Michigan
NCAA Championships
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Four Wolverines Advances to Quarterfinals at NCAAs
3/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Site: St. Louis, Mo. (Scottrade Center)
Event: NCAA Championships (Day 1)
U-M Standing: 13th Place of 74 Teams (15 Points) After Day 1
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., March 21-22 -- at NCAA Championships (St. Louis, Mo.)
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team advanced four individuals into the quarterfinal round at the 2008 NCAA Championships on Thursday (March 21) at the Scottrade Center. With another wrestler still alive in the wrestlebacks, the Wolverines sit in 15th place with 15 points after the first day of competition. Iowa leads the team race with 29.5 points.
Freshman Kellen Russell(High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy), fifth-year seniors Josh Churella(Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Eric Tannenbaum(Naperville, Ill./North HS) and senior/junior Steve Luke(Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) all registered perfect first-day records to advance to the quarterfinals, combining for a 9-0 tally. It will be the fourth straight quarterfinal appearance for the senior captains and the first for Russell and Luke. All four claimed a bonus point for the Wolverine with a major decision in either the first or second round.
Russell, seeded third at 141 pounds, cruised to an 11-2 major decision over Boise State's Levi Jones in the evening session, using a pair of takedown and a three-point near fall in the first period to control the match from start to finish. After his second takedown -- a low single midway through the third frame -- the Wolverine rookie rode out the remainder of the contest to seal up the major decision. Despite a narrower score, he was equally dominant in a 5-0 shutout win over Penn's Richard Rappo in the first round. After a scoreless first period, Russell rode out the entirety of the second before adding an immediate reversal in the third and a pair near-fall points when he returned the Quaker wrestler directly to his back.
Churella, seeded fifth at 149 pounds and the only Wolverine with a pigtail match, posted a 3-0 record to initiate his trek back to the NCAA finals. He controlled the action throughout his second-round match against Cal State Fullerton's 12th-seeded Morgan Atkinson, scoring takedowns in the first and second periods en route to a 5-1 decision and his third win of the season over the Titan wrestler. Churella also boasted impressive and lopsided victories in the morning session, defeating North Dakota State's Ryan Adams (11-2) and Lehigh's Trevor Chinn (8-2). In his most dominant performance of the day -- in the first round vs. Adams -- the Wolverine captain scored four takedowns, including two in the second period, and accumulated 4:46 in riding time to claim the major decision.
Tannenbaum, the No. 1 seed at 165 pounds, used riding time to earn an extra point in his second-round match, defeating Liberty's Chad Porter 10-2. The U-M captain registered four takedowns -- two in the first period -- and, after finishing on an inside trip midway through the third, rode out the remainder of the match to accumulate 4:02 in time advantage. Tannenbaum eked out a first-round win with a 5-3 decision over Pittsburgh's Ethan Headlee in the morning session after building up an early lead with two first-period takedowns and, despite getting ridden for much of the second and third frames, holding on for the win.
Luke, seeded second at 174 pounds, claimed a pair of day-one victories, including a first-round major decision, to move into the quarterfinals. After failing to convert on an early fireman's carry and single-leg shot against Stanford's Luke Feist in the evening session, Luke used a double leg late in the first to claim the first advantage. Luke added another takedown in the second to earn a 5-2 decision. The Wolverine junior dominated his first-round bout against Binghamton's Joshua Patterson, scoring three takedowns and using a suck-back for three back points in the first period to win 11-3 after riding time.
Senior/junior Tyrel Todd(Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS), seeded third at 184 pounds, was knocked into the consolation bracket after suffering a 7-5 loss to Nebraska's Vince Jones. Todd converted on a pair of first-period takedowns and held a two-point lead entering the final period, but after giving up an early escape, he was taken down midway through the frame and ridden out as Jones added to his 2:05 time advantage. Todd claimed a 4-0 shutout victory in the first round over West Virginia's Kurt Brenner. The Wolverine captain scored on a high crotch early in the second period and built up 3:17 in riding time.
Fifth-year senior Jeff Marsh(Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) was eliminated from the competition after suffering his second loss of the tournament in the evening wrestleback round. Marsh hung close with Northern Iowa's Tyson Reiner throughout the match as the wrestlers traded quality shots back and forth. Reiner scored on two attempts in the second period to claim a 5-2 decision.
The Wolverines will return for the NCAA Championships third session at 10 a.m. CDT Friday (March 21) at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. The morning session will feature quarterfinal matches and continued wrestleback competition.
Top Teams (After Day 1)
1. Iowa 29.5 2. Nebraska 26.5 3. Iowa State 25 4. Central Michigan 24 Minnesota 24 6. Missouri 23 Oklahoma State 23 8. Ohio State 22 9. Cornell 17.5 Penn State 17.5 11. Wisconsin 17 12. Northwestern 15.5 13. MICHIGAN 15 14. Boise State 14 Hofstra 14
Michigan Results (Day 1)
Numbers listed are tournament seedings
141 pounds -- #3 Kellen Russell
First Round - dec. Richard Rappo (Penn), 5-0
Second Round - major dec. Levi Jones (Boise State), 11-2
Quarterfinals - vs. #6 J Jaggers (Ohio State)
149 pounds -- #5 Josh Churella
Pigtail Round - dec. Trevor Chinn (Lehigh), 8-2
First Round - major dec. Ryan Adams (North Dakota State), 11-2
Second Round - dec. #12 Morgan Atkinson (Cal State Fullerton), 5-1
Quarterfinals - vs. #4 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska)
157 pounds -- Jeff Marsh
First Round - major dec. by #12 Josh Zupancic (Stanford), 13-4
Consolations - dec. by Tyson Reiner (Northern Iowa), 5-2
Eliminated with an 0-2 record
165 pounds -- #1 Eric Tannenbaum
First Round - dec. Ethan Headlee (Pittsburgh), 5-3
Second Round - major dec. Chad Porter (Liberty), 11-3
Quarterfinals - vs. #8 Moza Fay (Northern Iowa)
174 pounds -- #2 Steve Luke
First Round - major dec. Joshusa Patterson (Binghamton), 11-3
Second Round - dec. Luke Feist (Stanford), 5-2
Quarterfinals - vs. #7 Matt Stolpinski (Navy)
184 pounds -- #3 Tyrel Todd
First Round - dec. Kurt Brenner (West Virginia), 4-0
Second Round - dec. by Vince Jones (Nebraska), 7-5
Consolations - vs. #9 Brent Chriswell (Arizona State)
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
