2009-10 Ohio State Wrestling Season

[LitlBuck]

I thought I would start this thread for all of you Ohio State wrestling fans. There are high expectations for this year's team and hopefully a Big Ten championship will be in the making.

Ohio State official Athletic Website

Buckeyes Tabbed Fourth by Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State wrestling team was tabbed No. 4 by Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine (WIN) Monday. The current preseason standing only accounts for a team's Tournament Power Index (TPI), which ranks squads based on their number of ranked wrestlers and potential All-Americans (places 1-8).

WIN will announce its first "dual rankings" Nov. 30 at the beginning of the dual season.

The Buckeyes are predicted to crown four All-Americans which is good for 52 points. Iowa stands atop of the rankings with seven potential All-Americans. Iowa State is second (five All-Americans), while Cornell rounds out the Top 3 with four Top 8 placers.

Individually, Ohio State boasts six wrestlers in the Top 20 of their respective weight classes. Leading the charge is senior and 2008 national champion Mike Pucillo at 184 pounds. Three-time All-American Lance Palmer is entering his senior campaign third at 149 pounds.

2009 Big Ten and NCAA runner-up Reece Humphrey is No. 5 at 141 pounds. Humphrey is moving up a weight class from a year ago when he wrestled at 133 pounds.

At 165 pounds, junior Colt Sponseller is slated as the eighth-ranked grappler.
Buckeyes ranked 9-20 include Dave Rella (13th) at 174 pounds and Nikko Triggas (15th) at 125 pounds.

In addition to Ohio State and Iowa, four other Big Ten Conference teams are ranked in the Top 20. Minnesota is No. 5, Wisconsin is tied for 11th, Penn State is 13th and Indiana is 14th.

Ohio State begins its season Nov. 14 at the Oklahoma Gold Classic in Brockport, N.Y. The Buckeyes open their home schedule the following week against Lehigh at 7 p.m. in St. John Arena.

 

[OSU_D/]

A new verbal

The good news for Buckeye wrestling fans continued this week when Derek Garcia chose to go public with his verbal commitment to The Ohio State University.

InterMat - Powered By RevWrestling




Credit to the first place I saw it... poster Solomon Dangerfield of the o-zone.
O-Zone: OSU wrestling got a bigtime verbal y'day from Derek Garcia. Awesome. He's a badass. *

Also, a link which discusses Garcia as well as OSU's hits and misses of the recruiting year for wrestling...
http://www.ohiowrestling.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1912

 

[LitlBuck]

InterMat - Powered By RevWrestling




Credit to the first place I saw it... poster Solomon Dangerfield of the o-zone.
O-Zone: OSU wrestling got a bigtime verbal y'day from Derek Garcia. Awesome. He's a badass. *

Also, a link which discusses Garcia as well as OSU's hits and misses of the recruiting year for wrestling...
The Ohio Wrestling Network :: View topic - Garcia Picks Buckeyes!

FYI... I started a new thread for 2009-10 Ohio State wrestling

 

[OSU_D/]

FYI... I started a new thread for 2009-10 Ohio State wrestling

I assumed due to title it would only be about the 09-10 season.

The other thread was OSU wrestling (08-09 runners up) so I assumed that thread was for recruiting and general stuff about the program and would hopefully say (08 and 09 runners up and 10 national champs) at the end of the year.

Thread confusion for me aside, I am looking forward to another fun year following this team.

 

[LitlBuck]

I assumed due to title it would only be about the 09-10 season.

The other thread was OSU wrestling (08-09 runners up) so I assumed that thread was for recruiting and general stuff about the program and would hopefully say (08 and 09 runners up and 10 national champs) at the end of the year.

Thread confusion for me aside, I am looking forward to another fun year following this team.

Good stuff. Ryan must be one hell of a recruiter to pull a kid all the way from Washington. It seems like this is a very nice addition for the future.

As for this year, a Big 10 championship would be very nice and is a National one out of the question.

 

[OSU_D/]

And now Hunter Stieber commits to the Buckeyes!

