Watts Nabs At-Large Bid to NCAA Championships
3/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- University of Michigan senior 125-pounder Michael Watts(Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) nabbed one of his weight class' five at-large bids to the NCAA Wrestling Championships when the 52 at-large selections were announced today (Wednesday, March 11). Watts' selection ups the Wolverines' qualifying contingent to seven, the program's most in three seasons.
Watts carries a 14-11 record in his final collegiate season and owns victories against four members of the NCAA field at 125 pounds, including a win over Penn's ninth-ranked Rollie Peterkin that placed Watts among the nation's top 20 for the bulk of the 2008-09 season. The NCAA trip will be the second for Watts; he previously competed at the 2006 NCAA Championships.
Joining Watts at the NCAA Championships will be U-M's six automatic qualifiers, all of whom placed among their weight classes' allocated number at the Big Ten Championships last weekend (March 7-8). Sophomore Kellen Russell(High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy), fifth-year senior Steve Luke(Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) and fifth-year senior Tyrel Todd(Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) captured individual titles at 141, 174 and 197 pounds, respectively, and will likely earn top-three seeds at the national event.
Junior/sophomores Aaron Hynes(Mt. Morris, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) and Anthony Biondo(Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) placed fifth in the Big Ten at 157 and 184 pounds, respectively, while sophomore/freshman Justin Zeerip(Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) took eighth place at 165 pounds.
The Wolverines are in the midst of their preparation for the NCAA Championships, scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, March 19-21, in St. Louis, Mo. The NCAA tournament will be held at the Scottrade Center for the fourth time in six seasons.
Contact: Leah Howard (634) 763-4423
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