Clark Among Midlands Final 4

Dec. 29, 2012

MIDLANDS CHAMPIONSHIPS BRACKET

EVANSTON, Ill. – University of Iowa freshman Cory Clark advanced to the semifinals of the 50th annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships today on the Northwestern campus.

Clark, the No. 3 seed at 125 pounds, posted a 3-0 record in the tournament’s opening day. He pinned Clarion’s Trey Hicks, won a 7-3 decision over Michigan’s Sean Boyle, and used riding time advantage to beat Oklahoma’s Jarrod Patterson, 3-2, in the quarterfinals. Clark will face second-seeded Jarrod Garnett (VA Tech) in the semifinals tomorrow at 12 p.m. (CT).

Freshman Sammy Brooks was making a run for the seminfinals before he was sent to the consolation bracket by No. 2 Ben Bennett (C. Michigan) in the quarterfinals. Brooks was the only unseeded wrestler to advance to the 184-pound quarterfinals. He pinned No. 7 Boaz Beard (Iowa State) in the opening round and earned a 5-2 win over Jake Waste (Buffalo) in the round of 16.

Freshmen Thomas Gilman (125) and Alex Meyer (184) also competed unattached for Iowa. Gilman won his first two matches before being bounced from the tournament with consecutive losses to ranked opponents. Meyer opened the tournament with a 12-4 loss top-seeded Robert Hamlin (Lehigh). He was pinned in his first match in the consolation bracket.

Former Hawkeye All-Americans Daniel Dennis and Montell Marion also advanced to the semifinals. Marion is the top seed at 149 pounds. Dennis is the No. 2 seed at 133 pounds.

Competition resumes tomorrow at 12 p.m. (CT). The final round will air live on BTN beginning at 7 p.m.

SESSION I CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET (number indicates tournament seed)
125 – #3 Cory Clark (Iowa) pinned Trey Hicks (Clarion), 2:17
125 – #3 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. Sean Boyle (Michigan), 7-3
125 – Thomas Gilman (Iowa) dec. Evan Silver (Stanford), 4-1
125 – Thomas Gilman (Iowa) dec. Dylan Peters (UNI), 5-3
125 – #4 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) dec. Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 7-2
184 – Sammy Brooks (Iowa) pinned #7 Boaz Beard (Iowa State), 1:39
184 – Sammy Brooks (Iowa) dec. Jake Waste (Buffalo), 5-2
184 – #1 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) major dec. Alex Meyer (Iowa), 12-4

SESSION II CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET — QUARTERFINALS
125 – #3 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. #6 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma), 3-2
184 – #2 Ben Bennett (C. Michigan) tech. fall Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 15-0

SESSION III CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET — SEMIFINALS
125 – #3 Cory Clark (Iowa) vs. #2 Jarrod Garnett (Virginia Tech)

SESSION I CONSOLATION BRACKET
184 – Luke Sheridan (Indiana) pinned Alex Meyer (Iowa), 2:59

SESSION II CONSOLATION BRACKET
125 – #7 Nathan Kraisser (UNC) major dec. Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 12-4