OSU Wrestling (2008 and 2009 NCAA Runners-up)

[SparkyOSU]

Schedule released.

Wrestling: Ohio State Releases 2008-09 Schedule - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Sweet, in Vegas, on my birthday, again. Hope we can snag a title.

 

[NOTREDAMECHIEF]

NCAA wrestling team title, probably the most flawed NCAA title there is.
:(

 

[LitlBuck]

the-ozone.net

Wrestling
Buckeye Battles Buckeye in Varsity Wrestle-Offs
By Kevin Schlosser; the-ozone.net
October 17, 2008

(Columbus, Ohio) The Ohio State wrestling team opened the 2008-2009 season with the varsity wrestle-offs on Thursday night. After spending the last month locked in the practice room the Buckeyes were eager to start competing; even if it was their own teammates. With eight weight classes contested there were eight winners, eight wrestlers that have to go back to work, and a lot of happy wrestling fans.

?For the fans this was the first chance to see the depth and talent of the 2008-2009 Buckeyes,? stated OSU head coach Tom Ryan. ?We think this is a very special group. This is a team that can compete for a Big Ten and NCAA title this year.?

2008-2009 OSU Wrestle-Off Results*:
125 Nikko Triggas WBD 9-2 Pat Harrington
133 Reece Humphrey WBMD 17-6 Brian Kelley
141 J. Jaggers ? weight was uncontested
149 Lance Palmer WBTF 19-3 Jared Kusar
157 Jason Johnstone WBTF 17-3 AJ Agazarm
165 Colt Sponseller WBF Ross Ambrose
174 Dave Rella WBD 11-7 Cody Magrum
184 Mike Pucillo ? weight was uncontested
197 Cody Gardner WBD 3-2 John Weakley
285 John Hiles WBD 7-5 Pat Walsh
* Stats provided by Dean Conley from Cutting Edge Wrestling Technologies.

2008-2009 OSU Wrestling Schedule:
11/2 at Buffalo Open
11/9 at NC State Open
11/16 Buckeye Duals
11/24 NWCA All-Star Classic
12/5-6 at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
12/14 at Edinboro
1/4 Kent State
1/10-11 NWCA National Duals (Cedar Falls; Iowa)
1/25 at Hofstra
1/30 Indiana
2/1 Minnesota
2/6 at Penn State
2/8 Purdue
2/13 at Michigan
2/15 Illinois
2/20 at Northwestern
2/22 at Wisconsin
3/7-8 Big Ten Tournament (Penn State)
3/19-21 NCAA Tournament (St. Louis, Missouri)

 

[SparkyOSU]

NCAA wrestling team title, probably the most flawed NCAA title there is.
:(

I can see why you say so, but its like that at every level. You need champions to be a championship team. Maybe because I have wrestled, I dont think its that bad. You have to think of it as one long tourney from Conference to Regionals to Nationals. Not as seperate tournies.

 

[LitlBuck]

I can see why you say so, but its like that at every level. You need champions to be a championship team. Maybe because I have wrestled, I dont think its that bad. You have to think of it as one long tourney from Conference to Regionals to Nationals. Not as seperate tournies.

To be honest, I was going to ask why he said the NCAA wrestling title was the most "flawed" of any title. I really don't have any idea when you look at swimming or any "individual" team title if that makes any sense.

 

[BuckeyeBooks]

I can see why you say so, but its like that at every level. You need champions to be a championship team. Maybe because I have wrestled, I dont think its that bad. You have to think of it as one long tourney from Conference to Regionals to Nationals. Not as seperate tournies.

Always good input from you, Sparky. I do, however see where Chief is coming from but it doesn't do him any good to challenge or question something that's always been the way it is. In reality, going winless in duals during the season then taking 4 or 5 studs to NCAA's and winning the title certainly doesn't make you the best "team" in many peoples eyes, only in the eyes of those that respect the system. I remember back to the late 1970's and early 1980's when Cleveland St. Josephs was lucky to put a full team on the mat every year but were hell come tourny time. This great sport simply is what it is. Were The Buckeyes the 2nd best "team" in the country last year? Nope. Did they deserve to place 2nd in the NCAA's. Hell yes!!!!!!!!

