Michigan
Iowa
Wolverines Unable to Complete Comeback at No. 1 Iowa
2/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena)
Score: #1 Iowa 20, #10 Michigan 16
Records: Michigan (15-8, 2-5 Big Ten), Iowa (20-1, 7-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 24 -- vs. Michigan State (Cliff Keen Arena), Noon
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team rallied from an early deficit but could not hold its advantage, falling to No. 1 Iowa, 20-16, on Sunday evening (Feb. 17) in front of 5,099 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It was the third time in as many duals that Michigan split matches evenly and could not hang onto a late lead.
Iowa claimed bonus points in three of the opening four contests to establish a significant team lead early in the dual meet, but the Wolverines responded with a win at 141 pounds and four in a row from 157 to 184 to steal it away and carry a four-point advantage into the final two bouts. The Hawkeyes won both contests.
Freshman Kellen Russell(High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) earned his second straight win over a top-10 opponent and put the Wolverines on the board with a 6-4 decision against seventh-rated Dan LeClere at 141 pounds. Russell, ranked 10th, used an early flurry to score first, countering an Iowa high-crotch attempt by spinning around and dumping LeClere to the mat. The Wolverine added another takedown in the second, coming around to the top off a deep LeClere single leg on the mat before pulling his leg free for two points, butthe Hawkeye wrestler reversed late in the frame with a roll along the edge of the mat. Russell escaped in the closing seconds of the middle frame and fought off a late Iowa single-leg shot in the third to stay in control and post his second win over LeClere this season.
Fifth-year senior Jeff Marsh(Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) claimed a whirlwind match at 157 pounds, defeating the Hawkeyes' 12th-ranked Ryan Morningstar 10-8 on a takedown just 20 seconds into the sudden-victory frame. The Wolverine senior, ranked 20th,took the immediate advantage with a single-leg takedown off the opening whistle. Morningstar responded with a low single of his own midway through the frame, but Marsh finished the period strong, shooting a double lateand finishing with a single on the edge of the mat with just six seconds remaining. The Hawkeye knotted the score with a low single in the second and an escape midway through the third and held riding-time advantage late in the match, requiring Marsh to push the action. The Wolverine did but scored off an Iowa shot, hanging on just long enough before Morningstar scrambled into a reversal to erase the Hawkeye's riding time. Morningstar shot in on a low single immediately in the overtime period, and Marsh scrambled into a defensive control position to earn the call and end the match.
Fifth-year senior Eric Tannenbaum(Naperville, Ill./North HS) scored six takedowns, using a combination of single and double legs, to claim a 13-5 major decision against Jake Kerr at 165 pounds. Tannenbaum converted on two attempts in each period, including an explosive double leg of a restart late in the third period that locked up the bonus point after riding time.
Senior/junior Steve Luke(Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) used a new strategy to claim a 5-3 decision over second-ranked Jay Borschel at 174 pounds. After failing to score on six different single-leg shots in their first meeting at the National Duals (Jan. 12-13), Luke, ranked fourth, used a pair of double legs -- one each in the first and second periods -- to establish early control over the Hawkeye wrestler. Borschel struck deep on several single-leg shots late in the second and third frames -- eliciting a warning call on Luke -- but the Wolverine hung on, didn't give up anything and avenged one of his season losses.
Senior/junior Tyrel Todd(Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) used a high crotch with just 10 seconds remaining in the 184-pound contest to take seventh-ranked Phil Keddy to the mat and claim a 3-1 decision. Both wrestlers had opportunities to score throughout the match, including twice in the third period. Todd sprawled well to successfully defend a pair of deep Keddy single-leg shots in the period and, despite gaining good position both times, could not break the Hawkeyes' lock around his leg. Todd's victory gave the Wolverines a four-point lead on the team scoreboard with two matches remaining.
The Wolverines had an opportunity to seal the victory with a win in the 197-pound contest, and sophomore/freshman Anthony Biondo(Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) held a narrow one-point lead over Chad Beatty late in the bout. But the Hawkeye wrestler struck deep on a single leg, lifted it high and finished with just one second remaining on the clock to win 2-1. The Iowa victory narrowed the Wolverines' team lead to one point, and the Hawkeyes' seventh-ranked heavyweight Matt Fields claimed a 20-5 technical fall in the subsequent match to ice it.
The Wolverines will conclude the dual-meet portion of their season next Sunday (Feb. 24) against intrastate rival Michigan State. The meet is slated for a noon start at Cliff Keen Arena and will be televised live by the Big Ten Network.
#1 Iowa 20, #10 Michigan 16
(Individual rankings from NWCA/InterMat)
| 125 -- #3 Charlie Flack (Iowa)major dec. Michael Watts, 15-3 | Iowa, 4-0 |
| 133 -- #3 Joe Slaton (Iowa) major dec. Chris Diehl, 14-4 | Iowa, 8-0 |
| 141 -- #10 Kellen Russell (U-M) dec. #7 Dan LeClere, 6-4 | Iowa, 8-3 |
| 149 --#1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) tech. fall Justin Chrzanowski, 25-8 | Iowa, 12-3 |
| 157 -- #20Jeff Marsh (U-M) dec. #12 Ryan Morningstar, 10-8 SV | Iowa, 12-6 |
| 165 -- #3 Eric Tannenbaum (U-M) major dec. Jake Kerr, 13-5 | Iowa, 12-10 |
| 174 -- #4 Steve Luke (U-M) dec. #2 Jay Borschel, 5-3 | U-M, 13-12 |
| 184 -- #3 Tyrel Todd (U-M) dec. #7 Phil Keddy, 3-1 | U-M, 16-12 |
| 197 -- Chad Beatty (Iowa)dec. #14Anthony Biondo, 2-1 | U-M, 16-15 |
| Hwt -- #7 Matt Fields (Iowa)tech. fallChad Bleske, 20-5 | Iowa, 20-16 |
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
