Michigan
NCAA Championships
Parris Advances to Heavyweight Final, U-M Secures Three All-Americans
3/17/2023 11:59:00 PM | Wrestling
» Mason Parris earned a 16-1 technical fall over Iowa's Tony Cassioppi in the heavyweight semifinals to advance to the NCAA championship match for the second time in his career.
» Michigan secured three All-Americans in Will Lewan (157), Cameron Amine (165) and Mason Parris (Hwt).
» U-M sits tied for sixth place (51 points) in the team standings after the second day at the NCAA Championships.
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TULSA, Okla. -- Fifth-year senior Mason Parris dominated in the semifinals to advance to the heavyweight championship final for the second time in his career to headline the University of Michigan wrestling team on the second day of competition at the 2023 NCAA Championships on Friday (March 17) in front of a crowd of 15,694 at the BOK Center. With three All-Americans, U-M shares sixth place with 51 points.
Parris, the top seed at heavyweight, rolled through the semifinals with a 16-1 technical fall over Iowa's third-seeded Tony Cassioppi in 5:12. He built up a big early lead with a single-leg takedown and two four-point turns off the arm bar. He added another single leg in the second and finished on a double just 12 seconds into the third period to end the bout. It was his second win over Cassioppi this season and fourth bonus win against the Hawkeye since 2020.
The Wolverine heavyweight also earned bonus points in his quarterfinal match with a 10-1 major decision against Northwestern's ninth-seeded Lucas Davison. He again used a big first period, scoring on two single legs and four back points off a bodylock, and rode out the third to accumulate 3:32 in time advantage. Parris improved to 32-0 on the season with 21 bonus wins.
Now a two-time NCAA finalist -- he took runner-up honors in 2021 -- and a four-time All-American, Parris will face Penn State's second-seeded Greg Kerkvliet in the championship bout. Parris owns two wins over the Nittany Lions wrestler this season.
Senior/junior Cameron Amine secured his third straight All-America citation with his quarterfinal win but lost his semifinal bout to drop down into Saturday morning's (March 18) consolation semifinal round. Seeded 11th at 165 pounds, Amine finished on a single-leg takedown late in the third period to edge Wisconsin's third-seeded Dean Hamiti 3-2 in the quarterfinals -- his third win over the Badger in two seasons. Amine fell to Missouri's second-seeded and defending NCAA champion Keegan O'Toole 6-0 in the semifinals on takedowns in the first and third periods.
Fifth-year senior Will Lewan claimed his bloodround match at 157 pounds to lock up NCAA All-America honors in the evening session -- and for the second year in a row. Michigan has boasted at least three All-Americans every year since 2015.
Lewan, seeded ninth at 157 pounds, bounced back from a quarterfinal loss to North Carolina's top-seeded Austin O'Connor to defeat South Dakota State's 20th-seeded Cael Swenson 7-4 in the bloodround. He scored a takedown in each period, finishing on singles in the first and second periods before icing it out of a flurry at the final buzzer. He narrowly fell to North Dakota State's fourth-seeded Jared Franek 3-2 in his next bout to move to Saturday's seventh-place match. Lewan is now a three-time All-American; he also earned NWCA second team All-America honors in 2020.
The Wolverines dropped close decisions their other two Round of 12 matchups, eliminating sophomore/freshman Chance Lamer and graduate student Matt Finesilver from the tournament.
Lamer, seeded 22nd at 149 pounds, fell to Iowa's eighth-seeded Max Murin 3-2 on a takedown at the first-period buzzer. Lamer earned a stall point in the late in the third and, continuing to push the pace, nearly had rear standing in the final seconds. The Michigan corner challenged the no-call, but it was upheld. Lamer posted a pair of wins in the morning session, including a first-period pin against Wisconsin's 14th-seeded Austin Gomez, taking the Badger feet to back to secure the fall just 43 seconds in -- his third pin this season.
Finesilver, seeded eighth at 184 pounds, dropped a 4-3 decision to Iowa State's fifth-seeded Marcus Coleman in his bloodround match on a late takedown in the third period. Finesilver initiated several scrambles but could not finish on single-leg attacks in the first and second. He earned two morning wrestleback wins, including a 5-1 decision over Oklahoma State's 10th-seeded Travis Wittlake with takedowns in the second and third periods; it was his second win over the Cowboy this season.
