Dec. 5, 2008

Updated Las Vegas Invitational Brackets
2008 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Photos 

LAS VEGAS - Top-seeded and third-ranked Jimmy Kennedy advanced to the semifinals of the 27th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, while eighth-seeded Jordan Blanton and 10th-seeded Ryan Prater dropped their semifinal bouts to finish the tournament's first day. Kennedy will face Bucknell's fourth-seeded and 16th-ranked David Marble Saturday at noon (CT), while Blanton, Prater and B.J. Futrell (125) will begin consolation action at 11 a.m. (CT).

Kennedy caught fire early against Wyoming's ninth-seeded Cory VomBaur and kept pushing, holding a 6-2 advantage after one period thanks to three takedowns. Kennedy started down in the second and got a quick reversal before letting VomBaur escape. Kennedy scored two more takedowns in the period to make the score 12-4. VomBaur started down in the third and Kennedy allowed him up on the optional restart before taking him down three more times in the period for the 19-7 win. Kennedy will take on Bucknell's 16th-ranked and fourth-seeded Dave Marble in the semifinals.

Prater struggled mightily in his first meeting of the year with Michigan's fifth-ranked and second-seeded Kellen Russell after the duo combined for two one-point bouts in 2007-08. Russell scored a takedown with 35 seconds left in the first and got a quick three-point near-fall before Prater escaped to make the score 5-1 after three minutes. Russell started down in the second and got a reversal and a pair of three-point near-falls, giving him a 13-1 advantage after the second period. Russell went down in the third and escaped before scoring a takedown to seal the 16-1 technical fall. Prater will face Army's Casey Thome in the round of 12 on Saturday.

Eighth-seeded Jordan Blanton looked to be the aggressor early in his match with top-seeded and fourth-ranked Louie Caputo (Harvard) at 184. Blanton scored a takedown 22 seconds into the match, but Caputo escaped quickly to make it 2-1 after one period. Blanton started down in the second period and escaped 41 seconds into the period and, with no further scoring, the period ended with the score 3-1 in the Illini's favor. Caputo started down in the third and escaped, then scored a takedown with 55 seconds left on one of his few offensive attempts of the bout. He rode Blanton out to acquire the riding-time point and win, 5-3. Blanton will face Evan Hinebaugh (Montana State), who lost his first bout and won three consolation matches to reach the round of 12.

Also still alive for the Illini is the 12th-seeded Futrell, who will take on third-seeded and ninth-ranked Marcos Orozco (UC Davis) after Orozco dropped his quarterfinal bout.

125: B.J. Futrell (No. 12 seed), Park Forest, Ill., 12-2
Pigtail: Pinned Joshua Seeley (Dakota Western), 1:37
1st Round: Dec. Taylor Cummings (N.C. State), 7-1
2nd Round: Lost by dec. to #12, 5-seed Nikko Trigas (Ohio State), 3-2
Consolation 2nd Round: Maj. dec. Ryker Vandertoolen (Western Wyoming), 18-6
Consolation 3rd Round: Dec. Michael Martinez (Wyoming), 7-5
Consolation Round of 12: vs. #9, 3-seed Marcos Orozco

133: #3 Jimmy Kennedy (No. 1 seed), Jr., Ingleside, Ill., 7-0
1st Round: Pinned Tom Kellher (Wisconsin), 2:04
2nd Round: Tech. fall Arsenia Barksdale (Adams State), 17-2, 7:00
Quarterfinals: Maj. dec. 9-seed Cory VomBaur (Wyoming), 19-7
Semifinals: vs. #16, 4-seed Dave Marble (Bucknell)

141: Ryan Prater (No. 10 seed), So., Plainfield, Ill., 7-3
1st Round: Maj. dec. Juan Archuletta (Purdue), 13-4
2nd Round: Maj. dec. #10, 7-seed Mike Thorn (Minnesota), 11-0
Quarterfinals: Lost by tech. fall to #5, 2-seed Kellen Russell (Michigan), 16-1 (5:30)
Consolation Round of 12: vs. Casey Thome (Army)

184: Jordan Blanton (No. 8 seed), Fr., Richmond, Ill., 8-2
1st Round: Pinned Kamron Jackson (North Idaho), 3:45
2nd Round: Maj. dec. Eric Bugenhagen (Wisconsin), 14-5
Quarterfinals: Dec. by #4, 1-seed Louis Caputo (Harvard), 5-3
Consolation Round of 12: vs. Evan Hinebauch (Montana State)