Luke Tabbed Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week
12/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- Sophomore/freshman Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS), a member of the University of Michigan wrestling team, was named Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday (Dec. 6) in recognition of his weekend performance at the Cliff Keen Invitational. The honor is the first for Luke in his collegiate career and the first for the Wolverines this season.
| | Luke |
Squaring off against Illinois' top-ranked Alex Tirapelle in the final, Luke outlasted the two-time All-American wrestler through two tiebreakers, winning 3-3 on riding time in the 11-minute bout. After each wrestler collected his escape point in regulation and both tiebreaker rounds, Luke's four additional seconds of riding time advantage proved the difference, earning the Wolverine his first tournament crown of his collegiate career. Luke also posted a 3-2 decision against Cornell's fourth-ranked Dustin Manotti in the semfinals.
Adding to his season-opening win against Penn State's Nathan Galloway, Luke boasts a perfect 7-0 record in his first varsity season. After entering the weekend tournament listed No. 17 nationally, he climbed to No. 5 in the most recent InterMat/NWCA 157-pound rankings.
The Wolverines will kick off the home portion of their 2005-06 slate next weekend when they host Nebraska on Friday (Dec. 9) for a 7 p.m. non-conference dual at Cliff Keen Arena. Two days later, U-M will head to Mount Pleasant, Mich., for its final dual of the calendar year, squaring off against intrastate rival Central Michigan at 2 p.m.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
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