Michigan
NCAA Championships
Churella, Bertin Claim Third at NCAAs; U-M Places 10th
3/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Junior/sophomore Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and senior/junior Ryan Bertin (Broadview Heights, Ohio/St. Edward HS) came back through the consolation bracket to claim third place at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively, on Saturday (March 20), and the No. 3 University of Michigan wrestling team finished in 10th place (60.5 points) at the NCAA Championships.
| | Churella finished the season with a 33-4 record and his first All-America citation. |
In a rematch of last year's NCAA 157-pound final, Bertin and Illinois' top-seeded Alex Tirapelle squared off against each other in the match for third place. After losing to the Illini wrestler twice this season, including the Big Ten final just two weeks ago, Bertin broke a 1-1 tie with a third-period takedown to claim the 3-1 victory and a third-place finish. The Wolverine captain shot in on a single-leg midway through the final frame and, after a scramble on the mat, gained control of Tirapelle's legs to pull ahead for good. In the consolation semifinals, Bertin controlled from start to finish against Iowa State's 10th-seeded Travis Paulson en route to a 8-4 decision. The Wolverine scored a takedown in each period and accumulated 2:02 in riding-time advantage while only allowing Paulson four escapes.
Fifth-year senior Foley Dowd (Howell, N.J./The Peddie School) took sixth place at 133 pounds after suffering a pair of tough consolation losses on the final day of competition. Dowd could not find a way to score in either bout as the Wolverine captain lost 8-2 against seventh-seeded Darrel Vasquez of Cal Poly and 12-0 against Cornell's top-seeded Travis Lee in the fifth-place match. Lee, last season's 125-pound NCAA champion, earned takedowns in the second and third periods and collected a pair of three-point near falls while holding Dowd without a point. In the consolation semifinal, Vasquez notched takedowns in each period and accumulated 3:18 in riding time.
Junior/sophomore Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) also lost a pair of consolation matches to finish sixth at heavyweight, falling 6-2 to Penn's third-seeded Matt Feast and 11-3 to Oklahoma's fourth-seeded Leonce Crump. Feast countered a shot by Wagner late in the second period to score the first takedown of the match and pull into the lead. He countered another Wagner shot in the third period and accumulated 1:23 in riding time to seal the victory. A tough second period proved the difference in the consolation semifinals as Oklahoma's Crump scored a pair of takedowns and a three-point near fall to build an insurmountable lead.
Final Team Standings (Top 10)
1. Oklahoma State 123.5 2. Iowa 82 3. Lehigh 77.5 Ohio State 77.5 5. Nebraska 74 6. Iowa State 70 7. Illinois 69.5 8. Minnesota 65.5 9. Oklahoma 62.5 10. MICHIGAN 60.5
Michigan Results (Session 5)
#4 Foley Dowd (133)
Consolations - dec. by #7 Darrel Vasquez (Cal Poly), 8-2
Fifth Place - major dec. by #1 Travis Lee (Cornell), 12-0
Finished 6th with a 4-3 record
#4 Ryan Churella (149)
Consolations - dec. #7 Jeremy Spates (Missouri), 6-0
Third Place - dec. #6 Dustin Manotti (Cornell), 9-4
Finished 3rd with a 5-1 record
#3 Ryan Bertin (157)
Consolations - dec. #10 Travis Paulson (Iowa State), 8-4
Third Place - dec. #1 Alex Tirapelle (Illinois), 3-1
Finished 3rd with a 5-1 record
#6 Greg Wagner (Hwt)
Consolations - major dec. by #4 Leonce Crump (Oklahoma), 11-3
Fifth Place - dec. by #3 Matt Feast (Penn), 6-2
Finished 6th with a 4-3 record
Previous Results: Session 1 | Session 2 | Session 3 | Session 4
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
