Week #4: Wolverines to Begin New Year at Southern Scuffle
12/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 30, 2014
THIS WEEK
Thu-Fri., Jan. 1-2 -- at Southern Scuffle (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 9 a.m.
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The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team (2-1) will kick off the New Year at the annual Southern Scuffle, slated for Thursday and Friday (Jan. 1-2) at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn. Hosted by the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, tournament action will begin at 9 a.m. each day with finals scheduled for a 7 p.m. on Friday evening.
This year's field at the Southern Scuffle will feature 31 teams, including 12 teams ranked in the most-recent NWCA poll. In addition to the 15th-ranked Maize and Blue, headlining the participating teams are No. 3 Cornell, No. 4 Penn State, No. 8 Oklahoma State, No. 9 Pittsburgh, No. 11 Lehigh, No. 12 Nebraska and No. 13 Iowa State.
Michigan's Projected Starting Lineup
| Wgt. | Name | Year/Elig. | Hometown (High School) |
| 125 | Conor Youtsey | Jr./So. | Parma, Mich. (Mason) |
| 125 | Cory Lester | Jr./So. | St. Louis, Mo. (John Burroughs) |
| 133 | Rossi Bruno | Jr./Jr. | Brandon, Fla. (Brandon) |
| 141 | George Fisher | So./Fr. | St. Charles, Ill. (Marmion Academy) |
| 149 | Alec Pantaleo | Fr./Fr. | Canton, Mich. (Canton) |
| 149 | Angelo Latora | Jr./So. | Portage, Mich. (Central) |
| 157 | Brian Murphy | So./So. | Carol Stream, Ill. (Glenbard North) |
| 157 | Jake Salazar | 5th/Sr. | Midway, Utah (Wasatch) |
| 174 | Jeff Holm | Gr./Sr. | Battle Creek, Mich. (Harper Creek) |
| 184 | Domenic Abounader | So./So. | Gates Mills, Ohio (St. Edward) |
| 184 | Ayoola Olapo | So./Fr. | Menomonee Falls, Wis. (Menomonee Falls) |
| 197 | Max Huntley | 5th/Sr. | Emerald Isle, N.C. (Blair Academy) |
| 197 | Chris Heald | 5th/Sr. | West Bloomfield, Mich. (West Bloomfield) |
| Hwt | Adam Coon | So./So. | Fowlerville, Mich. (Fowlerville) |
WOLVERINE BITES
• Freshman Alec Pantaleo made his debut in the 149-pound national rankings after claiming second place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 5-6), where he posted a 4-1 record with wins over a pair of ranked opponents -- Virginia Tech's Sal Mastriani and Hofstra's Cody Ruggirello. Pantaleo is 10-3 in his rookie season. All three losses have come against top-10 opponents.
• With his runner-up finish at 133 pounds, junior Rossi Bruno earned his best placing in three career appearances at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Bruno also claimed second place in the season-opening Michigan State Open (Nov. 2). He is 9-4 this season.
• Sophomore heavyweight Adam Coon posted a 5-1 record at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, earning three straight falls in the preliminary rounds, en route to third place. He suffered his first loss of the season to Virginia Tech's Ty Walz, 5-3, in the semifinals, but he bounced back with two wrestleback wins, including an 11-4 decision over Ohio State's 11th-ranked Nick Tavanello.
• Sophomore/freshman George Fisher, while wrestling up at weight class at 141 pounds, has posted a 3-3 record in varsity competition this season -- with three matches against nationally ranked opposition. He is 1-2 in those matches, earning a 13-7 decision over Cornell's then-11th-ranked Mark Grey in the opening round of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. He was a match shy of placing in his CKLV debut.
• Four Wolverine wrestlers made their collegiate varsity debut this season. Freshman Alec Pantaleo (149 pounds), Mahomes (174) and sophomore/freshman Ayoola Olapo (184) did so at the EMU Duals, while sophomore/freshman George Fisher (141) bumped up a weight to wrestle against CMU. Mahomes and Olapo both won their debut match.
• Huntley moved back to 197 pounds after dropping down a weight class last season, which was shortened by a season-ending injury at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Huntley was previously a two-time NCAA qualifier at 197 pounds.
• Huntley and Coon were named the Wolverines' team captains for the 2014-15 season. Huntley will retain the leadership role for the second straight year. Coon is just the second sophomore captain in Wolverine program history and the first since Zac Stevens in 2009-10.
U-M Individual Rankings
| Wt. | Wrestler | InterMat | W.I.N. | Flo | TOM |
| 125 | Conor Youtsey | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 133 | Rossi Bruno | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| 141 | Steve Dutton | 5 | 9 | 5 | NR |
| 149 | Alec Pantaleo | 13 | 14 | 16 | 12 |
| 157 | Brian Murphy | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 |
| 165 | Taylor Massa | 10 | 12 | 9 | 7 |
| 174 | Davonte Mahomes | 13 | 11 | 12 | 9 |
| 184 | Domenic Abounader | 16 | 17 | 15 | NR |
| 197 | Max Huntley | 12 | 8 | 11 | 9 |
| Hwt | Adam Coon | 8 | 5 | 8 | 8 |
LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines claimed seventh place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 5-6) behind four placewinners. Junior Rossi Bruno and freshman Alec Pantaleo claimed second place at 133 and 149 pounds, respectively, while sophomore Adam Coon took third at heavyweight, and freshman Davonte Mahomes placed sixth at 174 pounds. Michigan drew scoring performances from nine wrestlers. Five Wolverines finished just one match away from placing. [ Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 ]
UP NEXT
Friday, Jan. 9 -- at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 8 p.m. CST
Players Mentioned
