NCAA Championships semifinals match summaries

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Denny Diehl and Jay Hammond ()
03/21/2008


125:  #1 Angel ESCOBEDO, Indiana vs. #5 Charlie FALCK, Iowa
1st period:  quiet action until a late shot by Escobedo

2nd period:  Escobedo stood repeatedly but broken down and ridden out

3rd period:  Falck escaped after 0:30; with about a minute left, Escobedo body lock and inside leg trip for a 2-pt takedown and 2-pt near fall

Final:  Escobedo 4, Falck 1

125:  #2 Jayson NESS, Minnesota vs. #3 Paul DONAHOE, Nebraska

1st period: Ness shot twice but was countered by the defending NCAA champion;  Donahoe got in deep on a double leg at 1:15 but it was whistled as a stalemate at 0:52. 

2nd period: Donahoe on top; at 1:30 Ness sprung for a near reversal, settling for an escape (1-0);  Donahoe shoots at 0:45 (countered) and gets the TD at 0:27 (NU leads, 2-1).  Ness escapes at 0:04 …. 2-2 tie

3rd period: Ness on top; Donahoe escapes at 1:50 (3-2, Donahoe).  Shot by Donahoe, countered and out-of-bounds.  Donahoe warned for stalling at 0:15 and Ness converts a double leg at the very edge for the winning TD at 0:09.

Final score:  Ness 4, Donahoe 3 

133:  #1 Franklin Gomez, Michigan St vs. #4 Joey Slaton, Iowa

1st period:  Slaton shot at 0:53 (countered; out)

2nd period: Slaton on top, Gomez rolls (out-of-bounds); Gomez stands (out-of-bounds);  Gomez escapes at 1:40 (1-0) and immediately shoots, lifting leg high but officials confer on near-TD out-of-bounds (no TD).    

3rd period: Gomez on top - caution Gomez; escape Slaton at 1:55 (1-1); Gomez grabs ankle at 1:25, Slaton counters and nearly scores; OOB at 1:00; Slaton shoots with 0:20 left; scramble in final 0:20, no score

Sudden victory:  Slaton shoots, Gomez whizzers hard but Slaton re-shoots for winning score with 0:29 left in s.v.

Final score:  Slaton 3, Gomez 1

133: #3 seed Coleman Scott, Oklahoma St vs. #2 Jimmy Kennedy, Illinois

1st period: no action
2nd period: Scott rode out with legs, warned for stalling with 0:50 left
3rd period: Kennedy optional start, cuts Scott (1-0 Scott); Scott hit twice for stalling (2 points, 2-1 Kennedy); with 0:20 left Scott hits a double leg TD 

Final: Scott 4, Kennedy  2 (riding time of over 2 minutes)

141:  #1 Chad Mendes, Cal Poly vs. #4 Nathan Morgan, Oklahome St
 
1st period:  Morgan stalks Mendes with 0:15 with a shrug attempt (O-O-B)
No scoring (0-0)

2nd period: Morgan on top, Mendes springs free but just out;  Mendes stands and attempts a cement job type flip from bottom, but Morgan holds on, Mendes continues actively underneath, to no avail. Mendes stands and somersaults partly underneath; stalemate. Mendes sits out and turns in

Escape at 0:42 (1-0 Cal Poly); Mendes bull rushes with a front headlock and attempts a throw (countered).

3rd period:  Mendes on top; Morgan almost reversed. Fresh start: Morgan attempts somersault under; no change - Mendes is caught holding on without motion - and is warned for stalling (1:00 left). Morgan scrambles and is flattened out for the first time (either) in entire bout. Morgan granbies at 0:10.

Final Score:  Mendes, 1, Morgan 0 in one of the most active 1-0 bouts in memory

Reminder:  Mendes is Cal Poly's first #1 seed since 1980 when they had two

141: No. 6 J Jaggers (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Charles Griffin (Hofstra) 

First Period:  Jaggars TD (single) at 1:40; Griffin out; Jaggars TD into a cradle for a 5-point move (7-1 lead); Griffin reverses at 0:10 (7-3)

2nd period:  Griffin escape; Jaggars TD, Griffin Escape (9-5); 

3rd period:  Jaggars chooses neutral; Griffin TD, Jaggars E; Griffin TD; Jaggars escape with 0:25 left; Griffin near a TD as time expires

Final Score Jaggars 11, Griffin 9

149 lb:  #1 Brent Metcalf, Iowa vs. #4 Nate Burroughs, Nebraska

1st period:  Burroughs shoots his patented long double leg shot and converts just before going out, at 1:57 (2-0 NU); Metcalf comes back with double leg, also out. Metcalf high crotch at 0:50 and converts at 0:38 (Iowa, 3-2) and rides out (3-2 Iowa)

2nd period: Metcalf chooses bottom, escapes (4-2, Iowa) and shoots low ankle pick to double, but just out of bounds. Metcalf high crotch, countered but the Hawkeye pursues around the edge and gets the TD at 0:47(6-2, Iowa)
Burroughs escapes (6-3) &shoots but Metcalf comes around for score (8-3)

3rd period:  Burroughs escapes (8-4, Iowa); Burroughs shoots double but runs out of mat; 1:10 left; warning on Burroughs near edge; shoots another double (both out); 

Final Score: Metcalf 8, Burroughs 4

149 lb #6 Bubba Jenkins vs. #7 Darrion Caldwell, NC State 

1st period;  Jenkins TD 2:40; Caldwell out and gets single for TD at edge, misses cradle and rides out (3-2)

2nd period: NCS out quickly; Jenkins double leg TD after a back flip by Caldwell (the latter escapes for 5-4, NCS)