2009 Ohio State Wrestling - Hunter Stieber Verbals to OSU (10/15) | www.buckeyewrestling.com

For the second straight year the Ohio State Wrestling Program landed the first verbal commitment from the junior class. With an announcement of his intentions on Thursday, Monroeville HS junior Hunter Stieber became the first member of the 2010-2011 OSU recruiting class. The tenth-ranked wrestler in the InterMat Top 50, he is a two-time Ohio state champion and a two-time freestyle national champion.

And like last time the first time I saw the news was by a poster named Solomn Dangerfield from O-Zone: Buckeye wrestlers get another verbal. Welcome Hunter Stieber. Very nice. *

 

[LitlBuck]

Official Website

Lance Palmer Set to Wrestle in 44th NWCA All-Star Classic
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Lance Palmer, a senior captain on the Ohio State wrestling team, was selected to compete in the prestigious 44th NWCA All-Star Classic Nov. 22 in Titan Gym on the campus of California State Fullerton.

Palmer, ranked second At 149 pounds, will wrestle No. 5 Kyle Borshoff of American. The Buckeye native from Columbia Station, Ohio, is in the running to become Ohio State's second four-time All-American. He would join Tommy Rowlands (2001-04). So far, Palmer has garnered a pair of fourth-place finishes at the NCAA championships during his freshman and junior seasons. He finished eighth his sophomore year. Palmer also has two third-place Big Ten championships finishes to his credit (2007 and 2009).

The NWCA All-Star Classic traditionally pits the Nos. 1 and 2 wrestlers in the nation from each weight class. Either because of prior commitments or injuries, it is common for lower ranked wrestlers to earn a bid into the event.
Tickets can be purchased through TicketLeap:
http://savefullertonwrestling.ticketleap.com/ .

 

[Buckskin86]

Wrestling: OSU setting sights high
Runner-up twice, Ohio State's goal is a national title
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
By Jeremy McLaughlin
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

CHRIS LEE | ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Mike Pucillo of Ohio State, front, lost to Jake Herbert of Northwestern 6-3 in the 184-pound NCAA championship in March after winning the title in 2008.
More OSU sports

This is the season when Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan expected to start competing for a national championship after he was hired four years ago.

But success came sooner than expected. In 2007, the Buckeyes finished as national runner-up, and repeated as runner-up last season.

Now, instead of hoping for the best when they take the mat, the No. 3 Buckeyes expect to be the best. They have good reason to think that way. Ohio State returns seven starters, three of whom are returning All-Americans. All should start when Ohio State opens with a dual against Lehigh on Friday in St. John Arena.

"When you are second twice, something is going right," Ryan said. "Even the guys in the room who did it the first time were like, 'Well, we had a great tournament.'

"Once you do it the second time, it starts to become more of an expectation that we're in this thing to stay. We're going to have a team in the hunt every year."

This year's group won't be satisfied with another second place, however. They thought they let the national championship slip through their fingers when they lost to Iowa by 3 1/2 points.

Judging by the coaching staff's mentality so far, it won't happen again.

"It's been a whole lot different this season because something has gotten into Tom Ryan," senior Reece Humphrey said. "It hasn't been a lot of fun, but I can already see the improvement in all these young guys and the older guys as well."

Wrestling: OSU setting sights high | BuckeyeXtra

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State wrestling: Newcomers hold the key to title hopes
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
By Jeremy McLaughlin
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ohio State wrestling coaches don't need a Magic 8 Ball to tell them what they'll get from seven wrestlers in their lineup. All are juniors and seniors with proven records.

What the coaches don't know -- and what could be a factor in whether the Buckeyes win their first NCAA championship this season -- is what to expect from three newcomers.

True freshman Ian Paddock (133 pounds), redshirt freshman Cody Magrum (197) and redshirt sophomore Sean Nemec (157) have filled vacant spots in Ohio State's lineup.

Each has contributed in the first month. Nemec is 7-1, Paddock 7-2 and Magrum 6-3.

Coach Tom Ryan likes their progress as the No. 3 Buckeyes head to the Las Vegas Invitational this weekend, but he doesn't want to thrust too many expectations on them.

"Not one of them wants to be the guy who couldn't get the job done, and we don't want that to be a stressful thing for these guys," Ryan said. "This is fun. This is a great time in their life. Let's enjoy every minute of it."

