Dowd Helps Michigan to Perfect Mark at Lonestar Duals

Saturday, January 3

Grand Prairie, Texas

10:00 AM CT

Michigan

Pennsylvania

Dowd Helps Michigan to Perfect Mark at Lonestar Duals

1/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling

Site: Grand Prairie, Texas (Warrior Coliseum)
Event: Lonestar Duals
Scores: #6 Michigan 28, #15 Pennsylvania 16; #6 Michigan 43, Harvard 6;
   #6 Michigan 21, #16 Oklahoma 16
Records: U-M (5-1), Penn (1-1), Harvard (0-2), Oklahoma (5-2)
Next U-M Event: Monday, Jan. 5 -- at Cal State-Fullerton (Orange, Calif.), 7:00 p.m. PST

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team recorded a perfect 3-0 record in its first appearance at the Lone Star Duals on Saturday (Jan. 3), defeating No. 15 Pennsylvania (28-16), Harvard (43-6) and No. 16 Oklahoma (21-16) at South Grand Prairie High School's Warrior Coliseum. Of the 19 teams competing in the college division, Michigan (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) was one of only five schools to win all of its meets.

Four Wolverines posted undefeated marks on the day, including fifth-year senior captain Foley Dowd (Howell, N.J./The Peddie School), who made his season debut in impressive fashion with three dominant wins. Earning a 20-7 major decision against Penn's Shawn Protz and a 22-6 technical fall over Harvard's Bobby Latessa, Dowd recorded a combined 17 takedowns in his first matches in 10 months.

After falling behing early against Pennsylvania in its first meet of the day, U-M won five consecutive bouts to pull away from the Quakers and roll to the 28-16 victory. Junior/sophomore Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and fifth-year senior captain Pat Owen (Polson, Mont./Polson HS) each scored bonus points with big wins at 149 and 165 pounds, respectively. Churella collected his seventh fall of the season, pinning the Quakers' Rob Vanderveer midway through the second period at 4:17, while Owen tallied a total of 10 back points against Rich Ferguson, rolling to a 22-5 technical fall. Freshman Joshua Weitzel (Lincoln University, Pa./Oxford HS) also gave the Wolverines extra points with a 9-0 shutout against Ethan Bullack at 184 pounds. Weitzel collected five back points in the third period to earn the major decision.

Michigan won nine matches against Harvard during its afternoon session, cruising to a 43-6 victory, the most team points scored by U-M in three years. Michigan won its first three bouts of the contest, including freshman Jim Shutich's (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) first varsity win, a fall at the 2:59 mark against the Crimson's Greg Cook in the 125-pound match to put the Wolverines ahead early.

The Crimson collected its only victory of the meet at 149 pounds, where top-ranked Jesse Jantzen earned a fall against Churella at the 3:25. Senior/junior Ryan Bertin (Broadview Heights, Ohio/St. Edward HS) tallied five takedowns and a pair of three-point near falls en route to a 20-3 technical fall over Brandon Kaufman. Harvard sacrificed 18 team points to the Wolverines, forfeiting three consecutive bouts at 165, 174 and 184 pounds before Michigan closed out the contest with a pair of decision victories at the two heaviest weights.

The Wolverines earned their third win of the day in the evening session, defeating Oklahoma 21-16 with wins at six individual weights. The teams swapped wins early in the meet before U-M collected three consecutive victories at 149, 157 and 165 pounds to gain the substanial lead. Churella earned his second fall of the day, pinning 16th-ranked Jeff Eckhoff at 3:54 while Bertin scored nine takedowns en route to a 24-9 technical fall over Charles Jones.

The Sooners won three of the final four matches, all by four points or less, to keep the team score close. Wrestling against 15th-ranked E.K. Waldhuas in his varsity debut at 174 pounds, sophomore/freshman Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS) tied the score at nine points apiece with 14 seconds remaining in the match but could not hold on, giving up an escape in the closing seconds to lose 10-9. Sophomore/freshman Chase Verdoorn (Platte City, Mo./Platte County HS) sealed the victory for Michigan, scoring five takedowns, including a pair in the final frame, for an 11-2 major decision over Austin David at 197 pounds.

