Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Michigan Sits Fourth After Day One at Big Tens
3/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Williams Arena)
Event: Big Ten Championships
U-M Standing: 4th Place of 11 Teams (78 Points) After Day 1
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 9 -- Day 2 at Big Ten Championships (Minneapolis, Minn.)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- With four individuals advancing to the final round, the No. 11-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team holds the fourth spot (78 points) after the first day of competition at the Big Ten Conference Championships on Saturday (March 8) in front of 6,391 fans at Williams Arena. The Wolverines have another two competitors alive in the wrestlebacks, giving Michigan a guaranteed six qualifiers to the NCAA Championships. Minnesota leads the team race with 106 points, while Illinois owns just a one-point advantage on Michigan with 79 points.
Michigan will have four finalists at the middleweights -- 141, 165, 174 and 184 pounds -- and shares the tournament lead with Minnesota for the most representatives in the championship round. Freshman Kellen Russell(High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy), fifth-year senior Eric Tannenbaum(Naperville, Ill./North HS), senior/junior Steve Luke(Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) and senior/junior Tyrel Todd(Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) each tallied perfect records on the day to roll into their respective championship matches.
Russell earned his third win of the season against Iowa's fourth-seeded Dan LeClere in the 141-pound semifinals, rallying from a deficit late in the contest to claim a 6-4 decision in sudden victory. With the Hawkeye wrestler holding a two-point cushion late in the match -- on a takedown and two escapes over Russell's second-period reversal -- the Wolverine rookie shot in and, as LeClere rolled to defend, Russell moved with him to gain control on the edge just three seconds before the regulation buzzer and knot the score at four a piece. LeClere took the first shot in overtime, but Russell took advantage of it, coming around behind and again rolling with the scrambling Hawkeye to settle on top and earn the decisive takedown just 19 seconds into the extra frame.
Russell earned a pair of decision victories in the morning session to guarantee his first trip to the NCAA Championships, defeating Indiana's Scott Kelly 4-1 before battling past Illinois' eighth-seeded Ryan Prater 8-7 in the quarterfinals. The Wolverine wrestler led the latter match by three points entering the final period after a pair of takedowns and a reversal late in the first period, but Prater knotted the score with an escape a takedown late through the frame. Russell earned an immediate escape and hung onto the narrow edge to advance to the semifinals.
Tannenbaum needed a first-period takedown and a couple escapes to secure a 4-3 decision over Indiana's sixth-seeded Matt Coughlin and earn the third Big Ten final berth of his career. Tannenbaum set the early tone with several shots, but it was Coughlin who scored first, countering a U-M single-leg attempt to score on the edge midway through the first period. The Wolverine captain earned an immediate escape and finished on his next shot -- a low single leg -- to establish his lead for good. He used a similar strategy in his quarterfinal bout, using a first-period takedown to claim a 3-2 decision against Penn State's seventh-seeded Dave Rella and advance to the semifinals. He defeated Wisconsin's Jake Donar 5-1 in the first round, using a pair of takedowns to score the match's only offensive points.
Luke, the No. 1 seed and defending Big Ten champion at 174 pounds, needed a full 11 minutes to past Northwestern's fourth-seeded Nick Hayes in the semifinal round, using the second round of tiebreakers to win 3-2. Despite numerous shots from Luke throughout regulation and the sudden-victory frames, the Wolverine could not score as the wrestlers only traded escapes to force the second tiebreaker. Luke rode out Hayes for a full 30 seconds and earned a quick escape in the subsequent 30-second frame to advance to the final. Luke made little work of his quarterfinal opponent, Michigan State's John Murphy, scoring three takedowns -- one in each period -- and an early three-point near fall to claim an 11-3 major decision. His double-leg takedown with just 15 seconds remaining in the contest locked up the bonus point after riding time.
Todd, seeded second at 184 pounds, controlled from start to finish against Iowa's third-seeded Phil Keddy in the semifinal round, earning a 6-3 decision to advance to his first-ever Big Ten final. The Wolverine captain scored takedowns in the first and second periods and earned a good amount of riding time after each to accumulate 1:38 in total advantage time. Todd earned a dominant 15-5 major decision against Illinois' seventh-seeded Ben Friedl in the quarterfinals, scoring five takedowns, including three in the first period, and a pair of second-period back points.
Fifth-year senior Jeff Marsh(Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) suffered a close and disappointing loss to Penn State's second-seeded Dan Vallimont in the 157-pound semifinal round, falling 8-5 after giving up four points in the third. Vallimont held a two-point edge entering the final period, but Marsh evened the score early in the third frame with a single-leg takedown on the edge of the mat. The Penn State wrestler, however, earned a quick reversal and added another takedown late to seal the victory and send Marsh to the wrestlebacks.