 

[osugrad21]

OZone

Wrestling
Ohio State Starts Strong at Buffalo Open
Buckeyes win six titles and place thirteenBy Kevin Schlosser​

(Buffalo, NY) The Ohio State wrestling team opened the regular season with a strong performance at the 2008 Buffalo Open. The team had thirteen place winners, eight finalists, and six individual champions despite holding out three All-American starters.
?I think it we had a great start to the season. Overall we did what we should have done,? stated OSU Head Coach Tom Ryan.
?It is hard to argue against six champs and eight in the finals when you are sitting out two defending national champions and a two-time All-American. There are some guys that could have done better but we had a lot guys that did a very good job.?
Ohio State wrestlers with individual titles included Reece Humphrey (133), Jason Johnstone (157), Colt Sponseller (165), Dave Rella (174), Cody Gardner (197), and heavyweight Corey Morrison. Rella defeated teammate CJ Magrum 4-1 in the finals. Other place winners for OSU included Nikko Triggas (second; 125), Garrett Henry (fourth; 133), Sean Nemec (third; 157), Jason Cook (fifth; 197), and John Hiles (sixth; 285).

Cont..

 

[LitlBuck]

Now this is what I call good recruiting

Ohio State did have one surprise before the tournament started. OSU verbal commitment Ian Paddock entered the tournament as a high school senior. Wrestling at 133 pounds he won a 5-4 decision over Garrett Henry to place third.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

La Salle's Altarac is Super up front

Lineman made key play that put team in title game
By JAMES ALLEN, Staff writer
First published in print: Friday, November 7, 2008 TROY ? There were several factors to how the La Salle Institute football team overcame a 26-0 deficit to beat Saratoga last week and advance to tonight's Section II Class AA Super Bowl.
Although he did not score a single point or gain a single yard last week, La Salle senior lineman Ken Altarac probably made the game's biggest play to help the Cadets 'wrestle' a 41-39 win away from the Blue Streaks.Altarac forced a fumble by Saratoga's Tony DeLoatch that was recovered by teammate Marquis Terrell at the Cadets' 1 in the fourth quarter.
"What a great comeback we had, but they were going to score to go up by 11 (45-34). I thought, 'We just need one shot, one play to turn this around.' That's all we need," La Salle coach Al Rapp said. "He punched the ball and Marquis falls on it. What a play."
"I came around from the side," Altarac said. "If I didn't do it, we were going to lose."

"He is the No. 1 ranked heavyweight wrestler in the country," La Salle wrestling coach Jim Sutton said. "I think it is hard for anybody to understand just what kind of accomplishment that is. It would be like a player in another sport making it to the pros. Ken is just such an athletic big man."

The list of schools interested in him is considerable, including Oklahoma, Ohio State, Penn State, Boston University and Binghamton.

 

[LitlBuck]

OZone

Ohio State Wrestlers Find Success at NC State Open
Buckeyes have four champs and place a dozen
By Kevin Schlosser

(Raleigh, NC) Nineteen OSU wrestlers competed in the 2008 Wolfpack Open on Saturday. With a step up in competition the Buckeyes responded by advancing ten wrestlers to the semifinals, eight to the championship finals, and four to the consolation finals. Twelve Ohio wrestlers place with team taking home four champions and four runner-ups, three placed third, and one took fourth.

?Overall I think you can say that we had a solid tournament but that doesn?t mean that we were pleased with our performance as a whole,?stated OSU head coach Tom Ryan.

?When you have four champs and eight in the finals you are doing something right when J. Jaggers and Mike Pucillo aren?t on that list. At the same some guys wrestled very well; we could have done much better.?

