March 17, 2005
ST. LOUIS, MO – The University of Iowa wrestling team is in eighth place with 20.5 points after the first day of the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, MO. Oklahoma State leads the team race with 39 points. Iowa went 5-2 in the second session, and has four wrestlers in the championship quarterfinals and three in the consolation bracket.
Winning in Thursday’s second session for Iowa were juniors Ty Eustice (149) and Joe Johnston (157), redshirt freshman Mark Perry (165) and freshmen Matt Fields (Hwt.) and Alex Tsirtsis (141). Eustice, the sixth-seed, scored a takedown as time expired to defeat Wisconsin’s Craig Henning, 3-1, and pick up his 80th career win. He will face third-seed Dustin Manotti of Cornell in the quarterfinals Friday morning. It will be the first meeting between the two. Johnston, the eighth-seed, followed up with a 5-3 win over Minnesota’s C.P. Schlatter. He will face top-seed Alex Tirapelle of Illinois in the quarterfinals. He is 0-2 this season against Tirapelle and 1-3 in his career. Perry, the fourth-seed, recorded his 25th season win with an 8-2 decision over Indiana’s Max Dean. He will face fifth-seed Tyrone Woodley of Missouri in the quarterfinals. It will be the first meeting between the two. Fields, the ninth-seed, scored a 5-3 win over Ohio State’s Kirk Nail. He will face top-seed Steven Mocco of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals. Fields is 0-2 against Mocco this season, losing 5-0 at the Kaufman-Brand Open and 4-0 at the Iowa-Oklahoma State dual. In the consolation bracket, Tsirtsis scored last second reversal to defeat Northern Illinois’ Josh Wooten, 4-3.
Friday’s championship quarterfinals and consolation matches start at 10 a.m. The quarterfinals will be aired live on ESPNU.
TEAM STANDINGS AFTER SESSION II (Top 8 teams)
Place Team Points
1. Oklahoma State 39.0
2. Minnesota 28.5
3. Iowa State 27.5
4. Oklahoma 26.5
5. Michigan 26.5
6. Cornell 23.5
Illinois 23.5
8. Iowa 20.5
IOWA’S INDIVIDUAL SESSION II RESULTS
Championship Bracket
133 – Tom Clum (Wisconsin) maj. dec. Mario Galanakis (Iowa), 13-5
149 – Ty Eustice (Iowa) dec. Craig Henning (Wisconsin), 3-1
157 – Joe Johnston (Iowa) dec. C.P. Schlatter (Minnesota), 5-3
165 – Mark Perry (Iowa) dec. Max Dean (Indiana), 8-2
184 – Matt Pell (Missouri) dec. Paul Bradley (Iowa), 7-6
Hwt. – Matt Fields (Iowa) dec. Kirk Nail (Ohio St.), 5-3
Consolation Bracket
141 – Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa) dec. Josh Wooton (N. Illinois), 4-3