Dec. 30, 2004
EVANSTON, IL – The University of Iowa wrestling team jumped to second place in the team standings with 107.0 points after the third session of the 2004 Midlands Championships. Defending team champion Illinois leads the team field with 122.5 points. Three Hawkeyes are wrestling in tonight’s finals, while two others will wrestle in the consolation placing matches.
Top-seeds Ty Eustice (149) and Paul Bradley (184), and third-seed Mark Perry (165) will wrestle in the finals of their respective weight classes. Eustice defeated fourth-seed Ben Cherrington of Boise State, 3-2, in the semifinals and will face third-seed James Woodall of Penn State in the finals. It will be the first meeting between the two wrestlers. Perry won a 3-0 decision over second-seed Jared Frayer of Shultz Wrestling Club in the semifinals and will face fourth-seed Travis Paulson of Iowa State in the finals. Perry is 1-0 against Paulson, winning a 5-2 decision at the Iowa-Iowa State dual earlier this month. Bradley scored a 4-3 decision in the second tiebreak period over fourth-seed Eric Bradley of Penn State in the semifinals, defeating the Nittany Lion for the first time in four matches. The Hawkeye junior will face third-seed Kurt Backes of Iowa State in the finals. Bradley is 2-1 against Backes, winning the most recent meeting by a 7-6 decision at the Iowa-Iowa State dual earlier this month.
Competing in the consolation bracket are junior Lucas Magnani (125) and freshman Alex Tsirtsis (141). Magnani received a medical forfeit from Northwestern’s third-seed John Velez, pinned Adams State’s Rob McCabe in 2:39 and won by disqualification from Boise State en route to the third-place match, where he will face second-seed Efren Ceballos of Cal State Bakersfield. Tsirtsis lost a 3-2 decision in the first tiebreak to top-seed Nate Gallick of Iowa State in the championship semifinals, and lost a 5-3 decision to 10th-seed Michael Simpson of Indiana in his first consolation match. Tsirtsis will face third-seed and unattached competitor Max Meltzer in the fifth-place match.
In the today’s third session, Hawkeye freshman Matt Fields placed seventh at heavyweight and junior Joe Johnston placed eighth at 157. Fields defeated Paul Weibel of Lehigh, 13-6, in the placing match, while Johnston lost a 12-1 major decision to Jeremiah Jarvis of Shultz Wrestling Club.
Tonight’s championship and consolation finals begin at 7 p.m. All matches will be held at Welsh-Ryan Arena on the Northwestern University campus.
TEAM STANDING AFTER SESSION III (Top 10 Teams)
1. Illinois 122.5
2. Iowa 107.0
3. Iowa State 102.5
4. Central Michigan 96.0
5. Michigan State 83.5
6. Northern Iowa 74.5
7. Northwestern 60.5
8. Indiana 59.5
Penn State 59.5
10. Lehigh 48.5
SESSION III INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
125 Pounds – Consolation Bracket
Lucas Magnani (I) won by medical forfeit over #3 John Velez (NW)
Magnani (I) pinned Rob McCabe (ADAMS), 2:39
Magnani (I) won by disqualification over Boise State
141 Pounds
Championship Semifinals – #1 Nate Gallick (ISU) dec. #5 Alex Tsirtsis (I), 3-2 TB-1
Consolation – #10 Michael Simpson (IND) dec. #5 Tsirtsis (I), 5-3
149 Pounds – Championship Semifinals
#1 Ty Eustice (I) dec. #4 Ben Cherrington (BSU), 3-2
157 Pounds – Consolation Bracket
#6 Joe Johnston (I) dec. Brandon Becker (IND), 8-6
#7 Matt Lebe (WVA) dec. #6 Johnston (I), 3-2
7th place match – #8 Jeremiah Jarvis maj. dec. #6 Johnston (I), 12-1
165 Pounds – Championship Bracket
#3 Mark Perry (I) dec. #2 Jared Frayer (SWC), 3-0
184 Pounds – Championship Bracket
#1 Paul Bradley (I) dec. #4 Eric Bradley (PSU), 4-3 TB-2
Heavyweight – Consolation Bracket
#3 Matt Fields (I) dec. Pete Ziminski (EIU), 5-0
#8 Ryan Allen (UWL) dec. #3 Fields (I), 1-0
7th place match – #3 Fields (I) dec. #11 Paul Weibel (LGH), 13-6