Gold-medal match summaries from the NCAA Championships

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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
03/18/2006


125 pounds
No. 3 Joe Dubuque (Indiana) dec. No. 5 Troy Nickerson (Cornell), 8-3
1st period
Dubuque fires in to score on a double-leg shot with 1:38 left for the first takedown. Nickerson breaks loose for an escape with 1:04 left to make it 2-1. 

2nd period
Dubuque chooses bottom position. Dubuque busts out for an escape at the 1:50 mark to take a 3-1 lead. Dubuque snaps Nickerson down and spins around him for a takedown with eight seconds left to go up 5-1.

3rd period
Nickerson chooses bottom position. Dubuque warned for stalling as he ties up Nickerson's legs with his legs with 1:02 left. Nickerson is warned for stalling in the bottom position with 41 seconds. Nickerson escapes with 36 seconds left. Dubuque counters a shot attempt for a takedown with 20 seconds left. Nickerson is out with seven seconds left to make it 7-3. Dubuque adds a riding-time point to make it 8-3 and capture his second straight title.

133 pounds
No. 6 Matt Valenti (Penn) dec. No. 5 Chris Fleeger (Purdue), 3-2
1st period
Great scramble late in the first period when Fleeger barrels in deep on a double-leg shot, but the powerful Valenti turns his hips away and avoids being taken down. First period is scoreless.

2nd period
Fleeger chooses bottom position. Valenti is looking tough on top as Fleeger battles to break loose. Valenti is warned for stalling in the top position with 29 seconds left. Fleeger draws a stalling warning from the bottom position with 11 seconds left. Valenti rides Fleeger out.

3rd period
Valenti chooses bottom position. Valenti spins into Fleeger and dumps him onto the mat to gain a reversal with 1:38 left. Valenti leads 2-0. Fleeger takes an injury timeout with 1:15 left after coming down hard in a scramble. Valenti has clinched riding time with just over a minute left and essentially leads 3-0. Fleeger spins behind Valenti for a reversal to tie it 2-2, but he actually is down 3-2 since Valenti has clinched the riding-time point. Fleeger tries desperately to turn Valenti but can't and Valenti wins 3-2 with the point for riding time. Fleeger places second for the second time.

141 pounds
No. 1 Nate Gallick (Iowa State) dec. No. 2 Teyon Ware (Oklahoma), 3-2
1st period
As has been customary, the pace is slow early on as both wrestlers are being cautious. Gallick is in deep on a single and transfers it to a double as he overpowers two-time national champion Ware near the edge of the mat for a takedown with 1:13 left. Ware shakes free for an escape with 59 seconds left to cut it to 2-1. First period ends with returning NCAA runner-up Gallick ahead 2-1.

2nd period
Ware chooses bottom position. Ware is out for an escape with 1:49 left to make it 2-2. Lots of half-shots and fakes as neither wrestler is committing to firing in fully for a shot. Period ends with 2-2 deadlock.

3rd period
Gallick chooses bottom position. Gallick fires out right off the whistle to break loose one second into the third for an escape. Gallick blocks off Ware with a one-point lead as Ware keeps shooting. Gallick warned for stalling with 10 seconds left. Gallick blocks Ware off in the closing seconds to win 3-2, denying Ware a third title. Ware beat Gallick in the 2005 finals.

149 pounds
No. 1 Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) dec. No. 2 Ty Eustice (Iowa), 4-0
1st period
True freshman Schlatter snatches a single near the edge of the mat and turns it into a takedown near the edge with 1:18 left. Schlatter is very tough on top and that's evident as he rides the senior from Iowa out. Schlatter leads 2-0 after one period.

2nd period
Eustice chooses neutral position. Not much action as neither wrestler is doing a whole lot offensively. No points are scored in this period and Schlatter maintains a 2-0 edge with a 1:17 advantage in riding time.

3rd period
Schlatter chooses down position. Eustice cuts Schlatter loose for an escape to start the third and now trails 3-0. Schlatter warned for stalling with 54 seconds left as he blocks off against Eustice. Schlatter's defense neutralizes Eustice's shot attempts late and Schlatter prevails 4-0 with the point for riding time.

157 pounds
No. 5 Ben Cherrington (Boise State) dec. No. 10 Brian Stith (Arizona State), 7-3
1st period
Cherrington fires in low on a double-leg attack to gain the first takedown with 1:44 remaining. Cherrington is punishing Stith from the top position and rides him out. He leads 2-0 after the first three minutes.

2nd period
Cherrington chooses bottom position. Stith is called for locked hands at the 1:50 mark and Cherrington comes around for a reversal with 1:32 left to pull out to a 5-0 lead. Stith is given an escape to make it 5-1.

3rd period
Stith chooses neutral position. Stith powers in on a leg attack for a takedown to cut it to 5-3 with 33 seconds left, but Cherrington already has clinched the point for riding time. Stith cuts Cherrington loose with 29 seconds left to make it 6-3. Stith can draw no closer and riding time makes it 7-3 Cherrington.

