NCAA wrestling
Kyle Tucker is live in St. Louis at the Scottrade Center, host of the 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships. He'll provide regular updates on all the state and local wrestlers vying for national titles and All-American status. Old Dominion University is taking six wrestlers, while three other grapplers from South Hampton Roads are at nationals: Bubba Jenkins for Penn State, Patrick Bond for Illinois and Christian Smith for Liberty. Follow them all right here.
Category: 2008 championships
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Bubba battles, comes up short ...
22
Mar 08
10:33 PM
*** LOCAL UPDATE: James Nicholson (ODU) eighth place; Bubba Jenkins (PSU) second place
Brent Metcalf was just too darn good. But only barely. Bubba Jenkins made one heckuva run this week, and tonight, but it fell just short in the NCAA finals against No. 1 seed Metcalf.
Jenkins lost 14-8, but it was really much closer than that.
Facing the guy who pinned him and majored him earlier this year, Jenkins came out and attacked. He took Metcalf down in the match’s first minute for a 2-0 lead.
Metcalf escaped, but Jenkins exploded into his legs for another takedown with 40 seconds left in the opening period. He led 4-2 going to the second.
Metcalf started down, quickly escaped to make it 4-3 and just ask quickly took Jenkins down. He cut Jenkins and it appeared the match would go to the third period tied 5-5.
But suddenly, brutally, Metcalf bulled into Jenkins, lifted him, dumped him and pressed his shoulders toward the mat. Jenkins fought off a pin, but the five-point move broke open a previously neck-and-neck battle.
It was 10-5 to start the third. Jenkins escaped early in the period, then furiously took shots, trying to close the gap. He couldn’t.
Jenkins was bitterly disappointed afterward, feeling that he was one move from a national title.
HIS THOUGHTS: “If it had been 5-5 in the third … I felt like if I’m down anything within three, I was going to get him. I wanted it so bad. I felt great, had a game plan, stuck to it. (Metcalf) just keeps going. He’s not athletic, not superior in any move … he just keeps going.”
ON FINISHING SECOND, MUCH HIGHER THAN EXPECTED: “It’s a big atmosphere. It felt great being out there. I’m an NCAA finalist, I’m an All-American, but I’m tired of moral victories. I’m done with moral victories. I want to win it.”
Jenkins’s coach at Penn State, Troy Sunderland, had these thoughts after the match: “We wanted to stay open, get in the attack and … Bubba did a great job. We closed the gap. Without that 5-point move, it’s 5-5 going to the third.”
I spoke to Jenkins mom, Teresa Otera this evening, and she is hilarious. She said she’s learned to hold her breath for seven minutes, but thought she might pass out. It’s been a pretty magical week for her. Same for Cox High coach Corey Williams.
That guy’s gotta be feeling pretty freakin’ good about himself right now. Two NCAA finalists in the last three years – Jenkins this year, Brian Stith in 2006 – cut their teeth in his wrestling room. Both won state titles under Williams’ tutelage.
I talked to Corey tonight before Jenkins’ match. He was hunkered down at Shorebreak in Va Beach with a bout 50 other people. It was hoppin’ there. Even with a loss, I’m sure they’re still celebrating in style.
One really interesting note from tonight: Jenkins said after the loss that he intends to redshirt next season. He was supposed to redshirt last year, but an injury forced him into action – and made him wrestle up a weight at 157, as a true frosh. Then he went to the world championships this summer, then straight into this season.
He said he’s worn down and has a slightly bum knee. “I want to redshirt. That’s my plan. I need to rest up and get my knee better. But we’ll see. If I don’t, obviously I want to come back here and win a national title.”
It’ll be interesting to follow that situation as it develops. I doubt many guys make the NCAA finals one year, then voluntarily sit out the next. We shall see.
But that’s about all from St. Louis. (Oh, Nicholson for ODU took home the eighth-place medal after losing a tight fight, 5-2, with Northwestern’s Brandon Precin. Remember, he’s a freshman … so it’s conceivable that Steve Martin is on his way to coaching his first four-time All-American. Stay tuned.)
