Michigan
Minnesota
Johnson, Biondo Earn Decisions in Loss to No. 5 Minnesota
1/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 23, 2010
• Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery 
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #5 Minnesota 30, Michigan 6
Records: U-M (4-9, 0-2 Big Ten), Minnesota (7-4, 2-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 29 -- vs. Michigan State (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan wrestling team dropped its second straight dual to a Big Ten opponent ranked in the top five nationally, falling to No. 5 Minnesota, 30-6, on Saturday evening (Jan. 23) in front of 661 fans at Cliff Keen Arena.
Junior/sophomore Dave Johnson (Jenison, Mich./Jenison HS) and senior/junior captain Anthony Biondo (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) claimed individual victories at 157 and 197 pounds, respectively, for the Wolverines.
Johnson won a wild one at 157 pounds, using an extended scramble in overtime to rally back past Joe Grygelko, 6-4. The Gopher wrestler struck on a pair of single legs in the opening period and, after a Johnson escape in the second, started the third period up by one and in the bottom position. Johnson rode out the entirety of the period as Grygelko got hit with a pair of stalling calls to knot up the score at four apiece through regulation. Johnson shot in on a double early in the extra frame, and the wrestlers scrambled on the edge for nearly 40 seconds before the Wolverine came around to settle on top with seven seconds remaining on the clock.
Biondo picked up his second win over 16th-ranked Sonny Yohn this season, gaining an early lead and holding on to knock off the Gopher wrestler, 5-2. Biondo, ranked ninth nationally, struck on a single leg late in the first period and earned an immediate reversal in the second, grabbing a leg and stepping over. He rode long enough to gain 1:04 time advantage in the third and withstood a couple late flurries to claim his 25th win of the season.
The Gophers claimed the first four matches at the lowerweights, earning bonus points from their nationally-ranked wrestlers at 125, 133 and 149 pounds. Where they did not field a ranked wrestler, the Gophers claimed a toss-up match at 133 pounds as Thane Antczak took advantage of an early five-point move to get past sophomore captain Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS), 11-5. Stevens initiated an early scramble, but Antczak scored out of it, locking up a cradle to drive the Wolverine to his back. Stevens fought off the position for more than a minute before bellying out and, despite cutting the gap quickly with an escape and subsequent takedown, he was unable to recover. Antczak converted on a pair of takedowns in the third period to ice it.
Sophomore/freshman Hunter Collins (Gilroy, Calif./Gilroy HS) also lost a heartbreaker, at 184 pounds, falling 6-5 on a last-second takedown by the Gophers' Kaleb Young. Collins had rallied back from an early deficit, securing a reversal midway through the first and following with late double leg to ride off Young's riding-time advantage. The wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third to preserve Collins' one-point lead, and the Wolverine stayed on the attack, initiating a couple late scrambles. It was Young who benefitted though, settling on top to secure the winning takedown with one second left on the clock.
Michigan will wrap up its three-match homestand next Friday (Jan. 29), squaring off against intrastate rival Michigan State at 7 p.m. at Cliff Keen Arena.
#5 Minnesota 30, Michigan 6
Individual Rankings by InterMat
| Match | Score |
| 125 -- #6 Zach Sanders (Minn) major dec. Sean Boyle, 14-5 | Minn, 4-0 |
| 133 -- Thane Antczak (Minn) dec. Zac Stevens, 11-5 | Minn, 7-0 |
| 141 -- #6 Mike Thorn (Minn) major dec. Mark Weber, 13-5 | Minn, 11-0 |
| 149 -- #18 Mario Mason (Minn) pinned Mark Boyer, 3:43 | Minn, 17-0 |
| 157 -- Dave Johnson (U-M) dec. Joe Grygelko, 6-4 SV | Minn, 17-3 |
| 165 -- Cody Yohn (Minn) dec. Aaron Hynes, 6-0 | Minn, 20-3 |
| 174 -- #8 Scott Glasser (Minn) dec. Justin Zeerip, 5-2 | Minn, 23-3 |
| 184 -- Kaleb Young (Minn) dec. Hunter Collins, 6-5 | Minn, 26-3 |
| 197 -- #9 Anthony Biondo (U-M) dec. #16 Sonny Yohn, 5-2 | Minn, 26-6 |
| Hwt -- Ben Berhow (Minn) major dec. Ben Apland, 14-5 | Minn, 30-6 |
N O T E S
• With the tonight's loss, Michigan falls to 29-27-2 in the all-time series against the Gophers, dating back to 1944.
• Michigan senior/junior captain Anthony Biondo is now 3-0 all-time against Minnesota, defeating Sonny Yohn in two of those three contests. Both of Biondo's wins over Yohn have come by a 5-2 score.
• Junior/sophomore Dave Johnson picked up his first victory against a Big Ten opponent with his 6-4 sudden-victory win at 157 pounds.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Joe McFarland
On what Michigan needs to work on ... "We're talking a lot about getting back to our style of wrestling, which is an aggressive style. It's getting the first shot off and being the first one back to the center. I'm trying to get our guys to understand the style that wins. We're a work in progress right now. We knew that it was going to be a bit of a rebuilding year for us, but they need to understand the style that wins. That's what I'm frustrated about right now. Our guys are still tentative out there, and that's frustrating. It's tough to talk about it over and over and over again, and they're still not listening and applying the concepts. But we're going to continue talking about it and jamming it home, and we'll see what we can come up with this week. Some of it is confidence, and you've got to have that confidence. But you've got to know what wins first. We've got to understand the style that's going to get your hand raised -- that's moving forward and being aggressive -- and some of our guys were still on their heels."
On senior/junior Anthony Biondo battling back after last night's loss ... "Sometimes you've got to put those behind you and just focus on getting the next win. I thought he came out and stayed on the offensive. He wrestled better tonight, which was nice to see."
U-M Junior/sophomore Dave Johnson
On his overtime win ... "It was overtime, so we're obviously both tired. I wanted to get in on his legs before he could get in on mine, because it's usually the aggressor in overtime that's the winner. I guess in the end it was an advantage that [my shoe] came off, and I got the takedown. But it's not something you plan for; I didn't untie my shoe. It just happened, but I guess I'm happy it did. It gave me the win. It's a position we get in every day in practice, and my shoe doesn't come off usually. So, I don't know if he was grabbing it tight or what caused it."
On the Michigan team ... "We need to be more offensive all around. Everyone out there is young, and we just weren't offensive. But we have it in ourselves to be more offensive. We need to get more experience. It was a tough weekend for us, but hopefully we're able to bounce back next weekend against Michigan State."
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