The Wolverines will return to the mat on Monday (Jan. 5) at Cal State Fullerton at 7 p.m. PST.

#6 Michigan 28, #15 Pennsylvania 16
(Individual rankings from Amateur Wrestling News)

125 -- #3 Matt Valenti (Penn) pinned Jim Shutich, 4:18	Penn, 6-0
133 -- Foley Dowd (U-M) major dec. Shawn Protz, 20-7	Penn, 6-4
141 -- #16 Clark Forward (U-M) dec. Matt Eveleth, 5-3	U-M, 7-6
149 -- #9 Ryan Churella (U-M) pinned Rob Hitschler, 4:17	U-M, 13-6
157 -- #2 Ryan Bertin (U-M) dec. Brett Vanderveer, 16-11	U-M, 16-6
165 -- #5 Pat Owen (U-M) tech. fall Rich Ferguson, 22-5	U-M, 21-6
174 -- #13 Matt Herrington (Penn) major dec. R.J. Boudro, 11-3	U-M, 21-10
184 -- Joshua Weitzel (U-M) major dec. Ethan Bullack, 9-0	U-M, 25-10
197 -- Chase Verdoorn (U-M) dec. #14 Marcus Schontube, 3-2	U-M, 28-10
Hwt -- #4 Matt Feast (Penn) pinned #6 Greg Wagner, 4:15	U-M, 28-16

#6 Michigan 43, Harvard 6
(Individual rankings from Amateur Wrestling News)

125 -- Jim Shutich (U-M) pinned Greg Cook, 2:59	U-M, 6-0
133 -- Foley Dowd (U-M) tech. fall Bobby Latessa, 22-6	U-M, 11-0
141 -- #16 Clark Forward (U-M) dec. #19 Max Meltzer, 2-1	U-M, 14-0
149 -- #1 Jesse Jantzen (Harvard) pinned #9 Ryan Churella, 4:35	U-M, 14-6
157 -- #2 Ryan Bertin (U-M) tech. fall Brandon Kaufman, 20-3	U-M, 19-6
165 -- #5 Pat Owen (U-M) won by forfeit	U-M, 25-6
174 -- Nick Roy (U-M) won by forfeit	U-M, 31-6
184 -- Joshua Weitzel (U-M) won by forfeit	U-M, 37-6
197 -- Chase Verdoorn (U-M) dec. Reggie Lee, 4-1	U-M, 40-6
Hwt -- #6 Greg Wagner (U-M) dec. Jonas Corl, 7-1	U-M, 43-6

#6 Michigan 21, #16 Oklahoma 16
(Individual rankings from Amateur Wrestling News)

125 -- #6 Sam Hazewinkel (OU) major dec. Jim Shutich, 12-3	OU, 4-0
133 -- Foley Dowd (U-M) dec. Mimi Miller, 6-2	OU, 4-3
141 -- #1 Teyon Ware (OU) dec. #16 Clark Forward, 5-1	OU, 7-3
149 -- #9 Ryan Churella (U-M) pinned #16 Jeff Eckhoff, 3:54	U-M, 9-7
157 -- #2 Ryan Bertin (U-M) tech. fall Charles Jones, 24-9	U-M, 13-7
165 -- #5 Pat Owen (U-M) major dec. Rafael Maturino, 12-2	U-M, 17-7
174 -- #15 E.K. Waldhaus (OU) dec. Nick Roy, 10-9	U-M, 17-10
184 -- Justin Dyer dec. Joshua Weitzel, 7-3	U-M, 17-13
197 -- Chase Verdoorn (U-M) major dec. Austin David, 11-2	U-M, 21-13
Hwt -- #3 Leonce Crump (OU) dec. #6 Greg Wagner, 4-1	U-M, 21-16

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Joe McFarland
On today's dual meets ... "I was really happy and proud of the way the guys competed today. We wrestled hard and agressively, and we really outconditioned our opponents today. I think we won a lot of matches that way. We beat a tough Oklahoma team in our last meet."

On 133-pounder Foley Dowd ... "Foley is a leader on this team, and it was good to have him back in the lineup. I know he's excited to be back on the mat, you could tell by the way he wrestled today. He competed hard and looked really sharp in every match."

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423