UKRAINE DEFEATS BIG TEN ALL-STAR TEAM, 25-18 AT REC HALL AT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, MAY 23World powerhouse Ukraine won seven of the eleven matches to defeat the Big Ten All-Stars, 25-18, in a freestyle wrestling dual meet held at Rec Hall at The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa., Sunday, May 23.
The dual meet was funded by a grant to the Big Ten Conference as part of the NCAA/U.S. Olympic Committee conference grant program.
Ukraine opened the meet with five straight victories, for a 15-4 team score, and never trailed in the match.
At 123.25 pounds, Gevork Markaryan of Ukraine beat Chris Williams (Perry, Mich./Michigan State), 9-0.
Three-time European champion Oleksandr Zaharuk of Ukraine followed with a 7-2 victory over 1998 NCAA All-American Pat McNamara (Jordan, Minn./Michigan State), at 132 pounds.
Also at 132 pounds, Vasyl Fedoryshyn of Ukraine stopped 1999 NCAA All-American Robert Sessley, Jr. (Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State), 8-2.
Viktor Bilokopytyy of Ukraine, who was fifth in the 1999 European Championships, defeated 1996 NCAA All-American Scott Schatzman (Chesterfield, Mo./Northwestern), 6-4 at 143 pounds.
The fifth straight Ukrainian win came at 143 pounds, where Andriy Shyyka beat 1999 NCAA Champion Doug Schwab (Osage, Iowa/Iowa), 7-5.
The Big Ten All-Stars ralled with four straight wins, to close the team score to 19-17 after nine bouts.
At 171.5 pounds, 1999 NCAA runner-up Otto Olson (Everett, Wash./Michigan) beat Oleg Kushnir of Ukraine, 8-2.
Also at 171.5 pounds, local favorite Clint Musser (Akron, Ohio/Penn State), a 1999 NCAA runner-up, edged Volodymyr Syrotin of Ukraine, 4-3.
The Big Ten team also swept both matches at 191.5 pounds. 1999 NCAA runner-up Brandon Eggum (Sidney, Mont./Minnesota) beat two-time Junior World bronze medalist Taras Danko of Ukraine, 3-2.
Viktor Sveda (Peninsula, Ohio/Indiana), a 1999 NCAA All-American, won by technical fall over Andriy Vyshar of Ukraine, 11-1, in 4:59.
Ukraine won the last two matches at 290.25 pounds, making the final team score 22-18.
Vasyl Tesmynetskyy of Ukraine won scored a competitive 2-1 overtime referee's decision over John Lockhart (Mahomet, Ill./Illinois).
In the final match, Ivan Ishchenko of Ukraine stopped Jacob Vercelli (Wilmington, Ill./Purdue), 5-0.
Coaching the Big Ten all-star team was Troy Sunderland, the head wrestling coach at the Pennsylvania State Univ. Sunderland was named Rookie College Coach of the Year in 1999, and is a former member of USA Wrestling's Freestyle Team USA.
Ukraine is one of the top wrestling nations in the world, with numerous World and Olympic medalists in its program. Ukraine placed second in the 1997 World Championships and fourth in the 1998 World Championships and has won the European team championships on the Senior level.
UKRAINE 25, BIG TEN ALL-STAR TEAM 18 at University Park, Pa., May 23
56 kg/123.25 lbs. - Gevork Markaryan, Ukraine, dec. Chris Williams, Perry, Mich. (Michigan State), 9-0
60 kg/132 lbs. - Oleksandr Zaharuk, Ukraine, dec. Pat McNamara, Jordan, Minn. (Michigan State), 7-2
60 kg/132 lbs. - Vasyl Fedoryshyn, Ukraine, dec. Robert Sessley, Jr., Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State), 8-2
65 kg/143 lbs. - Viktor Bilokopytyy, Ukraine, dec. Scott Schatzman, Chesterfield, Mo. (Northwestern), 6-4
65 kg/143 lbs. - Andriy Shyyka, Ukraine, dec. Doug Schwab, Osage, Iowa (Iowa), 7-5
78 kg/171.5 lbs. - Otto Olson, Everett, Wash. (Michigan) dec. Oleg Kushnir, Ukraine, 8-2
78 kg/171.5 lbs. - Clint Musser, Akron, Ohio (Penn State) dec. Volodymyr Syrotin, Ukraine, 4-3
87 kg/191.25 lbs.- Brandon Eggum, Sidney, Mont. (Minnesota) dec. Taras Danko, Ukraine, 3-2
87 kg/191.25 lbs. - Viktor Sveda, Peninsula, Ohio (Indiana) won by tech. fall over Andriy Vyshar, Ukraine, 11-1, 4:59
132 kg/290.25 lbs. - Vasyl Tesmynetskyy, Ukraine, won by ref. dec. over John Lockhart, Mahomet, Ill. (Illinois), 2-1, ot, 9:00
132 kg/290.25 lbs. - Ivan Ishchenko, Ukraine, dec. Jacob Vercelli, Wilmington, Ill. (Purdue), 5-0