Michigan
Southern Scuffle
Wolverines Advance Four to Southern Scuffle Quarterfinals
1/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 1, 2015
Site: Chattanooga, Tenn. (McKenzie Arena)
Event: Southern Scuffle (Day 1 of 2)
U-M Team Standing: 5th Place of 29 Teams (32 points) after Day 1
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 2 -- at Southern Scuffle (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 9 a.m.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- With four individual advancing into the championship quarterfinals, the No. 15-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team sits in fifth place (32 points) after the first day of competition at the Southern Scuffle on Thursday (Jan. 1) at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena. In addition to the quarterfinalists, four Wolverines are still alive in the consolation bracket.
Junior Rossi Bruno, seeded third at 133 pounds, went 2-0 on the day to advance to the quarterfinal round in his Southern Scuffle debut. Bruno defeated Campbell's Nathan Kraisser, 5-2, in his evening match, scoring takedowns in the second and third periods. Bruno cruised to a 14-6 major decision over Duke's Baily Jack in his morning bout, scoring three takedowns, two back points and a reversal to control the bout from start to finish. He gave up a late takedown but quickly reversed to regain control and his bonus margin, ending the bout on top and with 3:23 riding-time advantage.
Sophomore Domenic Abounader, seeded eighth at 184 pounds, edged a familiar foe, Nebraska's ninth-seeded T.J. Dudley, 4-3 in the evening round to advance to the quarterfinals. After a scoreless first period, Abounader claimed the first lead by coupling an escape and quick takedown in the second. Dudley reversed to even the score in the third, but Abounader quickly escaped again to preserve a one-point lead.
Abounader earned a pair of morning victories, including a quick 16-0 technical fall over Campbell's Matt Olaussen in the second round. The Wolverine wrestler scored on an early first-period single leg before turking Olaussen four times for 11 points. Needing just two points for the tech fall, Abounader escaped quickly in the second and finished on a subsequent single-leg shot to end the bout at the 3:11 mark.
Fifth-year senior Max Huntley, seeded fifth at 197 pounds, rolled through his first-day competition, posting a 3-0 mark with three bonus wins. Huntley defeated Kent State's 12th-seeded Cole Baxter, 13-2, in the evening session, scoring four takedowns, two back points and an impressive 5:14 in riding-time advantage.
Huntley was similarly dominant in both of his morning matches, cruising to a 15-5 major decision over Pittsburgh's Ryan Solomon before pinning Iowa State's Marcus Harrington at 4:19. He scored five takedowns, including two apiece in the first and third periods, a reversal and 3:39 in riding-time advantage against Solomon in the former bout. He held a three-point lead against Harrington after a pair of first-period takedowns and, starting on top in the second, sucked him back to collect his third fall of the season.
Sophomore Adam Coon, seeded third at heavyweight, shut out Lehigh's Doug Vollaro, 5-0, in his evening bout, drawing three stall points while riding out the third period en route to 1:55 in time advantage. Coon secured a second-period fall in his morning preliminary match, tossing Kent State's Samuel Breese at the 4:27 mark. It was Coon's second hip toss of the match; he settled for five points on a similar attempt in the first period and added a takedown and reversal before ending the bout with his throw off a restart late in the second. It was his fifth pin of the season.
Michigan split its eight evening championship-bracket matches; all four losses came by five points or less, including two in overtime.
Junior/sophomore Conor Youtsey, unseeded at 125 pounds, dropped a 4-0 decision against Missouri's second-seeded -- and third-ranked -- Alan Waters, giving up a takedown midway through the second period and 2:52 in time advantage. Youtsey earned a pair of morning matches, including an 11-1 major decision over Lehigh's Cody Kievman in the first round. Youtsey scored three takedowns, three back points off a first-period suck back, and rode for 3:58.
Sophomore/freshman George Fisher, unseeded at 141 pounds, lost to Oklahoma State's eighth-seeded Dean Heil, 7-2, in his evening bout, giving up two takedowns and a reversal -- all off scrambles on the mat. Fisher earned bonus points in both of his morning matches, pinning Kent State's ninth-seeded Tyler Small at 6:17 before routing Drexel's Franco Ferraina, 19-4. He held a seven-point advantage at the time of the fall in the former bout and using a leg turk to work Small to his back when the Golden Flash wrestler tried to roll through and Fisher caught him for his third pin this season. In the latter bout, Fisher scored six takedowns and five back points, including a late three-point leg turk to give him the tech fall margin after riding time.
