Michigan
Southern Scuffle
Michigan Holds Third Place After Opening Day of Southern Scuffle
12/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 29, 2010
Site: Greensboro, N.C. (Greensboro Coliseum)
Event: Southern Scuffle (Day 1 of 2)
U-M Standing: 3rd Place of 33 Teams (49.5 Points) After Day 1
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Dec. 30 -- Day 2 at Southern Scuffle (Greensboro, N.C.), 9 a.m.
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- With six quarterfinalists and four more individuals alive in the consolation bracket, the No. 15-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team sits in third place (49.5 points) after the first day of competition at the Southern Scuffle on Wednesday (Dec. 29) at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Wolverines benefited greatly from bonus points, totaling 10 pins -- including four in their first five bouts of the tournament -- and eight major decisions to surge into the team race.
Michigan will be represented in the quarterfinals at the lowerweights and upperweights as junior Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS), senior/junior captain Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy), sophomore/freshman Brandon Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS), sophomore/freshman Dan Yates (Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia HS), fifth-year senior captain Anthony Biondo (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) and junior/sophomore Ben Apland (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) all posted perfect records through the preliminary rounds.
Stevens dominated his opening-day opposition at 133 pounds, single-handedly earning eight team points with two pins -- his second and third of the season -- and a major decision. Stevens, ranked No. 19 in the latest InterMat poll, cruised into the quarterfinals with a quick first-period pin against North Carolina's Pat Owens in his final match of the day, catching Owens in a cradle off a roll attempt at the 1:52 mark. The Wolverine junior earned a quicker fall in his first contest, using a head scoop with a half finish to pin Campbell's Dominique Whitfield at the 48-second mark.
Russell, the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestler at 141 pounds, similarly made little work of his day-one competition, securing a first-period fall before outscoring his latter two opponents by a combined 20-0 margin. Russell rolled past Ohio's Darrin Boing, 14-0, to advance into the quarterfinals, converting on three takedowns and earning six back points off an arm bar and subsequent power half. He collected his second pin of the season in the pigtail round, using a half to stick Gardner-Webb's Richie Spicel at 1:51.
Making his U-M varsity debut, Zeerip claimed a series of decision victories to earn his spot in the 157-pound quarterfinals, including an 8-3 decision against Hofstra's Tyler Banks in his final match of the day. Zeerip benefited from a big move in the match's first 30 seconds, shooting in deep on a high crotch and locking up a cradle out of the ensuing scramble to take a quick five-point advantage. The Wolverine rookie added a counter takedown in the second and riding time to ice the match.
Yates rallied from an early deficit to knock off The Citadel's fourth-seeded Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, 4-2, to advance into the 165-pound quarterfinals. After a second-period escape knotted the score at two apiece, the Wolverine rookie struck deep on a late single leg and, when Luvsandorj tried to kick out, wrapped up the other ankle for the winning takedown. Yates earned his second fall of the season in the opening round, using a Cobra to pin George Mason's James Kaden at 4:15.
Advancing to the Southern Scuffle's 197-pound quarterfinals for the second consecutive year -- he placed third in 2009 -- Biondo earned two falls and a major decision to contribute eight team points. His pins came in similar fashion, combining quick single legs and a pair of match-ending crossface cradles to defeat Army's Daniel Milly (0:52) and Hofstra's Matt Loew (1:18). The Wolverine captain, ranked 15th nationally, scored four takedowns and a first-period cradle for three back points to roll past Lock Haven's Derek Caldwell, 13-2, in his second bout.
Apland, ranked seventh nationally, also earned bonus points in both of his day-one matches, reversing Navy's Mike Landis straight to his back to earn a 3:23 fall before rolling to an 8-0 major decision -- behind three counter takedowns -- over Viriginia's Derek Papagianopolous to advance into the heavyweight quarterfinals.
Sophomore Sean Boyle (Lowell, Mass./Blair Academy), fifth-year senior Aaron Hynes (Mt. Morris, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS), senior/junior Justin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) and fifth-year senior Chad Bleske (Washington, Mich./Romeo HS) remain active in the wrestlebacks at 125, 157 and 174 pounds and heavyweight, respectively, and will need to win two more matches to guarantee a top-eight finish.