Continued

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

OSU wrestling coach speaks at local event



By BOB PUTMAN ? The Marion Star ? November 12, 2008

MARION - The Ohio State wrestling team came within one rung of standing at the top of the NCAA ladder and head coach Tom Ryan is looking for the Buckeyes to be able to take that extra step.
Ryan was the main speaker Tuesday for the Marion Rotary High School Athletic Day at the Palace Pavilion.
In just his second year at Ohio State, Ryan took the Buckeyes to a runner-up finish in the NCAA in 2007-08 and two his wrestlers won individual titles and another was a runner-up.
But Ryan said the team has set higher goals for the 2008-09 season.
"Our motto is 'Second is not the standard,'" Ryan said. "We were pleased to have that finish last season. But we have set the ceiling high and we want to fight for a national title."

Continued............

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

OSU wrestling: After runner-up finish, national title is the goal

Saturday, November 15, 2008 3:17 AM
By Jeremy McLaughlin


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Reminders of last season, the best for Ohio State wrestling, can be seen throughout its training facility. The national runner-up trophy sits outside coach Tom Ryan's office. Life-size pictures of national champions J Jaggers and Mike Pucillo hang inside its practice room.
They are prominently displayed so the accomplishments are not forgotten. Hanging nearby are lists of expectations for this season. They're lengthy, but the message is clear -- Ohio State can do better.
"Considering what we did at the end of last year and so far this year, we feel we're even better," Pucillo said. "A little bit better than second is first."

Continued..........

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

WrestlingNWCA All-Star Classic
Iowa gives OSU an early lesson

Tuesday, November 25, 2008 3:02 AM
By Jeremy McLaughlin


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

James D. DeCAMPDispatch
Ohio State's Reece Humphrey, left, lost 5-1 to Navy's Joe Baker in an exhibition at 133 pounds.




Ohio State has hopes of hoisting the NCAA wrestling championship trophy in March. The Buckeyes came close last season, finishing as runner-up.
The Buckeyes know that climbing to the top means dethroning defending champion Iowa, and the Hawkeyes proved last night that they won't let go of the title unless it's ripped from their fingers.
Three Iowa wrestlers won matches and a fourth nearly won during the NWCA All-Star Classic before 2,070 in St. John Arena. Ohio State wrestlers went 0-3, losing at 141 pounds and two exhibitions at 133 and 165.

Continued...............

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

WR: Two Buckeyes Wrap Up Action in Finals of Las Vegas Invitational - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Not nearly as good a finish for the Bucks this year as last, but some good individual performances. Next they dual Edinborough this weekend.

 

[Apache]

OSU Wrestlers

Monday night at Children's Hospital a number of the Ohio State wrestlers came to visit the children who were there for various medical reasons. I will speak to three who interacted with kids on the 4th floor of Children's. Mike, Zach, and Ross came to the 4th floor activity room and made the kids feel really special. They talked to the kids, played bingo, and generally took the kids away from medical issues for a couple of hours. I can tell everyone that this made the difference for a number of kids. My son who is currently hospitalized really loved this oportunity. Mike, Zach and Ross made him feel like one of the gang. You could see the children's eyes light up and smiles reflect that for this time they were special. My son talked about them all night and into the next day. At one point a young mom put her young tot on the laps of one of the wrestlers and he helped her turn the cage with the bingo numbers inside. The smile and glee on her face could melt your heart.

I can not say enough about these young men. This goes above and beyond in my book and unless I am greatly mistaken the wrestlers put their hearts into this activity.

I have sent a letter to Coach Ryan and the Columbus Dispatch to let them know that we really appreciate this act of kindness. In this day and age where negativity tends to overshadow good kids and young men and women, this needed to be said.

THANK YOU OHIO STATE ATHLETES AND COACHES.

I am sure these three are not the only ones who are involved, but I can speak first hand that it meant more than a thank you can express.

And------Go Bucks