Final Results from the Big Ten

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
03/04/2001


BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS THIRD SESSION REPORT  - Ten Big Ten Champions are crowned, and Minnesota claims the team title    Final Team standings  1. Minnesota, 154 pts. (10 qualifiers)  2. Illinois, 130.5 (9 qualifiers)  3. Iowa, 129.5 (8 qualifiers)  4. Michigan, 109 (8 qualifiers)  5. Ohio State, 104.5 (10 qualifiers)  6. Wisconsin, 75 (5 qualifiers)  7. Michigan State, 65 (6 qualifiers)  8. Indiana, 59.5 (5 qualifiers)  9. Purdue, 50 (5 qualifiers)  10. Penn State, 35 (6 qualifiers)  11. Northwestern, 6 (0 qualifiers)    Gold medal match, play by plays    125 pounds  No. 1 Jody Strittmatter (Iowa) dec. No. 2 Leroy Vega (Minnesota), 3-0  First period  No scoring    Second period  Strittmatter is down  Escape, Strittmatter, 1:50 left, 1-0 Strittmatter  Takedown, Strittmatter, 1:18 left, 3-0, Strittmatter    Third period  Both on feet  Takedown, Strittmatter, 0:49 left, 5-0 Strittmatter  Riding Time of 2:05, Strittmatter, 6-0 Strittmatter    133 pounds  No. 1 Eric Juergens (Iowa) dec. No. 6 Kevin Black (Wisconsin), 13-6  First period  Takedown, Juergens, 2:32 left, 2-0 Juergens  Escape, Black, 1:41 left, 2-1 Juergens  Takedown, Juergens, 1:20 left, 4-1 Juergens  Escape, Black, 1:19 left, 4-2 Juergens  Takedown, Juergens, 1:00 left, 6-2 Juergens  Escape, Black, 0:29 left, 6-3 Juergens    Second period  Juergens is down  Escape, Juergens, 1:51 left, 7-3 Juergens  Takedown, Juergens, 0:59 left, 9-3 Juergens  Escape, Black, 0:38 left, 9-4 Juergens    Third period  Black is down  Escape, Black, 1:59 left, 9-5 Juergens  Takedown, Juegens, 1:30 left, 11-5, Juergens  Escape, Black, 1:23 left, 11-6 Juergens  Stall penalty against Black, 0:11, 12-6 Juergens  Riding Time of 1:27 for Juergens, 13-6 Juergens    141 pounds  No. 1 Doug Schwab (Iowa) dec. No. 2 Chad Erikson (Minnesota), 9-6  First period  Takedown, Schwab, 1:25 left, 2-0 Schwab  Escape, Erikson, 0:16 left, 2-1, Schwab  Takedown, Schwab, 0:07 left, 4-2 Schwab    Second period  Both on feet  Takedown, Schwab, 1:01 left, 6-2 Schwab  Escape, Erikson, 0:20 left, 6-3 Schwab    Third period  Erickson down  Escape, Erikson, 1:50 left, 6-3 Schwab  Takedown, Schwab, 0:57 left, 8-3 Schwab  Escape, Erikson, 0:29 left, 8-4 Schwab  Takedown, Erickson 0:06 left, 8-6 Schwab  Riding time of 2:24, Schwab, 9-6, Schwab    149 pounds  No. 2 Jared Lawrence (Minnesota) dec. No. 1 Adam Tirapelle (Illinois), 9-5   First period  Takedown, Lawrence, 1:22 left, 2-0 Lawrence  Escape, Tirapelle, 1:10 left, 2-1 Lawrence    Second period  Tirapelle is down  Escape, Tirapelle, 1:48 left, 2-2  Takedown, Lawrence, 1:33 left, 4-2 Lawrence  Escape, Tirapelle, 1:17 left, 4-3 Lawrence  Takedown, Lawrence, 1:13 left, 6-3 Lawrence    Third period  Lawrence is down  Escape, Lawrence, 1:41 left, 7-3 Lawrence  Takedown, Tirapelle, 0:35 left, 7-5 Lawrence  Escapre, Law, 0:22 left, 8-5 Lawrence  Riding Time of 1:22, Lawrence, 9-5 Lawrence    157 Pounds  No. 1 T.J. Williams (Iowa) dec. No. 2 Luke Becker (Minnesota), 15-7  First period  Takedown, Williams, 2:48 left, 2-0 Williams  Escape, Becker, 2:44 left, 2-1 Williams  Takedown, Williams, 1:55 left, 4-1 Williams  Reversal, Becker, 1:42 left, 4-3 Williams  Escape, Williams, 1:29 left, 5-3 Williams  Takedown, Williams, 0:57 left, 7-3 Williams  Escape, Becker, 0:55 left, 7-4 Williams  Takedown, Williams, 0:49 left, 9-4 Williams  Escape, Becker, 0:30 left, 9-5 Williams    Second period  Becker down  Escape, Becker, 1:58 left, 9-6 Williams    Third period  Williams down  Escape, Williams, 1:40 left, 10-6 Williams  Takedown, Williams, 0:54 left, 12-6 Williams  Escape, Becker, 0:39 left, 12-7 Williams  Stall penalty against Becker, 0:22 left, 13-7 Williams  Takedown, Williams, 0:01 left, 15-7    165 pounds  No. 1 Donny Pritzlaff (Wisconsin) dec. No. 2 Matt Lackey (Illinois), 4-2   First period  No takedowns    Second period  Pritzlaff down  Escape, Pritzlaff, 1:54, 1-0 Pritzlaff    Third period  Lackey down  Escape, Lackey, 1:33 left, 1-1    Takedown, Pritzlaff, 1:14, 3-1  Escape, Lackey, 0:23, 3-2  Riding Time