Weekly Release #10
3/14/2000 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Thu-Sat., March 16-18 -- at NCAA Championships (St. Louis, Mo.)
(Each day will have two sessions, at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. CST)
Michigan Heads to NCAA Championships
The eighth-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team will travel to St. Louis for the NCAA Championships, hosted by the University of Missouri on Thursday through Saturday (March 16-18) at the Kiel Center. Michigan, which completed the regular season 12-3-1 overall and 5-2-1 in the Big Ten, goes into the Championships after placing fifth at the Big Ten Championships on March 4-5.
Seeds for the tournament will be announced on Wednesday (March 15). Ticket for all three sessions are sold out, with sales totaling 90,090. The sales amount surpassed the previous record of 90,064, set in 1997 at the University of Northern Iowa. The championships will have a taped-delayed broadcast on ESPN2 on Wednesday, March 22, at 1:30 p.m. EST.
Championships Schedule
| Thursday, March 16 | |
| 11:00 a.m. | First Session (First Rounds) |
| 6:30 p.m. | Second Session (Wrestleback Preliminaries and First Rounds) |
Friday, March 17 | |
| 11:00 a.m. | Third Session (Quarterfinals and Second and Third Round Wrestlebacks) |
| 6:30 p.m. | Fourth Session (Semifinals and Fourth and Fifth Round Wrestlebacks) |
Saturday, March 18 | |
| 11:00 a.m. | Fifth Session (Wrestleback Semifinals and Medal Rounds) |
| 6:30 p.m. | Sixth Session (Grand March/Ceremonies followed by Champ. Finals) |
Wolverines Send Seven Grapplers to NCAA Meet
Michigan qualified seven competitors for the NCAA Championships. Returning to nationals will be Joe Warren (Grand Rapids, Mich./E. Kentwood HS) at 133, Damion Logan (Garfield, N.J./St. Joseph Regional HS) at 141, Andy Hrovat (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edwards HS) at 184 and heavyweight Matt Brink (Muskegon, Mich./Fruitport HS). Competing for the first time are A.J. Grant (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS) at 125 pounds, Mike Kulczycki (N. Royalton, Ohio/St. Edwards HS) at 149 and Charles Martelli (Naperville, Ill./Naperville HS) at 174.
NCAA Tournament History
The Maize and Blue have recorded four second-place finishes (1928, '29, '67 and '74) and have had 35 top-10 finishes in their 69-year history of the NCAA Championships. The highest team finish in the past 10 seasons was a fifth-place showing (41.00) in 1994.
Individually, Michigan has produced 17 national championships and 132 All-Americans. The last national champion was current assistant coach Kirk Trost at heavyweight in 1986. The Wolverines have a current streak on nine years with All-America accolades.
Last year, Michigan tied for 13th with a score of 39.0 -- Iowa was first with 100.5. The Maize and Blue had three All-America honors to their credit, highlighted by Otto Olson's (Everett, Wash./Everett HS) finish as national runner-up at 174. 141-pounder Damion Logan and 184-pounder Andy Hrovat were All-Americans, placing seventh and eighth, respectively. Also competing at last year's championships were Joe Warren at 133, Corey Grant at 149, Frank Lodeserto (N. Haledon, N.J./St. Joseph Regional HS) at 197 and heavyweight Matt Brink.
Last 10 Michigan Finishes and Points
| 1990 | t30th | 8.00 |
| 1991 | 12th | 35.50 |
| 1992 | t25th | 12.00 |
| 1993 | 11th | 34.50 |
| 1994 | 5th | 41.00 |
| 1995 | t22nd | 19.00 |
| 1996 | 9th | 47.00 |
| 1997 | 22nd | 23.50 |
| 1998 | 12th | 39.50 |
| 1999 | t13th | 39.00 |
Individual Records at Big Ten Championships
| Wrestler | Wgt. | Record (Years-Place) |
| Joe Warren | 126, 133 | 5-4 (1998, '99) |
| Damion Logan | 141 | 4-2 (1999-7th) |
| Andy Hrovat | 184 | 3-3 (1999-8th) |
| Matt Brink | Hwt | 0-2 (1999) |
All-Time NCAA Top-10 Team Finishes
| 1. | Oklahoma State | 68 |
| 2. | Iowa State | 55 |
| 3. | Oklahoma | 53 |
| 4. | Iowa | 47 |
| 5. | Penn State | 38 |
| 6. | MICHIGAN | 35 |
| 7. | Lehigh | 32 |
| 8. | Michigan State | 24 |
| 9. | Minnesota | 22 |
| 10. | Northern Iowa | 18 |
Michigan's NCAA Qualifiers
125 Pounds: A.J. Grant, the only true freshman starter for Michigan, comes into the NCAA Championships after winning three of his last four matches to place fifth at the Big Ten tournament. His overall record is 17-21, with 20 of these matches against NCAA qualifiers.
