Hawkeyes Have Two Big Ten Finalists

March 3, 2007

EAST LANSING, MI –

The University of Iowa wrestling team advanced two competitors to the finals at the Big Ten Championships at East Lansing, MI. Hawkeye sophomore Charlie Falck (125) and Mark Perry (165) both won their semifinals matches and will wrestle for their first Big Ten title Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center. After two sessions of competition, Iowa is in fifth place with 71.5 team points. Minnesota leads the team race with 121.

Falck, the #2 seed, picked up his 35th career win with a 2-1 decision over #3 seed Angel Escobedo at 125 in the semifinals. He will face top-seed Jayson Ness of Minnesota in the finals. Ness won their only collegiate meeting – an 8-0 major decision last month in Iowa City. Perry, the #2 seed, scored his 70th career win with a 9-1 major decision over #6 seed Justin Fraga of Purdue in the semifinals. Perry will face top-seed Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan in the finals. Tannenbaum won the earlier season meeting, 6-2 in the first sudden victory period in Ann Arbor. It will be the third time that the Hawkeye junior wrestles in the Big Ten finals.

Still competing for the Hawkeyes in the consolation bracket are senior Mario Galanakis (133), juniors Alex Tsirtsis (141) and Matt Fields (Hwt.), and redshirt freshmen Ryan Morningstar (157) and Phillip Keddy (184). Tsirtsis, Morningstar and Fields will compete in Sunday’s consolation semifinals, while Galanakis and Keddy will wrestle for seventh place. Sunday’s competition is scheduled to start at 11 a..m. (CST) with the consolation semifinals followed by the seventh-place matches. The championship, third and fifth-place matches for each weight class will start at approximately 1 p.m.

TEAM STANDINGS AFTER SESSION II
Place Team Points
1. Minnesota 121
2. Wisconsin 81
3. Penn State 80.5
4. Indiana 78.5
5. Iowa 71.5
6. Michigan 70
7. Illinois 66
8. Northwestern 63.5
9. Ohio State 62
10. Purdue 24.5
11. Michigan State 23

IOWA’S SESSION II INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Championship Semifinal Matches
125 – Charlie Falck (I) dec. Angel Escobedo (IND), 2-1
141 – Ryan Lang (NW) dec. Alex Tsirtsis (I), 4-1
165 – Mark Perry (I) maj. dec. Justin Fraga (PUR), 9-1
174 – Steve Luke (MICH) dec. Eric Luedke (I), 2-1 TB-1
Hwt. – Cole Konrad (MN) dec. Matt Fields (I), 4-0

Consolation First Round Matches
133 – Mario Galanakis (I) dec. Sean Schmaltz (PUR), 6-2
149 – Matt Coughlin (IND) pinned Alex Grunder (I), 4:11
157 – Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Tony Greathouse (MSU), 6-3
184 – Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Joe Williams (MSU), 3-1 SV-1
197 – Dallas Herbst (WIS) dec. Dan Erekson (I), 4-0

Consolation Second Round Matches
133 – Mack Reiter (MN) pinned Mario Galanakis (I), 4:44
157 – Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Rob Sulaver (MICH), 6-2
184 – John Dergo (IL) dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 9-8