March 7, 2010

Dergo's Big Ten Title Match 
Final Brackets and Team Scores

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Second-ranked and top-seeded John Dergo won his first career title with a 5-3 decision over Iowa's third-seeded and 10th-ranked Phil Keddy. Dergo notched takedowns in each of the second and third periods and added an escape in the third to account for his five points. His championship gives Illinois a Big Ten champion in each of the last three years, with Mike Poeta winning the other two. Illinois finishes in a tie for eighth place with Indiana.

"I felt like I didn't open up enough because I should've scored in the first period," Dergo said. "But this will be a great step toward the national tournament. I don't plan on changing anything - at this point in the season, the hay is in the barn."

Dergo and Keddy wrestled to a scoreless first period and Keddy chose bottom to start the second period. Keddy escaped quickly but Dergo turned and shot, finishing the takedown to take a 2-1 lead. Keddy escaped to even the score 2-2, but Dergo started down in the third period and got out quickly for a 3-2 margin. He got in on a leg and finished it for the deciding takedown as Keddy escaped with short time left in the match. Dergo held off the Hawkeye's late offensive attempts to take the 5-3 win.

Fifth-seeded Jordan Blanton started the session off well for the Illini, thoroughly dominating second-seeded Luke Manuel (Purdue) in a 10-1 major decision. Blanton opened the match with a takedown and got two back points quickly, gaining early control. He cruised from there and moved into a third-place match with Michigan's eighth-seeded Justin Zeerip. Blanton forced the action early against Zeerip, resulting in Zeerip getting hit with a stalling warning in the first period. Blanton fought to get free after starting down in the second period and eventually got another stalling call on Zeerip, which rsulted in a point for stalling. Blanton then sat out off a restart to go up 2-0. Zeerip chose bottom to start the third and Blanton rode him out to finish in third place.

Fourth-seeded Patrick Bond worked hard against third-seeded Anthony Biondo (Michigan), trailing just 4-3 late in the third period, but Biondo countered a late shot by the Illini senior and scored the decisive takedown for the 6-3 final margin. Bond finishes in fifth place after accepting a medical forfeit from Iowa's top-seeded Chad Beatty.

The Illini stayed on a roll in the seventh-place matches as seventh-seeded John Deneen dominated unseeded Brennan Lyon (Michigan State) to take a 4-0 decision and earn seventh place. Conrad Polz wrestled above his seed in taking seventh place over sixth-seeded Kyle Bounds (Michigan State) with an 8-1 whipping. And seventh-seeded Clint Arlis used two back points and a reversal in the third period to ice his win against eighth-seeded Greg Burke to take seventh.

125: John Deneen (No. 7 seed), Jr., Marengo, Ill., 11-13
Quarterfinals: Maj. dec. by #3, No. 2 seed Matt McDonough (Iowa), 13-5
Consolation 1st Round: Dec. No. 8 seed Drew Hammen, 2-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: Pinned by No. 6 seed Nikko Triggas (Ohio State), 2:19
7th Place: Dec. Brennan Lyon (Michigan State), 4-0
Deneen - 7th place

133: Daryl Thomas, r-Fr., Edwardsville, Ill., 13-18
Pigtail: Dec. by No. 7 seed Ian Paddock (Ohio State), 7-3
Consolation 1st Round: Maj. dec. by No. 8 seed Akif Eren (Purdue), 13-4
Thomas eliminated

149: Eric Terrazas, So., Wheaton, Ill., 12-9
1st Round: Dec. by No. 7 seed Mario Mason (Minnesota), 5-3
Consolation 1st Round: Dec. by No. 8 seed Nick Bertucci (Purdue), 3-2
Terrazas eliminated

157: Clint Arlis (No. 7 seed), Sr., Batavia, Ill., 14-7
Pigtail: Pinned Kevin Bialka (Northwestern), 3:43
Quarterfinals: Dec. by #6, No. 2 seed Cyler Sanderson (Penn State), 9-7
Consolation 1st Round: Medical forfeit win over #1 Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota)
Consolation Quarterfinals: Dec. by No. 6 seed David Johnson (Michigan), 12-9
7th Place: Dec. No. 8 seed Greg Burke (Wisconsin), 7-3
Arlis - 7th place

165: Conrad Polz (No. 8 seed), r-Fr., Orland Park, Ill., 16-16
Quarterfinals: Maj. dec. by #1, No. 1 seed Andrew Howe (Wisconsin), 12-4
Consolation 1st Round: Dec. Jason Martin (Purdue), 8-3
Consolation Quarterfinals: Dec. by #12, No. 5 seed Paul Young (Indiana), 5-2
7th Place: Dec. No. 6 seed Kyle Bounds (Michigan State), 8-1
Polz - 7th place

174: #12 Jordan Blanton (No. 5 seed), So., Richmond, Ill., 20-7
Quarterfinals: Dec. #10, No. 4 seed Dave Rella (Ohio State), 9-7 TB1
Semifinals: Dec. by #2, No. 1 seed Jay Borschel (Iowa), 6-0
Consolation semifinals: Maj. dec. #5, No. 2 seed Luke Manuel (Purdue), 10-1
Third place: Dec. No. 8 seed Justin Zeerip (Michigan), 2-0
Blanton - 3rd place

184: #2 John Dergo (No. 1 seed), Sr., Morris, Ill., 31-2
Quarterfinals: Pinned No. 8 seed Nick Corpe (Purdue), 6:50
Semifinals: Dec. #11, No. 4 seed Mike Pucillo (Ohio State), 13-6
Championship: Dec. #10, No. 3 seed Phil Keddy (Iowa), 5-3
Dergo - Big Ten Champion

197: #9 Patrick Bond (No. 4 seed), So., Chesapeake, Va., 22-12
Pigtail: Dec. John Schoen (Northwestern), 4-1
Quarterfinals: Dec. by #13, No. 5 seed Sonny Yohn (Minnesota), 3-1 TB1
Consolation 1st Round: Dec. Clay Steadman (Penn State), 8-3
Consolation Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 8 seed C.J. Magrum (Ohio State), 4-0
Consolation Semifinals: Dec. by #8, No. 3 seed Anthony Biondo (Michigan), 6-3
Fifth Place: Win by medical forfeit over #4, No. 1 seed Chad Beatty (Iowa)
Bond - 5th place

HWT: Martin Smith, So., Quincy, Ill., 11-15
Pigtail: Maj. dec. by Nathan Everhart (Indiana), 9-1
Consolation 1st Round: Dec. by No. 7 seed Ben Apland (Michigan), 9-1
Smith eliminated