Graduate student Jack Medley, junior/sophomore Dylan Ragusin and senior Cole Mattin were also eliminated from the morning wrestleback round, all earning bonus points in their first bouts before falling in their second to end their tournament runs.
Medley, seeded 16th at 125 pounds, cruised to a 13-4 major decision over Penn's 18th-seeded Ryan Miller in U-M's first match of the day, scoring on a six-point fireman's dump early before adding a pair of head-in-the-hole takedowns and 3:11 in riding-time advantage. He was unable to overcome an initial deficit to Wisconsin's ninth-seeded Eric Barnett in a 7-4 defeat in his next bout. Medley finished on another carry to even the score at 3-3 in the third period -- though Barnett held riding time -- but the Badger escaped and iced the match with a late takedown of his own.
Ragusin, seeded 11th at 133 pounds, dropped a heartbreaker 1-1 on riding-time criteria, in the tiebreaker to Ohio State's 13th-seeded Jesse Mendez after his winning takedown in sudden victory was waved off on review. Ragusin earned a 10-0 major decision over CSU Bakersfield's Chance Rich in his previous match, scoring takedowns in the second and third periods while adding a four-point tilt in the former and riding for 2:42.
Mattin, seeded 23rd at 141 pounds, earned his second straight wrestleback pin with a first-period fall against Oklahoma's ninth-seeded Mosha Schwartz -- his second win over the Sooner this season. He scored an early takedown off a bodylock before settling into a headlock to secure the fall at the 1:39 mark. Mattin fell to Ohio State's 17th-seeded Dylan D'Emilio 6-2 in his next match, however, as the Buckeye scored takedowns in the second and third periods.
The Wolverines will return for the NCAA Championships' fifth session on Saturday (March 18) at 10 a.m. CDT at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. The morning session will feature third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches. The finals will kick off at 6 p.m. CDT and will be broadcast live on ESPN.
Top 10 Teams (After Day 2)
1. Penn State               116.5 2. Iowa                      77.0 3. Cornell                   64.0 4. Ohio State                62.0 5. Missouri                  55.0 6. MICHIGAN                  51.0 6. Nebraska                  51.0 8. Iowa State                44.0 9. North Carolina State     41.5 10. Virginia Tech            40.5
Michigan Results (Day 2)
Numbers listed are tournament seeds
125 Pounds -- #16 Jack Medley
Consolations - major dec. #18 Ryan Miller (Penn), 13-4
Consolations - dec. by #9 Eric Barnett (Wisconsin), 7-4
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
133 Pounds -- #11 Dylan Ragusin
Consolations - major dec. #21 Chance Rich (CSU Bakersfield), 10-0
Consolations - dec. by #13 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State), 1-1 TB
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
141 Pounds -- #23 Cole Mattin
Consolations - pinned #9 Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma), 1:39
Consolations - dec. by #17 Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State), 6-2
Eliminated with a 2-2 record
149 Pounds -- #22 Chance Lamer
Consolations - dec. #21 Ethen Miller (Maryland), 4-2
Consolations - pinned #14 Austin Gomez (Wisconsin), 0:43
Consolations - dec. by #8 Max Murin (Iowa), 3-2
Eliminated with a 3-2 record
157 Pounds -- #9 Will Lewan
Quarterfinals - major dec. by #1 Austin O'Connor (North Carolina), 10-2
Consolations - dec. #20 Cael Swenson (South Dakota State), 7-4
Consolations - dec. by #4 Jared Franek (North Dakota State), 3-2
Seventh Place - vs. #7 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech)
165 Pounds -- #11 Cameron Amine
Quarterfinals - dec. #3 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin), 3-2
Semifinals - dec. by #2 Keegan O'Toole (Missouri), 6-0
Consolations - vs. #9 Shane Griffith (Stanford)
184 Pounds -- #8 Matt Finesilver
Consolations - dec. #10 Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State), 5-1
Consolations - dec. #18 Brian Soldano (Rutgers), 9-2
Consolations - dec. by #5 Marcus Coleman (Iowa State), 4-3
Eliminated with a 3-2 record
Heavyweight -- #1 Mason Parris
Quarterfinals - major dec. #9 Lucas Davison (Northwestern), 10-1
Semifinals - tech. fall #3 Tony Cassioppi (Iowa), 16-1 (5:12)
Final - vs. #2 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State)
Players Mentioned