Thanks to everyone who stuck with me this week. I tried to keep you in the loop on the South Hampton Roads rumblers out here. It was fun, and exhausting. Nap time. Adios.
(EDIT: I almost forgot to point one VERY interesting tidbit. You might remember the guy who beat Jenkins, Metcalf, as the one-time star Virginia Tech recruit. He signed, along with several other studs, to wrestle for the Hokies and coach Tom Brands. That stud freshman class all redshirted ... then Brands bolted for his alma mater, Iowa, and controversially took his young stars with him. Virginia Tech fought it, and they all had to sit out a year, but Metcalf made the most of his first collegiate season this year. ... And MY how the fortunes of Iowa and VT have changed. The Hawkeyes have run away with the national team title, their first since 2000. The Hokies brought just one wrestler, who lost both his matches, and are in dead last in the team standings. What a pivitol move that was, eh?)
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Jenkins' stunning run rolls on ...
21
Mar 08
10:58 PM
People who know me will say this: I’m easily excitable. And I like the word “wow.”
So … WOW … that was exciting!
Seriously, tonight’s action was just plain crazy. Both ODU’s James Nicholson and Penn State’s Bubba Jenkins came through with clutch, crazy finishes to make their dreams reality.
Nicholson will be a medalist and Jenkins will wrestle live on ESPN tomorrow night in the national finals. I remember talking to him outside the wrestling room at Cox High School four years ago, when he was a sophomore there.
Now he’s an NCAA finalist.
There were 16,000 screaming – is that the right word? No … yelping, roaring, groaning, grunting – fans here at the Scottrade Center. And Jenkins’ electric semifinal got them all worked up.
I have to say, it was fun to experience.
(((By the way, this is where I apologize for posting so late, but I had to get crackin’ on actual stories for the paper about all this madness.)))
In the make-or-break consolation round – the one where the winner is an All-American and the loser gets zilch – Nicholson needed a late takedown to force overtime, then dropped his man again in the sudden-victory period.
He’s the Monarchs’ first All-American since 275-pounder Nick Hall in 1995. He’s the first All-American for coach Steve Martin at ODU … which prompted a highly entertaining celebration by Martin. (More on that in a second.)
Nicholson was down 3-1 with 29 seconds left when he attacked the legs of Penn’s Rollie Peterkin, the No. 9 seed, and took him down for the tie. He did it again with 28 seconds left in OT … and … cue Martin.
You know him. You love him (or hate him). He’s a small man. He cannot jump high. But Martin leapt (sort of) into the air when Nicholson won and let loose a series of yaps not unlike an excited pit bull.
“Whew! Whew! Whew!”
Why so happy? Cuz Stevie would’ve lost his mind if, after all his talk of making a statement with his six qualifiers, he’d left here empty handed.
Make no mistake, he’s WAY peeved that the other five guys flamed out. But …
“We can build on this,” he said. “It would have been torture if he hadn’t placed.”
Said Nicholson: “I was dead tired, but I didn’t stop. That’s the difference in waiting a whole other year and getting it now.”
Nicholson lost his next match, which would’ve kept him alive for third place. He fell 3-1 in overtime on a controversial call to Penn State’s Mark McKnight. So Nicholson goes for seventh place in the morning.
Jenkins, meanwhile, can spend the day thinking about how he’s going to knock off No. 1 seed Brent Metcalf of Iowa. Metcalf has beaten him twice this season, by pin and major decision, but Jenkins (rightly so) is confident.
He’s won several thrillers this week, none moreso than the semifinal against N.C. State’s Darrion Caldwell.
He quickly took Caldwell down in the first, to lead 2-0. Caldwell escaped and returned the favor for a 3-2 lead heading to the second. He made it 4-2, but another Jenkins takedown tied it.
Another Caldwell escaped gave him a 5-4 lead heading to the third.
Jenkins took him down once more, leading 6-5 briefly. He cut Caldwell and it was tied. A late Caldwell takedown and Jenkins escape left the PSU sophomore trailing 8-7 with under 30 seconds to go.
Then, all at once, Jenkins launched himself and Caldwell. In a blink, he’d taken him down and nearly pinned him. It was a five-point move in the final eight seconds, and Jenkins was headed to the finals.
