Michigan
Oregon
Michigan Dominates Oregon to Improve to 5-0 on Season
1/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
EUGENE, Ore. -- The fourth-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team battled back from a slow start to maintain its perfect dual meet season with a 30-9 road victory over unranked Oregon on Friday (Jan. 11). The Wolverines won seven of the 10 individual matches in the victory.
Starting at the 141-pound weight class, 12th-ranked Clark Forward (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold HS) returned to the lineup for the Wolverines after missing the previous two dual meets. In his close 5-5 (OT) loss against Oregon's Brian Watson, Forward held a one-point lead through two periods, but the match was sent to overtime when Watson escaped at the 1:51 mark in the third period. The match ended in the second overtime when Watson was able to escape and win the tiebreaker. The win gave Oregon its only lead of the meet. At 149 pounds, eighth-ranked Mike Kulczycki (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward HS) defeated Casey Hunt in a 8-5 decision victory to tie the team score at 3-3.
After recording 12 takedowns in the 157-pound match, fifth-ranked Ryan Bertin (Broadview Heights, Ohio/St. Edward HS) gave the Wolverines a sizeable lead with 26-10 technical fall over Oregon's Michael Badicke, but Oregon was able to pull within two team points with a decision at the 165-pound weight class. Sixth-ranked Eugene Harris narrowly earned the 3-1 victory over Michigan's Charles Martelli (Naperville, Ill./North HS), who is ranked 13th by InterMat, by recording a two-point takedown in the overtime period.
Michigan took a commanding lead with big wins by Otto Olson (Everett, Wash./Everett HS) at 174 pounds, Andy Hrovat (Gates Mills, Ohio/St. Edward HS) at 184 pounds, and Kyle Smith (Butte, Mont./Butte HS) at 197 pounds. Second-ranked Olson earned a fall over Dustin Fisher at the 4:22 mark, and third-ranked Hrovat responded in similar fashion, pinning Elias Soto 2:53 into their match. Seventh-ranked Smith recorded seven takedowns in his match against Oregon's Jake Leair en route to a 17-8 major decision.
At heavyweight, redshirt freshman Steve Heleniak (Franklin, Mass./Franklin HS) moved up a weight class to fill in for All-American Matt Brink (Muskegeon, Mich./Fruitport HS) and faced 17th-ranked Eric Webb. After a scoreless first period and escapes by both wrestlers, Webb was able to record a third-period takedown and earn just over a minute of riding time to take the 4-1 decision.
In the 125-pound match, 12th-ranked A.J. Grant (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS) dominated ninth-ranked Shuan Williams, earning a 13-4 major decision. The All-American recorded four takedowns and a three-point near fall and collected 2:17 in riding time to earn the upset win. At 133 pounds, 10th-ranked Foley Dowd (Howell, N.J./The Peddie School) recorded three takedowns and held Oregon's Martin Mitchell to just three escapes to earn the 9-4 decision.
Michigan will head to Corvallis, Ore., tomorrow (Jan. 12) to face the Beavers of Oregon State at 1 p.m. PST.
#4 Michigan 30, Oregon 9
(Individual rankings from Intermat, 1/9/02)
| 141 -- Brian Watson (Oregon) dec. #12 Clark Forward, 5-5 OT | Oregon, 3-0 |
| 149 -- #8 Mike Kulczycki (U-M) dec. Casey Hunt, 8-5 | Tie, 3-3 |
| 157 -- #5 Ryan Bertin (U-M) tech. fall Michael Badicke, 26-10 | U-M, 7-3 |
| 165 C #6 Eugene Harris (Oregon) dec. #13 Charles Martelli, 3-1 | U-M, 7-6 |
| 174 -- #2 Otto Olson (U-M) pinned Dustin Fisher, 4:22 | U-M, 13-6 |
| 184 -- #3 Andy Hrovat (U-M) pinned Elias Soto, 2:53 | U-M, 19-6 |
| 197 -- #7 Kyle Smith (U-M) major dec. Jake Leair, 17-8 | U-M, 23-6 |
| Hwt C #17 Eric Webb (Oregon) dec. Steve Heleniak, 4-1 | U-M, 23-9 |
| 125 -- #12 A.J. Grant (U-M) major dec. #9 Shaun Williams, 13-4 | U-M, 27-9 |
| 133 -- #10 Foley Dowd (U-M) dec. Martin Mitchell, 9-4 | U-M, 30-9 |
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
