Seven Hawkeyes Advance To NCAA Second Round

March 19, 2009

ST. LOUIS, MO — Seven of Iowa’s nine NCAA qualifiers advanced to Thursday evening’s championship second round with wins during the opening session of the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, MO. The Hawkeyes, who are the defending team champions, are in second place in the team standings with 22 points. Iowa State leads the team race with 25, and Ohio State is in third place with 17.5.

Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck (125) and juniors Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174), Phillip Keddy (184) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.) all won their first round matches to advance to the second round in the championship bracket. Iowa scored team bonus points in five bouts as Metcalf, Keddy and Erekson pinned their foes, while Falck and Borschel posted major decisions.

Falck opened the tournament for the Iowa with an 11-3 major decision over Bucknell’s Derek Reber. The fifth-seeded Hawkeye will face #12 Anthony Robles of Arizona State in the second round. Falck is 2-0 against Robles, winning a 2-1 decision at the November dual in their most recent meeting.

Dennis followed at 133 with a 5-4 win over Oklahoma State’s Chris Notte in the first round. The fourth-seeded Hawkeye will face Tristen DeShazer of Northern Illinois in the second round. It will be the first meeting between the two.

Metcalf picked up his 19th season pin and extended his winning streak to 66 matches with his 6:01 fall over Bucknell’s Kevin LeValley. The top-seeded Hawkeye improved to 34-0 this season with the pin, which moves him up to fourth place on Iowa’s all-time season pins list. Metcalf will face Oregon State’s Heinrich Barnes in the second round. It will be the pair’s first meeting.

Morningstar scored a takedown in sudden victory to beat West Virginia’s Donald Jones, 7-5. The third-seeded Hawkeye will face Rider’s Jason Lapham in the second round. It will be the pair’s first meeting.

Borschel posted his 60th career win with a 13-1 major decision over Wyoming’s Shane Onufer. The fourth-seeded Hawkeye will face Indiana’s Trevor Perry in the second round. Borschel is 3-0 against Perry, posting a 10-2 major decision at the dual in February in their most recent meeting.

Keddy scored his 30th season win with a 2:28 pin over Buffalo’s Mickey Moran in the opening round. The second-seeded Hawkeye junior will face Oklahoma’s Patrick Flynn in the pair’s first meeting tonight.

Erekson posted his 50th career victory and his 12th first-period pin of the season, decking Oklahoma’s Nathan Fernandez in 1:48. The seventh-seeded Hawkeye junior will face Minnesota’s Ben Berhow in the second round. Erekson is 1-0 against Berhow, winning 3-2 at the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals in January.

Hawkeye senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and junior Chad Beatty (197) each lost their first round bouts, but will have a chance to fight back through the consolation brackets. Tsirtsis, who is seeded fourth, was upset by Maryland’s Alex Krom, 5-4. Beatty, who is not seeded, lost an 8-5 decision to eighth-seeded Clayton Foster of Oklahoma State. Tsirtsis will face North Carolina State’s Vincent Ramirez and Beatty will wrestle Eastern Michigan’s John McClure in the consolation opening round.

Thursday evening’s session is scheduled to get underway at 6:30 p.m. (CT) at the Scottrade Center. Competition will include the championship second round and the consolation preliminary and first rounds.

NCAA TEAM STANDINGS (Top 10 After Session One)
Place Team – Points
1. Iowa State – 25
2. Iowa – 22
3. Ohio State – 17.5
4. Boise State – 15
Nebraska – 15
6. Lehigh – 14
7. Edinboro – 12.5
8. Central Michigan – 12
Cornell – 12
10. Hofstra – 11
Illinois – 11
Missouri – 11
Penn State – 11

IOWA’S SESSION ONE RESULTS
125 – #5 Charlie Falck (Iowa) maj. dec. Derek Reber (Bucknell), 11-3
133 – #4 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) dec. Chris Notte (Oklahoma State), 5-4
141 – Alex Krom (Maryland) dec. #4 Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa), 5-4
149 – #1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) pinned Kevin LeValley (Bucknell), 6:01
165 – #3 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Donald Jones (West Virginia), 7-5 SV-1
174 – #4 Jay Borschel (Iowa) maj. dec. Shane Onufer (Wyoming), 13-1
184 – #2 Phillip Keddy (Iowa) pinned Mickey Moran (Buffalo), 2:28
197 – #8 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State) dec. Chad Beatty (Iowa), 8-5
Hwt. – #7 Dan Erekson (Iowa) vs. Nathan Fernandez (Oklahoma)

Session One Attendance: 15,226

IOWA’S SESSION TWO MATCH-UPS
Championship Bracket Matches
125 – #5 Charlie Falck (Iowa) vs. #12 Anthony Robles (Arizona St.)
133 – #4 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) vs. Tristen DeShazer (N. Illinois)
149 – #1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. Heinrich Barnes (Oregon St.)
165 – #3 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) vs. Jason Lapham (Rider)
174 – #4 Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. Trevor Perry (Indiana)
184 – #2 Phillip Keddy (Iowa) vs. Patrick Flynn (Oklahoma)
Hwt. – #7 Dan Erekson (Iowa) vs. Ben Berhow (Minnesota)

Consolation Bracket Matches
141 – #4 Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa) vs. Vincent Ramirez (N. Carolina St.)
197 – Chad Beatty (Iowa) vs. John McClure (E. Michigan)

Complete Session One NCAA Championships Brackets in PDF Format