Dec. 30, 2006

Evanston, Ill. - Jimmy Kennedy (133) and Mike Poeta (157) are in the finals of the 44th Midlands Championships. With the team race mathematically locked up by Iowa State, Illinois heads into the final session in sixth place and with four wrestlers still in competition. Troy Tirapelle (149) will go for third and John Dergo (184) for fifth in tonight's final session. Roger Smith-Bergsrud, who medically forfeited out of the tournament, finished in sixth place.

Kennedy (Ingleside, Ill.), the seventh seed at 133, became the first Illini finalist of the day as he edged Eric Metzler (NU) 2-1. Down 1-0 in the second period, Kennedy tied the score as he picked up a stalling point against the Wildcat redshirt-freshman. Kennedy took the lead on an escape in the closing seconds of the third period. Kennedy, the only true freshman in the finals, will face top-ranked and top-seeded Nick Simmons of Michigan State.

Poeta (Highwood, Ill.) is back in the in the finals for the second straight year as he defeated the seventh-seeded Moza Fay (N. Iowa), 8-3, in their 157-pound bout. The fourth-ranked and third-seeded Poeta logged four takedowns in the victory. Last year, he finished second at 165 pounds. Poeta will meet top-ranked and top-seed Trent Paulson of Iowa State.

Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.), who won a decision and two major decisions in the afternoon session, will meet fifth-ranked and top-seeded JP O'Connor (Harvard) in the 149-pound third place match. At 184, Dergo (Morris, Ill.) will compete for fifth after he fell to #6 No. 4 seed Christian Sinnott (CMU), 11-3.

The final session of the Midlands Championships begins tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill.

TEAM STANDINGS (Out of 56 teams)
1. Iowa State - 149.5
2. Iowa 103.0
3. Central Michigan - 94.5
4. Northwestern - 94.0
5. Indiana - 90.0
6. ILLINOIS - 85.5
MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS
133: No. 7 seed Jimmy Kennedy (Fr., Ingleside, Ill.) 16-1
1st Round: Pinned Ben Lockett (SFSU), 1:29
2nd Round: Dec. Conor Beebe (CMU), 5-3
Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 2 seed Robbie Preston (independent), 5-3 SV
Semifinals: Dec. Eric Metzler (Northwestern), 2-1
Up Next - Finals: #1 No. 1 seed Nick Simmons (MSU)
149: #14 No. 7 seed Troy Tirapelle (So., Clovis, Calif.) 18-3
Pigtail: Dec. Jason roush (Mt. St. Joseph), 10-3
1st Round: Maj. dec. Aron Scott (Iowa St.), 18-5
2nd Round: Maj. dec. Tim Hammer (MSU), 12-4
Quarterfinals: Lost by dec. #5 No. 2 seed Matt Coughlin (IU), 12-6
Wrestleback 4th Round: Dec. Brad Stockton (Waldorf), 10-6
Wrestleback Quarterfinals: Maj. dec. Tyler Grayson (CMU), 12-2
Wrestleback Semifinals: Maj. dec. Matt Redmond (PU), 13-3
Up Next - Third Place: #5 No. 1 seed JP O'Connor (Harvard)
157: #4 No. 3 seed Mike Poeta (So., Highwood, Ill.) 10-0
1st Round: Maj. dec. Kenneth Packard (SFSU), 11-2
2nd Round: Maj. dec. Brad Medchill (Iowa), 17-4
Quarterfinals: Dec. Jason Knipp (Iowa St.), 8-3
Semifinals: Dec. No. 7 seed Moza Fay (N. Iowa), 8-3
Up Next - Finals: #1 No. 1 seed Trent Paulson (Iowa St.)
165: #14 No. 5 seed Roger Smith-Bergsrud (So., Lake Bluff, Ill.)18-4
1st Round: Dec. Lewis Hutchinson (Lincoln College), 7-2
2nd Round: Dec. Scott Dorn (Wildcat WC), 11-6
Quarterfinals: Dec. Jonathon Reader (Iowa St. unatt.), 5-3
Semifinals: Lost by maj. dec. to #2 No. 1 seed Mark Perry (Iowa), 12-0
Smith-Bergsrud medically-defaults out of tournament
174: Nick Guida (R-Fr., Allentown, Pa.) 14-7
1st Round: Dec. Jake Murphy (MSU), 4-2
2nd Round: Dec. Chad Beatty (Iowa), 6-5
Quarterfinals: Lost by dec. to #3 No. 1 seed James Yonushonis (PSU), 9-2
Wrestlebacks 4th Round: Lost by dec. Brandon Brown (independent), 8-3 - Guida eliminated
184: John Dergo (Fr., Morris, Ill.) 15-2
1st Round: Dec. Eric Simaz (Central Michigan), 7-4
2nd Round: Dec. No. 2 seed Gerald Harris (independent), 6-4 TB2
Quarterfinals: Lost by dec. to #14 No. 7 seed Joe Williams (MSU), 8-3
Wrestlebacks 4th Round: Dec. Colin Hitschler (Penn), 4-2
Wrestlebacks Quarterfinals: Dec. #11 No. 6 seed Marc Bennett (IU), 6-3
Wrestlebacks Semifinals: Lost by maj. dec. to #6 No. 4 seed Christian Sinnott (CMU), 11-3
Up Next - Fifth Place: No. 5 seed Louis Caputo (Harvard)