He celebrated wildly and was feeling VERY good afterward. Read my story on Jenkins in Saturday’s paper for more … but here were some of his post-match thoughts:
ON THE SEMIS: “Everybody wanted to see that match. It was fun to wrestle. With about 45 seconds to go, I knew I had a lot of gas left. I knew I was in his head.”
ON HOW HE FELT: “A bundle of emotions. I wanted to give the crowd a show, so I flexed and kissed my biceps. I hope someone got a picture of that so I can hang it up as a poster.”
ON LEADING METCALF IN JANAURY, THEN GETTING PINNED: “Not only did he beat me up, he basically told me I couldn’t hang with him. I realized if I couldn’t wrestle a full seven minutes, if I didn’t get a gas tank, I wasn’t going to win anything. It refocused me. I started getting up early to work out. I ran to practice every day for two months. I said never again.”
ON WHETHER METCALF IS THE PERFECT FINALS OPPONENT: “Oh, yeah. If I beat him, I won’t be an underdog anymore. I’ll be the man. He’s at the top of the totem poll, and I think I can beat him. I think he knows I can.”
That’s enough for now. I’m tired, and I need to rest up for a wild night tomorrow. If you’re still with me at this hour, thanks a bunch.
See you soon …
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Out on their (cauliflower) ear ...
21
Mar 08
4:12 PM
*** LOCAL CONSOLATION UPDATE: Kyle Hutter (ODU) loses, Ryan Williams (ODU) loses, Chris Brown (ODU) loses, Patrick Bond (ILL) loses
Today brought bitter disappointment for former Great Bridge High star Patrick Bond. Once a four-time state champ and all-everything recruit, Bond has long been expected to make a national splash in college.
He flirted with that all this season – his redshirt sophomore campaign at Illinois – beating a handful of highly ranked wrestlers. He came in seeded ninth this weekend.
But for the second straight year, Bond went 1-2 at nationals. He bowed out in this morning’s consolation round, losing 7-2 to Arizona State’s Jason Trulson. Bond was never close in the match.
He trailed 4-0 before scoring his first point on an escape and gave up three takedowns in the first five minutes.
Illini assistant coach Carl Perry, another former Great Bridge star who won an NCAA title at Illinois in 2000, tried to explain.
“Patrick Bond has the kind of ability to be in the finals,” he said. “But I think the biggest thing is he puts so, so much pressure on himself. If he could just find a way to love to compete again, to loosen up, he’d be a dangerous man.”
After all, earlier this year, Bond beat sixth-seeded Dallas Herbst of Nebraska, who is wrestling in tonight’s semifinals.
…
In other area news … Old Dominion’s six-man contingent has dwindled to just one. The Monarchs lost two on Day 1, and three more were eliminated in today’s first consolation round.
Only freshman James Nicholson (125) is left. After losing in the quarterfinals, if he can knock off Penn’s Rollie Peterkin (9th seed) in tonight’s consolation round, he’ll be an All-American.
Otherwise, coach Steve Martin and crew head home empty handed.
Here’s how the Monarchs fell today:
At 133, Kyle Hutter (1-2) escaped early in the second period to tie the match at 2-all … and then promptly surrendered consecutive takedowns to Ohio State’s Reece Humphrey – who was simply quicker on his feet – and lost 6-3.
At 141, Ryan Williams (1-2) took down Liberty’s Tim Harner late in the first for a 3-2 lead, then escaped to start the second period for a 4-2 edge … then Harner dropped Williams, got three near-fall points … and the match got away. Williams lost 10-5.
At 165, Chris Brown (1-2) entered the third period tied (anybody noticing a trend here?), but Arizona State’s Patrick Pitsch scored an escape to start the third.
Pitsch built that lead to 5-2 with a quick takedown, then rode Brown almost to the end. Brown lost 5-3.
This was not the tournament Martin or the Monarchs had hoped to have. But they’ve also never had this many kids experience the national tournament together – the cool parts and the crushing losses.
And ALL six of these guys are back for Martin next year. They won’t have stars in their eyes if they make it back to the NCAAs in 2009.
