Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Parris Advances to Big Ten Championships Heavyweight Final
3/7/2020 11:34:00 PM | Wrestling
» Mason Parris advanced to the Big Ten heavyweight final after defeating Wisconsin's Trent Hillger, 4-0, in the semifinal round; Parris improved to 28-0 on the season.
» Michigan dropped its other three semifinal bouts; seven Wolverines are still alive in the wrestlebacks.
» Six Wolverines already have automatic qualifying bids to the NCAA Championships: Jack Medley (125), Kanen Storr (149), Will Lewan (157), Tyler Meisinger (165), Jelani Embree (184) and Mason Parris (Hwt).
Site: Piscataway, N.J. (Rutgers Athletics Center)
Event: Big Ten Championships (Day 1 of 2)
U-M Team Standing: Sixth Place of 14 Teams (64.5 Points) After Day 1
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 8 -- at Big Ten Championships (Piscataway, N.J.), Noon
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Sophomore Mason Parris advanced to the heavyweight championship while seven more Wolverines are still alive in the consolation bracket as the University of Michigan wrestling team completed the first day of action at the Big Ten Championships in sixth place (64.5 points) on Saturday (March 7) at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
Parris, the top seed at heavyweight, will face No. 2 seed -- and top-ranked -- Gable Steveson of Minnesota in Sunday's (March 8) championship. It will be the first collegiate meeting between the two.
Amine earned a pair of victories to stay unbeaten on the season, including a 4-0 decision against Wisconsin's No. 2-seeded -- and sixth-ranked -- Trent Hillger in the semifinals. Parris scored on a late first-period single leg and rode out the third to accumulate 2:03 in time advantage. It was his second win over the Badger in his past four matches. Parris also secured a quick first-period against Illinois' ninth-seeded Luke Luffman in the morning session, using his fireman's dump to take Luffman to his back and collect the fall at the 0:28 mark. Parris is now 28-0 on the season and boasts a team-best 11 pins.
Michigan dropped its three other semifinal bouts to the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestlers at 125, 149 and 157 pounds.
Junior/sophomore Jack Medley, the No. 5 seed at 125 pounds, fell to Iowa's two-time defending NCAA champion Spencer Lee, 19-3, in the semifinal bout. In the morning quarterfinal round, Medley avenged an earlier-season loss to Illinois' No. 4-seeded Justin Cardani in the quarterfinals, rallying from an initial deficit to force overtime then reversing the Fighting Illini wrestler to his back for six points in the tiebreaker in a 9-4 decision.
Senior/junior Kanen Storr, the No. 4 seed at 149 pounds, dropped a close 3-0 decision to Ohio State's Sammy Sasso in the semifinals on an escape, stall point and 1:52 of riding time. Storr picked up a pair of decision wins in the morning sessions, including a 3-2 decision over Indiana's No. 5-seeded Graham Rooks on a second-period takedown on the edge.
Sophomore/freshman Will Lewan, the fourth seed at 157 pounds, fell 8-2 in his semifinal bout against Northwestern's Ryan Deakin behind three takedowns, including two in the opening period. Lewan used buzzer-beaters to claim each of his morning matches, circling behind on a single leg shot to beat Minnesota's No. 5-seeded Ryan Thomas, 3-2, with one second remaining in the third after scoring in the waning seconds of sudden victory to defeat Penn State's Bo Pipher, 5-3, in a first-round bout filled with controversy. Lewan scored on a go-ahead double leg midway through the third, but it was taken off the board, ruled an illegal slam and gave Pipher a penalty point and the lead. Lewan converted on another double off the restart and, midway through the overtime period, shot in on a single leg and eventually got the call with one second remaining.
The Wolverines also have sophomore/freshman Joey Silva, senior Tyler Meisinger, junior/sophomore Jelani Embree and fifth-year senior Jackson Striggow slotted into the seventh-place bouts at 133, 165, 184 and 197 pounds, respectively.
Six Wolverines -- Medley, Storr, Lewan, Meisinger, Embree and Parris -- already have earned an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Championships. Silva can secure one with a win in his seventh-place match Sunday, while the remaining three will need an at-large selection.
Silva, the No. 8 seed at 133 pounds, went 2-2 on the day and pushed Wisconsin's top-ranked Seth Gross to brink in a 10-7 defeat in the quarterfinal round, scoring on a takedown and two reversals while a pair of stall points and 1:08 in riding time proved the difference. He split his wrestleback matches, using two single-leg takedowns and 2:30 riding-time advantage to beat Michigan State's 10th-ranked Garrett Pepple, 5-3, before falling to Illinois' No. 4-seeded and seventh-ranked Travis Piotrowski, 5-2, after giving up counter takedowns at the first-period buzzer and another on the edge late in the third.
Meisinger, seeded 12th at 157 pounds, punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships with a second-period pin against Indiana's No. 14-seeded Diego Lemley in his second wrestleback match. The Wolverine senior led early after scoring on a first-period single leg and, with Lemley starting down in the second, locked up a cradle to secure the fall at the 3:17 mark -- his second pin of the season.
