Dec. 2, 2000

PRIMM, Nev. - The fifth-ranked University of Illinois wrestling team picked up five victories in the semifinal round of the 2000 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Saturday to cruise into the championship finals with the team title in hand. When it was over, the Illini outdistanced runner-up Nebraska 156.00-113.50.

Adam Tirapelle, the top ranked wrestler in the nation at 149 pounds, beat No. 2 Dave Esposito for the Illini?s first individual title of the night. Matt Lackey then won a thrilling 6-3 decision over No. 4 Chris Martin of Virginia Tech at 165 pounds. Lackey trailed in the match 3-2 with under five seconds remaining and, from a clinch, threw Martin to his back recording two points for the takedown and two more for back points. Lackey was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament for his effort.

Nate Patrick was the final titlist for Illinois. He avenged a Las Vegas setback from a year ago with a 6-2 win over Steve Saxlund of Division II North Dakota State in the 184 pound final. Saxlund beat Patrick 3-1 in overtime last year in the same tournament.

At 149 pounds, Dave Esposito of Lehigh jumped out to a 1-0 lead with an escape in the second period but Tirapelle recorded the first takedown of the match 15 seconds later to take the lead at 2-1. Esposito gained one point for an escape at the end of the period before Tirapelle took over the match. Tirapelle started the third period down, recorded a quick escape and recorded a takedown with under a minute remaining and notched a 6-2 victory with the extra point for riding time.

The tournament field featured 11 of the top 22 teams in the nation including four in the top 10. This year?s title is the Illini's second Las Vegas conquest in the past three years with the last win coming during the 1998-99 season.

Other placewinners for the Illini included Ben King (174 pounds) and Pat Quirk (197) who finished second at 174 pounds, Ryan Escobar seventh at 125, Ryan Berger eighth at 157 and John Lockhart fifth at heavyweight. Quirk was upended in the finals by returning NCAA champion and No. 1 ranked Brad Vering of Nebraska who needed two overtimes to escape with a 2-1 win.

Illinois started strong in the tournament with seven wrestlers picking up wins in the pigtail round, then added a perfect first round to start the tournament with a 17-0 record. Round Two didn?t go quite as smoothly with the Illini dropping four of their first five matches, but wins in the last five weights helped Illinois advance six wrestlers into the quarterfinals, the most of any school in the tournament. The Orange and Blue then advanced five wrestlers into the semifinals to extend the lead to nearly 15 points.

Complete individual results follow.

Team Results (Top 10 of 52)
1. Illinois- 156.00
2. Nebraska- 113.50
3. Lehigh- 105.50
4. Arizona State- 89.50
5. Oregon State- 88.50
6. Edinboro- 85.00
7. Oregon- 83.50
8. Boise State- 78.50
9. Fresno State- 70.50
10. Michigan- 65.00

Complete Illinois Results

125
Pigtail
Ryan Escobar (ILL) def. Charlie Soto (Edinboro), 5-3
First Round
Ryan Escobar (ILL) def. Brandon Lauer (West Virginia), 7-2
Second Round
Jason Powell (Nebraska) def. Ryan Escobar (ILL), 12-2
Wrestlebacks
Ryan Escobar (ILL) pinned Terrance Clendenin (Lehigh), 3:17
Ryan Escobar (ILL) def. Sean Shea (George Mason), 15-4
Ryan Escobar (ILL) def. Clinton Hicks (Brown), 5-0
Chuck Connor (No. Carolina) def. Ryan Escobar (ILL), 9-1
Seventh Place
Ryan Escobar (ILL) def. Nathan Navarro (Oregon State), 6-0

133
Pigtail
Kelly Madden (ILL) def. Levi Martinez (NW Wyoming), 21-6
First Round
Kelly Madden (ILL) def. Urijah Faber (Cal Davis), 7-3
Second Round
Derrick Hayes (Fresno State) def. Kelly Madden (ILL), 10-5
Wrestlebacks
Charlie Griggs (Boise State) def. Kelly Madden (ILL), 2-1 (ot)

141
Pigtail
Mike Castillo (ILL) pinned Robert Lynn (Portland State), 0:59
First Round
Mike Castillo (ILL) def. Luke Santos (San Francisco), 12-1
Second Round
Paul Konechne (South Dakota State) def. Mike Castillo (ILL), 4-1
Wrestlebacks
Mike Castillo (ILL) pinned Jerod Timothy (Southern Colorado), 3:38
Mike Castillo (ILL) def. Dustin Spaulding (Nebraska), 7-1
Dave Dies (Brown) def. Mike Castillo (ILL), 4-1