That’s all for now. Check back tonight to find out if Bubba Jenkins will be wrestling for a championship tomorrow. And whether Nicholson became ODU’s first All-American in 13 years.
See ya …
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Former Falcon flying ...
21
Mar 08
12:46 PM
*** LOCAL QUARTERFINAL UPDATE: James Nicholson (ODU) loses, Bubba Jenkins (PSU) wins
Well, folks, whatever Bubba Jenkins does the rest of the tournament – even if he doesn’t win another match – he’s an All-American.
The sophomore from Cox High School upset the No. 3 seed, Harvard’s J.P. O’Connor, 5-2 just now to reach tonight’s semifinals. That after last night's victory over Northwestern's Ryan Lang, a returning national finalist.
Jenkins, a sixth-seed who finished fifth in the brutal Big 10 two weeks ago, stayed in the hunt for a national title with a quick first-period takedown, followed by the decisive points on another speedy shot in the last 11 seconds of the second period.
Now, Jenkins can finish no worse than sixth at 149 pounds. After his latest win, he pounded his chest and pointed to his mom up in one of the Scottrade Center boxes.
“All-American, baby!” he said. “If you’re not here to win it, you’re here for the wrong reason. I’m here to stand on top of the podium.”
Jenkins will wrestle N.C. State’s Darrion Caldwell, a seventh seed who upset No. 2 Dustin Schlatter, in the semis. The winner will go for the national championship live on ESPN tomorrow night.
I’ll have a full story on Jenkins – who’s being cheered on by another Cox High alumnus and former NCAA finalist, Brian Stith – in tomorrow’s Pilot.
South Hampton Roads’ other quarterfinalist didn’t do so well.
James Nicholson (125) couldn’t pull the stunner in this morning … but this wasn’t exactly a surprise. The last time the ODU freshman wrestled No. 2 seed Jayson Ness of Minnesota – back in December – he was pinned in less than two minutes.
At least today he lasted 4:04. Nicholson (worth noting again here that he’s the first quarterfinalist for the Monarchs in TWELVE YEARS) was never really in this one.
He trailed 9-1 when Ness finally wrenched his shoulders to the mat. Steve Martin will have to wait for his first national champ. But he still has a real shot at coaching ODU’s first All-American since 1995.
Nicholson drops to tonight’s consolation round, where he’ll face the winner of Eric Hoffman (North Dakota State) and No. 9 Rollie Peterkin (Penn). Nicholson just needs to win once tonight to guarantee All-American status.
That’s all for now. I’ll post another update in about an hour with ODU’s consolation-round results, along with whether Illinois’ Patrick Bond can keep his All-American hopes alive here in a few minutes.
Stay with me …
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Day 1 is done, and so am I ...
20
Mar 08
11:16 PM
*** LOCAL ROUND 2 UPDATE: James Nicholson (ODU) wins, Ryan Williams (ODU) loses, Bubba Jenkins (PSU) wins, Bond (ILL) loses
*** LOCAL CONSOLATION UPDATE: Kyle Hutter (ODU) wins, Christian Smith (LIB) loses, Chris Brown (ODU) wins, Jesse Strawn (ODU) loses, Andy Totusek (ODU) loses
Sorry so long to post … but the wireless Internet situation here in the Scottrade Center has been, to say the least, a disaster. The food ain’t so hot, either, but that’s less pressing.
I’ve been booted on and off the network, along with other reporters, for the last two-plus hours. BUT … the show did go on out there on the mats.
So here’s the latest:
Illinois’ Patrick Bond (197) could not join Bubba Jenkins in tomorrow’s quarterfinals. His opponent, eighth-seeded Craig Brester of Nebraska, pretty well dominated the match.
Bond was behind throughout and never really threatened a comeback, losing 7-2. He’ll still have a legit shot at making the podium Saturday, though, by climbing back through the conso bracket.
Once referred to – in our newspaper – by Steve Martin as a “greek god” … Bond still looks imposing as heck among his college peers. I mean … I’ve always wondered what kind of linebacker he’d have made.
Anyway, all that said … the Captain Adonis Award in that height, however, goes to Penn State’s Phil Davis. He’s simply terrifying.
