Hawkeyes In Fifth After Session II

Dec. 30, 2005

EVANSTON, IL – The University of Iowa wrestling team is in fifth place with 46 points after the second session of the 2005 Midlands Championships. Defending team champion Illinois still leads the team competition with 60 points. Three Hawkeyes advance to Friday’s championship semifinals and four others competing in the consolation bracket.

Senior Joe Johnston (157) and sophomores Mark Perry (174) and Matt Fields (Hwt.) will be competing Friday afternoon for a chance to wrestle in the Friday night finals. Johnston, the second seed, will be facing third-seeded Brandon Becker of Indiana. Perry, the second seed, improved his overall record to 6-0 with a pin and will take on sixth-seeded Donny Reynolds of Illinois in the semifinals. Fourth-seeded Fields, who improved to 10-1, will challenge the number one seed Bode Oguwole of Harvard.

Junior Lucas Magnani (125), freshman Daniel Dennis (133), sophomore Alex Tsirtsis (141) and junior Ben Stedman (174) will be competing in consolation matches. Magnani wrestles Seth Wright of Northern Iowa, Dennis will take on Raymond Dunning of Adams State, Tsirtsis challenges Dustin Hinschberger of Wartburg and Stedman faces Keith Gavin of Pittsburgh. Friday afternoon’s championship semifinals and consolation matches are scheduled for noon Friday and the championship finals, along with the 3rd and 5th place matches will be held Friday at 7 p.m. in the Welsh-Ryan Arena on the campus of Northwestern University.

TEAM STANDINGS (Top 10 After Session Two)

1. Illinois 60.0
2. Central Michigan 59.0
3. Michigan State 51.5
4. Iowa State 51.0
5. Iowa 46.0
6. Northwestern 37.5
7. Northern Iowa 35.5
8. Indiana 35.0
9. Purdue 32.0
10. Cal State Bakersfield 31.0
Northern Illinois 31.0

IOWA’S SESSION II INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

125 POUNDS
#5 Tanner Gardner (STAN) dec. #4 Lucas Magnani (I), 7-5

133 POUNDS
#4 Andrae Hernandez (IND) dec. #5 Daniel Dennis (I), 7-4

149 POUNDS
Derek Coorough (I) dec. #4 Donald Lockett, Forfeit
Brad Stockton (WAL) maj. dec. Coorough (I), 11-1

157 POUNDS
#2 Joe Johnston (I) dec. #7 Chris Bitetto (UNI), 11-5

165 POUNDS
#6 Brian Busby (CSB) maj. dec. Cole Pape (I), 17-6

Alex Nelson (NILL) dec. Oleg Polyatskiy (I), 9-3

#8 Ray Blake (STAN) dec. Eric Luedke (I), 6-2

174 POUNDS
#2 Mark Perry (I) pinned #7 Kenny Robertson, 1:31

Ben Stedman (I) dec. Josh Zabel (UWLC), 5-2
Stedman (I) dec. Tommy Clark (WLIB), 2-1

197 POUNDS
Jared Villers (WVA) dec. Adam Fellers (I), Forfeit

Heavyweight
#4 Matt Fields (I) dec. Ryan Allen (UWLC), 2-1; TB1

John Wise (Ill) pinned Michael Bucklin (I), 2:46