Michigan
Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
Three Place for Wolverines at Cliff Keen Invitational
12/1/2012 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 1, 2012
Site: Las Vegas, Nev. (Las Vegas Convention Center)
Event: Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Team Standing: 12th Place of 32 Teams (52.5 Points)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 8 -- vs. Duke/Eastern Michigan (Cliff Keen Arena), 2 p.m./4 p.m.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The No. 14-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team posted three individual placewinners, including a runner-up finish from senior/junior Dan Yates (Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia HS) at 174 pounds, to take 12th place (52.5 points) at the 31st annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday (Dec. 1) at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Yates used a second-period takedown to defeat Arizona State's Blake Stauffer, 3-1, in the semifinal round and advance to the 174-pound final for the first time in his career. The Wolverine captain, ranked 13th nationally, tweaked his knee in the morning contest, however, and forfeited out of the championship match. He remains undefeated on the season at 9-0.
Freshman Taylor Massa (St. Johns, Mich./St. Johns HS) went 3-1 on the day, boasting two technical falls and a pin, to claim fifth place at 165 pounds. He cruised to a 19-3 win over Navy's Peyton Walsh in the fifth-place match, using six takedowns -- two in each frame -- and six back points to end the contest at 6:51.
Massa rallied to win his first two bouts of the day, pinning Utah Valley's Curtis Cook at 2:48 after giving up the initial takedown and riding time and using four second-period turns to highlight a 25-10 tech fall against Army's Paul Hancock in his second match. He dropped a close 5-3 decision to Virginia's third-seeded Nick Sulzer in the consolation semifinals, scoring a takedown in the closing 30 seconds but, after cutting Sulzer loose, failed to convert on another opportunity.
Junior/sophomore Max Huntley (Emerald Isle, N.C./Blair Academy) finished on a late overtime to edge Wisconsin's Jackson Hein, 3-1, in his first match of the day and lock up a spot on the podium. After the wrestlers traded little more than escapes through regulation, Huntley struck on a single leg in the waning seconds of the sudden-victory frame, establishing control just long enough to earn the takedown call and the win. Like Yates, Huntley suffered a mild injury late in the match and, after giving up a quick takedown and riding time in his subsequent match against Arizona State's Jake Meredith, defaulted out of the match and to eighth place.
Senior/junior Sean Boyle (Lowell, Mass./Blair Academy) dropped his morning consolation match to just miss placing at 125 pounds. After falling behind early to American's Dave Terao in the contest, Boyle rallied with a takedown late in the third, but Terao escaped and had 1:09 in time advantage to win 8-6 and eliminated Boyle from the competition.
The Wolverines will resume the dual-meet portion of their 2012-13 schedule next Saturday (Dec. 8), hosting Duke and Eastern Michigan at Cliff Keen Arena. U-M will face the Blue Devils at 2 p.m. and the Eagles at 4 p.m., while the two visiting schools will wrestle each other at noon.
Top 15 Teams (Final)
1. Ohio State 124.5 2. Missouri 123.5 3. Cornell 104.5 4. Oregon State 98.5 5. Nebraska 89.5 6. Boise State 76 7. Virginia 64.5 8. Northern Iowa 62.5 9. Wyoming 5810. Navy 5611. Air Force 53.512. MICHIGAN 52.513. Arizona State 5214. Wisconsin 51.515. Cal State Bakersfield 44
Michigan Results (Day 2)
125 -- #3 Sean Boyle
Consolation - dec. by David Terao (American), 8-6
Eliminated with a 3-2 record
165 -- #5 Taylor Massa
Consolations - pinned Curtis Cook (Utah Valley), 2:48
Consolations - tech. fall Paul Hancock (Army), 25-10 (6:38)
Consolations - dec. by #3 Nick Sulzer (Virginia), 5-3
Fifth Place - tech. fall Peyton Walsh (Navy), 19-3 (6:51)
Finished in fifth place with a 5-2 record
174 -- #3 Dan Yates
Semifinal - dec. Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 3-1
Final - medical forfeit by #1 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska)
Finished in second place with a 4-0 record
197 -- #6 Max Huntley
Consolations - dec. #8 Jackson Hein (Wisconsin), 3-1 SV
Consolations - injury default by #7 Jake Meredith (Arizona State), 3:00
Finished in eighth place with a 3-2 record
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
