U-M Unable to Hold Early Advantage Against Wisconsin

Sunday, February 4

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Michigan

Wisconsin

2/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 21-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team sacrificed an early lead against No. 9 Wisconsin, falling to the Badgers 21-15 on Sunday (Feb. 4) in front of 565 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines claimed the opening two weights, but Wisconsin rallied back with wins in six of the remaining eight contests.

Sophomore/freshman Jordan Sherrod (Portage, Mich./Central HS) claimed his first varsity win with a 4-2 decision against the Badgers' Mike Felling at the opening weight of 174 pounds. Sherrod took the initial lead at the end of the first frame when he converted on a high crotch at the buzzer. Felling evened the score with a double leg early in the third, but the Wolverine wrestler earned an escape with 41 seconds remaining -- and held Felling to less than a minute of riding time -- to take the final one-point advantage.

Fourth-ranked junior/sophomore Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) cruised to a 14-3 major decision against Justin Peterson at 184 pounds behind five takedowns -- including three in the third period -- and three back points. After a single leg midway through the opening period, Todd scrambled for another takedown at the closing buzzer to secure the only advantage he needed. The Wolverine used an arm bar to claim a three-point near fall late in the second and spread three takedowns across the final frame, giving U-M a seven-point team advantage after two bouts.

Wisconsin took control in the team race with five consecutive wins bracketing the intermission. Dallas Herbst scored Wisconsin's lone bonus win at 197 pounds, using a half nelson to pin junior/sophomore Casey White (Commerce Twp., Mich./Walled Lake Central HS) at the 5:49 mark. White had led early in the match in the opening period, but Herbst would prove too much on top, riding the Wolverine for the entire second frame before earning the fall midway through the third.

Sophomore Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) also led early against Collin Cudd in the 125-pound match after converting a four-point move -- with a takedown and cement mixer -- just 15 seconds into the opening period. Watts scored two more takedowns in the frame, but Cudd significantly cut the gap with a four-point move of his own at the buzzer. The Badger wrestler notched 12 unanswered points, adding another with 1:29 in riding time, to emerge with a 15-9 victory, giving Wisconsin a five-point team lead entering the halftime intermission.

Senior/junior captains Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) earned Michigan's only wins after the intermission break. Churella, ranked third, used a pair of single-leg takedowns to earn a 5-2 decision over the Badgers' seventh-ranked Tyler Turner in the marquee match of the afternoon at 149 pounds. Churella struck midway through the opening period -- and again late in the second -- while holding Turner to just a pair of escapes.

Tannenbaum picked up a 21-3 technical fall over Jake Donar at 165 pounds to improve his season mark to 17-0. Tannenbaum proved effective at taking Donar directly to his back, using the strategy three times -- including twice in the third period -- to accumulate 12 points. The U-M captain scored six total takedowns in the shortened match, securing his first technical fall of the season at the 6:13 mark.

At 133 pounds, freshman Chris Diehl (Burton, Mich/Flint Kearsely HS) carried an early lead against 14th-ranked Zach Tanelli, but a second-period takedown by the Badger wrestler and 1:19 in riding time proved the difference as Tanelli eked out a narrow 8-7 decision. Diehl struck early with a fireman's carry 35 seconds into the match and, after a Wisconsin takedown late in first, the U-M freshman scored again midway through the second, using a Russian tie-to-double leg along the edge of the mat. Tanelli retook the advantage moments later with an outside carry and -- in the third period -- built up 1:19 in riding time advantage, which broke the deadlocked score at match's end.

Sophomore/freshman Justin Chrzanowski (Metamora, Mich./Lapeer West HS) and senior/junior Jeff Marsh (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) also hung close with ranked opponents at 141 and 157 pounds, respectively, but could not finish strong in the third period. Chrzanowski sacrificed an early lead against 15th-ranked Kyle Ruschell after a first-period takedown but controlled the second period on top without allowing the Badger an escape point. Ruschell, however, sealed his win late in the third after scrambling for a takedown at the center of the mat.

Marsh converted a single-leg takedown midway through the first period to gain an early edge against sixth-ranked Craig Henning. But after Marsh was unable to earn his escape in the second, a late third-period reversal by the Badger stole the lead, and Henning held on for a 3-2 decision.

The Wolverines head back on the road to face Indiana Friday (Feb. 9) at University Gymnasium in Bloomington, Ind., at 7 p.m., before returning home to Cliff Keen Arena to host Ohio State on Sunday (Feb. 11) at 2 p.m.

#9 Wisconsin 21, #21 Michigan 15
Individual rankings from NWCA/InterMat

174 -- Jordan Sherrod (U-M) dec. Mike Felling, 4-3	U-M, 3-0
184 -- #4 Tyrel Todd (U-M) major dec. Justin Peterson, 14-3	U-M, 7-0
197 -- #12 Dallas Herbst (UW) pinned Casey White, 5:49	U-M, 7-6
Hwt -- Kyle Massey (UW) dec. Omar Maktabi, 6-1	U-M, 9-7
125 -- Collin Cudd (UW) dec. Michael Watts, 15-9	UW, 12-7
133 -- #14 Zach Tanelli (UW) dec. Chris Diehl, 8-7	UW, 15-7
141 -- #15 Kyle Ruschell (UW) dec. Justin Chrzanowski, 4-0	UW, 18-7
149 -- #3 Josh Churella (U-M) dec. #7 Tyler Turner, 5-2	UW, 18-10
157 -- #6 Craig Henning (UW) dec. Jeff Marsh, 3-2	UW, 21-10
165 --  #2 Eric Tannenbaum (U-M) tech. fall Jake Donar, 21-3	UW, 21-15