Dec. 29, 2008
Updated Midlands Brackets 
Updated Midlands Team Standings
Four Illini wrestlers advanced to tonight's quarterfinal matches at the 46th annual Midlands Championships and all 11 Illinois grapplers entered in the tournament remain alive. Second-ranked and top-seeded Jimmy Kennedy reached the quarters with a pair of comfortable wins, and he is joined by 11th-ranked and seventh-seeded Roger Smith-Bergsrud, sixth-seeded John Dergo and 16th-ranked and seventh-seeded Jordan Blanton join him in the third round.
Kennedy earned decisions over Larmie Shaffer (Iowa State-unattached) and American University's Jason Borshoff at 133, while Smith-Bergsrud (165) won each of his three matches in the pigtails and first two rounds by one point. Dergo earned a 12-5 win over Pittsburgh's Dave Sullivan and a 7-2 win over Central Michigan's Ben Bennett at 174. Blanton (184) defeated Michigan State's Nick Palmieri, 6-2, and scored a major decision over Wisconsin's Eric Bugenhagen, 9-1.
In addition, true-freshman B.J. Futrell (125) rebounded with a pair of wins in the wrestlebacks after dropping his first match to No. 8 and fifth-seeded Anthony Robles (Arizona State). True-freshman Eric Terrazas (149) and Clint Arlis (157) also are alive in the wrestlebacks after the pigtails and first two rounds of consolation matches, while No. 5 and fourth-seeded John Wise (HWT), seventh-seeded Patrick Bond (197), Joe Barczak and Jake Norman remain in the consolation bracket of the heavier weights, which only wrestled through the pigtails and first round of wrestlebacks.
The tournament resumes at 7 p.m. with the final five weight classes of the second round of wrestlebacks, as well as the quarterfinal round and additional wrestleback action.
125: B.J. Futrell, Fr., Park Forest, Ill., 16-4
1st Round: Tech. fall by #8, 5-seed Anthony Robles (Arizona State), 17-2 (7:00)
Consolation 1st Round: Maj. dec. Jordan McGuire (Eastern Michigan), 16-5
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. Caleb Flores (Northern Iowa), 7-1
Consolation 3rd Round: vs. Eric Olanowski (Michigan State)
133: #2 Jimmy Kennedy (No. 1 seed), Jr., Ingleside, Ill., 13-0
1st Round: Dec. Larmie Shaffer (Iowa State-unattached), 5-1
2nd Round: Dec. Jason Borshoff (American), 6-2
Quarterfinals: vs. Montell Marion (Iowa)
149: Eric Terrazas, Fr., Wheaton, Ill., 10-6
1st Round: Dec. by #8, 5-seed Steve Brown (Central Michigan), 4-1
Consolation 1st Round: Bye
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. Islam Abitrov (Nebraska-Kearney), 6-5
Consolation 3rd Round: vs. Nick Weaver (Rider)
157: Clint Arlis, Jr., Batavia, Ill., 4-3
Pigtail: Dec. by No. 5 seed Scott Winston (Rutgers), 11-4
Consolation 1st Round: Dec. Corey Carlo (Cleveland State), 13-6
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. Teiovan Edwards (Arizona State), 8-7
Consolation 3rd Round: vs. Nick Bertucci (Purdue)
165: #11 Roger Smith-Bergsrud (No. 7 seed), Sr., Lake Bluff, Ill., 12-0
Pigtail: Dec. Robert Davis (Menlo), 2-1
1st Round: Dec. Brian Letters (Maryland), 6-5
2nd Round: Dec. Frank Battaglia (Northwestern-unattached), 3-2
Quarterfinals: vs. #8, 2-seed Nick Marable (Missouri)
165: Joe Barczak, So., Fox Lake, Ill., 7-5
Pigtail: Dec. by Bryan O'Connor (NIU), 7-4
Consolation 1st Round: Maj. dec. Dustin Doty (Cleveland State), 15-4
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. by Robbie Michaels (Cleveland State), 4-3
174: John Dergo (No. 6 seed), Jr., Morris, 4-0
1st Round: Dec. Dave Sullivan (Pittsburgh), 12-5
2nd Round: Dec. Ben Bennett (C. Michigan-unattached), 7-2
Quarterfinals: vs. #6, 3-seed Mike Cannon (American)
184: #16 Jordan Blanton (No. 7 seed), Fr., Richmond, Ill., 14-3
1st Round: Dec. Nick Palmieri (Michigan State), 6-2
2nd Round: Maj. dec. Eric Bugenhagen (Wisconsin), 9-1
Quarterfinals: vs. #3, 2-seed Phil Keddy (Iowa)
197: Patrick Bond (No. 7 seed), Jr., Chesapeake, Va., 6-8
1st Round: Maj. dec. Scott Penny (Northern Illinois), 13-5
2nd Round: Dec. by Kyle Simonson, 3-1
Consolation 3rd Round: Winner of John McClure (E. Michigan)/Vince Bordi (S.F. State)
197: Jake Norman, Jr., Batavia, 2-5
1st Round: Tech. fall by Andy Silber (American), 18-2 (7:00)
Consolation 2nd Round: Tyler Smith (Rider)
HWT: #5 John Wise (No. 4 seed), Pittsfield, Ill., 7-2
1st Round: Dec. by Ed Bordas (Rider), 6-5
Consolation 2nd Round: vs. Cody Sliger (Chattanooga)
