March 4, 2007
EAST LANSING, MI –
Hawkeye junior Mark Perry won the 165-pound title at the Big Ten Championships Sunday in East Lansing, MI, defeating Michigan’s Eric Tannenbaum, 5-2 in the finals. A three-time Big Ten finalist, Perry won his first conference title while handing Tannenbaum his first loss of the season. The Stillwater, OK, native is Iowa’s first Big Ten champion since Cliff Moore in 2004.
Iowa edged out a late charge by Penn State to place third with 91 points, and qualified eight wrestlers for the NCAA Championships, set for March 15-17 in Auburn Hills, MI. It is the 11th time in school history that the Hawkeyes have qualified eight competitors for the national meet. Minnesota won its second straight team title and its 10th in school history with 152 points.
The Hawkeyes had their best showing of the tournament Sunday, going 9-3 and recording eight placewinners. Sophomore Charlie Falck placed second at 125, losing a 12-1 major decision to Minnesota’s Jayson Ness in the finals. Iowa’s other placewinners included junior Alex Tsirtsis (3rd-141), senior Eric Luedke (3rd-174), junior Matt Fields (4th-Hwt.), redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar (5th-157), senior Mario Galanakis (7th-133) and redshirt freshman Phillip Keddy (7th-184).
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Place Team Points
1. Minnesota 156
2. Wisconsin 99.5
3. Iowa 91
4. Penn State 90.5
5. Indiana 86
6. Northwestern 84
7. Illinois 83.5
8. Michigan 79.5
9. Ohio State 68.5
10. Purdue 33
11. Michigan State 30.5
IOWA’S SESSION III INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Championship Finals
125 – Jayson Ness (MN) maj. dec. Charlie Falck (I), 12-1
165 – Mark Perry (I) dec. Eric Tannenbaum (MICH), 5-2
Consolation Semifinals
141 – Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Cassio Pero (IL), 6-2
157 – Craig Henning (WIS) dec. Ryan Morningstar (I), 6-0
174 – Eric Luedke (I) dec. Trevor Perry (IND), 6-1
Hwt. – Matt Fields (I) dec. Josh Buuck (IND), 7-3
Third Place
141 – Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Andy Simmons (MSU), 6-0
174 – Eric Luedke (I) dec. Gabriel Dretsch (NW), 6-3 TB-1
Hwt. – Dustin Fox (NW) dec. Matt Fields (I), 2-1 TB-1
Fifth Place
157 – Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Bubba Jenkins (PSU), 9-2
Seventh Place
133 – Mario Galanakis (I) dec. Zach Tanelli (WIS), 8-3
184 – Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Marc Bennett (WIS), 9-5