Mack Reiter (MN) vs. Ryan Froese (MS)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michigan State upsets undermanned Gophers 28-14
January 28, 2005
15th-ranked Michigan State (6-2, 3-0) won seven of 10 matches to upset the fifth-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team, 28-14, at the Sports Pavilion on Friday night. Minnesota (6-5, 0-1) wrestled without two starters at 174 and 184 pounds and the Spartans capitalized with a pair of pins to put the match away and snap an 11-match losing streak against Minnesota.
"On paper, we knew we had to do something different with the holes in our lineup," head coach J Robinson. "We didn't wrestle with a sense of urgency and that hurt us. We thought we would have a win at 184 pounds, but you take Roger (Kish) out of the lineup, it puts that much more pressure on everyone else."
The Spartans claimed four of the first five matches to take a13-4 decision into intermission. Third-ranked Nick Simmons remained unbeaten with a 9-0 major decision against fifth-ranked Bobbe Lowe at 125 pounds. A tight match through two periods, Simmons took control in the third on a takedown and near fall to take an 8-0 lead. He added another point for his riding time advantage.
Minnesota knotted the match at four as redshirt freshman Mack Reiter continued his recent dominance at 133 pounds. Leading 2-0 in the second period, he scored two points on a reversal and added a pair of takedowns and a near fall in the third period to improve his dual meet record to 11-0.
The Spartans rebounded with three straight wins, including third-ranked Andy Simmons' hard-fought 4-0 decision against Quincy Osborn at 141 pounds. Simmons took a 2-0 lead on a late first-period takedown. In the second period, Osborn put on a show riding Simmons the entire two minutes. His momentum didn't carry through to the third period though, as Simmons added a takedown 30 seconds in.
A turning point in the match occurred at 149 pounds as 20th-ranked Darren McKnight rallied for a 10-9 decision against 11th-ranked C.P. Schlatter. Schlatter took an 8-5 lead into the third period, but Simmons knotted the match with a takedown a minute into the period. He then claimed the match with another takedown with just seven seconds remaining in the match.
The Spartans closed out the first half of the deal meet with Matt McCarty's 4-0 decision against Nik Lentz at 157 pounds. McCarty set the early tone with a takedown six seconds into the match. He rode Lentz for the remaining 2:54 of the first period. He added a third-period takedown to put the match away.
Trailing 13-4, junior Matt Nagel got Minnesota back in the match with a pin in just 1:31 against the Spartans' Bryan Harney at 165 pounds. Nagel's fourth pin of the season pulled the Golden Gophers to within three points at 13-10. That would be as close as Minnesota would get.
"With a couple of guys out of the lineup and us getting down early, I knew I had to go out there and try to get some bonus points," Nagel said. "It's disappointing to lose a dual like this, but we know when we are healthy, we can compete with anybody in the nation."
17th-ranked R.J. Boudro matched Nagel with a pin of his own in 3:56 at 174 pounds against Minnesota freshman Jeremy Larson. Larson made just his third career start as he replaced senior Josh McLay who was injured at the National Duals last week.
Michigan State put the match away with another pin at 184 pounds.18th-ranked Joe Williams was scheduled to meet seventh-ranked Roger Kish, but Kish was kept out of the lineup due to a skin infection. Freshman walk-on Jason Waidzulis made his collegiate debut for Minnesota, but suffered a pin in 4:28 against Boudro. The six points gave Michigan State and insurmountable 25-10 lead.
After Jeff Clemens added to the Spartans' lead with an 11-7 decision against Jon Duncombe at 197, Minnesota's Cole Konrad closed out the dual meet with a 14-2 major decision at heavyweight against Max Lossen. Ranked second in the country, Konrad increased his career-long win streak to 14 matches.
Minnesota will look to regroup on Sunday against seventh-ranked Michigan at the Sports Pavilion. The Golden Gophers will once again be without a pair of starters. Minnesota upset then-second-ranked Michigan, 21-16, last week at the National Duals. The match will begin at 1 p.m.
Mack Reiter (MN) vs. Ryan Froese (MS)
Mack Reiter (MN) vs. Ryan Froese (MS)
Darren McKnight (MS) vs. C.P. Schlatter (MN)
Matt Nagel (MN) vs. Bryan Harney (MS)
Jeff Clemens (MS) vs. Jon Duncombe (MN)
Cole Konrad (MN) vs. Max Lossen (MS)
photos Dawn Beshey