March 8, 2008
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team is in first place with 74 points after Saturday’s first session at the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis, MN. Host Minnesota is in second with 64 and Illinois is in third with 50. Iowa went 11-2 during the first session, advancing eight wrestlers to Saturday night’s semifinals. The Hawkeyes have the most semifinalists of any team in the tournament. Minnesota has seven, while Illinois and Michigan both have five. Seniors Mark Perry (165) and Matt Fields (Hwt.), junior Charlie Falck (125) and sophomores Joe Slaton (133), Dan LeClere (141), Brent Metcalf (149) and Jay Borschel (174) are Iowa’s semifinalists.
Falck picked up his 65th career victory and his seventh-straight victory with an 8-4 win over Ohio State’s Nikko Triggas in the first round. He will face Indiana’s Angel Escobedo in the semifinals. Falck is 2-0 against Escobedo, posting a 4-2 win at the dual last month and 2-1 win at the 2007 Big Ten Championships.
Slaton posted his 25th season and career win with a 12-6 win over Ohio State’s Reece Humphrey in the first round. Slaton opened the tournament for the Hawkeyes with his 9-1 major decision over Michigan’s Chris Diehl in the preliminary round, scoring Iowa’s first takedown of the tournament in the opening seconds of the pigtail match. He will face Michigan State’s Franklin Gomez in the semifinals. Slaton is 1-0 vs. Gomez, winning a 6-2 decision at the 2007 Midlands finals.
LeClere won his first round match at 141, scoring a takedown as time expired to beat Penn State’s Garrett Scott, 2-1. LeClere will face top-seed Kellen Russell of Michigan in the semifinals. He 0-2 vs. the Wolverine, losing a 6-4 decision at the dual last month and getting pinned in 4:48 at the 2008 National Duals.
Metcalf extended his winning streak to 25 matches with two first session pins. He decked Michigan State’s Eddie Skowneski in 4:10 in the pigtail match and stuck Illinois’ Grant Paswall in 3:30 in the quarterfinals. Metcalf will face Penn State’s Bubba Jenkins in the semifinals. The Hawkeye 149-pounder is 1-0 against Jenkins, pinning him in 5:33 at the dual in January.
Perry made a statement in his first appearance since the 2008 National Duals in January, pinning Michigan State’s Rex Kendel in 2:30. Perry, who picked up his 90th career victory with the win, missed the entire Big Ten dual season due to a knee injury. The top-seeded Hawkeye will face Illinois’ Roger-Smith Bergsrud in the semifinals. Perry is 3-0 vs. Smith-Bergsrud, pinning him in 2:39 at the 2007 Midlands and in 2:31 at the 2006 Spartan Open, and scoring a 12-0 major decision at the 2006 Midlands.
Borschel advanced to the 174-pound semifinals with a 9-0 major decision over Purdue’s Nicholas Corpe, scoring his 25th season and career win. Borschel will face Minnesota’s Gabriel Dretsch in the semifinals. The Hawkeye sophomore is 1-1 vs. Dretsch, scoring an 8-3 win at the dual last month and losing a 14-10 decision at the 2007 Kaufman-Brand Open.
Keddy posted a 9-3 decision over Indiana’s Marc Bennett to advance to the 184-pound semifinals where he will face Michigan’s Tyrel Todd. Keddy is 0-4 against Todd, losing a 3-1 decision at the dual last month, a 3-2 decision at the National Duals in January, an 8-4 decision at the 2007 Big Ten Championships and a 5-2 decision at the 2007 dual.
Fields went 2-0 in the first round, pinning Michigan State’s Alan O’Donnell in 5:13 in the pigtail and beating Illinois’ John Wise, 7-5, in the quarterfinals. Fields used three third-period takedowns to beat Wise and advance to the semifinals where he will face top-seeded J.D. Bergman of Ohio State. Fields is 0-1 vs. Bergman, losing a 4-2 decision at the dual in January.
Saturday night’s championship semifinals and consolation matches will start at 6 p.m. (CT). Sunday’s consolation matches will start at noon, with the finals and placing matches at 2 p.m. The finals will be aired live on the Big Ten Network.
TEAM STANDINGS AFTER SESSION I
Place Team Points
1. Iowa 74.0
2. Minnesota 64.0
3. Illinois 50.0
4. Michigan 46.0
5. Northwestern 39.5
6. Penn State 39.0
7. Wisconsin 29.0
8. Indiana 28.0
9. Ohio State 17.0
10. Michigan State 12.0
11. Purdue 11.5
IOWA’S SESSION I PRELIMINARY RESULTS
133 – Joe Slaton (Iowa) maj. dec. Chris Diehl (Michigan), 9-1
149 – Brent Metcalf (Iowa) pinned Eddie Skowneski (Michigan St.), 4:10
HWT. – Matt Fields (Iowa) pinned Alan O’Donnell (Michigan St.), 5:13
IOWA’S SESSION I QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
125 – Charlie Falck (Iowa) dec. Nikko Triggas (Ohio St.), 8-4
133 – Joe Slaton (Iowa) dec. Reece Humphrey (Ohio St.), 12-6
141 – Dan LeClere (Iowa) dec. Garrett Scott (Penn St.), 2-1
149 – Brent Metcalf (Iowa) pinned Grant Paswall (Illinois), 3:30
157 – Dan Vallimont (Penn St.) dec. Ryan Morningstar (Iowa), 3-2
165 – Mark Perry (Iowa) pinned Rex Kendle (Michigan St.), 2:30
174 – Jay Borschel (Iowa) maj. dec. Nicholas Corpe (Purdue), 9-0
184 – Phillip Keddy (Iowa) dec. Marc Bennett (Indiana), 9-3
197 – Phil Davis (Penn St.) maj. dec. Chad Beatty (Iowa), 15-6
Hwt – Matt Fields (Iowa) dec. John Wise (Illinois), 7-5
IOWA’S SESSION II SEMIFINAL MATCH-UPS
125 – Charlie Falck (Iowa) vs. Angel Escobedo (Indiana)
133 – Joe Slaton (Iowa) vs. Franklin Gomez (Michigan St.)
141 – Dan LeClere (Iowa) vs. Kellen Russell (Michigan)
149 – Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. Bubba Jenkins (Penn St.)
165 – Mark Perry (Iowa) vs. Roger Smith-Bergsrud (Illinois)
174 – Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. Gabriel Dretsch (Minnesota)
184 – Phillip Keddy (Iowa) vs. Tyrel Todd (Michigan)
Hwt. – Matt Fields (Iowa) vs. J.D. Bergman (Ohio St.)
Big Ten Championships Session I Brackets in PDF Format
Big Ten Championships Session I Team Standings in PDF Format
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