Ohio State wrestling: Newcomers hold the key to title hopes | BuckeyeXtra

 

[LitlBuck]

Hey, let's not forget about our wrestling team:)

Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Release: 12/05/2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Behind 141-pound champion Reece Humphrey and runners-up Lance Palmer and Colt Sponseller, the third-ranked Ohio State wrestling team captured the 2009 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational team title Saturday afternoon at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm, Nev. It was a close affair as the Buckeyes (122.5) escaped with a one-point victory over Cornell (121.5).

Compared to Ohio State's 1-2 record in the finals, the Big Red went 1-1. Finishing third was Oklahoma with 109.5 points. The 2009 championship comes a year after the Scarlet and Gray finished 11th.

Humphrey, No. 1 in the nation and a senior team tri-captain, remains undefeated this season at 14-0 following six victories in Nevada. The native of Indianapolis, Ind., scored bonus points in three of his six wins, which included a pin, technical fall and major decision. His final three bouts came against seeded wrestlers in No. 8 Kenny Hashimoto Northern Colorado, No. 4 Kyle Dake of Cornell and No. 6 Fil Novachkov of Cal Poly. Despite the tough competition, Humphrey was able to outscore his final three opponents, 24-11. Humphrey's win over Dake proved to be pivotal in the team standings as well. The Big Red stood just 10 points behind the Buckeyes entering the second and final day of competition.

Palmer, another Buckeye senior team captain, was second for the second consecutive year at 149 pounds, a weight class considered one of the toughest in the nation. The No. 2-seed from Columbia Station, Ohio, Palmer faced No. 1 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin in the final and dropped a close 3-1 decision. Palmer had won nine-straight matches before his setback in the final.

Like his teammate Palmer, Sponseller also was a runner-up for the second straight year at 165 pounds. And also like Palmer, Sponseller faced a Badger in the final in No. 1 seed Andrew Howe. The junior from Glenmont, Ohio, lost, 6-3, in the championship bout.

With Top 8 finishes, Nikko Triggas (125), Dave Rella (174) and Mike Pucillo (184) also were instrumental in guiding Ohio State to the team title. Triggas was eighth, Rella was seventh and Pucillo earned a fourth-place finish.

The Buckeyes return to dual action against No. 19 Edinboro at 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at Perrysburg High School in Perrysburg, Ohio.


Team Standings (Top 10)
Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational
Star of the Desert Arena; Primm, Nev.
Place Points Team

1. 122.5 Ohio State
2. 121.5 Cornell
3. 109.5 Oklahoma
4. 97.5 Boise State
5. 94 Nebraska
6. 90.5 Indiana
7. 78.5 Cal Poly
8. 77.5 Oregon State
9. 73.5 Wisconsin
10. 71 Wyoming

More including individual results

Buckeyes Triumph at CKLV Wrestling Invitational - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

 

[LitlBuck]

Ohio State 34 Edinboro 12

I think we better keep an eye on our wrestling team because it looks like a very good one and we could make a run at the national crown:)

Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Release: 12/13/2009

PERRYSBURG, Ohio - In front of 2,325 at Perrysburg High School in Perrysburg, Ohio, the third-ranked Ohio State wrestling team downed No. 19 Edinboro, 34-12, Sunday. The Buckeyes won the first seven bouts, including a Fighting Scot forfeit, to jump out to a 34-0 lead.

"Overall, it was a great day for the Buckeyes," Tom Ryan, head coach, said. "There was a great crowd and the team wrestled with a lot of energy at every weight class. We pushed the action and that's a big step for us at several weight classes."

The dual began at 133 pounds with Buckeye freshman Ian Paddock matching up against Kyle Fluke. Paddock, a native of Warsaw, N.Y., took a 5-0 lead after the first period on a takedown and 3-point nearfall. He then extended his advantage to 9-1 following the second and sealed the 12-1 victory in the third period thanks to a reversal and a riding time of 1:29.
With the Scarlet and Gray up 4-0 early, No. 1 and senior tri-captain Reece Humphrey made the score 8-0 at 141 pounds on a 27-11 technical fall over Ashton Osterberg. Hailing from Indianapolis, Ind., Humphrey dominated the match early, taking a 14-6 lead after two periods. Humphrey recorded 13 takedowns in the match.