of 1:11, Pritzlaff, 4-2    174 pounds  No. 1 Otto Olson (Michigan) dec. No. 6 Ryan Hieber (Ohio State), 6-2  First period  Takedown, Olson, 1:21 left, 2-0 Olson  Esapre, Hieber, 0:50 left, 2-1 Olson  Takedown Olson, 0:33 left, 4-1 Olson    Second period  Olson is down  Escape, Olson, 1:54 left, 5-1 Olson    Third period  Hieber down  Escape, Heiber, 1:17 left, 5-2 Olson  Penalty point- roughness on Olson, 0:08 left, 5-3 Olson  Riding Time of 1:37, Olson 6-3    184 pounds  No. 1 Nate Patrick (Illinois) dec. No. 2 Victor Sveda (Indiana), 4-2, ot  First period  No scoring    Second period   Patrick down  Escape, Patrick, 1:58 left, 1-0 Patrick    Third period  Sveda is down  Reversal, Sveda, 1:44 left, 2-1 Sveda  Escape, Patrick, 1:16 left, 2-2    Overtime  Takedown, Patrick, 0:19 left, 4-2 Patrick    197 pounds  No. 5 Pat Quirk (Illinois) dec. No. 7 Jon Bush (Purdue), 5-2  First period  Takedown, Quirk, 1:14 left, 2-0 Quirk  Escape, Bush, 0:33 left, 2-1 Quirk    Second period  Bush is down  Escape, Bush, 1:20 left, 2-2    Third period  Both on feet  Takedown, Quirk, 0:12 left, 4-2 Quirk  Riding Time of 1:23, Quirk, 5-2    285 pounds  No. 2 Garrett Lowney (Minnesota) dec. No. 4 John Lockhart (Illinois), 5-1  First period   Takedown, Lowney, 0:13, 2-0 Lowney     Second period  Lockhart is down  Escape, Lockhart, 1:52, 2-1 Lowery    Third period  Lowney is down  Escape, Lowney, 1:45, 3-1 Lowney  Takedown, Lowney, 0:18 left, 5-1, Lowney    Wrestler of the Championships - Jared Lawrence, Minnesota  Wrestler of the Year - Eric Juergens, Iowa  Coach of the Year - Mark Johnson, Illinois  Freshman of the Year - Tommy Rowlands, Ohio State    NCAA Qualifiers - The top seven in each weight class, plus two Wildcards  Wildcards - Greg Schaefer (Indiana, 125) and Nik Fekete (Michigan State, 197)    COACHES QUOTES AND FINAL WRAPUP STORY TO COME    MEDAL MATCH WRAPUP  The session began with the consolation semifinals, then the seventh, fifth and third place medal matches. These bouts are important for many reasons. For the teams, this is an opportunity to tack on more points, in the sifting out of final placement. For the athletes in the seventh place match, a win puts you in the NCAA meet. A loss makes you a candidate for the two remaining wildcard slots, a position that nobody wants to be in.    The intensity of the consi semifinals are high, right off the bat. These are all talented athletes, fighting for a shot at a bronze. Their seeding at the NCAA Tournament is at stake, as well as their pride after losing a bout the day before. A third place at Big Tens can still set you up for nationals; Otto Olson of Michigan was third here two years ago, and then became an NCAA runner-up two weeks later.    Wins in the consolations semis are big. When No. 3 Keaton Anderson of Ohio State held on to beat No. 4 Mike Zadick of Iowa, 9-7, in spite of Zadick's frantic pressure in the closing seconds, it was a boost for Ohio State's hopes of climbing higher in the standings.    Bonus points are still available for the teams, but very hard to get. When Minnesota wrestlers Brad Pike of Minnesota at 157 and Jacob Volkman at 174 claimed major decisions, it added more breathing room for the Gophers, who are in the position to finish it all off before the finals, if they stay the course.At the end of the session, the Gophers had expanded their lead over Illinois to 23 points, in effect nailing the door shut for the team title.    The seventh place matches have tremendous personal emotion, as the winner goes to the NCAAs and the loser most probably will stay home. At 125 pounds, when unseeded Josh Moore of Penn State defeated No. 3 Greg Schaefer of Indiana, 6-4, it was a boost for the embattled Nittany Lions. When teammates Nate Wachter, a No. 8 seed at 149, Pete Mielnik, No. 8 at 197 and Bob Jones, No. 7 at 275, all won their seventh place bouts, it gave the Nittany Lions even more NCAA qualifiers. Penn State came into the session buried in 10th place, but salvaged some respect, and their six NCAA qualifiers will have another fresh chance in two weeks in Iowa City.    The third and fifth place matches are all about persona