March 15, 2007
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Tiger wrestling team continued their run at an NCAA National Championship as they had six grapplers competing in their respective championship brackets during the second session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Auburn Hills, Mich., Thursday, March 15. Three of the six wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinals, taking place tomorrow morning. The Tigers now with 29.5 total team points trail only the Golden Gophers of Minnesota, who currently have 34 points.
Tipping off the competition for the Tigers in the second session, eighth-seeded, 133-pound Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) lost a 3-2 decision to ninth-seeded James Kennedy of Illinois. The score was even as the match came to an end, but Kennedy was able to compile 1:20 of riding time, giving him the edge in a one-point victory.
Junior Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) had a similar result in his bid to advance as he faced fourth-seeded Jordan Leen of Cornell. Wagner failed to register a single takedown in the match, as Leen did just enough to top Wagner. With a takedown at 1:43 of the third period, Leen put the match out of reach for Wagner, who will now battle in the consolation bracket.
Turning things around for the Tigers in the evening session, senior Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) topped Tyler Safratowich of Minnesota in a 15-3 major decision, registering six takedowns. The major decision and a win over a Golden Gopher kept Missouri in contention for the team title. Pell also racked up 5:06 of riding time. With the win, Pell advances to the quarterfinals where he will wrestle Big 12 foe and returning National Champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State.
Senior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) also drew a Gopher in his third match grappling against Gabriel Dretsch. Askren jumped out to an early lead, tallying four takedowns before pinning Dretsch at the 4:51 mark. The fall was the second of the tournament for Askren, and his 28th on the season. With the win, top-seeded Askren improves to 39-0, and moves into the quarterfinals. Askren will square off against ninth-seeded Matthew Palmer of Columbia in tomorrow mornings quarterfinal match.
Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) continued the winning streak for the Tigers. In what was a closer match, Jordan topped Virginia's Rocco Caponi. Jordan registered a takedown with 20 seconds left in the match to give him a 3-1 edge, and the victory. Fifth-seeded Jordan will battle fourth-seeded Tyrel Todd of Michigan in the quarterfinals.
Heavyweight Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) fell just short of his bid for the quarterfinals, losing his match to fourth-seeded Dustin Fox of Northwestern. Ellis took an early lead in the match with a takedown in the first period, but was unable to score another offensive point in the match, falling 6-5. Ellis will look to place in the consolation bracket and help keep the Tigers keep pace in the team race.
Wrestling in the consolation round, 157-pound Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) faced Tyler Sherfly of Boise State in what was his best match of the day. Sherfly took an early 2-0 lead with a takedown at 2:00, but Chandler reversed control at :38 and finished him off with the pin at :27. With the pin, Chandler scored team bonus points, keeping the Tigers close to Minnesota.
Max Askren (Hartland, Wis.) continued his struggles falling to Eric Lapotsky of Bucknell in a 5-2 decision. Now with an 0-2 record, Askren has been eliminated from the tournament.
The Tigers still have seven wrestlers alive in the tournament, with three in the championship bracket and four in the consolation. The next session will start at 11 a.m. (EST).
Team Standings
1-Minnesota 34
2-Missouri 29.5
3-Iowa State 27.5
4- Penn State 24
5- Iowa 20