At 149 pounds, fourth-ranked Lance Palmer, also a senior tri-captain, notched a 9-1 major decision over Torsten Gillespie courtesy of three takedowns, an escape, a third stalling call on Gillespie and a riding time of 2:43.

Up next, sophomore Sean Nemec shut out Matt Coleman, 10-0, at 157 pounds before junior Colt Sponseller, extended the Buckeye lead, 22-0, when he pinned Chris Hrunka in 4:53 at 165 pounds.

The Fighting Scots took a forfeit at 174 pounds and the Ohio State lead increased to 28-0.

Mike Pucillo, ranked No. 9, pinned No. 20 Pat Bradshaw in 2:26 at 184 pounds to continue the Buckeye momentum.

However, Ohio State dropped its final three matches at 197, 285 and 125 pounds. Sophomore Zach Stolarsky received the starting nod at 197 pounds and was pinned in 2:40 by Shawn Fendone. Senior Corey Morrison dropped a close 6-4 decision to No. 14 Chris Birchler. Junior Nikko Triggas also suffered a 6-4 setback at 125 pounds to Kyle Fluke.

The Buckeyes will now break for the Holiday season and return to action Jan. 3 in New York. Ohio State will travel to Hempstead, N.Y., to wrestle Hofstra at noon before heading to New York, N.Y., where they will face Columbia and George Mason starting at 4 p.m.

more including individual results

No. 3 Buckeyes Down No. 19 Edinboro, 34-12, - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

 

[LitlBuck]

Buckeyes are No. 3, but know they must improve
Thursday, December 24, 2009 3:11 AM
By Jeremy McLaughlin
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Ohio State wrestling team is in the middle of a three-week break from matches, but the third-ranked Buckeyes aren't using the time to rest.
The team believes it can't afford to slow down, even though it is 5-0 after beating No. 19 Edinboro on Dec. 13 and winning the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 5. It sees enough flaws to fix, including getting into better physical condition, before the Big Ten season starts in January.
"Obviously, there are still things we need to work on, but we got the win (in Vegas)," 174-pound senior Dave Rella said. "We could have probably dominated the tournament, so there's a lot of room to improve.

"We definitely have time over the break and the next few months to get better and get everybody on the podium (at the NCAA Tournament)."

For that to happen, coach Tom Ryan wants better commitment, especially at certain weights. He saw progress in some wrestlers against Edinboro.

But if it doesn't continue, there could be changes. Wrestle-offs are expected at 125, 157 and heavyweight, and possibly more, before the team goes to Hofstra on Jan. 3.

"We're not frustrated, but we can be so much better," Ryan said. "If we look at history, the people who aren't buying in are not performing in March the way we need them to and it cost us last year. We just didn't get enough points from the entire group."

Some wrestlers have performed as expected. Reece Humphrey, at 141, is unbeaten. Lance Palmer and Colt Sponseller, at 149 and 165, respectively, are ranked high.

Mike Pucillo, a 184-pound senior, has been Ohio State's most consistent wrestler the past three seasons, but he struggled in Las Vegas. Ryan said Pucillo is at 70 percent after he cut his hand with a box cutter before the NCAA Tournament in March.

"With the surgery he was out for five months," Ryan said. "His grip isn't as good as it was. That injury, we're paying the price for it now more than we did at nationals. For six months he really couldn't do much and it's hurting him."

Ohio State needs Pucillo to do well in the Big Ten season and postseason because he is a proven scorer. Ryan hopes he can depend in the same manner on every wrestler in the lineup because the margin between the top teams is thin.

That's why there's no time to relax.

"It's a good time to push ourselves because we're ready," senior heavyweight Corey Morrison said. "We know we can do this but we need to pick up our conditioning, our strength and our intensity. The coaches know what they are going to put us through, so these three weeks are going to be a hard-training period to get our bodies physically ready for the Big Ten season."

Ohio State wrestling: Buckeyes are No. 3, but know they must improve | BuckeyeXtra

 

[LitlBuck]

Official website
No. 3 Ohio State Goes 3-0 Sunday against Hofstra, George Mason, Columbia - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Release: 01/03/2010

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The third-ranked Ohio State wrestling team began its preparation for the NWCA National Duals next weekend by wrestling three times Sunday and its groundwork had positive results. The Buckeyes (8-0) posted a 3-0 record on the day, first beating Hofstra, 32-6, in Hempstead, N.Y., before shutting out George Mason, 46-0, and Columbia, 37-0, in New York, N.Y.

