Dec. 29, 2009
Midlands Team Standings 
Midlands Brackets
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Senior Jimmy Kennedy and junior No. 16 Ryan Prater took advantage of a rare opportunity - that two teammates would be seeded in the same weight class at a major tournament - Tuesday in reaching the semifinals of the 141-pound weight class at the 47th annual Midlands Championships at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Kennedy, who is redshirting this season, was the No. 1 seed at 141 while Prater was seeded No. 7. Senior No. 6 John Dergo also reached the semifinals at 184 by going 3-0 with a technical fall and a major decision on the day.
Kennedy went 3-0 on the first day of the competition and Prater won four bouts, including an upset over No. 7 and second-seeded Dan LeClere (Iowa) in the quarterfinals. Kennedy topped Hofstra's eighth-seeded Lou Ruggirello, who also is redshirting this season, 9-3 in the quarterfinals.
Since Kennedy and Prater are on opposite sides of the bracket, they could meet for the championship if both win their semifinal bouts Wednesday afternoon. Kennedy will face fourth-seeded Joey Slaton of Iowa in the semifinals, while Prater will take on third-seeded and 10th-ranked Alex Krom (Maryland).
Dergo, the No. 4 seed, also continued a strong run through the 184-pound bracket with his 6-3 win over fifth-seeded Louis Caputo (Harvard) in the quarterfinals. He'll get a rematch with top-ranked and top-seeded Max Askren (Missouri), who he lost to at the teams' dual earlier this season, in Wednesday's semifinals.
Blanton dropped a hard-fought battle with fifth-seeded and 11th-ranked Duke Burk (Iowa State), 9-8, in the quarterfinals after winning his two earlier matches. Blanton will face Purdue's seventh-ranked and third-seeded Luke Manuel in the consolation round of 12, meaning he needs one more win to ensure that he places.
Illinois is in seventh place as a team after the evening session with two wrestlers remaining in the championship bracket (Prater and Dergo) and two left in the consolation bracket (Jordan Blanton and Patrick Bond). Kennedy's point totals don't count for Illinois' team points since he is wrestling unattached to preserve his redshirt.
125: John Deneen, Jr., Marengo, Ill., 5-5
1st Round: Maj. dec. Levi Mele (Northwestern), 13-0
2nd Round: Maj. dec. by #8, 3-seed Matt McDonough (Iowa), 8-0
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. by #18, 8-seed Jasen Borshoff (American), 3-2
Deneen eliminated
133: Daryl Thomas, r-Fr., Edwardsville, Ill., 11-8
1st Round: Dec. by Vince Vallez (Triton), 11-9
Consolation Pigtail: Medical forfeit over Zack Neibert (Northern Illinois)
Consolation 1st Round: Tech. fall by Justin Paulsen (Stanford), 17-1 (6:02)
Thomas eliminated
141: Jimmy Kennedy (No. 1 seed), Sr., Ingleside, Ill., 3-0
1st Round: Dec. Michael Mangrum (Oregon State), 8-3
2nd Round: Dec. Luke Cherep (Missouri), 12-5
Quarterfinals: Dec. 8-seed Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra), 8-3
Semifinals: vs. 4-seed Joey Slaton (Iowa)
141: #16 Ryan Prater (No. 7 seed), Jr., Plainfield, Ill., 7-1
Pigtail: Maj. dec. Max Mayfield (Iowa State), 10-2
1st Round: Maj. dec. Jordan Lipp (American), 12-2
2nd Round: Dec. #18, 10-seed Todd Schavrien (Missouri), 7-4