The young grappler is 4-16 against foes in this year's nationals, but has had strong showings in tournaments this season -- 5-2 at Cliff Keen Invitational (Dec. 5), 2-2 at Midlands Championship (Dec. 30) and 3-2 at Big Ten Championships (March 5).
Grant's Record vs. Qualifiers (4-16)
| Kore Sharpley, Ohio State | 1-2 |
| Chris Williams, Michigan State | 2-2 |
| K.C. Rock, Boise State | 0-1 |
| Jeff Regan, Oklahoma State | 0-1 |
| Skylar Homan, North Carolina | 0-1 |
| Mark Akers, Virginia Tech | 0-1 |
| Bruce Kelly, Lehigh | 0-1 |
| Ryan Escobar, Illinois | 0-1 |
| Jason Silverstein, Purdue | 1-1 |
| Leroy Vega, Minnesota | 0-2 |
| Pat Cassiday, Indiana | 0-1 |
| Jeremy Hunter, Penn State | 0-1 |
| Jody Strittmatter, Iowa | 0-1 |
133 Pounds: Joe Warren is making his third trip to the NCAA Championships and is the 32nd Wolverine to do so. He placed third at the Big Ten meet, where he was a runner-up the two previous seasons. Warren has a 5-4 record at nationals with no All-America honors to his credit.
Warren has been ranked fourth throughout the entire season and has a 9-2 record against NCAA qualifiers. He is one win away from his 100th career triumph, which can be accomplished in St. Louis, as well as 105 if he cashes in on the title.
Warren's Record vs. Qualifiers (9-2)
| Ben Richards, Oregon | 1-0 |
| Rob Loper, Pittsburgh | 1-0 |
| Paris Ruiz, Fresno State | 1-0 |
| Roman Fleszar, Hofstra | 1-0 |
| Eric Juergens, Iowa | 0-1 |
| Brett Lawrence, Minnesota | 1-0 |
| Scott Moore, Penn State | 1-0 |
| Evan Robinson, Purdue | 2-0 |
| Pat McNamara, Michigan State | 0-1 |
| David Stoltz, Illinois | 1-0 |
141 pounds: An All-American last season, Damion Logan looks to improve on his seventh-place finish a year ago. He qualified for nationals by placing third at the Big Ten meet. This is his second NCAA tournament and he would have qualified his redshirt freshman season (1996-97) but sustained a season-ending injury during the 1997 Big Ten quarterfinal match, when he landing on his head and sprained his neck 20 seconds into the bout.
Logan has been an outstanding competitor his entire wrestling career and a major component for the Wolverines. He has 93 career wins to his credit and leads his team this season in overall wins (25) and falls (7), and is second in team points (44), major decisions (6) and dual wins (11).
Logan is a serious contender for the 141 title with his 15-6 record against NCAA qualifiers and a No. 6 ranking by Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat.
Logan's Record vs. Qualifiers (15-6)
| Mike Castillo, Michigan State | 3-0 |
| Ralph Lopez, Fresno State | 1-0 |
| Jamill Kelly, Oklahoma State | 0-1 |
| Jon Archuleta, Cal State-Bakersfield | 1-0 |
| Matt Goldstein, Lehigh | 2-0 |
| Carl Perry, Illinois | 2-1 |
| Nick Flach, Northern Iowa | 1-0 |
| Sean Gray, Virginia Tech | 1-0 |
| Jody Giuricich, Pennsylvania | 1-0 |
| Chris Marshall, Central Michigan | 1-0 |
| Scott Schatzman, Northwestern | 0-2 |
| Michael Lightner, Oklahoma | 0-1 |
| Chad Erikson, Minnesota | 1-1 |
| James Torres, Indiana | 1-0 |
149 pounds: Redshirt freshman Mike Kulczycki is competing in his first NCAA Championships. He qualified by placing third when he defeated sixth-ranked Mike Zadick of Iowa in the consolation final of the Big Ten tournament.
Kulczycki is ranked 12th by Intermat and 15th by AWN. He has been the most consistent of the Maize and Blue's four new starters this season, with a 16-5 record and 8-2 in duals. He suffered a knee injury at the Cliff Keen Invitational (Dec. 5) that sidelined him for six weeks. Upon his return he won eight of 10 dual matches before the Big Ten meet. He holds a 7-5 record against his qualifying foes and has won 11 of his last 14 matches.