3rd period: Jenkins picks neutral and converts single to double for TD; cuts Caldwell (now 6-6); Jenkins shoots low single, Caldwell leaps over the top for his own TD, Jenkins escapes (8-7, NCS).  In final 0:30, Jenkins converts a single into a TD and puts Caldwell straight to his back

Final:  Jenkins 12, Caldwell 8

157 lb:  #2 Mike Poeta, Illinois vs. #3 Dan Vallimont, Penn St

1st period:  Poeta double leg TD at 1:30; PSU quick escape; inj. time-out Illinois; 

2nd period:  Poeta out quickly; PSU takedown; Poeta escapes; with 0:20 left Poeta snap single to double for TD; Poeta out at the buzzer (6-4 Poeta)

3rd period:  Vallimont out in 0:04 (6-5, Poeta); Illinois warned; Poeta shoots and time runs out

Final score: Poeta 6, Vallimont 5


157 lbs:  #8 Jordan Leen, Cornell vs. #12 Josh Zupancic

 1st period:  TD Leen at 1:53; Stanford escape 1:12; Leen TD at 0:48 (4-1 lead); Zupancic escapes but is warned for stalling at 0:11 

2nd period:  Zupancic flattens out and holds onto one Leen hand and is hit for stalling (5-2, CU);  caution on Zupancic (bottom). Cornell rides out

3rd period:  Leen on bottom; escapes at 1:57; Zupancic shoots but Leen counters with double leg dump at 1:45 to lead 8-2; Stanford granby roll but Leen follows; fresh start at 0:49. Leen rides out for 4:39 time advantage

Final Score:  Leen 9, Zupancic  2

165 lb:   #2 Mark Perry, Iowa vs. #3 Nick Marable, Missouri
 
1st period:   Marable scores TD near the edge in the first half minute; Perry escapes; Marable shoots near edge (OOB); 

2nd period:  Perry chooses bottom; Marable does a lift and dump looking for back points but out of bounds; escapes at 1:35 (2-2 score); scramble at mat's edge at 1:00 but OOB. Marable shoots duck-under; Perry warned for stalling at 0:20

3rrd period: Marable chooses neutral; Marable shoots, wild scramble and re-shoots at the edge (OOB); Marable shoots low, but gets into a scramble with an ultimate scrambler, with Perry coming around and locking up a standing cradle called a TD in the final half-minute; rides to win

Final score: Perry 4, Marable  2


165 lbs  #1 Eric Tannenbaum, Michigan vs. #4 Matt Lewnes, Cornell

1st period:  Tannenbaum single leg TD in first 0:45 and rode out (Tannenbaum 2-0); Lewnes injury time-out

2nd period: Lewnes chooses neutral; no scoring the entire period

3rd period:  Michigan escape (3-0); Tannenbaum warned for stalling

Final score: Tannenbaum 4, Lewnes 0 (2:05 riding time) 

174 lb: #1 Keith Gavin, Pittsburgh vs. #4 Jay Borschel, Iowa

1st period:  Gavin initiated several shots; no score 

2nd period: Gavin chooses bottom, escapes

3rd period: Borschel on bottom, escapes; Gavin shoots low and converts single for TD with 0:39 left; Iowa out at 0:35; Gavin warned with 0:01 left

Final score: Gavin 3, Borschel 2


174 lb:  #2 Steve Luke, Michigan vs. #2 Brandon Browne, Nebraska

1st period:   0-0 no action

2nd period:  Luke on top; Browne out in 0:14

3rd period:  Luke out in 0:05

Sudden victory:  Luke converts a single leg TD at 0:39 on clock

Final Luke 3, Browne  1

184:  #1 Jake Varner, Iowa State vs. #4 Christian Sinnott, Central Michigan  

1st period:  knee pick TD and rode out the last 2:25

2nd period:  Varner out in 0:07

3rd period:  Sinnott chooses neutral; deep double leg but Varner counters with back flip/elevator; Sinnott high crotch TD at edge with 0:03 left; 
Riding time of 2 minutes plus for Varner

Final Score:  Varner 4, Christian Sinnott 2 


197:  #2 Mike Pucillo, Ohio St vs. # 6 Raymond Jordan, Missouri

1st period:  no action

2nd period:  Pucillo escapes at 1:56; Jordan shoots but Pucillo counters for his own attempt; no score;  some more exchanges but score stays 1-0

3rd period: Jordan on bottom; escapes at 1:25 (1-1);  warning on Jordan (0:45);  Pucillo in on low single at 0:22; Jordan turns in powerfully for near score but Pucillo rolls through (no score)

Sudden Victory:  Jordan shoots in; countered;  out of bounds at 0:06
1st Tie-breaker period: Pucillo out in 0:02
2nd tie-breaker period: Jordan stands and rolls but is ridden out

Final score:  Pucillo 2, Jordan 1, tb1 

285 - #1 Dustin Fox, Central Michigan vs. #5 Jared Rosholt, Oklahoma St

1st period:  some manly pushing but no real action

2nd period:  Fox escapes

3rd period: Rosholt on bottom vs. the 280 lb Wildcat; The Cowboy escapes at 1:33 despite being outweighed by about 50 pounds; the two scramble on their feet and Fox grabs single at 0:27 and converts it at 0:23. They re-start in the center and Rosholt escapes at 0:13 but Fox holds on

Final score:  Fox 3, Rosholt 2

285 - #2 J.D. Bergman, Ohio State vs. #3 Ed Prendergast, Navy v

1st period:  Navy TD on a counter to an attempted inside leg trip; Bergman came out back door with the Midshipman clinging over the top; the reversal goes to OSU (2-2)

2nd period:  Bergman out quickly; scores on a throwby takedown at the edge; Navy escape (5-3 Bergman); 

3rd period: Prendergast granbys out 0:04 short of Buckeye riding time; no further scoring

Final score:  Bergman 5, Prendergast 4