In all, Ohio State recorded six major decisions, four technical falls and three pins to earn 23 bonus points. So far this season, the Buckeyes have amassed 82 bonus points in dual action. Additionally, Ohio State has outscored its opponents, 301-39.

Senior tri-captain Lance Palmer, a Columbia Station, Ohio, native had an exceptional afternoon, recording a pair of major decisions and a fall at 149 pounds. Fellow team captain and No. 1-ranked Reece Humphrey (Indianapolis, Ind.) stayed perfect on the season as he collected wins No. 16, 17 and 18.

No. 3 Ohio State 32, Hofstra 6
Jan. 3, 2010
Mack Sports Complex
Hempstead, N.Y.

Individual results
No. 3 Ohio State Goes 3-0 Sunday against Hofstra, George Mason, Columbia - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Major decisions, coupled with two Hofstra forfeits, helped Ohio State jump out to a 20-0 lead after the first four matches. Following a Pride forfeit at 125 pounds, freshman Ian Paddock was afforded the win at 133 pounds when Hofstra's Jamie Franco was forced to medical forfeit at the 5:40 mark.
With Ohio State up 12-0, Humphrey downed Luke Vaith, 18-7. Palmer followed his teammate's performance with a major decision of his own, beating Tyler Banks, 12-4.

Hofstra avoided the shutout as No. 19 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman handed sophomore Sean Nemec an 18-11 loss at 157 pounds. However, the Buckeyes would score back-to-back decisions at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. No. 7 Colt Sponseller shut out No. 16 P.J. Gillespie, 4-0, before senior Dave Rella recorded the upset of the match and possibly the day against 10th-ranked Ryan Patrovich. With both wrestlers knotted up at 2-all entering the third period, Rella recorded an escape in the final frame and held on for the 3-2 victory.

Wrestling at 184 pounds in place of No. 9 Mike Pucillo, sophomore T.C. Pendleton nearly upset No. 20 Ben Clymer, but a late escape in the third period by Clymer pushed him to the 4-3 win.

Consecutive decisions by sophomore Cody Magrum (197) and senior Corey Morrison (285) wrapped up an impressive outing for Ohio

No. 3 Ohio State 46, George Mason 0
Jan. 3, 2010
University Gymnasium
New York, N.Y.
Individual results
No. 3 Ohio State Goes 3-0 Sunday against Hofstra, George Mason, Columbia - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Seven of the 10 Buckeye wins against George Mason were backed by either major decisions, technical falls or pins. After not having to wrestle against Hofstra, 125-pounder Nikko Triggas started his day with a 16-0 technical fall over Brian Wright at the 3-minute mark. Paddock had little trouble with Zachory Huxford at 133 pounds as the Buckeye, who has a 13-4 season ledger, secured a 16-2 victory.

Humphrey was given a breather in the second of three Ohio State duals Sunday afternoon since the Patriots Shohei Takagi forfeited the 141-pound match. Up next at 149 pounds, Palmer pinned Brandon Bucher in 1:59. At 157 pounds, Nemec rebounded nicely from his early setback and downed Ty Knapp, 12-6.

Sponseller earned his 13th victory of the season (he now is 14-2 overall) at 165 pounds courtesy of a 12-3 major decision over Frankie McLaughlin. Following his impressive upset against No. 10 Ryan Patrovich in Hempstead, Rella still had momentum on his side, as he escaped with a 3-1 sudden victory decision vs. Mendbagana Tovuujav.

Two major decisions by Pendleton and Magrum at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively, gave Ohio State a 40-0 lead. Pendleton major decisioned Jimmy Webb, 12-4, and Magrum scored an 11-2 win over Bill Widener. Morrison concluded the dual in resounding fashion, pinning Dave Speaker in 1:07.

