March 15, 2007
AUBURN HILLS, MI –
The Hawkeye wrestling team went 6-2 in Thursday’s first session of the NCAA Championships at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI. The team is in fifth place with 13.5 points. Minnesota leads the team race with 22. The Golden Gophers advanced all nine of their qualifiers in the championship bracket.
Iowa was off to a fiery start with a technical fall by sophomore Charlie Falck (125) and major decisions by senior Mario Galanakis (133) and junior Alex Tsirtsis (141). Three Hawkeyes (Falck, Tsirtsis and junior Mark Perry) held their opponents scoreless in the session.
Falck, the #5 seed, blanked unseeded Marcos Orozco of Cal-Davis, 15-0 to start the tournament for Iowa. It was the first time Falck held an opponent scoreless this season and the second time in his career. He will face unseeded Steve Mytych of Drexel in the second round.
Galanakis, who is unseeded, defeated unseeded Conor Beebe of Central Michigan, 12-1. The Hawkeye senior will face #4 seed Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State in the second round. Galanakis is 0-3 vs. Scott, losing two decisions (8-2, 5-2) earlier this season and one (2-1) in 2005-06.
Tsirtsis, the #6 seed, recorded his 25th season win with an 11-0 major decision over unseeded Justin Pearch of Oregon. It was the fifth time this season that the Hawkeye junior blanked an opponent, and the eighth time in his career. Tsirtsis will face #11 seed Charles Griffin of Hofstra in the second round.
Iowa lost its first match of the tournament at 157, when unseeded redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar lost a 3-1 decision in sudden victory to unseeded Ryan Hluschak of Drexel. Morningstar will face unseeded Matt Dragon of Pennsylvania in the consolation first round.
Perry (165) and senior Eric Luedke (174) responded with simultaneous decisions. Perry, the #2 seed, defeated unseeded Dustin Noack of Cal-Davis, 7-0. It was the fourth time this season that Perry held an opponent scoreless and the 12th time in his career. Perry, who is on an eight-match winning streak, will face unseeded Zach Shanaman of Pennsylvania in the second round.
Luedke, the #5 seed, scored a takedown late in the third period to defeat unseeded Grant Turner of Iowa State, 3-2. Luedke will face unseeded Kenneth Robertson of Eastern Illinois in the second round.
Iowa’s second loss of the afternoon came at 184 when #9 seed Christian Sinnott of Central Michigan defeated unseeded redshirt freshman Phillip Keddy, 7-4. Keddy will face unseeded Greg Perz of Eastern Illinois in the consolation first round.
Junior Matt Fields (Hwt.) scored Iowa’s final win of the first session with a 7-4 decision over unseeded Nathan Thobaben of Army. Fields, the #7 seed, will face unseeded Payam Zarrnpour of Sacred Heart in the second round.
The championship second round and consolation first round will be held Thursday evening. Competition is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. (CT) at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
CURRENT TEAM STANDINGS (Top 10 Teams After Sesssion I)
Place – Team – Points – Remaining Championship/Consolation Competitors
1. Minnesota – 22 – 9/0
2. Missouri – 20.5 – 6/2
3. Iowa State – 20 – 7/3
4. Penn State – 18 – 7/0
5. Iowa – 13.5 – 6/2
6. Hofstra – 13 – 6/1
Wisconsin – 13 – 6/3
8. Illinois – 12 – 6/2
Navy – 12 – 4/2
10. Oklahoma – 10 – 6/0
Oklahoma State – 10 – 5/3
Northwestern – 10 – 6/0
IOWA’S SESSION I INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
125 – Charlie Falck (Iowa) tech. fall Marcos Orozco (Cal-Davis), 15-0, 7:00
133 – Mario Galanakis (Iowa) maj. dec. Conor Beebe (C. Michigan), 12-1
141 – Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa) maj. dec. Justin Pearch (Oregon), 11-0
157 – Ryan Hluschak (Drexel) dec. Ryan Morningstar (Iowa), 3-1 SV
165 – Mark Perry (Iowa) dec. Dustin Noack (Cal-Davis), 7-0
174 – Eric Luedke (Iowa) dec. Grant Turner (Iowa St.), 3-2
184 – Christian Sinnott (C. Michigan) dec. Phillip Keddy (Iowa), 7-4
Hwt. – Matt Fields (Iowa) dec. Nathan Thobaben (Army), 7-4
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