Michigan
Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
Bruno, Pantaleo, Coon Advance to Semifinals at Cliff Keen Invite
12/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 6, 2014
Site: Las Vegas, Nev. (Las Vegas Convention Center)
Event: Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Day 1 of 2)
U-M Team Standing: 4th Place of 37 Teams (60.5 points) after Day 1
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational - Day 2 (Las Vegas, Nev.), 9 a.m. PST
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- With three individuals advancing into the championship semifinals, the No. 16-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team holds the fourth spot (60.5 points) after the first day of competition at the 33rd annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Friday (Dec. 5) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. In addition to the semifinalists, six Wolverines are still alive in the consolation bracket.
Junior Rossi Bruno, seeded third at 133 pounds, posted a 3-0 mark to advance to his first CKLV Invitational semifinal. Bruno earned a 5-2 decision over Oregon State's Jack Hathaway in the quarterfinal round, rallying from an early deficit to score a first-period takedown and accumulated 1:18 in riding-time advantage. Bruno earned a bonus point in his second-round match against the Citadel's Aaron Hansen, hitting a five-point cement mixer in the first round before adding a takedown and 1:07 riding time for a 10-2 major decision. Bruno improved to 8-2 on the season.
Freshman Alec Pantaleo, unseeded at 149 pounds, knocked off a pair of seeded opponents to advance to the semifinals in his CKLV Invitational debut. Pantaleo cruised past Bucknell's seventh-seeded Victor Lopez, 6-2, in the quarterfinals earning two first-period takedowns before adding a penalty point and escape in the third.
Pantaleo's most notable win, however, came in the second round when he dominated Virginia Tech's second-seeded -- and ninth-ranked -- Sal Mastriani, 10-3. The Wolverine rookie, who improved to 9-2 on the season, scored four takedowns, including two in the first period, and rode for 1:16 against Mastriani.
Sophomore Adam Coon, seeded second at heavyweight, made little work of his first-day opposition, earning three falls in just a combined 9:13. Coon, the defending CKLV Invitational heavyweight champion, used hip tosses to secure back-to-back pins in the preliminary round before sticking Nebraska's seventh-seeded Collin Jensen with an arm bar at the 1:56 mark in the quarterfinal round. Coon improved to 10-0 on the season and owns four pins.
Michigan had seven total quarterfinalists in the evening session but hit a tough stretch of four straight losses -- three essentially by one point and another in overtime. Sophomore Brian Murphy and junior/sophomore Taylor Massa, seeded fifth at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively, lost to the fourth-seeded wrestlers at their weight classes. Both were winning late before giving up takedowns in the final 15 seconds.
Freshman Davonte Mahomes, seeded eighth at 174 pounds, took Minnesota's top-seeded -- and top-ranked -- Logan Storley into overtime in his quarterfinal match before giving up a single-leg takedown to lose, 3-1. Mahomes had neutralized several Storley attacks during regulation. It was the first loss of his collegiate career; he is now 11-1 on the season.
Mahomes posted a 3-1 record on the day, including a sudden-victory win of his own in the second round, where he finished on an early overtime double leg to beat Rutgers' Phillip Bakuckas, 3-1.
Sophomore Domenic Abounader, seeded fifth at 184 pounds, also fell just shy in the quarterfinals, falling to Oregon State's fourth-seeded Taylor Meeks, 4-3 on riding time. The wrestlers traded reversals and escapes in the second and third period, but Meeks' 1:22 in time advantage made the difference. Like Mahomes, it was Abounader's first loss this season; he is 3-1. He opened the day with his second collegiate technical fall, scoring two takedowns and 12 back points to defeat Western Wyoming's Adrian Mack, 16-0, in just 3:43.
Two additional Wolverines are still alive in the consolation brackets after bouncing back from second-round losses. Junior/sophomore Conor Youtsey, unseeded at 125 pounds, picked up his best win of the day in the evening wrestlebacks, using a second-period takedown to defeat Amercan's fifth-seeded -- and eighth-ranked -- David Terao, 3-2. Youtsey opened the day with a first-period fall against CSU Bakersfield's Sergio Mendez -- on a head scoop and 2:05.
