Michigan
Maize and Blue Intrasquad
Michigan Determines Starting Lineup at Intrasquad Meet
11/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Event: Maize and Blue Intrasquad
Result: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Nov. 23 -- vs. Central Michigan, 1 p.m.; vs. Lehigh, 5 p.m. (Cliff Keen Arena)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team held its annual Maize/Blue Intrasquad on Sunday (Nov. 16) at Cliff Keen Arena to determine the starting rotation for the 2003-04 season. The winner of a best-of-three finals round at each weight class earned the starting position.
Sophomore/freshman Mark Moos (Lorain, Ohio/St. Edward HS) posted a pair of big wins over freshman Jim Shutich (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) with an 18-2 technical fall and 15-4 major decision to earn the starting job at 125 pounds. After a close 6-3 decision over sophomore/freshman Chase Metcalf (Davison, Mich./Davison HS) in the first finals match at 133 pounds, freshman Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) dominated in the second, scoring eight first-period points en route to a 13-1 major decision.
Fifth-year senior captain Foley Dowd (Howell, N.J./The Peddie School), the returning starter at 133 pounds, earned a 15-5 major decision in an exhibition match against Brad Cusumano (Utica, Mich./Utica HS), who finished third at 141 pounds.
Fifth-year senior Clark Forward (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold HS) retained his starting job by collecting a pair of victories over senior/junior Jeremiah Tobias (Manchester, Mich./Manchester HS) in the 141-pound finals. Forward won the first match 13-8 and came from an early first-period deficit to win 10-5 in the second bout. In the 149-pound finals, junior/sophomore Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) posted an 8-0 major decision over freshman Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS). With one meeting already between the pair -- an 8-0 major decision by Churella at the Eastern Michigan Open -- the victory gave Churella a two-match sweep.
Senior/junior captain Ryan Bertin (Broadview Heights, Ohio/St. Edward HS), the reigning 157-pound NCAA champion, earned back-to-back technical falls over freshman Hassen Berri (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn HS), winning by 19-3 and 20-4 margins to sweep the finals. Fifth-year senior captain Pat Owen (Polson, Mont./Polson HS) scored a pair of first-period falls against freshman Omar Maktabi (Iowa City, Iowa/West HS), pinning the Wolverine freshman at 2:15 and 1:03 to retain his starting job.
Sophomore/freshman Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS) scored two close victories over senior/junior Steve Sentes (Cape Coral, Fla./Fort Meyers HS), winning 6-4 and 10-4 to earn the starting job at 174 pounds. Freshman Joshua Weitzel (Lincoln University, Pa./Oxford HS) scored a 13-5 major decision in his first 184-pound match against senior/junior Steve Heleniak (Galesburg, Mich./Franklin HS) and earned the starting position after receiving a second win by forfeit.
The 197-pound finals slated sophomore/freshman Chase Verdoorn (Platte City, Mo./Platte County HS) against junior/sophomore Willie Breyer (Oxford, Mich./Oxford HS), who started every dual meet last season at 184 pounds. Verdoorn collected a pair of close decisions, winning 8-4 and 5-3, to earn the starting job. Junior/sophomore Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) retained his starting job at heavyweight with 6-1 and 7-1 victories over junior/sophomore Tony Grygorzyk (Grand Rapids, Mich./West Catholic HS).
Michigan will return to the mat on Sunday (Nov. 23) for season-opening duals against Central Michigan and Lehigh at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines will wrestle Central Michigan at 1 p.m. and square off against Lehigh at 5 p.m.
Maize and Blue Intrasquad Results
125 pounds
Preliminary - Mark Moos, bye
Preliminary - Jim Shutich dec. Shaun Newton, 8-2
Finals, Match 1 - Moos tech. fall Shutich, 18-2 (6:50)
Finals, Match 2 - Moos major dec. Shutich, 15-4
Moos wins best-of-three finals 2-0
133 pounds
Preliminary - Chase Metcalf, bye
Preliminary - Josh Churella major dec. Brian Ong, 9-1
Finals, Match 1 - Churella dec. Metcalf, 6-3
Finals, Match 2 - Churella major dec. Metcalf, 13-1
Churella wins best-of-three finals 2-0
141 pounds
Preliminary - Clark Forward tech. fall J.R. Muldoon, 24-8 (6:23)
Preliminary - Jeremiah Tobias pinned Brad Cusumano, 3:56
Finals, Match 1 - Forward dec. Tobias, 13-8
Finals, Match 2 - Forward dec. Tobias, 10-5
Forward wins best-of-three finals 2-0
149 pounds
Preliminary - Ryan Churella, bye
Preliminary - Eric Tannenbaum major dec. Jeff Marsh, 12-3
Finals, Match 1 - Churella major dec. Tannenbaum, 8-0 (EMU Open)
Finals, Match 2 - Churella major dec. Tannenbaum, 8-0
Churella wins best-of-three finals 2-0
157 pounds
Finals, Match 1 - Ryan Bertin tech. fall Hassen Berri, 19-3 (3:24)
Finals, Match 2 - Bertin tech. fall Berri, 20-4 (5:19)
Bertin wins best-of-three finals 2-0
165 pounds
Finals, Match 1 - Pat Owen pinned Omar Maktabi, 2:15
Finals, Match 2 - Owen pinned Maktabi, 1:03
Owen wins best-of-three finals 2-0
174 pounds
Preliminary - Nick Roy, bye
Preliminary - Steve Sentes dec. David Felger, 8-2
Finals, Match 1 - Roy dec. Sentes, 6-4
Finals, Match 2 - Roy dec. Sentes, 10-4
Roy wins best-of-three finals 2-0
184 pounds
Finals, Match 1 - Joshua Weitzel major dec. Steve Heleniak, 13-5
Finals, Match 2 - Weitzel win by forfeit
Weitzel wins best-of-three finals 2-0
197 pounds
Finals, Match 1 - Chase Verdoorn dec. Willie Breyer, 8-4
Finals, Match 2 - Verdoorn dec. Breyer, 5-3
Verdoorn wins best-of-three finals 2-0
Heavyweight
Preliminary - Wagner, bye
Preliminary - Tony Grygorzyk tech. fall Jon Mendis, 15-0 (7:00)
Finals, Match 1 - Wagner dec. Grygorzyk, 6-1
Finals, Match 2 - Wagner dec. Grygorzyk, 7-1
Wagner wins best-of-three finals 2-0
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Joe McFarland
On the freshman starters ... "I have been very impressed by their early-season performances. They have all brought a strong work ethic, and they have been wrestling very hard. Josh Weitzel will be our starter at 184 pounds as a true freshman. He is very competitive, and I think he's going to win a lot of matches. Mark Moos has really come into his own this year. He has the ability to be an outstanding wrestler. Nick Roy did a nice job today. I really like how he made adjustments between his first and second matches. Finally, Chase Verdoorn is a big, strong and tough kid. I like the way he hustles, and I really like the way he wrestles."
On the team's leadership ... "We have three experienced seniors -- Foley Dowd, Clark Forward and Pat Owen -- who are going to do an excellent job as leaders on this squad. I throw Ryan Bertin into that group as well. These guys will be the driving force for our team this season. I also expect a lot of other guys to demonstrate leadership. All of our returning letterwinners know what it takes to succeed at the collegiate level."
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