Moving on …
The Monarchs stayed afloat in tonight’s late consolation round.
Kyle Hutter (133) edged Chattanooga’s Stephen Hromada, 2-1, and will face Ohio State’s Reece Humphrey tomorrow. Hutter is a scrapper, and he could make a run.
Chris Brown (165) also kept his All-American aspirations alive. After his near-miss against the No. 4 seed in Round 1, Brown crushed Bakersfield’s Daniel Atondo, 13-5, to advance in the conso bracket.
Christian Smith (133) was not so fortunate. The former three-timer at Western Branch ended his college career with a two-and-out day at nationals. Smith, a Liberty senior, lost 4-2 to Appy State’s Terreyl Williams in the consos.
ODU’s quest to keep a fifth guy going in the tournament fell short when Jesse Strawn (184) was pinned in 27 seconds by Cal-Fullerton’s Ian Murphy in the loser’s bracket.
The Monarchs’ freshman heavyweight, who nearly won his first-round match, was overmatched by Nebraska's Jon May in the consolation round. Andy Totusek was nearly pinned and lost by major decision, 12-2.
That’s all the news for now. I need a nap before heading back here bright and early in the a.m., when the real fun begins. See you soon …
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Monarch makes history, Jenkins survives ...
20
Mar 08
8:50 PM
*** LOCAL ROUND 2 UPDATE: James Nicholson (ODU) wins, Ryan Williams (ODU) loses, Bubba Jenkins (PSU) wins
Old Dominion has its first NCAA quarterfinalist since Nick Hall in 1996. And he’s only a redshirt freshman.
James Nicholson advanced to the 125-pound quarters by dominating both his opponents here today. After cruising in Round 1 against Edinboro’s Eric Morrill, Nicholson upset No. 7 seed Michael Sees of Bloomsburg in the second round tonight.
Nicholson, a 10th seed, controlled the match from start to finish and won 8-2, advancing to face a tall task in tomorrow morning’s quaterfinals. He meet No. 2 Jayson Ness of Minnesota, looking for another huge upset to keep his national title hopes alive.
At worst, winning twice today has him in good position to make the medal stand as an All-American.
Teammate Ryan Williams didn’t fare as well in Round 2, but he did put up a heckuva fight against the No. 1 seed at 141 pounds. Williams was tied 0-0 after the first period with Cal Poly’s Chad Mendes.
He trailed just 3-2 early in the third period. But Mendes wore him down, and took him down, enough to escape with a 7-4 win.
And … just moments ago … Cox High grad Bubba Jenkins advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Big 10 foe Ryan Lang of Northwestern in the second round.
Jenkins, a Penn State sophomore, beat Lang 11-8 earlier this season and hand his hands full tonight. He led 2-0 after an early takedown, but Lang reversed Jenkins to tie it.
The score was 3-3 heading to the third period, where Jenkins escaped for a one-point lead. From there, he fended off a furious takedown try by Lang, who had Jenkins’ leg – and had him hopping on one foot – for the final 10 seconds.
Jenkins survived, 4-3, and will face Harvard’s J.P. O’Connor, the No. 3 seed, in tomorrow’s quarterfinals.
That’s all for now. I’ll be back shortly to update Patrick Bond’s second-round match, as well as the results of our other local grapplers in the consolation round coming up.
Until then, here’s a rundown of all the championship-bracket results for locals thus far …
Second round
125: Nicholson (ODU) d. Sees (BLOOM), 8-2; 141: Mendes (CAL-P) d. Williams (ODU), 7-4; 149: Jenkins (PSU) d. Lang (NW), 4-3; 197: Bond (ILL) ???.
First round
125: Nicholson (ODU) d. Morrill (EDIN) 8-2; 133: #10 Castillo (NIU) m.d. Smith (LIB), 13-4; #11 Baker (NAV) d. Hutter (ODU), 12-5; 141: Williams (ODU) d. Lashaway (KENT), 4-2 SV2; 149: Jenkins (PSU) m.d. Saddoris (NAV), 15-5; 165: Lewnes (CORN) d. Brown (ODU), 5-3; 184: Goodman (NCST) d. Strawn (ODU), 12-10; 197: Bond (ILL) d. Shovlin (PENN), 3-1 SV; 285: Rogers (WVU) d. Totusek (ODU), 4-2.
