Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Wolverines Claim Runner-Up Finish at Big Ten Championships Behind Nine Placewinners
3/10/2024 8:26:00 PM | Wrestling
» Michigan took second place at the Big Ten Championships with 123.5 points and nine total placewinners, including eight top-four finishers; it was the second-highest Big Ten point total in program history.
» Dylan Ragusin (133 pounds), Austin Gomez (149), Will Lewan (157) and Shane Griffith (174) all dropped their championship matches, including one in overtime and another by one point.
» Nine Wolverines earned automatic qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
Site: College Park, Md. (XFINITY Center)
Event: Big Ten Championships (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Standing: 2nd Place of 14 Teams (123.5 points)
Next U-M Event: Thu-Sat., March 21-23 -- at NCAA Championships (Kansas City, Mo.)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The University of Michigan wrestling team earned a runner-up finish at the 2024 Big Ten Championships on Sunday (March 10) at Maryland's XFINITY Center. U-M drew on the performances of nine placewinners, including eight top-four finishers, to accumulate 123.5 points -- the second-highest total in program history. Penn State won the team title with 170.5 points.
It was a difficult medal round in an otherwise strong tournament for the Wolverines, who dropped four medal matches in overtime, another by one point and all four of their first-place bouts.
Senior/junior Dylan Ragusin, ranked fifth at 133 pounds, fell to Rutgers' No. 8 Dylan Shawver, 23-8, in the championship final. Trailing after an early Rutgers takedown, Ragusin chased several big moves but was burned by all of them, notably giving up seven points off a 50-50 bodylock to fall behind early in the second period. The runner-up Big Ten finish in the best for Ragusin; his previous best was third in 2022.
Graduate student Austin Gomez, ranked fourth at 149 pounds, dropped a 5-4 decision to Nebraska's top-ranked Ridge Lovett in the finals. Gomez was in on several attacks early, but it was Lovett who scored first with a first-period takedown. He continued to push the pace late, drawing a stall point, but couldn't finish on a deep single-leg shot in the waning seconds of the third.
Graduate student Will Lewan, ranked 16th at 157 pounds, also fell to the top-ranked wrestler at his weight with a 4-1 overtime defeat to Levi Haines. The wrestlers traded little more than escapes and stall warnings in regulation before Haines finished on a double leg early in the extra frame.
Graduate student Shane Griffith, ranked third at 174 pounds, was forced to medical forfeit out of his final bout; Illinois' Edmond Ruth claimed the individual title.
The Wolverines went 4-for-5 in the morning consolation semifinals to push four into the third-place matches and solidify their second-place team finish.
Graduate student Lucas Davison, ranked sixth at heavyweight, bounced back from his semifinal loss with two wrestleback wins, including a 6-3 decision against Rutgers' No. 12 Yaraslau Slavikouski in the third-place bout. He led on an early stall point, then iced it with a single-leg takedown in the third. Davison picked up bonus in the consolation semifinals, going big with a second-period bodylock on the edge to pin Nebraska's Nash Hutmacher at the 3:46 mark. It was his second bonus win over the Husker this season.
Freshman Sergio Lemley, ranked 10th at 141 pounds, earned a fourth-place finish in his first Big Ten appearance after splitting his consolation bouts. He fell to Iowa's No. 2 Real Woods, 11-8, in the medal round after giving up seven points in the first period. He rallied late, earning two takedowns and a stall point in the third, but ran out of time. In the consolation semifinals, Lemley rallied to a 10-6 decision against Rutgers' No. 21 Mitch Moore. He finished on a late go-behind takedown in the first to take his first lead, added a single leg in the second and rode nearly the entire third to accumulate 1:55 in advantage time.
Fifth-year senior Cameron Amine, ranked 10th at 165 pounds, fell to Iowa's sixth-ranked Mike Caliendo, 8-5 in overtime, to place fourth. They traded takedowns in the first period and escapes in the second and third before the Hawkeye finished on a single leg and ensuing scramble in sudden victory. Amine avenged his dual loss to Nebraska's No. 12 Antrell Taylor in the consolation semifinals, earning a 2-2 tiebreaker win on 18 seconds of riding time. Amine rode out the first 30-second go, though was hit for a stall point in the last second, then escaped on the edge just 12 seconds into the second go.