Kulczycki's Record vs. Qualifiers (7-5)
| William Smith, West Virginia | 0-1 |
| Joey Calavitta, Fullerton State | 0-1 |
| Jon Gough, Pennsylvania | 1-0 |
| Jeremy Hardman, Central Michigan | 1-0 |
| Adam Tirapelle, Illinois | 0-1 |
| Jared Lawrence, Minnesota | 0-2 |
| Tim Myers, Indiana | 1-0 |
| Brian Roskovich, Ohio State | 1-0 |
| Karl Nadlosky, Michigan State | 2-0 |
| Mike Zadick, Iowa | 1-0 |
174 Pounds: Charles Martelli qualified for the NCAA Championships by placing sixth at the Big Ten meet. The unseeded sophomore could not compete in the Big Ten fifth-place match due to a hamstring injury, but he will be ready for nationals.
Martelli had a 2-8 record before the postseason, but lost five of those matches by only nine points. He won two matches against opponents he lost to earlier in the season at the Big Ten meet to take his record to 4-10, with eight of those matches against national qualifiers. This will be the first appearance at the NCAA tournament for the two-year starter for the Maize and Blue.
Martelli's Record vs. Qualifiers (1-7)
| Rick Springman, Pennsylvania | 0-1 |
| Ryan Cummigham, Central Michigan | 0-1 |
| Mark Bybee, Northwestern | 0-1 |
| Will Hill, Michigan State | 1-1 |
| Ben King, Illinois | 0-2 |
| Delaney Berger, Minnesota | 0-1 |
184 Pounds: A 1999 All-American, Andy Hrovat is heading into his second NCAA tournament coming off a third-place finish at the Big Ten meet. In his second year of competition he has compiled 54 career wins for the Maize and Blue. Hrovat has been the Wolverines go-to guy this season, leading the team in points (59), dual wins (15) and conference wins (7).
With a record of 10-3 against NCAA qualifiers and a No. 8 ranking in both Intermat and AWN, Hrovat will be a major contender for the 184-pound title.
Hrovat's Record vs. Qualifiers (10-3)
| Dax Picaro, North Carolina-Greensboro | 0-1 |
| Ty Matthews, Indiana | 2-0 |
| Kyle Hanson, Northern Iowa | 1-0 |
| Scott Justus, Virginia Tech | 1-0 |
| Rob Rohn, Lehigh | 1-0 |
| Nate Patrick, Illinois | 1-1 |
| Brandon Eggum, Minnesota | 0-1 |
| Jeff Knupp, Penn State | 2-0 |
| Donovan True, Ohio State | 1-0 |
| Tom Ciezki, Northwestern | 1-0 |
Heavyweight: Matt Brink will make his second experience at the NCAA tournament. He qualified by placing fifth at the Big Ten meet.
Brink is ranked 11th by Intermat and 15th by AWN. He was the Wolverines' most consistent grappler, competing in every dual meet and tournament. He was second on the team in overall wins (23), dual wins (11) and falls (5). Brink boasts a 10-9 record against national qualifying opponents.
Brink's Record vs. Qualifiers (10-9)
| Mark Lamb, Michigan State | 2-2 |
| Jason Cooley, Oregon State | 1-1 |
| John Lockhart, Illinois | 0-3 |
| John Testa, Clarion | 1-0 |
| Kellan Fluchiger, Arizona State | 1-0 |
| Paul Hynek, Northern Iowa | 1-0 |
| Shawn Laughlin, Lehigh | 1-0 |
| Bandele Adeniyi-Bada, Penn | 0-1 |
| Jack Leffler, Central Michigan | 1-0 |
| Jake Vercelli, Purdue | 1-0 |
| Brock Lesnar, Minnesota | 0-1 |
| Mark Janus, Penn State | 1-1 |
Michigan Finishes Fifth at Big Ten Championships
Michigan came in fifth at the Big Ten tournament in West Lafayette, Ind., on March 4-5 behind Iowa (139.50), Minnesota (132.50), Illinois (96.50) and Michigan State (87.50). Seven Wolverines placed in the tournament and four boasted third-place showings.
Unseeding 125-pounder A.J. Grant and 174-pounder Charles Martelli qualified for the NCAA meet by placing fifth and sixth , respectively. No. 3 seed Joe Warren, No. 5 Damion Logan, No. 4 Mike Kulczycki and No. 2 Andy Hrovat won their consolation-final matches to come in third. Heavyweight Matt Brink, seeded fourth, placed fifth at the tournament.