Sophomore/freshman George Fisher, unseeded and wrestling up a weight class at 141 pounds, kicked off the tournament with a 13-7 upset victory over Cornell's sixth-seeded -- and 11th-ranked -- Mark Grey. With the score tied early in the third period, Fisher countered a throw attempt to put Grey on his back for four points. He added another takedown on the edge and, after giving up one of his own, countered another throw attempt to score late. He rode the Big Red wrestler for 2:56. Fisher ended the day with another solid win, scoring three takedowns and a reversal en route to a 10-4 decision over Columbia's Jacob Macalolooy in the wrestlebacks.
Michigan will return to action tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 6) for the second and final day of competition at the 2014 Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev. U-M will hit the mat at 9 a.m. PST for the semifinals and continued wrestleback rounds, while the championships finals are slated for a 3 p.m. start. All matches will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Top 10 Teams (After Day 1)
1. Minnesota 85.5 2. Iowa State 65 3. Cornell 61 4. MICHIGAN 60.5 5. Ohio State 57.5 Virginia Tech 57.5 7. Nebraska 54.5 8. Virginia 50.5 9. North Carolina State 4510. Rutgers 44
Michigan Results (Day 1)
125 Pounds -- Conor Youtsey
First Round - pinned Sergio Mendez (CSU Bakersfield), 2:05
Second Round - dec. by #4 Josh Martinez (Air Force), 7-6
Consolations - dec. William Watterson (Brown), 4-1
Consolations - dec. #5 David Terao (American), 3-2
Consolations - vs . #6 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State)
133 Pounds -- #3 Rossi Bruno
First Round - dec. Godwin Nyama (Grand Canyon), 3-1
Second Round - major dec. Aaron Hansen (Citadel), 10-2
Quarterfinals - dec. Jack Hathaway (Oregon State), 5-2
Semifinals - vs. #10 Daniel DeShazer (Nebraska Kearney)
141 Pounds -- George Fisher
First Round - dec. #6 Mark Grey (Cornell), 13-7
Second Round - dec. by #12 Mitchell Bengston (North Dakota State), 3-0
Consolations - dec. Devin Reynolds (Oregon State), 9-5
Consolations - dec. Jacob Macalolooy (Columbia), 10-4
Consolations - vs. #4 Joseph Spisak (Virgnia)
149 Pounds -- Alec Pantaleo
First Round - dec. Nick Stager (Harvard), 11-4
Second Round - dec. #2 Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech), 10-3
Quarterfinals - dec. #7 Victor Lopez (Bucknell), 6-2
Semifinals - vs. #3 Cody Ruggirello (Hofstra)
157 Pounds -- #4 Brian Murphy
Pigtail - dec. Jarrett Jensen (Northern Iowa), 3-2
First Round - dec. Jahlani Callender (Hofstra), 4-1
Second Round - dec. Luke Blanton (Indiana), 8-7
Quarterfinals - dec. by #5 Russell Parsons (Army), 4-3
Consolations - vs. Steven Hernandez (Boise State)
165 Pounds -- #4 Taylor Massa
First Round - major dec. Casey Larson (Grand Canyon), 10-1
Second Round - dec. Max Rohskopf (North Carolina State), 4-0
Quarterfinals - injury default by #5 Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa), 6:56
Consolations - vs. Adam Fierro (CSU Bakersfield)
174 Pounds -- #8 Davonte Mahomes
Pigtail - dec. Elliot Copeland (Western State), 5-3
First Round - major dec. Jeric Kasunic (American), 12-3
Second Round - dec. Phillip Bakuckas (Rutgers), 3-1 SV
Quarterfinals - dec. by #1 Logan Storley (Minnesota), 3-1 SV
Consolations - vs. #10 Kurtis Julson (North Dakota State)
184 Pounds -- #5 Domenic Abounader
First Round - tech. fall Adrian Mack (Western Wyoming), 16-0 (3:43)
Second Round - dec. #12 Zack Hernandez (Columbia), 4-1
Quarterfinals - dec. by #4 Taylor Meeks (Oregon State), 4-3
Consolations - vs. #11 Austin Gabel (Virginia Tech)
Heavyweight -- #2 Adam Coon
First Round - pinned Scot Augustine (American), 3:30
Second Round - pinned Quean Smith (Iowa State), 3:47
Quarterfinals - pinned #7 Collin Jensen (Nebraska), 1:56
Semifinals - vs. #3 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech)
Communications Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
