Michigan
NCAA Session IV
Bertin Reaches NCAA Final; Four Others Still Wrestling
3/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Fifth-year senior captain Ryan Bertin (Broadview Heights, Ohio/St. Edward HS), an NCAA champion in 2003, returns to the 157-pound final after a strong semifinal performance during the fourth session of the NCAA Championships on Friday (March 18) at the Savvis Center. Drawing on the performances of five All-American wrestlers -- the most for the Wolverines in four years -- U-M stands third (67 points) in the team standings heading into the final day of competition.
| | Bertin is bidding to become the fifth Wolverine with multiple NCAA titles. |
The Wolverines' other pair of semifinalists -- sophomore/freshman Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) and senior/junior Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) -- each suffered close decision losses to Oklahoma State opponents to fall into the consolation bracket. Tannenbaum went the distance with top-seeded Zack Esposito in the 149-pound semifinals and, despite striking first with an early single-leg takedown, could not hold on to the lead, losing to the Cowboy wrestler 7-2. Esposito earned a takedown of his own late in the first period to own a one-point advantage heading into the second frame. Tannenbaum stayed on the offensive, but Esposito was able to score again late in the second after countering a shot by the Wolverine. The wrestlers kept the third period scoreless, and the Cowboy picked up another point with 1:58 in riding-time advantage.
Churella saw his 34-match winning streak -- the second longest in U-M history -- come to an end as third-seeded Johny Hendricks earned a 6-2 decision in the 165-pound weight class. After picking up a point for an early stalling call on Churella, the Cowboy used takedowns in the first and second periods to hold a three-point lead heading into the final frame. Hendricks picked up an escape to close out the match.
Senior/junior heavyweight Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) rallied in the wrestlebacks after a disappointing quarterfinal loss during the morning session, tallying a pair of victories to guarantee himself a second straight All-America citation. Wagner picked up an extra point in his first bout with a dominant 11-2 major decision over Oklahoma's Jake Hager. The Wolverine, seeded fifth, earned a pair of takedowns as well as a three-point near fall in the third period to cruise to the win. Wagner came from behind to earn a 6-5 decision over Central Michigan's Bill Stouffer in his second bout, earning a takedown with just 10 seconds remaining in the middle frame to break a 4-4 tie. The Wolverine ran off Stouffer's riding time before giving up the escape in the final period and never allowed the Chippewa a quality scoring opportunity to hang on for the win.
Sophomore/freshman Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) split a pair of consolation matches in the evening session after suffering a disappointing quarterfinal loss earlier in the day. The Wolverine earned a 10-2 win over Cal State Fullerton's Juan Mora to lock up All-America honors in his first appearance at the NCAA Championships, but he fell to Oklahoma State's seventh-seeded Daniel Frischkorn 8-6 in the subsequent match. Churella, seeded third at 141 pounds, controlled for seven minutes against Mora, scoring a takedown in each period and adding a two-point near fall in the closing seconds of the opening frame. With 1:08 in riding-time advantage, Churella earned another point at the conclusion of the match to claim the major decision and pick up an extra point for the Wolverines. Squaring off against Frischkorn approximately an hour later, Churella fell behind early and could never recover, giving up two takedowns and a third-period reversal. The Wolverine scored a takedown in the closing seconds of the match to narrow the score, but Frischkorn earned another point for 1:53 in riding time.
Competition at the NCAA Championships will wrap up tomorrow (Saturday, March 19) at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Mo. The fifth session, featuring third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches, is slated to begin at 9:30 a.m. CST with finals scheduled for 4 p.m. The final round will be televised live on ESPN.
Top 10 Teams (After Day 2)
1. Oklahoma State 127.5 2. Cornell 71.5 3. MICHIGAN 67 4. Minnesota 66 5. Iowa 64 6. Oklahoma 61 7. Illinois 60.5 8. Iowa State 52.5 9. Indiana 49 10. Lehigh 41.5
Michigan Results (Session IV)
141 pounds -- #3 Josh Churella
Consolation - major dec. Juan Mora (Cal State Fullerton), 10-2
Consolation - dec. by #7 Daniel Frischkorn (Oklahoma State), 8-6
Seventh Place - vs. Cassio Pero (Illinois)
149 pounds -- #5 Eric Tannenbaum
Semifinals - dec. by #1 Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State), 7-2
Consolation - vs. #6 Ty Eustice (Iowa)
157 pounds -- #2 Ryan Bertin
Semifinals - dec. #6 Trent Paulson (Iowa State), 10-7
Final - vs. #8 Joe Johnstone (Iowa)
165 pounds -- #2 Ryan Churella
Semifinals - dec. by #3 Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State), 6-2
Consolation - vs. #10 Matt Nagel (Minnesota)
Heavyweight -- #5 Greg Wagner
Consolation - major dec. Jake Hager (Oklahoma), 11-2
Consolation - dec. Bill Stouffer (Central Michigan), 6-5
Consolation - vs. #3 Cain Velasquex (Arizona State)
Previous Results: Session I | Session II | Session III
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
