Dec. 3, 2005
Illinois will send two wrestlers to the finals of tonight's Las Vegas Invitational as top-seeded All-American seniors Alex Tirapelle (157) and Pete Friedl (184) won their semifinal matches, Saturday afternoon, keeping their undefeated records intact. Illinois is in fifth place as Michigan leads the team competition, Cornell second, Missouri third, and Edinboro at fourth to round out the top-5.
Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.) was in command of his match against #7 No. 4-seed Matt Lebe (West Virginia). Tirapelle scored on a takedown then a near fall as time expired in the first period and never looked back. A point on an escape late in the third period sealed the 6-1 victory for Tirapelle. Friedl (Orland Park, Ill.) kept the pressure on No. 12-seed Louis Caputo (Harvard) as he scored on a takedown in the first period, a reversal in the second, and another takedown in the third to win the match, 8-4.
The Illini were hoping to place four wrestlers in the finals but Junior Donny Reynolds (174)'s semifinal match was cut short as he hurt his ankle and had to default to #1 No. 1-seed Ben Askeren of Missouri. Reynolds' (Frankfort, Ill.) tournament is over as he finishes at sixth place. Mike Poeta's (165) quest for a title was also derailed as he lost a 4-2 decision against # 4 No. 2-seed Matt Pell of Missouri then a lost a 6-4 decision against #11 No. 4 seed Patrick Pitsch of Arizona St. Poeta (Highwood, Ill.) finished strong, however, by taking a 9-6 decision over Evan Copeland of Adams St. to finish in fifth place.
A pair of Illini wrestlers are still battling in the consolation bracket and are guaranteed to finish the day on the medal stand. Fifth-ranked Tyrone Byrd (197) finishes the day in seventh place. Byrd (Clinton, Ill.) won a decision over #9 and No. 3-seed Casey Phelps (Boise State), 7-1 but lost a close 2-1 decision to #14 No. 1-seed Ryan Bader (Arizona St.). Byrd finished the tournament strong by pinning No. 9-seed Ryan Moore of Purdue at 3:59. Junior heavyweight Matt Weight (Batavia, Ill.) was looking for redemption against Andy Patrick (Boise St.) who he lost to earlier in the tournament. Weight lost the rematch 3-1 then lost to No. 4-seed Ty Watterson of Oregon St. to finish in eighth.
157: #1 Alex Tirapelle (No. 1 Seed), Sr., Clovis, Calif.
1st Round: Maj. dec. Ryan Williams (Cal Poly), 13-2
2nd Round: Maj. dec. Jake Frerichs (Ohio), 10-2
Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 9-seed Charles Jones (Fresno St.), 4-1
Semifinals: Dec. # 7 No. 4-seed Matt Lebe (West Virginia), 6-1
Up Next - Finals: #20 No.6-seed Steve Luke (Michigan)
165: Mike Poeta (No. 6 Seed), r-Fr., Highwood, Ill.
1st Round: Dec. Cody Henriksen (Augustana), 8-2
2nd Round: Maj. dec. No. 11-seed Chris Vondruska (Hofstra), 12-4
Quarterfinals: Dec. # 7 No. 3-seed Justin Nestor (Pitt), 6-0
Semifinals: Lost to # 4 No. 2-seed Matt Pell (Missouri), 4-2
Semifinals Consolation: Lost to #11 No. 4 seed Patrick Pitsch (Arizona St.), 6-4
5th Place Match: Dec. Evan Copeland (Adams St.), 9-6
174: Donny Reynolds (No. 4 Seed), Jr., Frankfort, Ill.
Pigtail: TF Matt Lively (Lessen College), 17-2 7:00
1st Round: Pinned Adam Swift (USAF Acad), 3:41
2nd Round: Dec. Darius Caldwell (The Citadel), 9-5
Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 12-seed Blake Maurer (Ohio St.), 9-5
Semifinals: Injury defaulted to # 1 No. 1-seed Ben Askren (Missouri) - Reynolds out of tournament due to injury
184: # 3 Pete Friedl (No. 1 Seed), Sr., Orland Park, Ill.
1st Round: Dec. Richard Escobar (SF State), 3-2
2nd Round: Maj. dec. Matt Moyer (George Mason), 16-6
Quarterfinals: Dec. #13 No. 8-seed Joe Rovelli (Hofstra), 6-4
Semifinals: Dec. No. 12-seed Louis Caputo (Harvard), 6-4
Up Next - Finals #4 No. 2-seed Ben Wissel (Purdue)
197: #11 Tyrone Byrd (No. 5 Seed), Sr., Clinton, Ill.
Pigtail: TF. Jack Sullivan (Penn), 15-0 3:00
1st Round: Maj. dec. Blair Alderman (Dana College), 16-0
2nd Round: Dec. No. 12-seed Jared Villers (West Virginia), 2-1
Quarterfinals: Lost to #10 No. 12-seed Jerry Rinaldi (Cornell), 1-0
Quarterfinals consolation 1st Round: Dec. #9 No. 3-seed Casey Phelps (Boise St.), 7-1
Quarterfinals consolation 2nd Round: Lost to #14 No. 1-seed Ryan Bader (Arizona St.), 2-1
7th Place Match: Pinned Ryan Moore (Purdue) 3:59
Hwt: Matt Weight (No. 11 Seed), Jr., Batavia, Ill.
1st Round: Lost to Andy Patrick (Boise St.), 5-3
Consolation 1st Round: Dec. Aaron Keough (Purdue), 3-1
Consolation 2nd Round: Maj. dec. Peter Bozynski (Penn), 10-0
Consolation 3rd Round: Dec. Janior Palma (NC State), 2-1
Consolation 4th Round: Maj. dec. Levon Mock (Brown), 13-0
Consolation 5th Round: Dec. No. 10-seed Cody Parker (Fresno St.), 3-1
Consolation 6th Round: Lost to Andy Patrick (Boise St.), 3-1
7th Place Match: Lost to Ty Watterson (Oregon St.), 5-2
