March 8, 2003
Senior top-ranked and No. 1-seed Matt Lackey will look to defend his Big Ten title when he takes on Minnesota's Jacob Volkmann tomorrow afternoon in the finals of the conference championships. He dominated the 165-pound fourth-seed in a 14-3 major decision over Oscar Santiago. The Illini also added a fifth NCAA qualifier as 149-pound freshman Tony Pedrosa defeated Penn State's Nathan Galloway, 3-0. Illinois stands in fifth place after two sessions with 70.5 team points, 14.5 points behind third and 9.5 short of fourth. Minnesota leads the tight team race with 110 points, just 4.5 ahead of Iowa's 105.5.
The Illini will have four wrestlers in the consolation semifinals, competing for anywhere from third to sixth place, however all have already automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships in two weeks. Four others are in the seventh-place match, which is a must-win to advance to nationals.
Lackey (Sr., Moline, Ill.) improved to 32-0 and recorded his 114th career victory with his win over Santiago. Lackey faced Volkmann on one other occasion this season, beating him for the Las Vegas Invitational title, winning a 6-2 decision. He is looking to become Illinois' 64th Big Ten Champion and first back-to-back winner since Jon Llewellyn in 1989-1991. Sophomore 133-pounder Mark Jayne (Elyria, Ohio) fell to the No. 2-seed Cliff Moore, 10-4 to fall to the consolation bracket where he will face Rene Hernandez of Purdue, who he beat in a major decision during the season.
Illinois' two other semifinalists both lost to their Iowa opponents by scores of 5-2. Brian Glynn (So., Orland Park, Ill.) lost to the top-seed Tyler Nixt at 174 pounds, while Pete Friedl (Fr., Orland Park, Ill.) gave No. 1 Jessman Smith a run for his money at 184. Glynn will take on Brady Reinke of Wisconsin, who he beat in the out-bracket of this tournament, 8-0. Friedl drew Ohio State's Casey Kaputska, who he defeated 4-3 in the season dual.
In the qualifying matches, senior Twan Pham (Palatine, Ill.) needs to beat Penn State's Adam Smith to return to the NCAA Champs for the second straight year. Pham lost a 4-2 decision to Bobby Lowe of Minnesota in sudden victory overtime. At 141, freshman Cal Ferry (Machesney, Ill.) lost a 5-2 decision to Wisconsin's Tyler Laudon to fall to the seventh-place bout and will need a win over Michigan's Clark Forward, who he has a 1-1 record against this season.
Illinois' three-seed at 157 Alex Tirapelle (Fr., Clovis, Calif.) got called for locked hands (1 point) and stalling (1 points in the final seconds of the third period to allow Penn State's Nate Wachter to send the match into overtime and couldn't escape in the tie break overtime to lose 2-2. Penn State's Ryan Cummins also got the best of Tyrone Byrd (So., Clinton, Ill.) at 197 pounds, winning 2-1. Cummins got an escape point and locked-hands call to earn the only two points needed for the win. Tirapelle will face Purdue's Clovis Crane and Byrd will need to win a rematch with Northwestern's Matt Delguyd on Sunday.
Team Standings
1. Minnesota - 110.0
2. Iowa - 105.5
3. Penn State - 85.0
4. Michigan State - 80.0
5. Illinois - 70.5
6. Purdue - 69.5
7. Michigan - 66.0
8. Ohio State - 65.0
9. Wisconsin - 57.0
10. Indiana - 28.5
11. Northwestern - 11.0
125: No. 5-seed (#9) Twan Pham - Sr., Palatine, Ill., 14-4
Rat Tail: Dec. John Velez (Northwestern), 2-1 TB
Quarterfinals: Lost to No. 4-seed Luke Eustice (Iowa), 3-1
Consolation Quarterfinals: Lost to Bobby Lowe (Minnesota), 4-2 SV
Up Next - 7th-Place Match: No. 7-seed Adam Smith (Penn State)
133: No. 3-seed (#9) Mark Jayne - So., Elyria, Ohio, 24-9
Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 6-seed Tom Clum (Wisconsin), 7-4
Semifinals: Lost to No. 2-seed Cliff Moore (Iowa), 10-4
Up Next - Consolation Semifinals: No. 8-seed Rene Hernandez (Purdue)
141: Cal Ferry - Fr., Machesney, Ill., 16-14
Rat Tail: Dec. No. 8-seed John Giacche (Northwestern), 2-1
Quarterfinals: Lost to No. 1-seed Coyte Cooper (Indiana), 11-1
Consolation Quarterfinals: Lost to Tyler Laudon (Wisconsin), 5-2
Up Next - 7th-Place Match: No. 7-seed Clark Forward (Michigan)
149: No. 5-seed Tony Pedrosa - Fr., Oregon, Ill., 18-12
Quarterfinals: Pinned by No. 4-seed Ryan Churella (Michigan), 4:39
Consolation Quarterfinals: Dec. Nathan Galloway (PSU), 3-0
Up Next - Consolation Semifinals: No. 3-seed Karl Nadolsky (Michigan St.)
157: No. 3-seed (#6) Alex Tirapelle - Fr., Clovis, Calif., 28-7
Quarterfinals: Lost to No. 6-seed Ryan Bertin (Michigan), 3-2
Consolation 1st Round: Major dec. Isaac Knable (Indiana), 16-3
Consolation Quarterfinals: Lost to No. 7-seed Nate Wachter (Penn State), 2-2 TB
Up Next - 7th-Place Match: No. 8-seed Clovis Crane (Purdue)
165: No. 1-seed (#1) Matt Lackey - Sr., Moline, Ill., 32-0
Rat Tail: Won by fall Kelly Flaherty (Wisconsin), 1:00
Quarterfinals: Major dec. No. 8-seed Matt Anderson (Iowa), 10-1
Semifinals: Major dec. No. 4-seed Oscar Santiago (Purdue), 14-3
Up Next - Finals: No. 3-seed Jacob Volkmann (Minnesota)
174: No. 4-seed (#8) Brian Glynn - So., Orland Park, Ill., 26-6
Rat Tail: Major dec. Brady Reinke (Wisconsin), 8-0
Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 5-seed Rashad Evans (Michigan St.), 3-1
Semifinals: Lost to No. 1-seed Tyler Nixt (Iowa), 5-2
Up Next - Consolation Semifinals: Brady Reinke (Wisconsin)
184: No. 5-seed (#18) Pete Friedl - Fr., Orland Park, Ill., 20-6
Rat Tail: Won by fall Matt Nagel (Minnesota), 4:09
Quarterfinals: Major dec. No. 4-seed Ralph DeNisco (Wisconsin), 14-6
No. 1-seed Lost to Jessman Smith (Iowa), 5-2
Up Next - Consolation Semifinals: Casey Kaputska (Ohio State)
197: No. 7-seed (#13) Tyrone Byrd - So., Clinton, Ill., 20-11
Rat Tail: Dec. Matt Delguyd (Norhwestern), 6-0
Quarterfinals: Lost to No. 2-seed Damion Hahn (Minnesota), 9-3
Consolation Quarterfinals: Lost to Ryan Cummins (PSU), 2-1
Up Next - 7th-Place Match: Matt Delguyd (Northwestern)
Hwt: Chris Little - Fr., Mahomet, Ill., 8-15
Rat Tail: Lost to No. 7-seed Isreal Blevins (Purdue), 9-2
Consolation 1st Round: Lost to No. 8-seed John Wechter (Michigan State), 3-2