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Wrapping up the first round ...
20
Mar 08
3:48 PM
*** ROUND 1 LOCAL UPDATE (overall 4-5): James Nicholson (ODU) wins, Kyle Hutter (ODU) loses, Ryan Williams (ODU) wins, Bubba Jenkins (PSU) wins, Christian Smith (Liberty) loses, Chris Brown (ODU) loses, Jesse Strawn (ODU) loses, Patrick Bond (Illinois) wins, Andy Totusek (ODU) loses.
*** ROUND 1 STATE UPDATE: Ross Gitomer (UVA) lost 1-0 to Central Michigan’s Luke Smith in a pigtail match (the round before the official first round) at 125; Matt Epperly (VT) lost 9-0 to eighth-seeded Moza Fay of Northern Iowa at 165; Christopher Henrich (UVA) lost 7-2 to third-seeded Brandon Browne of Nebraska at 174; Rocco Caponi (UVA) won, by pin, over Edinboro’s Christopher Honeycutt. The 11th seed pinned in 4:04.
Before I say anything else: There are 15,513 fans here at the morning session. That’s 11 a.m. on a Thursday, and the crazies have packed out the arena. And who says wrestling’s a dying sport?
The pulse is pounding here. Now, back to the action …
As the first round rolls on, Old Dominion just missed on a chance to land a major upset. Chris Brown – who earlier this year beat the defending NCAA champ – took fourth-seeded Mack Lewnes of Cornell to the buzzer.
Brown, a sophomore 165-pounder, wrestled to a scoreless tie after the first period, trailed a 2-0 after briefly going to his back, and tied it 2-all heading to the third period.
Lewnes quickly went back up 4-2, but Brown escaped with 51 seconds left to trim the lead. He nearly nailed a takedown with 35 seconds left, but Lewnes fought him off for the 5-3 victory (he got another point for riding time).
Brown drops into the consolation round, where he’ll be a dangerous draw for anyone he meets. First up: Cal State Bakersfield’s Daniel Atondo. I won’t be at all surprised to see Brown make a solid run in the consos.
*** Interesting team-score note: As I type … and this changes every few minutes … ODU’s conference rival, Hofstra, is tied for second in the team standings. I doubt that holds, but pretty impressive. Minnesota is leading the pack thus far.
The final three South Hampton Roads representatives finished up the first round moments ago.
ODU’s Jesse Strawn and Andy Totusek lost at 184 pounds and heavyweight, respectively, while Illinois’ Patrick Bond (former four-time state champ at Great Bridge High) survived a scare and advanced at 197.
Strawn hung tight with N.C. State’s Ryan Goodman, tied 3-3 in the second period, but suffered a series of takedowns and trailed as much as 9-4 in the third. He battled back, but ran out of time (and gas) and lost 12-10.
Totusek, a true freshman and surprise NCAA qualifier, lost a heartbreaker. After a scoreless first, Totusek escaped in the second for a 1-0 lead. His opponent, West Virginia’s Dustin Rogers, did the same in the third period, and the match seemed headed to overtime.
But Totusek, trying to end it, tried a shot in the closing moments. Instead, Rogers snared his leg and used the leverage to trip Totusek and take him down with five seconds left for a 3-1 win.
The Monarchs were close to a 4-2 mark in the first round, and easily could have gone 3-3. Alas, ODU will have to settle for two in the championship round and four Monarchs battling back through the consolations.
Meanwhile, ninth-seeded Bond needed overtime to get past Penn’s Thomas Shovlin. After a scoreless first period, Bond escaped to start the second for a 1-0 lead. His opponent did the same to start the third period and the match went to overtime tied at 1-all.
There, with eight seconds left in the extra period, Bond struck quickly and took down Shovlin for the win. Up next: Eighth-seeded Craig Brewster of Nebraska in this evening’s second round.