Michigan's two representatives at 157 pounds, sophomore Brian Murphy and fifth-year senior Jake Salazar, dropped matching 3-1 overtime decisions to higher-seeded opponents. Murphy, seeded 10th, gave up a scramble takedown to Army's seventh-seeded Russell Parsons midway through his sudden-victory frame, while unseeded Salazar had his double-leg attempt countered against Penn State's fifth-seeded -- and eighth-ranked -- Dylan Alton. Salazar had just missed on an explosive double-leg shot near the end of regulation.
Salazar did pull off an upset victory in the morning session, knocking off Duke's 12th-seeded -- and 17th-ranked -- Immanuel Kerr-Brown, 7-4, behind three takedowns -- one in each period -- and 1:05 in riding-time advantage.
Murphy claimed a pair of wins in the morning session, including a 14-2 major decision over Cleveland State's LaTrell Davis in the second round. The Wolverine wrestler scored five takedowns, including three in the third period, two back points and 4:48 riding-time advantage.
Michigan will return to action tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 2) for the second and final day of competition at the 2015 Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tennessee. U-M will hit the mat at 9 a.m. for the quarterfinals and continued wrestleback rounds, while the championships finals are slated for a 7 p.m. start. All matches will take place at McKenzie Arena.
Top 10 Teams (After Day 1)
1. Penn State 52 2. Nebraska 48 3. Missouri 47.5 4. Oklahoma State 47 5. MICHIGAN 32 6. Pittsburgh 31 Virginia 31 8. Cornell 29 9. Lehigh 27.510. Chattanooga 25.5
Michigan Results (Day 1)
125 Pounds -- Conor Youtsey
First Round - major dec. Cody Kievman (Lehigh), 11-1
Second Round - dec. Dominic Parisi (Appalachian State), 3-1
Third Round - dec. by #2 Alan Waters (Missouri), 4-0
Consolations - vs. Ty Walker (unattached)
125 Pounds -- Cory Lester
First Round - Bye
Second Round - major dec. by Will Mason (Virginia), 8-0
Consolations - dec. by Cortez Starkes (Gardner Webb), 7-2
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
133 Pounds -- #3 Rossi Bruno
First Round - Bye
Second Round - major dec. Baily Jack (Duke), 14-6
Third Round - dec. Nathan Kraisser (Campbell), 5-2
Quarterfinals - vs. #11 Troy Heilmann (North Carolina)
141 Pounds -- George Fisher
First Round - pinned #9 Tyler Small (Kent State), 6:17
Second Round - tech. fall Franco Ferraina (Drexel), 19-4 (7:00)
Third Round - dec. by #8 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State), 7-2
Consolations - vs. Matthew Kelly (Army)
157 Pounds -- #10 Brian Murphy
First Round - dec. Chris Koo (Oklahoma State), 12-5
Second Round - major dec. LaTrell Davis (Cleveland State),14-2
Third Round - dec. by #7 Russell Parsons (Army), 3-1 SV
Consolations - vs. Robert Henderson (North Carolina)
157 Pounds -- Jake Salazar
First Round - Bye
Second Round - dec. #12 Immanuel Kerr-Brown (Duke), 7-4
Third Round - dec. by #5 Dylan Alton (Penn State), 3-1 SV
Consolations - vs. Noel Blanco (Drexel)
174 Pounds -- Jeff Holm
First Round - Bye
Second Round - pinned by #5 John Eblen (Missouri), 1:45
Consolations - dec. by Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan), 4-3
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
184 Pounds -- #8 Domenic Abounader
First Round - dec. Alex DeCiantis (Drexel), 9-4
Second Round - tech. fall Matt Olaussen (Campbell), 16-0 (3:11)
Third Round - dec. #9 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska), 4-3
Quarterfinals - vs. #1 Gabe Dean (Cornell)
184 Pounds -- Ayoola Olapo
First Round - Bye
Second Round - dec. by #3 Nate Brown (Lehigh), 6-2
Withdrew with a 0-1 record
197 Pounds -- #5 Max Huntley
First Round - major dec. Ryan Solomon (Pittsburgh), 15-5
Second Round - pinned Marcus Harrington (Iowa State), 4:19
Third Round - major dec. #12 Cole Baxter (Kent State), 13-2
Quarterfinals - vs. #4 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State)
197 Pounds -- Chris Heald
First Round - Bye
Second Round - dec. by #7 Elliot Riddick (Lehigh), 3-2
Consolations - pinned by #10 Jace Bennett (Cornell), 1:27
Eliminated with a 0-2 record
Heavyweight -- #3 Adam Coon
First Round - Bye
Second Round - pinned Samuel Breese (Kent State), 4:27
Third Round - dec. Doug Vallaro (Lehigh), 5-0
Quarterfinals - vs. #6 Jon Gingrich (Penn State)
Communications Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
