Dec. 30, 2003

For the first time in Midland Classic and school history, the University of Illinois wrestling team has captured the tournament title, doing it in dramatic fashion. It came down to the 157-pound championship match where sophomore All-American Alex Tirapelle defeated two-time U.S. World Team member and former NCAA Champion Chris Bono (of Iowa State), 2-1 in double overtime. Junior Mark Jayne took second at 133 pounds, while Brian Glynn placed third at 184 pounds. The team took first, beating out second-place Iowa State, third-place Penn State, fourth-place Hofstra and Iowa in fifth.

It was a tight race for the championship between the seventh-ranked Illini and second-ranked Iowa State. Going into the finals, the Illini led by 9.5 points, but Iowa Stae's Zach Roberson's win over Jayne at 133 pounds and ISU 149-pounder Trent Paulson's victory in the finals cut the Illini lead to 1.5. With Tirapelle's win, the Illini secured the tournament title.

Tirapelle (So., Clovis, Calif.) and Bono went scoreless through the first period, but Tirapelle began to turn heads when he rode Bono for 1:11. Bono took a 1-0 lead into the third period, but a Tirapelle escape at 1:53 tied to score at 1-1 at the end of regulation. Neither wrestler was able to get a scoring shot in the first one-minute sudden victory period, so the match went to tie break (two 30-second periods) overtime. Tirapelle rode out Bono to keep the score tied through the first 30 seconds and got an escape point in his 30 seconds to secure the 2-1 win.

"The plan was to ride him hard. If he has a weakness, which he doesn't, that's where I wanted to attack. (Bono) has a low center of gravity and it is hard to get to his legs," Tirapelle said. "This was a great win for the team. Midlands is a really good indicator of what we can expect at NCAAs. It is a two-day grind of hard wrestling."

Jayne (Jr., Elyria, Ohio) was the second Illini finalist, but fell to Roberson, 12-7 to take second place. He gave up only one takedown in the first period to fall behind 1-2 after one, but Roberson took over in the second, scoring on three takedowns to build a 9-3 lead. Jayne rallied to take Roberson down with 10 seconds remaining to cut the lead, but eventually fell to the All-American.

Glynn (Jr., Orland Park, Ill.) also drew a non-collegian as he took on Chattanooga Wrestling Club's Tyson Thivierge, winning 7-6 with a takedown with 37 seconds remaining in the match. Thivierge took a 5-1 lead before Glynn chipped away with three escapes and a takedown at 1:39 in the third to tie the match at 5-5. Thivierge escaped at 1:12 to go up 6-5, but Glynn got the score at the end of the match to secure the victory.

NOTES: Fans can catch Tirapelle and Jayne's matches from the finals of the 41st Midlands Classic, which will be broadcast on Fox Sports Chicago on Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. CT ... Former Illinois All-American Nate Patrick took seventh after defeating Ryan Fulsaas, 3-2 in his final match of the tournament.

TEAM STANDINGS (out of 61 teams)
1. Illinois-107.5
2. Iowa State-102
3. Penn State -92
4. Hofstra -87.5
5. Iowa -80.5
6. Central Michigan-79
7. Northern Iowa -75
8. CS-Bakersfield -71
9. Ohio State -64
10. Cornell -62.5

ILLINOIS PLACEWINNERS
1st- Alex Tirapelle (157)
2nd-Mark Jayne (133)
3rd-Brian Glynn (184)
4th- Pete Friedl (174)
7th- Mike Behnke (Hwt)
8th- Michael Martin (141), Anthony Castillo (165)

133: #4 No. 4-seed Mark Jayne (Jr., Elyria, Ohio) 15-1
1st Round: Major dec. Rich Gebauer (Franklin & Marshall), 15-3
2nd Round: Major dec. Matt Eveleth (Penn), 11-3
Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 12-seed Sam Hiatt (N. Illinois), 8-7
Semifinals: Dec. Donald Lockett (San Fran St.), 8-5
Finals: Dec. #3 No. 2-seed Zach Roberson (Iowa State), 12-7

157: #1 No. 2-seed Alex Tirapelle (So., Clovis, Calif.) 15-0
1st Round: Major dec. Chad Roush (E. Michigan), 11-2
2nd Round: Won by injury default over James Woodall (Penn State)
Quarterfinals: No. 10-seed Brian Cobb (CS-Bakersfield), 9-4 SV
Semifinals: Won by injury default #3 No. 3-seed Jake Percival (Ohio Univ.)
Finals: Dec. No. 1-seed Chris Bono (Sunkist), 2-1 TB

174: #12 No. 6-seed Pete Friedl (So., Orland Park, Ill.) 16-4
1st Round: Dec. Francis Iorfido (Pitt), 3-1
2nd Round: Pinned by Ralph DeNisco (Wisconsin), 5:49
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. Greg Hallahan (Penn), 5-2
Consolation 3rd Round: Dec. Careef Robertson (Anderson), 4-2
Consolation 4th Round: Dec. #5 No. 5-seed Noel Thompson (Hofstra), 4-3
Consolation Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 8-seed Andrew Roy (Rutgers), 7-6
Consolation Semifinals: Major dec. #8 No. 7-seed Matt Herrington (Penn), 9-1
3rd-Place: Injury defaulted to #6 No. 4-seed Eric Hauan (N. Iowa)

184: #8 No. 6-seed Brian Glynn (Jr., Orland Park, Ill.) 15-3
1st Round: Major dec. John Garfinkel (Stanford), 10-1
2nd Round: Dec. Luke Lefever (Air Force), 9-4
Quarterfinals: Dec. #3 No. 3-seed Ben Heizer (N. Illinois), 3-2
Consolation 4th Round: Dec. Matt McCartney (C. Michigan), 5-3
Consolation Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 10-seed Eric Bradley (Penn State), 5-3
Consolation Semifinals: #5 No. 5-seed Kurt Backes (Iowa State)
3rd-Place Match: Dec. #2-seed Tyson Thivierge (Chattanooga WC), 7-6