165 pounds
No. 2 Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 1 Ryan Churella (Michigan), 9-8
1st period
Defending champion Hendricks shoots in on a single and takes Churella down near the edge with 1:58 left. Hendricks cuts the unbeaten Churella loose. Hendricks is in on another single and gains his second takedown with 50 seconds left. Churella squirts free for an escape with 26 seconds left to make it 4-2. Period ends with score 4-2 Hendricks.

2nd period
Churella chooses bottom position. Hendricks cuts Churella for an escape in the opening seconds of the period to make it 4-3 Hendricks. Churella locks up a cradle in the closing seconds, gaining a takedown and two-point near fall to lead 7-4 after two periods.

3rd period
Hendricks chooses bottom position. Hendricks jumps free for an escape with 1:01 left to slice the Churella lead to 7-5. Churella is warned for stalling with 50 seconds left. Hendricks shoots in for a takedown near the edge with 40 seconds left to tie it 7-7. Hendricks kicks Churella out for an escape with 39 seconds to go. Hendricks shoots in on a single and grabs the other leg near the edge for a takedown with four seconds to go. He rides him out to win 9-8.

174 pounds
No. 1 Ben Askren (Missouri) dec. No. 2 Jake Herbert (Northwestern), 14-2
1st period
Two-time runner-up Askren emerges on top in a wild scramble to gain a takedown and two-point near fall with just over two minutes left. Askren locks up a Granby cradle to gain a three-point near fall as the period wins down. Askren is up 6-0

2nd period
Herbert chooses bottom position. Herbert spins around Askren for a reversal with 1:38 left to close within 6-2. Askren escapes with just under a minute to go to make it 7-2. Askren prevails in another scramble for a takedown late in the period to take a 9-2 lead. Askren has 2:14 in riding time.

3rd period
Askren chooses neutral position. Askren powers in on a leg attack for a takedown to make it 11-2 with 1:21 to go. Askren tips Herbert to his back for a two-point near fall and picks up a riding-time point to win 14-2.

184 pounds
No. 5 Shane Webster (Oregon) dec. No. 2 Roger Kish (Minnesota), 3-2
1st period
Little action in this match as both guys are on the defensive and the period ends scoreless.

2nd period
Webster chooses bottom position. Webster spins free for an escape with 1:47 left. Little action again as Webster leads 1-0.

3rd period
Kish chooses bottom position. Kish escapes early in the period, but Webster comes right back with a leg attack to score a takedown and gain a 3-1 lead with just over a minute left in the match. Webster warned for stalling with 41 seconds left as he holds onto the ankle of Kish. It's a one-point match as Kish gains an escape with 33 seconds to go. Kish is unable to gain a takedown and Webster earns a 3-2 win.

197 pounds
No. 4 Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 6 Phil Davis (Penn State), 10-3
1st period
Two-time champion Rosholt catches Davis on his back with an aggressive early attack, nearly pinning him as he takes a 5-0 lead with just under two minutes left in the period. Davis breaks free for an escape and is down 5-1 after one period.

2nd period
Davis chooses bottom position. Davis is out for an escape with 1:43 left to make it 5-2. Rosholt dives in for a low double-leg shot to make it 7-2 with 1:33 remaining. Rosholt cuts Davis with 1:13 to go to make it 7-3. Period ends with Rosholt still up by four.

3rd period
Rosholt chooses bottom position. Davis is known for being tough on top, but Rosholt needs only 13 seconds to shake loose for an escape and an 8-3 lead. Davis cracks Rosholt with a hard slap to the head and is penalized a point with 42 seconds left. Rosholt adds a point of riding time and wins his third title by a 10-3 decision.

285 pounds
No. 1 Cole Konrad (Minnesota) dec. No. 2 Steve Mocco (Oklahoma State), 5-2 2OT
1st period
The big boys aren't getting real busy early as they push and pummel. No score at the end of one period.

2nd period
Konrad chooses bottom position. Two-time champion Mocco is warned for stalling when he won't trip Konrad down to the mat. Konrad escapes with 1:19 left. Still very little activity from the neutral position. Konrad leads 1-0 entering final period.

3rd period
Mocco chooses bottom position. Mocco escapes right away to tie it 1-1. No more scoring, so we head to overtime.

Sudden victory
No scoring and no action.

Tiebreaker No. 1
Konrad chooses bottom position. Konrad is out with seven seconds gone in the 30-second period. Konrad leads 2-1 after the period.

Tiebreaker No. 2
Mocco is in the bottom position. Mocco is out with six seconds gone in the second 30-second period. Score tied 2-2.

Sudden victory (second cycle of overtime)
No scoring as Mocco shoots in once on a double-leg attack but can't score.

Tiebreaker No. 1
Mocco is in the bottom position. Konrad warned for stalling with 15 seconds left as he can't put Mocco back on the mat. Konrad rides Mocco out in the 30-second period.

Tiebreaker No. 2
Konrad is in the bottom position. Konrad is out with 22 seconds left to take a 3-2 lead. Konrad counters Mocco's throw attempt to take him down with 12 seconds left. Konrad avenges the 2005 finals loss to Mocco with a 5-2 win.