2004-05 WRM at NCAA Championships -- Day 3 Notes

ESPN2 will re-air the entire 2005 NCAA Wrestling Championships broadcast on Tuesday, March 22, at 2:30 p.m. EST.

Michigan's second-place performance ties the best U-M finish at the NCAA Championships in program history. The Wolverines claimed runner-up team honors in 1928 and 1929 -- the first two years of the NCAA tournament -- and in 1967 and 1974. It also marks the Wolverines' first top-five NCAA finish in 11 years.

Michigan's runner-up showing gives the Wolverines five straight top-10 national finishes under head coach Joe McFarland (fourth from left).

The Wolverines' runner-up finish was also the best national performance by a University of Michigan team since field hockey captured the NCAA title in 2001. It was the best showing by a U-M men's team in five seasons, dating back to men's gymnastics second-place finish in 2000.

Behind seven wrestlers contributing points to the Wolverines' second-place effort, U-M boasted its greatest three-day point total in program history with 83. Prior to this season, the Wolverines' previous mark was 67 points from the 1974 runner-up effort.

In just his sixth year as head coach, Joe McFarland has led the Wolverines to five consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships -- the most successful U-M stretch at the national tournament since eight straight top-10 performances from 1963-70.

Fifth-year senior Ryan Bertin captured the 19th NCAA individual crown in U-M school history. He is fifth Wolverine wrestler to capture multiple titles, joining Snip Nalan (130 pounds, 1953-54), David Porter (Hwt, 1966 and '68) and Jarrett Hubbard (150, 1973-74) with two. Mark Churella leads all U-M wrestlers with three NCAA titles, winning the 150-pound trophy in 1977 and '78 before moving up to win at 167 pounds in 1979.

Michigan's five NCAA All-Americans match the second-largest contigent in U-M program history, a mark the Wolverines' have achieved on six previous occasions, most recently in 2001. The Maize and Blue boasted six All-Americans in 1965 with Robert Fehrs (123), Bill Johannesen (137), Lee Dietrick (147), Chris Stowell (177), Robert Spaly (191) and Mike Koehler (Hwt).

Head coach Joe McFarland has now coached 13 different Wolverines to 24 NCAA All-America citations during his six-year tenure at Michigan.

Michigan's three returning NCAA All-Americans -- Ryan Bertin, Ryan Churella and Greg Wagner -- all repeated the distinction in 2005.

With sophomores/freshmen Eric Tannenbaum and Josh Churella each earning NCAA All-America honors, it marks the first time that the Wolverines have boasted a pair of freshman All-Americans in the same year. Only five U-M wrestlers garnered such distinction in their rookie season; all five went on to be four-time All-Americans.

Fifth-year senior Ryan Bertin is just the fifth Wolverine to earn four career NCAA All-America citations, joining Jarrett Hubbard (1971-74), Mark Churella (1976-79), Joe McFarland (1981-85) and John Fisher (1985-89).

Bertin's victory marked the fourth time in five years that a Big Ten wrestler claimed the NCAA 157-pound title.

Bertin is also the third wrestler to capture two NCAA 157-pound titles, joining Northern Iowa's Bill Weick (1952, '55) and Oklahoma State's Dick Beattie (1958-59).

Wrapping up his rookie campaign with a 36-5 record, sophomore/freshman Eric Tannenbaum claimed sole possession of the third spot on Michigan's freshman wins list, using his win in the consolation semifinals to pass Mark Churella (35-7, 1975-76) and Doug Wyland (35-14, 1985-86).

There was not one senior among the eight NCAA All-Americans at 141 pounds. The group consisted of three junior, three sophomores and two freshmen; the latter category included Wolverine Josh Churella and Oklahoma State's Daniel Frishkorn.

After placing third at the Big Ten Conference Championships two weeks ago, U-M earned the highest finish of any Big Ten team at the 2005 NCAA Championships. The last time Michigan was the highest-placing Big Ten team was 1989 when the Wolverines claimed fifth place. The conference boasted a strong showing at the 2005 national meet with five teams placing among the top nine.

Based upon natives of the state, Michigan produced the second-most All-Americans at the 2005 NCAA Championships with eight, trailing only Pennsylvania (12). In addition to Michigan's Churella brothers, representatives from the Wolverine State include MSU's Nick (fourth, 125) and Andy (sixth, 141) Simmons, Central Michigan's Mitch Hancock (seventh, 174), Wynn Michalak (sixth, 197) and Bill Stouffer (eighth, Hwt) and Indiana's Pat DeGain (third, Hwt).

University of Michigan Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Ryan Bertin

Ryan Churella

Eric Tannenbaum

Greg Wagner

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