March 8, 2008

Session 1 Results

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Michigan State wrestling team completed the first session of the 2008 Big Ten Championships this afternoon inside Williams Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Sophomore Franklin Gomez highlighted the opening bouts, advancing to the semifinals of the 133-pound weight class. The Spartans are currently 10th with 12 points. Iowa tops the field after the first session with 74 points, followed by Minnesota (64) and Illinois (50).

"Being low seeds, we are forced to face some of the top wrestlers in our opening matches, which makes it difficult" said head coach Tom Minkel. "However, I am very proud of Jeff Wimberley's opening win and the fact that Franklin (Gomez) advanced to the semifinals. The key for us this weekend will be our matches in the night session. Tonight is were we will see where we stand. If we have success, we will be in good shape."

Gomez, the No. 3-seed in the 133-pound division, was the lone Spartan to advance to the semifinals, beating No. 6 Andrae Hernandez of Indiana, 7-4. Gomez began the scoring with a takedown just under two minutes in and an Indiana escape with 35 left in the first, brought the score to 2-1. Gomez started the second period down and would immediately score a reversal 14 second in. Another IU escape would keep the score tight, 4-2, after two periods. Hernandez was down and quickly escaped to bring the score to 4-3. However, Gomez took down the Hooiser with 52 seconds left for a gap Hernandez could not overcome. An IU escape and a riding time point for Gomez, brought the final to 7-4. Gomez will now face No. 2 seed Joey Slaton of Iowa in this afternoon's semifinals. Slaton is the only wrestler to beat Gomez this season, beating him at the Midlands Championships this fall.

The junior pair of Jeff Wimberley and John Murphy both posted opening round upsets to advance to the quarterfinals, but both would drop their next bout.

Michigan State posted their first win of the Championships in impressive fashion at 141-pounds, when Wimberley pinned No. 2-seeded Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin at 5:11. The un-seeded Wimberley started strong with a takedown and two near fall points in the opening minute of action, but a quick reversal and a three near fall points late in the opening period, gave the Badger a 5-4 lead after one. Starting up to being the second, Ruschell, who is also ranked No. 5 in the country in this weight class, took down Wimberley at 1:31 and added two near fall points at 0:39 to open up a 9-4 edge after two. Ruschell started down to begin the third and Wimberley quickly took advantage, pinning the No. 2 seed, just 11 second in. Wimberley could not keep his momentum going into his second bout of the opening session, as he fell to No. 7 Keith Sulzer of Northwestern in the quarterfinals, 7-0.

At 174-pounds, Murphy also posted an upset and advanced to the quaterfinals, knocking off No. 8 Dan Clum of Wisconsin, 4-2. Murphy took down Clum 55 second into the bout, but a Wisconsin reversal with only five second left in the first period tied it up at two. A scoreless second followed and Murphy choose to start down to begin the third. He would escape with 48 seconds remaining in the bout to take a 3-2 lead and would hold off a late effort by Clum to take the win. A riding time point would move the final tally to 4-2. Murphy would fall to No. 1 seed Steve Luke of Michigan, 11-3 in the quarterfinals.

In the first bout of the day for the Spartans, redshirt freshman Joel Trombly at 125-pounds was defeated by No. 3-seed Angel Escobedo of Indiana, 12-3. Soon after, junior Eddie Skowneski was pinned by No. 1-seed Brent Metcalf of Iowa at 149-pounds at 4:10 in the morning bout. Also losing in the opening rounds, were sophomore Nick Palmieri to No. 1-seed Mike Pucillo of Ohio State at 184-pounds, 10-3, and classmate Alan O'Donnell in the heavyweight division to Iowa's Matt Fields, the No. 4 seed, to a pin with 1:47 remaining in the third period.

In the quarterfinals, redshirt freshman John Fulger in 157-pounds and junior Rex Kendle at 185-pounds, both eight seeds, fell to the respective No. 1 seeds. Fulger was defeated by Michael Poeta of Illinois, 15-3, while Kendle was pinned at 2:30 by Mark Perry of Iowa. Also, senior Joe Williams, a No. 5 seed in the 197-pound bracket, fell in his first match, 10-1 to No. 4-seed Dallas Herbst of Wisconsin.

Tonight's session begins at 7 p.m. ET with the consolation rounds.