Wolverines Unable to Complete Comeback at No. 9 CMU

Sunday, January 20

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

2:00 PM

Michigan

Central Michigan

1/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling

Site: Mount Pleasant, Mich. (Rose Arena)
Score: #9 Central Michigan 21, #4 Michigan 13
Records: U-M (13-3), Central Michigan (9-2)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 25 -- vs. Purdue (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Despite rallying with three straight wins at the middleweights, the No. 4-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team could not complete its comeback against No. 9 Central Michigan, falling 21-13 Sunday afternoon (Jan. 20) in Rose Arena. The Wolverines gained a narrow two-point advantage at the dual's midway point, but CMU claimed four of the final five matches, including upsets at 165 and 174 pounds.

With the Wolverines trailing by eight points after the opening two weights, freshman Kellen Russell(High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) keyed Michigan's rally with a 3-0 decision over CMU's 12th-ranked Eric Kruger at 141 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Russell, ranked third, rode out the Chippewa wrestler for the entirety of the second and added a takedown in the third, countering a Kruger shot to spin around and score. Kruger took his second injury timeout of the match late in the final period, allowing Russell his choice. The Wolverine, however, could not escape from bottom as Kruger rode out the remainder of the match and erased the Wolverine's riding time advantage.

Fifth-year senior Josh Churella(Northville, Mich./Novi HS) earned Michigan an important bonus point at 149 pounds, using riding time and a third-period surge to claim a 14-6 major decision over Nathaniel Holt. After scoring on single legs in the first and second frames, Churella, ranked eighth, converted on a pair of doubles in the third to pad his lead. With the major in sight, Churella cut Holt loose and finished on his fifth and final takedown with just seven seconds remaining in the bout to win 14-6 after riding time.

The Wolverines earned a must-win at 157 pounds as fifth-year senior Jeff Marsh(Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) gave U-M its firstlead of the dual, but CMU picked up a pair of upsets in the following two bouts to stay ahead in the team scoring. Marsh rallied back from a second-period single leg by Tyler Grayson, earning an escape soon after to knot up the score at 2-2. The Wolverine wrestler remained on top for the final two minutes of the match, building up 1:14 in riding time, which he used to make the difference and win 3-2.

Fifth-year senior Eric Tannenbaum(Naperville, Ill./North HS) and senior/junior Steve Luke(Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) both suffered their second loss in as many weeks, falling to 11th-ranked Trevor Stewart and seventh-ranked Brandon Sinnott at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. Tannenbaum, ranked second, earned an early lead against Stewart, scoring on a single leg just seconds into the first period. The Chippewa wrestler, however, rode out Tannenbaum in the second and finished on a controversial takedown midway through the third to eke out a 5-3 decision. Luke's contest against Sinnott went a full 11 minutes, and the Chippewa wrestler used his nine seconds of riding time at the end of the second tiebreaker to prove the difference in a 4-4 match.

Senior/junior Tyrel Todd(Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) earned the Wolverines' final individual victory of the afternoon, controlling the 184-pound contest from start to finish to defeat fourth-ranked Christian Sinnott 6-4. After a scoreless first period, Todd, ranked second, quickly earned his escape point in the second and immediately shot in -- and scored -- on a single leg after squaring off. The Wolverine wrestler scrambled out of a deep single-leg shot in the third period to gain an advantage position on top and seal up a 6-4 victory.

Central Michigan closed the dual meet with back-to-back wins at 197 pounds and heavyweight.

The Wolverines will open the Big Ten Conference portion of their 2007-08 schedule next weekend with a pair of home contests. Michigan will face Purdue on Friday (Jan. 25) before wrapping up the weekend the following night (Saturday, Jan. 26) against Minnesota. Both duals are slated for 7 p.m. starts at Cliff Keen Arena.

#9 Central Michigan 21, #4 Michigan 13
(Individual rankings from NWCA/InterMat)

125 -- #14 Luke Smith (CMU) tech. fall Jason Lara, 18-3	CMU, 5-0
133 -- Connor Beebe (CMU) dec. Chris Diehl, 5-2	CMU, 8-0
141 -- #3 Kellen Russell (U-M) dec. #12 Eric Kruger, 3-0	CMU, 8-3
149 -- #7 Josh Churella (U-M) major dec. Nathaniel Hold, 14-6	CMU, 8-7
157 -- Jeff Marsh (U-M) dec. Tyler Grayson, 3-2	U-M, 10-8
165 -- #11 Trevor Stewart (CMU) dec. #2 Eric Tannenbaum, 5-3	CMU, 11-10
174 -- #7 Brandon Sinnott (CMU) dec. #4 Steve Luke, 4-4 TB2	CMU, 14-10
184 -- #2 Tyrel Todd (U-M) dec. #4 Christian Sinnott, 5-4	CMU, 14-13
197 -- #5 Wynn Michalak (CMU) major dec. #18 Anthony Biondo, 9-1	CMU, 18-13
Hwt -- #8 Bubba Gritter (CMU) dec. Eddie Phillips, 6-1	CMU, 21-13