Wolverines Advance Five to NCAA Quarterfinal Round
3/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Five Wolverines advanced to the quarterfinals Thursday night (March 18) and helped the No. 3 University of Michigan wrestling team sit in eighth place (21.5 points) after the first day of competition at the NCAA Championships. Adding another competitor still alive in the consolation bracket, the Wolverines are just 8.5 points behind first-place Oklahoma State (30 points).
A first-period takedown was all fifth-year senior Foley Dowd (Howell, N.J./The Peddie School) needed to squeeze past Boise State's Scott Jorgenson 3-2 in the second round. Dowd, seeded fourth at 133 pounds, scored a single-leg early in the opening frame and held on to the lead through the remaining two periods, giving up only a pair of escapes.
Junior/sophomore Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS), seeded fourth, also used a first-period takedown to gain the lead against Fresno State's Casey Olson in the 149-pound second round. Scoring early in the opening frame, the Wolverine rode out Olson for the remainder of the period to accumulate just over two minutes in riding time. After getting ridden out himself in the second period, Churella rode Olson again through a majority of the final frame to reestablish his riding-time advantage and pull out a 3-1 decision.
The Wolverines collected extra points with back-to-back major decisions at 157 and 165 pounds. Senior/junior Ryan Bertin (Broadview Heights, Ohio/St. Edward HS), seeded third at 157 pounds, broke a scoreless tie against North Carolina State's Scott Garren early in the second period, scoring a takedown and three-point near fall to lead 5-1 heading into the third frame. The Wolverine added a pair of takedowns and collected 2:18 in riding time to earn a 10-2 victory.
Fifth-year senior Pat Owen (Polson, Mont./Polson HS) collected his 100th career win in the Maize and Blue singlet with a dominant performance over Eastern Michigan's 12th-seeded J.J. Holmes. The Wolverine captain, seeded sixth at 165 pounds, scored a pair of takedowns and a three-point near fall to hold a seven-point lead at the end of the period. Owen added a reversal late in the second period and a third-period takedown to advance with a 12-1 victory.
Junior/sophomore heavyweight Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS), seeded sixth, collected a 3-2 second-round victory over Wyoming's 11th-seeded Dusty Hoffschneider to advance to the quarterfinals. Wagner scored a first-period takedown to gain the early lead and hung on, giving up just a pair of escapes.
After suffering a early first-round loss, sophomore/freshman Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS) came back strong in the wrestlebacks, earning a 4-0 shutout over Indiana's Brady Richardson to stay alive in the tournament. Roy struck early, scoring a takedown just seconds into the first period, and held on to accumulate nearly three minutes of riding time. The Wolverine added a quick escape in the middle frame and held Richardson without a point for the remainder of the bout.
Competition at the NCAA Wrestling Championships will resume tomorrow morning (Friday, March 19) at 10 a.m. CST at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Mo. The third session will feature quarterfinal matches as well as continued wrestlebacks.
Top 10 Teams (after Session 2)
1. Oklahoma State 30 2. Illinois 28 3. Nebraska 25 4. Iowa 23.5 Minnesota 23.5 6. Lehigh 23 7. Iowa State 22.5 8. MICHIGAN 21.5 9. Cornell 20 Oklahoma 20
Michigan Results (Session 2)
#9 Mark Moos (125)
Consolations - major dec. by Matt Pitts (Chatanooga), 13-5
Eliminated with an 0-2 record
#4 Foley Dowd (133)
Second Round - dec. Scott Jorgenson (Boise State), 3-1
Quarterfinals - vs. #5 Zach Roberson (Iowa State)
#4 Ryan Churella (149)
Second Round - dec. Casey Olson (Fresno State), 3-1
Quarterfinals - vs. #12 Mike Maney (Lock Haven)
#3 Ryan Bertin (157)
Second Round - major dec. Scott Garren (N.C. State), 10-2
Quarterfinals - vs. #6 Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State)
#5 Pat Owen (165)
Second Round - major dec. #12 J.J. Holmes (Eastern Michigan), 12-1
Quarterfinals - vs. #4 Jacob Volkmann (Minnesota)
Nick Roy (174)
Consolations - dec. Brady Richardson (Indiana), 4-0
Consolations - vs. Tyler Baier (Cornell)
#6 Greg Wagner (Hwt)
Second Round - dec. #11 Dusty Hoffschnieder (Wyoming), 3-2
Quarterfinals - vs. #3 Matt Feast (Pennsylvania)
Session 1 Results
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