Marsh earned the Wolverines' lone upset victory of the morning session, beating Indiana's third-seeded Brandon Becker 4-2, to advance to the semifinals and earn his first-career NCAA Championships bid. After a scoreless first period, Marsh rode the Indiana wrestler for most of the second until giving up a late reversal. Marsh pulled the score even, however, before the period was over, earning points from an IU locked-hands call and a escape within the final 10 seconds. The Wolverine senior added a reversal of his own late in the third period and rode out the remainder of the match to claim his second win of the season against Becker.
Fifth-year senior Josh Churella(Northville, Mich./Novi HS) rallied from an upset loss in the opening round to claim a 1-0 decision over Indiana's Kurt Kinser and advance to the consolation semifinals. Churella used a third-period escape to earn the victory. The Wolverine captain, seeded third, kicked off the day with a 7-6 defeat at the hands of Purdue's sixth-seeded Jake Patacsil. Churella controlled much of the match, scoring three takedowns -- two in the first period -- but was turned twice, including late in the match, for a total of four points as Patacsil rallied to claim the one-point decisions.
The Wolverines lost four competitors after the first day of competition as junior Michael Watts(Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS), sophomore Chris Diehl(Burton, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS), sophomore/freshman Anthony Biondo(Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) and sophomore/freshman Eddie Phillips(Woodland, Mich./Lakewood HS) were all eliminated from the competition after suffering losses during the evening wrestleback session.
The Wolverines will return to the mat Sunday (March 9) for the second and final day of competition at the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. Wrestleback action is slated to begin at noon CDT with championship bouts beginning at approximately 2 p.m. The finals will be aired live by the Big Ten Network.
Team Standings (After Day 1)
1. Minnesota 106 2. Iowa 93.5 3. Illinois 79 4. MICHIGAN 78 5. Ohio State 76.5 6. Penn State 68 7. Indiana 66.5 8. Wisconsin 66 9. Northwestern 65 10. Purdue 39.5 11. Michigan State 30
Michigan Results (Day 1)
Numbers listed are tournament seedings
125 pounds -- Michael Watts
First Round - dec. by #4 Brandon Precin (Northwester), 4-2
Consolations - dec. by #6 Mark McKnight (Penn State), 6-2
Eliminated with an 0-2 record
133 pounds -- Chris Diehl
First Round - major dec. by #2 Joe Slaton (Iowa), 9-1
Consolations - dec. by Tim Haas (Penn State), 5-2
Eliminated with an 0-2 record
141 pounds -- #1 Kellen Russell
First Round - dec. Scott Kelly (Indiana), 4-1
Quaterfinals - dec. #8 Ryan Prater (Illinois), 8-7
Consolations - dec. #4 Dan LeClere (Iowa), 6-4 SV
Final - vs. #6 Manuel Rivera (Minnesota)
149 pounds -- #3 Josh Churella
First Round - Bye
Quarterfinals - dec. by #6 Jake Patacsil (Purdue), 7-6
Consolations - dec. Kurt Kinser (Indiana), 1-0
Consolations - vs. #4 Bubba Jenkins (Penn State)
157 pounds -- #6 Jeff Marsh
First Round - major dec. Nick Bertucci (Purdue), 12-2
Quarterfinals - dec. #3 Brandon Becker (Indiana), 4-2
Semifinals - dec. by #2 Dan Vallimont (Penn State), 8-5
Consolations - vs. Jason Johnstone (Ohio State)
165 pounds -- #3 Eric Tannenbaum
First Round - dec. Jake Donar (Wisconsin), 5-1
Quarterfinal - dec. #7 Dave Rella (Penn State), 3-2
Semifinals - dec. #6 Matt Coughlin (Indiana), 4-3
Final - vs. #1 Mark Perry (Iowa)
174 pounds -- #1 Steve Luke
First Round - Bye
Quarterfinals - major dec. John Murphy (Michigan State), 11-3
Semifinals - dec. #4 Nick Hayes (Northwestern), 3-2 TB2
Final - vs. #3 Gabriel Dretsch (Minnesota)
184 pounds -- #2 Tyrel Todd
First Round - Bye
Quarterfinals - major dec. #7 Ben Friedl (Illinois), 15-5
Semifinals - dec. #3 Phil Keddy (Iowa), 6-3
Final - vs. #1 Mike Pucillo (Ohio State)
197 pounds -- #8 Anthony Biondo
First Round - major dec. by #1 Mike Tamillow (Northwstern), 11-2
Consolations - pinned by John Weakley (Ohio State), 6:11
Eliminated with an 0-2 record
Heavyweight -- Eddie Phillips
First Round - pinned by #2 Dustin Fox (Northwestern), 2:03
Consolations - dec. by Nathan Everhart (Indiana), 7-4
Eliminated with an 0-2 record
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