Embree, the No. 10 seed at 184 pounds, cruised to a 7-1 decision over Minnesota's No. 7 seed Owen Website in the wrestlebacks, scoring on takedowns in the first and second periods while adding an escape and a penalty point in the second, and riding for 1:05 time advantage. It was his third win over Webster this season. With this NCAA qualification locked up, Embree medically forfeited out of the tournament and will finish in eighth place.
Striggow, the No. 8 seed at 197 pounds, also went 2-2 on the season, rallying to a 5-4 decision over Maryland's No. 9-seeded Jaron Smith in his first bout behind a third-period takedown and rideout before dropping a 5-2 heartbreaker to Purdue's No. 4-seeded Christian Brunner in his final bout of the day. The Wolverine captain earned a pair of stall points and needed an escape in the third to take the lead but was turned for two points late and ridden out in the period.
Michigan will wrap up action at the Big Ten Championships tomorrow (Sunday, March 8) at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey. The third session is slated to begin at noon, while the finals will start at 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
Team Standings (After Day 1)
1. Iowa 121.5 2. Nebraska 102.5 3. Ohio State 94 4. Penn State 93.5 5. Purdue 77.5 6. MICHIGAN 64.5 7. Northwestern 63 8. Minnesota 55 9. Michigan State 52 10. Wisconsin 48 11. Illinois 45.5 12. Rutgers 24.5 13. Indiana 11.5 14. Maryland 0
Michigan Results (Day 1)
Numbers listed are tournament seeds
125 Pounds -- #5 Jack Medley
First Round -- dec. #12 Logan Griffin (Michigan State), 8-3
Quarterfinals -- dec. #4 Justin Cardani (Illinois), 9-4 TB
Semifinals -- tech. fall by #1 Spencer Lee (Iowa), 19-3 (3:23)
Consolations Semis -- vs. #10 Alex Thomsen (Nebraska)
133 Pounds -- #8 Joey Silva
First Round -- dec. #9 Cayden Rooks (Indiana), 9-2
Quarterfinals -- dec. by #1 Seth Gross (Wisconsin), 10-7
Consolations -- dec. #10 Garrett Pepple (Michigan State), 5-3
Consolations -- dec. by #4 Travis Piotrowski (Illinois), 5-2
Seventh Place -- vs. #6 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska)
141 Pounds -- #9 Cole Mattin
First Round -- major dec. by #8 Parker Filius (Purdue), 15-4
Consolations -- dec. by #7 Dylan Duncan (Illinois), 7-5
*Consolations -- vs. #12 Matt Santos (Michigan State)
149 Pounds -- #4 Kanen Storr
First Round -- dec. Mousa Jodeh (Illinois), 6-1
Quarterfinals -- dec. #5 Graham Rooks (Indiana), 3-2
Semifinals -- dec. by #2 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State), 3-0
Consolations Semis -- vs. #7 Collin Purinton (Nebraska)
157 Pounds -- #4 Will Lewan
First Round -- dec. #13 Bo Pipher (Penn State), 5-3 SV
Quarterfinals -- dec. #5 Ryan Thomas (Minnesota), 3-1
Semifinals -- dec. by #1 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern), 8-2
Consolations Semis -- vs. #8 Eric Barone (Illinois)
165 Pounds -- #12 Tyler Meisinger
First Round -- major dec. by #5 Ethan Smith (Wisconsin), 18-4
Consolations -- win by forfeit over Nate Limmex (Purdue)
Consolations -- pinned #14 Diego Lemley (Indiana), 3:17
Consolations -- dec. by #7 Danny Braunagel (Illinois), 8-7
Seventh Place -- vs. #9 Drew Hughes (Michigan State)
174 Pounds -- #12 Max Maylor
First Round -- pinned by #5 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska), 0:33
Consolations -- dec. #13 Eric Yang (Northwestern), 5-0
Consolations -- major dec. by #6 Kaleb Romero (Ohio State), 14-5
*Consolations -- dec. Eric Yang (Northwestern), 6-0
*Consolations -- vs. #9 Phillip Spadafora (Maryland)
184 Pounds -- #10 Jelani Embree
First Round -- dec. by #7 Zach Braunagel (Illinois), 3-2
Consolations -- dec. #8 Owen Webster (Minnesota), 7-1
Withdrew to eighth place with a 1-1 record
197 Pounds -- #8 Jackson Striggow
First Round -- dec. #9 Jaron Smith (Maryland), 4-2
Quarterfinals -- major dec. by #1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State), 18-5
Consolations -- win by forfeit over Jordan Pagano (Rutgers)
Consolations -- dec. by #4 Christian Brunner (Purdue), 5-2
Seventh Place -- vs. #10 Hunter Ritter (Minnesota)
Heavyweight -- #1 Mason Parris
First Round -- Bye
Quarterfinals -- pinned #9 Luke Luffman (Illinois), 0:28
Semifinals -- dec. #4 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin), 4-0
First Place -- vs. #2 Gable Steveson (Minnesota)
* additional matches to determine ninth place
Players Mentioned