Senior/junior Jaden Bullock, ranked 19th at 184 pounds, also lost in overtime in the medal round, narrowly falling to Nebraska's third-ranked Lenny Pinto, 4-1. Bullock scrambled out of a couple Pinto attacks and was in on his own early in the sudden-victory frame before the Husker scored a double leg out of a late scramble. Bullock picked up a bonus point in the consolation semifinals, using a late takedown to secure a 12-4 major decision over Rutgers' No. 22 Brian Soldano. Bullock jumped out to an early lead with a takedown and three-point tilt in the first, but Soldano cut the deficit with a four-point turn in the second. Bullock earned a reversal late in the second and scored on a throw and rode out the bout to earn 1:25 in advantage time.
Graduate student Michael DeAugustino, ranked 16th at 125 pounds, dropped both of his consolation bouts -- both in overtime -- to take sixth place. He lost by overtime fall to Purdue's top-ranked Matt Ramos at 6:48 out of an extended scramble in the sudden-victory frame. He sacrificed an early lead in a 9-6 defeat in the medal round against Rutgers' No. 22 Dean Peterson. The wrestlers traded takedowns in the first and second periods and DeAugustino just missed on a score out of a scramble in the final seconds of the third before Peterson converted on a takedown on the edge midway through the extra frame.
The Wolverines' nine qualifiers will take a two-week break to prepare for the NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 21-23 in Kansas City, Mo. NCAA seeds and full brackets will be announced on Wednesday (March 13).
Team Standings (Final)
1. Penn State 170.5 2. MICHIGAN 123.5 3. Nebraska 118.0 4. Iowa 110.5 5. Ohio State 89.0 6. Rutgers 87.5 7. Minnesota 74.0 8. Wisconsin 46.5 9. Purdue 41.5 10. Maryland 39.0 11. Illinois 34.0 12. Indiana 33.0 13. Michigan State 23.5 14. Northwestern 14.5
Michigan Results (Day 2)
Numbers listed are tournament seeds
125 Pounds -- #7 Michael DeAugustino
Consolation Semis - pinned by #1 Matt Ramos (Purdue), 6:48
Fifth Place - dec. by #9 Dean Peterson (Rutgers), 9-6 SV
Finished in fifth place with a 2-3 record
133 Pounds -- #1 Dylan Ragusin
Final - tech. fall by #2 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers), 23-8 (7:00)
Finished runner-up with a 2-1 record
141 Pounds -- #5 Sergio Lemley
Consolations Semis - dec. #7 Mitch Moore (Rutgers), 10-6
Third Place - dec. by #2 Real Woods (Iowa), 11-8
Finished in fourth place with 3-2 record
149 Pounds -- #2 Austin Gomez
Final - dec. by #1 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska), 5-4
Finished runner-up with a 2-1 record
157 Pounds -- #7 Will Lewan
Semifinals - dec. by #1 Levi Haines (Penn State), 4-1 SV
Finished runner-up with a 3-1 record
165 Pounds -- #6 Cameron Amine
Consolations Semis - dec. #5 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska), 2-2 TB
Third Place - dec. by #3 Mike Caliendo (Iowa), 8-5 SV
Finished in fourth place with a 4-2 record
174 Pounds -- #2 Shane Griffith
Final - lost by forfeit to #4 Edmond Ruth (Illinois)
Finished as runner-up with a 2-1 record
184 Pounds -- #5 Jaden Bullock
Consolations Semis - major dec. #8 Brian Soldano (Rutgers), 12-4
Third Place - dec. by #2 Lenny Pinto (Nebraska), 4-1 SV
Finished in fourth place with a 3-2 record
Heavyweight -- #3 Lucas Davison
Consolations Semis - pinned #10 Nash Hutmacher (Nebraska), 3:46
Third Place - dec. #4 Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers), 6-3
Finished in third place with a 4-1 record
Players Mentioned