Quarterfinals: Dec. #7, 2-seed Dan LeClere (Iowa),
Semifinals: vs. #10, 3-seed Alex Krom (Maryland)
141: Vince Vercelli, So., Wilmington, Ill., 1-5
1st Round: Maj. dec. by 11-seed Trevor Melde (Rutgers), 9-1
Consolation 1st Round: Dec. by Kevin Bokoski (Luther), 4-2 (SV1)
Vercelli eliminated
157: Conrad Polz (No. 7 seed), r-Fr., Orland Park, Ill., 11-8
Pigtail: Dec. J.J. Jackson (Anderson), 4-3
1st Round: Dec. by Lucas Espericueta (Stanford), 8-5
Consolation 1st Round: Dec. by #20, 9-seed Colton Salazar (Purdue), 7-5
Polz eliminated
157: Kyle Dooley, r-Fr., Monticello, Ill., 8-8
1st Round: Dec. Matt Ballweg (Iowa), 5-2
2nd Round: Dec. by #15, 4-seed Patrick Wright (Missouri), 12-5
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. by #20, 9-seed Colton Salazar (Purdue), 6-2
Dooley eliminated
165: Joe Barczak, So., Fox Lake, Ill., 8-5
1st Round: Dec. Josh Shields (Mercy), 4-2 (SV1)
2nd Round: Dec. by No. 5, 3-seed Ryan Morningstar (Iowa), 4-1
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. David Bonin (Northern Iowa), 5-3 (TB2)
Consolation 3rd Round: Pinned by Eric Cubberly (Central Michigan), 3:41
Barczak eliminated
165: Dan Stelter, r-Fr., Villa Park, Ill., 6-8
1st Round: Dec. Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh), 3-2
2nd Round: Maj. dec. by No. 2, 1-seed Andrew Howe (Wisconsin), 16-5
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. by 11-seed Zach Toal (Missouri), 10-3
Stelter eliminated
174: #9 Jordan Blanton (No. 4 seed), So., Richmond, Ill., 10-2
1st Round: Dec. Andy Vaughan (Pittsburgh), 6-5
2nd Round: Dec. Derrick Yant (Northern Illinois), 7-5
Quarterfinals: Dec. by #11, 5-seed Duke Burk (Iowa State), 9-8
Consolation Round of 12: vs. #7, 3-seed Luke Manuel (Purdue)
184: #6 John Dergo (No. 4 seed), Sr., Morris, Ill., 16-2
1st Round: Maj. dec. Nate Schiedel (Binghamton), 18-5
2nd Round: Tech. fall Zach Benzio (Northern Illinois), 23-7 (6:28)
Quarterfinals: Dec. 4-seed Louis Caputo (Harvard), 6-3
Semifinals: vs. #1, 1-seed Max Askren (Missouri)
184: Matt McCarter, r-Fr., Batavia, Ill., 1-6
Pigtail: Maj. dec. by Gabe Youel (North Central), 12-0
Consolation Pigtail: Dec. by Derek Skala (St. Cloud), 12-6
McCarter eliminated
197: #17 Patrick Bond, So., Chesapeake, Va., 11-5
Pigtail: Dec. Scott Penny (Northern Illinois), 2-1
1st Round: Dec. Dustin Bauman (Northern Iowa), 11-4
2nd Round: Pinned by #1, 1-seed Jake Varner (Iowa State), 2:37
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. Jay Hahn (Bucknell), 8-3
Consolation 3rd Round: Dec. A.J. Hunt (Pittsburgh), 8-2
Consolation Round of 12: vs. #12, 7-seed Logan Brown (Purdue)
HWT: Pat Walker, r-Fr., Lombard, Ill., 10-11
1st Round: Pinned Corey Anderson (Lincoln Coll.), 1:36
2nd Round: Maj. dec. by 1-seed Aaron Anspach (Lions WC), 14-5
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. by Eric Bugenhagen (Wisconsin), 4-0
Walker eliminated
HWT: Martin Smith, So., Quincy, Ill., 9-8
1st Round: Dec. Allyn Plattner (Luther), 7-5 (SV1)
2nd Round: Dec. by #5, 3-seed David Zabriskie (Iowa State), 12-5
Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. by Mingo Grant (American), 7-3
Smith eliminated
HWT: Jake Norman, Sr., Batavia, Ill., 2-4
1st Round: Maj. dec. by #4, 4-seed Dom Bradley (Missouri), 10-2
Consolation 2nd Round: Maj. dec. by Blake Raising (Iowa), 9-0
Norman eliminated