The Wolverines return to the mats Thursday (Dec. 30) for the second and final day of competition at the Southern Scuffle. The morning session, featuring the quarterfinals and continued wrestlebacks, is slated for a 9 a.m. start at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Team Standings (After Day 1)
1. Cornell 54 2. Penn State 50.5 3. MICHIGAN 49.5 4. Oregon State 48.5 5. Kent State 43.5 Minnesota 43.5 7. Navy 38 8. Hofstra 37 9. Air Force 34.5 Virginia 34.5
Michigan Results
125 - Sean Boyle
Pigtails - pinned Bijan Banks (Edinboro), 1:56
First Round - pinned by #5 Matthew Snyder (Virginia), 6:29
Consolations - dec. Manny Ramirez (UNC Greensboro), 7-6
Consolations - pinned Robert Dyar (Columbia), 5:19
Consolations - major dec. Travis Coffey (Army), 14-0
Consolations - vs. Brad Pataky (Penn State)
125 - Grant Pizzo
Pigtails - pinned by Dominic Parisi (Appalachian State), 2:11
Consolations - dec. by Steve Mitcheff (Kent State), 5-2
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
133 - #6 Zac Stevens
Pigtails - pinned Dominique Whitfield (Campbell), 0:48
First Round - major dec. Eli Ashby (Citadel), 15-2
Second Round - pinned Pat Owens (North Carolina), 1:52
Quarterfinals - vs. #3 Kyle Hutter (Old Dominion)
133 - Pete Rendina
Pigtails - pinned Zachary Ellis (Penn), 0:38
First Round - tech. fall by #1 Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra), 15-0 (3:12)
Consolations - dec. by Tyler Untrauer (Air Force), 12-6
Eliminated with a 1-2 record
141 - #1 Kellen Russell
Pigtails - pinned Richie Spicel (Gardner-Webb), 1:51
First Round - dec. Denny Herndon (George Mason), 5-0
Second Round - major dec. Darrin Boing (Ohio), 14-0
Quarterfinals - vs. #8 Vincente Varela (Hofstra)
149 - Eric Grajales
Pigtails - dec. David Ivashchenko (Citadel), 7-0
First Round - dec. by #5 Ivan Lopouchanski (UNC Greensboro), 8-7
Consolations - dec. by Josh Kreimier (Air Force), 9-8
Eliminated with a 1-2 record
157 - Aaron Hynes
Pigtails - major dec. Casey Gordon (Ohio), 8-0
First Round - dec. by James Rafferty (Army), 7-6
Consolations - major dec. Rudy Chelednik (Army), 9-1
Consolations - dec. Frank Hickman (Bloomsburg), 6-4
Consolations - vs. Tyler Banks (Hofstra)
157 - Brandon Zeerip
Pigtails - dec. Taylor Knapp (Virginia), 7-2
First Round - dec. Seth Creasy (Lock Haven), 3-2
Second Round - dec. Tyler Banks (Hofstra), 8-3
Quarterfinals - vs. Craig Eifert (Cornell)
165 - Dan Yates
First Round - pinned James Kaden (George Mason), 4:15
Second Round - dec. #4 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj (Citadel), 4-2
Quarterfinals - vs. #5 Kyle Blevins (Appalachian State)
174 - Justin Zeerip
First Round - major dec. J.C. Oddo (Citadel), 8-0
Second Round - major dec. by #4 Ed Ruth (Penn State), 11-3
Consolations - dec. Tristan Warner (Old Dominion), 5-2
Consolations - vs. Brad Darrington (Utah Valley)
184 - Hunter Collins
Pigtails - major dec. by Nathan Graham (Bloomsburg), 8-0
Consolations - dec. by #8 Bagna Tovuujav (George Mason), 9-6
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
197 - #7 Anthony Biondo
Pigtails - pinned Daniel Mills (Army), 0:52
First Round - major dec. Derek Caldwell (Lock Haven), 13-2
Second Round - pinned Matt Loew (Hofstra), 1:18
Quarterfinals - vs. #2 Cam Simaz (Cornell)
Hwt - #2 Ben Apland
First Round - pinned Mike Landis (Navy), 3:23
Second Round - major dec. Derek Papagianopolous (Virginia), 8-0
Quarterfinals - vs. #7 Ricky Alcala (Indiana)
Hwt - Chad Bleske
First Round - dec. by Luke Johnson (Citadel), 5-4
Consolations - dec. Matt Tourdot (Old Dominion), 6-4
Consolations - dec. #6 Peter Sturgeon (UNC Greensboro), 5-3
Consolations - vs. Joe Tymosuzuk (Kent State)
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