149
Pigtail
Adam Tirapelle (ILL) pinned Waylon Miller (San Francisco), 2:56
First Round
Adam Tirapelle (ILL) pinned Aaron Reasoner (Pima CC), 4:54
Second Round
Adam Tirapelle (ILL) def. Gable Sullivan (Cent. Oklahoma), 9-3
Quarterfinals
Adam Tirapelle (ILL) def. Mike Kulozycki (Michigan), 12-4
Semifinals
Adam Tirapelle (ILL) def. Ryan Shapert (Edinboro), 7-3
Final
Adam Tirapelle (ILL) def. Dave Esposito (Lehigh), 6-2

157
First Round
Ryan Berger (ILL) def. Jesse Sauage (Brown), 9-3
Second Round
Rocky Smart (Arizona State) def. Ryan Berger (ILL), 3-2
Wrestlebacks
Ryan Berger (ILL) tech. fall Ariel Dolid (Columbia), 4:42
Ryan Berger (ILL) def. Elizar Ceballos (Bakersfield), 20-6
Ryan Berger (ILL) def. Zach Doll (Pittsburgh), Med. Forfeit
Nathan Vasquez (Fresno State) def. Ryan Berger (ILL), 2-0
Seventh Place
Rocky Smart (Arizona State) def. Ryan Berger (ILL), 4-3

165
First Round
Matt Lackey (ILL) def. Travis Liermann (N. Idaho), 12-2
Second Round
Matt Lackey (ILL) def. Luke Crockett (Boise State), 9-3
Quarterfinals
Matt Lackey (ILL) def. Carl Fronhofer (Pittsburgh), 2-1 (ot)
Semifinals
Matt Lackey (ILL) def. Steve Blackford (Arizona State), 6-3
Final
Matt Lackey (ILL) def. Chris Martin (Virginia Tech), 6-3

174
First Round
Ben King (ILL) def. Abe Porter (Pacific Lutheran), 15-5
Second Round
Ben King (ILL) def. Mauricio Wright (San Francisco), 7-3
Quarterfinals
Ben King (ILL) def. Corey Bell (North Carolina), 4-2
Semifinals
Ben King (ILL) def. Eric Hall (Virginia Tech), 8-3
Final
Josh Koscheck (Edinboro) def. Ben King (ILL), 5-1

184
Pigtail
Nate Patrick (ILL) def. Chuck Sandlin (Cal Poly), 3-1
First Round
Nate Patrick (ILL) pinned Jason Gore (N.C. State), 4:49
Second Round
Nate Patrick (ILL) def. Harold Penson (Stanford), 13-2
Quarterfinals
Nate Patrick (ILL) def. Tyson Thivierge (Mont. St.-Northern), 6-4
Semifinals
Nate Patrick (ILL) def. Doug Lee (Oregon), 8-2
Final
Nate Patrick (ILL) def. Steve Saxlund (North Dakota State), 6-2

197
Pigtail
Pat Quirk (ILL) def. Andy Swanson (Arizona State), 10-1
First Round
Pat Quirk (ILL) def. Alain Ajoumessi (N. Idaho), 1-0
Second Round
Pat Quirk (ILL) def. Jon Trenge (Lehigh), 4-3
Quarterfinals
Pat Quirk (ILL) def. Jack Dennis (Colby CC), 3-2
Semifinals
Pat Quirk (ILL) def. Chael Sonnen (Oregon), 7-4
Final
Brad Vering (Nebraska) def. Pat Quirk (ILL), 2-1 (2ot)

Heavyweight
Pigtail
John Lockhart (ILL) pinned Randell Brown (Lassen), 2:06
First Round
John Lockhart (ILL) def. Mike Maben (Cal Davis), 2-1 (ot)
Second Round
John Lockhart (ILL) def. Kellan Fluckiger (Arizona St.), 3-1
Quarterfinals
Ryan Kehler (West Virginia) def. John Lockhart (ILL), 3-2
Wrestlebacks
John Lockhart (ILL) def. John Testa (Clarion), 3-1
John Lockhart (ILL) def. Kevin Hoy (Air Force), 3-2
Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State) def. John Lockhart (ILL), 3-2 (ot)
Fifth Place
John Lockhart (ILL) pinned Josh Pearce (Edinboro), 4:12