Columbia 0, No. 3 Ohio State 37
Jan. 3, 2010
University Gymnasium
New York, N.Y.

individual results

No. 3 Ohio State Goes 3-0 Sunday against Hofstra, George Mason, Columbia - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

It was another shutout for the Buckeyes, this time against host Columbia. Although, Ohio State did not amass nearly as many bonus points against the Lions, the Scarlet and Gray still managed to earn a pair of technical falls, a major decision and a fall in the victory.

All four bonus point wins were recorded during the first four bouts of the match, beginning with Triggas' (18-9) 17-0 technical fall in 4:23 over Kyle Gilchrist. Paddock put six points on the board following his 1:11 pin of Robert Dyar.

Humphrey, who began the day leading the team with two technical falls, earned his third of the season when he beat Jake O'Hara, 25-10, in 6:45. Palmer moved to 13-1 on the season after finishing the day with a 20-6 major decision over Steve Santos.

The Buckeyes scored decisions in the remaining six bouts beginning with Nemec's 4-2 decision over Matt Dunn. Nemec improves to 12-4 on the season.

A 5-2 finish by Sponseller vs. Eren Civan followed at 165 pounds, as did a 9-3 decision by Rella against Stephen West. Rella is now 13-4 this season.
Pendleton also registered a 5-2 win over the Lions' Cary Aldrich. Magrum escaped with a 3-1 victory at 197 pounds to move to 11-5 overall, before Morrison finished the busy Buckeye day with a 10-4 win over Kevin Lester to improve to 11-6 in 2009-10.

Up next, Ohio State will compete in the annual NWCA National Duals Jan. 9-10 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

 

[stkoran]

Buckeyes take down Arizona State 32-7 in their first match at the Cliff Keen National Duals.

No. 3 Buckeyes Begin National Duals with 32-7 Win Over No. 15 Arizona State - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The third-ranked Ohio State wrestling team (9-0) opened up action at the 2010 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals with a 32-7 win over No. 15 Arizona State Saturday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The Buckeyes return to action at 4 p.m. ET Saturday against No. 8 Cornell. The Big Red defeated Wisconsin, 24-11, earlier in the day.

Against the Sun Devils, senior tri-captain Lance Palmer's 1:13-second pin of Vicente Varela at 149 pounds was crucial in spurring the Buckeyes' seven consecutive wins in the match. Entering the 149-pound bout, Ohio State was down 7-3.

After Nikko Triggas dropped an 11-1 decision to 2009 NCAA semifinalist Anthony Robles at 125 pounds, followed by senior Reece Humphrey's (141) first loss of the season, 3-1, to Chris Drouin, the Buckeyes were in need of bonus points heading into the fourth match of the dual. The Scarlet and Gray did secure a win at 133 pounds though, behind true-freshman Ian Paddock, who dealt Ben Ashmore a 5-3 loss.

It was Palmer's pin that jumpstarted much needed momentum for Ohio State. A quick takedown put the Columbia Station, Ohio, native up by two, before he recorded his fourth fall of the season.

Just as significant as Palmer's win, if not more, was red-shirt freshman's Tony Jameson's 5-2 win at 157 pounds. With the Buckeyes leading for the first time, 9-7, a decision by Michael Swigart would put Arizona State back on top. However, despite an early takedown by Swigart for a 2-0 lead, Jameson scored five unanswered points on a pair of nearfalls to propel Ohio State to a 12-7 advantage.

Of the five remaining matches, the Buckeyes compiled two major decisions at 165 and 197 pounds, respectively, and a fall by Mike Pucillo at 184 pounds, which ultimately sealed the Buckeye victory.

165-pounder Colt Sponseller amassed five takedowns, an escape and a riding time of 1:53 in his 12-3 win over Kyle DeBerry. The major decision was the fifth of the season for the Glenmont, Ohio, native.

Following a scoreless first period, senior Dave Rella collected an escape and takedown for a 3-0 lead heading into the final frame. Rella's three points were enough to hold off Eric Starks despite the Sun Devil's late surge and Rella escaped with a 3-2 win.

After missing action last weekend in New York, Pucillo, a senior tri-captain, returned for the Buckeyes at 184 pounds and did not miss a beat. A trade of points early in the first period in a takedown by Pucillo and an escape by Jake Meredith was the only action fans would see before Pucillo, a Strongsville, Ohio, native pinned Meredith in 2:02.