That’s it for Round 1. I’m gonna take a break to do what sportswriters do best: eat. Then I’ll be back to keep you posted on Round 2 and consos. Don’t click that dial …
ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules. Comments do not reflect the views or approval of The Virginian-Pilot or this Web site. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment to alert an editor. Repeat offenders will be denied automatic posting privileges.
Gentlemen, start your singlets ...
20
Mar 08
1:43 PM
*** ROUND 1 LOCAL UPDATE: James Nicholson (ODU) wins, Kyle Hutter (ODU) loses, Ryan Williams (ODU) wins, Bubba Jenkins (PSU) wins, Christian Smith (Liberty) loses.
You’re looking LIVE at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis! Ladies, gentlemen, guys with funny-looking ears … I’m your man at the NCAA Wrestling Championships here by the Arch.
This is my first time covering nationals, and I must say … wow. This is a pretty impressive event. It may not be hoops hysteria … and every round may not be on TV … but this is a crazy scene.
This huge arena is nearly full with frothing fans. Wall-to-wall mats and matches make this event a little tough to follow, but just look anywhere and you’ll see top-notch wrestling.
Right in front of me, in fact, was something special just now. A wrestler with one leg nearly knocked off the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds.
After winning a pigtail match to reach the official first round, Arizona State’s Anthony Robles tested Indiana’s Angel Escobedo, the top seed. Robles, who hopped on one leg out to the mat, then slid around the mat most of the match, led 2-1 against Escobedo.
He eventually lost 4-2. But … wow. Robles is no stranger to surprising success, though. He won the National High School Coaches Association senior nationals a few years back.
Impressive, indeed. Also impressive so far today has been Hampton Roads’ contingent in the tournament.
Three of Old Dominion’s six qualifiers have wrestled. Two of them won their first-round bouts.
James Nicholson, a freshman who’s seeded 10th at 125 pounds, cruised against Edinboro’s Eric Morrill. Nicholson an early takedown in the first period and another with 30 seconds left to lead 4-1 after the first.
The rookie controlled the match throughout and won 8-2. He’ll face seventh-seeded Michael Sees of Bloomsburg later this afternoon.
At 133 pounds, the Monarchs’ Kyle Hutter hung tough – trailing just 5-4 midway through the second period – but couldn’t pull the upset over 11th-seeded Joe Baker of Navy. Hutter lost 12-5 and drops into the consolation bracket.
If ODU lost momentum, it was brief. Moments later, junior Ryan Williams won a thriller at 141 pounds.
After a scoreless first period, Williams escaped to lead 1-0 after the second period. His opponent, Kent State’s Drew Lashaway, scored an escape of his own to tie it.
Lashaway nearly took down Williams late in third, but the Monarch managed to sprawl and lock his legs around Lashaway to avoid defeat. So the match went to overtime. And then another. And another …
Neither wrestler scored in the 1-minute sudden-victory period. Then each escaped in the two 30-second tie-breaker overtimes. So it was 2-2 heading to another 1-minute period.
Finally, with 21 seconds left, Williams mustered the energy to shoot – and finish – for the winning takedown, advancing with a 4-2 victory.
For his effort, Williams now gets the pleasure of facing No. 1 seed Chad Mendes of Cal Poly in Round 2 this afternoon. ODU coach Steve Martin wants to put his team on the map … and his boys will have lots of chances to do that this week.
Bubba Jenkins, meanwhile, is already on the map. The Penn State sophomore – and former state champ from Cox High – just finished his first-round bout on the mat directly in front of me.
He looks good (aside from a busted lip in Round 1). He led 2-1 after the first, stretched his lead to 8-4 early in the third period and then nearly pinned Navy’s Bryce Saddoris. He cruised into the second round with a 15-5 major decision.
Jenkins, the No. 6 seed at 149 pounds, will now face Northwestern’s Ryan Lang, the 11th seed who Jenkins has already beaten this season.
Oh ... this just in ... Liberty's Christian Smith (a three-time state champ at Western Branch High) lost his first-round match at 133 pounds. He fell 13-4 to Northern Illinois' Patrick Castillo and now drops into the conso round.
That’s all for now. Several other area wrestlers still have first-round matches to wrestle. I’ll be back to update you when they’re done. Stay tuned …
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