Josh McLay (Minn.) dec. R.J. Boudro, 3-2	Minn., 22-9
184 -- Willie Breyer (Mich.) dec. Matt Nagel, 4-0	Minn., 22-12