With the Buckeye dual victory sealed (25-7), Ohio State still received bonus points from sophomore Cody Magrum on his 8-0 major decision over Anthony Pike at 197 pounds. Three takedowns, an escape and a riding time of 2:28 lifted Magrum to the shutout.

Wrapping up an impressive outing for the Scarlet and Gray was senior Corey Morrison at heavyweight. Morrison survived to win 3-2 against Eric Nye on a takedown and escape.

 

[stkoran]

Bucks take down Cornell 27-14 in the quarterfinals, will face Iowa State in the semis.

No. 3 Buckeyes Win 27-14 over No. 8 Cornell - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 3 Ohio State wrestling team (10-0) is off to its second-best start in program history after beating No. 8 Cornell, 27-14, Saturday at the UNI-Dome in the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Only the Buckeyes' 15-match win streak to start the season in 2001-02 betters the current mark.

Ohio State will face No. 3 Iowa State at noon ET Sunday for a shot at the National Duals title. The Cyclones defeated Bloomsburg (38-7) and Maryland (26-6) earlier in the day.

Ohio State took an early and encouraging 6-0 lead after 125-pounder junior Nikko Triggas pinned Frank Perrelli in 3:35. Triggas, a Moraga, Calif., native who entered this weekend leading the team in falls with seven, now has eight on the season.

However, Cornell would answer with back-to-back wins at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively. Freshman Ian Paddock suffered a 19-6 setback to No. 12 Mike Grey, while senior tri-captain and No. 1 Reece Humphrey lost his second consecutive match of the season and day, an 8-4 decision to No. 6 Kyle Dake. Humphrey, who hails from Indianapolis, Ind., was 18-0 coming into the weekend.

Humphrey and Dake met earlier this season in the semifinals at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Wrestling Collegiate Invitational in Primm, Nev. Humphrey defeated Dake in a close contest that went to sudden victory and ended in a 4-2 decision.

Down 7-6, the Buckeyes once again received life from senior tri-captain and third-rank Lance Palmer at 149 pounds. Earlier in the day against No. 15 Arizona State, Palmer spurred the Scarlet and Gray to seven consecutive wins following his 1:13-second pin of Vicente Varela. The Buckeye from Columbia Station, Ohio, used four takedowns, an escape and a riding time of 4:22 to outlast Hicks Manson, 10-2.

At 157 pounds, red-shirt freshman Tony Jameson improved his weekend mark to 2-0 when he pinned John Testy-Bastings in 3:22. Jameson's fall came after trailing, 2-0, on a Testy-Bastings reversal in the second period.

The Buckeyes took a 20-7 advantage after six bouts courtesy of junior Colt Sponseller's 10-2 major decision over No. 12 Justin Kerber at 165 pounds. It is the Glenmont, Ohio, native's sixth major decision of the season, which currently leads the team. In his second match of the day, the seventh-ranked Sponseller collected four takedowns, an escape and a riding time of 1:13.

At 174 pounds, senior Dave Rella, No. 20 in the latest InterMat standings, encountered No. 1 Mack Lewnes. In a match where Rella scored four escapes, he could not overcome Lewnes' four takedowns and escape and dropped a 9-4 decision.

However, No. 8 Mike Pucillo, a senior tri-captain from Strongsville, Ohio, pushed the Buckeyes ahead, 24-10, after Pucillo beat No. 17 Steve Bosak, 13-1, for his second major decision of the season. After pinning his first opponent in the National Duals in Arizona State's Jake Meredith, Pucillo nearly had a repeat performance with his pair of nearfalls in the first and second periods.

Cornell cut its deficit to 10 after the 197-pound bout, but it matter little as the Buckeyes already had secured the team victory. Sophomore Cody Magrum dropped a 14-4 decision to Cam Simaz, who is No. 6 in the nation.

Senior Corey Morrison concluded the match and the day with a 5-2 decision over No. 17 Joshua Arnone at heavyweight. Morrison, a native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, and Arnone wrestled to a scoreless first period, before Morrison scored a pair of takedowns and escape in the second and third periods.

Very happy to see that Pucillo is back and wrestling well. Jameson had a very nice day for the Bucks as well. Rumor is that Hump may be under the weather. Hope he is in better form tomorrow, because they will need his points.