March 18, 2006
OKLAHOMA CITY – Five University of Iowa wrestlers have earned all-American honors at the 2006 NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City. Sophomore Mark Perry (174) placed third, senior Joe Johnston (157) placed sixth, sophomore Alex Tsirtsis (141) took seventh and junior Eric Luedke (165) placed eighth. Senior Ty Eustice will wrestle in the 149-pound championships tonight against top-seeded Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota.
As a team, Iowa is in fourth place (70 pts.) heading into tonight’s finals.
Perry took third place by using a dominant first period in which he put No. 5 Michael Patrovich on his back twice in building a 7-2 lead. The second period was scoreless, and Perry added a three-point nearfall in the third to take the 10-2 major decision. Perry advanced to the third-place bout by pinning No. 8 Travis Frick of Lehigh in 3:16. Each of his four wins in the tournament were for bonus points (three pins, one major decision). He is a two-time all-American after a runner-up finish last year.
Tsirtsis earned his first all-American honors with a 4-2, sudden-victory win over David Hoffman of Virginia Tech. After a scoreless first period, Hoffman reversed Tsirtsis to take a 2-0 lead in the second frame. The Hawkeyes sophomore managed to escape before time ran out, then added another escape in the third period to tie things at 2-2. With time running out in the first sudden victory overtime period, Tsirtsis scored the winning takedown on the edge of the mat.
Johnston, now a two-time all-American, fell in a thrilling fifth-place match to 11th-seeded Derek Zinck of Lehigh, 9-8. Johnston held a 4-2 lead early in the second when Zinck took the Hawkeye senior to his back for a three-point nearfall and 7-4 lead. In the third, Johnston kept up the pressure, getting a stall point and a takedown in the final 30 seconds to tie the score at 8-8. With 13 seconds left, Zinck managed to escape to take the 9-8 win. Johnston was put in the fifth-place bout after a 6-0 loss at the hands of seventh-seeded Dustin Manotti of Cornell.
Luedke took eighth after falling to Daniel Thompson of the Citadel, 8-3. The junior took a 2-0 first-period lead with a takedown, but ended up tied 3-3 after two. Luedke rode Thompson for the first minute of the third, but allowed the escape to fall down 4-3. With Luedke scrambling for the go-ahead takedown in the closing seconds, Thompson put the Hawkeye on his back for a five-point move and the win.
SESSION V RESULTSTeam Standings1. Oklahoma State - 114.52. Oklahoma - 80.53. Minnesota - 764. IOWA - 705. Cornell - 62
Third Place174 -No. 3 Mark Perry (IA) maj. dec. No. 5 Michael Patrovich (Hofstra)
Fifth Place157 - No. 11 Derek Zinck (Lehigh) dec. No. 9 Joe Johnston (IA), 9-8
Seventh Place141 - No. 7 Alex Tsirtsis (IA) dec. David Hoffman (Virginia Tech), 4-2 (SV)165 - Daniel Thompson (Citadel) dec. Eric Luedke (IA), 8-3
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