Big Ten Final Standings and Tournament Place
| | Team | Big Ten | Overall |
| 1. | Iowa (1) | 8-0-0 | 18-0-0 |
| 2. | Minnesota (2) | 7-1-0 | 14-1-0 |
| | Illinois (3) | 7-1-0 | 17-2-0 |
| 4. | Michigan (5) | 5-2-1 | 12-3-1 |
| 5. | Michigan State (4) | 4-3-1 | 10-5-1 |
| 6. | Wisconsin (T6) | 4-4-0 | 11-5-1 |
| 7. | Penn State (T8) | 3-5-0 | 6-11-0 |
| 8. | Indiana (10) | 2-6-0 | 15-8-0 |
| 9. | Ohio State (T8) | 2-6-0 | 9-9-0 |
| 10. | Northwestern (T6) | 1-7-0 | 6-12-1 |
| 11. | Purdue (11) | 0-8-0 | 8-12-0 |
Warren One Shy 100-Victory Club
Senior Joe Warren picked up his 99th career victory at the Big Ten Championships, putting him one victory away from Michigan's prestigious 100-win club. Earning a victory at nationals will qualify him into the club.
Michigan 100-Win Club
| | Wrestler | Record | Years |
| 1. | John Fisher | 183-21-0 | 1984-88 |
| 2. | Joe McFarland | 166-24-4 | 1980-85 |
| 3. | Jeff Catrabone | 160-27-0 | 1994-98 |
| 4. | Kirk Trost | 139-48-0 | 1981-86 |
| 5. | Joe Pantaleo | 134-32-1 | 1985-89 |
| | Airron Richardson | 134-38-0 | 1995-98 |
| 7. | Mark Churella | 127-13-0 | 1975-79 |
| 8. | Sean Bormet | 125-21-0 | 1990-94 |
| | Scott Rechsteiner | 125-51-2 | 1981-86 |
| 10. | Lanny Green | 120-47-0 | 1989-93 |
| 11. | Joey Gilbert | 117-27-1 | 1989-92 |
| 12. | Fritz Lehrke | 108-43-5 | 1986-91 |
| | Brian Harper | 108-53-2 | 1990-94 |
| 14. | Bill Lacure | 106-38-0 | 1995-98 |
| 15. | Mike Amine | 104-58-4 | 1984-89 |
| 16. | Jesse Rawls Jr. | 103-41-0 | 1992-96 |
| 17. | Joe Warren | 99-32-0 | 1995- |
Michigan Maintains Top 10 Rank All Season Long
The Wolverines started the season off with a No. 7 preseason ranking in the NWCA poll. Despite losing No. 1-ranked 174-pounder Otto Olson midway through the season and a total of 34 total dual meets that starters missed this season, the Maize and Blue held their ground in the polls.
Michigan's Week-By-Week Ranking
| Date | Rank |
| Pre-Season | 7th |
| Dec. 8 | 8th |
| Dec. 15 | 7th |
| Jan. 3 | 7th |
| Jan. 11 | 9th |
| Jan. 17 | 8th |
| Jan. 25 | 8th |
| Jan. 31 | 10th |
| Feb. 7 | 9th |
| Feb. 14 | 7th |
| Feb. 21 | 8th |
| March 1 | 8th |
AWN Final Top 10 (as of March 1)
| | Team | Record | LW |
| 1. | Iowa | 18-0 | 1 |
| 2. | Minnesota | 17-2 | 2 |
| 3. | Iowa State | 19-2 | 3 |
| 4. | Oklahoma | 16-4-1 | 4 |
| 5. | Illinois | 14-1 | 5 |
| 6. | Oklahoma State | 12-5-1 | 6 |
| 7. | Michigan State | 9-4-1 | 7 |
| 8. | Michigan | 12-3-1 | 8 |
| 9. | Northern Iowa | 10-5-2 | 9 |
| 10. | Edinboro | 14-1 | 11 |
Individual Rankings by AWN (as of March 7)
| Wgt. | Wrestler | Rank | LW |
| 133 | Joe Warren | 4th | 4th |
| 141 | Damion Logan | 6th | 7th |
| 149 | Mike Kulczycki | 15th | 15th |
| 184 | Andy Hrovat | 8th | 10th |
| Hwt | Matt Brink | 15th | 15th |
Contact: Jason Binge (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
