Brands, McIlravy win titles at Midlands ChampionshipsA pair of the top-ranked freestyle wrestlers in the nation switched to folkstyle wrestling and claimed individual titles at the Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill., Dec. 29-30.
Claiming Midlands titles were Terry Brands (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 126 pounds and Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa/Gateway 2000 WC) at 158 pounds.
Brands, a two-time World Champion and the No. 1 ranked freestyle wrestler at 127.75 pounds, won the finals over Dwight Hinson of Iowa State by forfeit. Brands was a two-time NCAA champion at the Univ. of Iowa (1990, 1992).
McIlravy was named the winner of the Dan Gable Outstanding Wrestler Award, after pinning Mark Samples of Edinboro in 1:11 in the finals. McIlravy is the top-ranked 152 pound freestyle wrestler in the nation, and was a three-time NCAA champion for the University of Iowa (1983-84, 87).
Another talented freestyle wrestler, Chris Bono (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), won the 150-pound title, defeating Eric Siebert of Illinois in the finals, 9-7. Bono, a 1996 NCAA champion for Iowa State, has won a number of freestyle tournaments this fall.
The Midlands Championships is considered the top holiday wrestling competition in the nation, and has featured numerous wrestling superstars over the years.
The rest of the 1997 champions were college wrestlers, led by two-time NCAA champion Joe Williams of Iowa at 167 pounds, and 1997 NCAA champion Mark Ironside at 134 pounds. The Univ. of Iowa won the team title, followed by the Univ. of Illinois.
1997 Midlands Wrestling Championships at Evanston, Ill., Dec. 29-30
118 - 1st - David Morgan (Michigan State) d. Cody Sanderson (Iowa State), 3-0; 3rd - Jody Strittmatter (Pitt-Johnstown) d. John Taylor (Oregon), 7-1; 5th - Michael Kawamura (Arizona State) d. Lee Pritts (Clarion), 9-7 ot; 7th - Chuckie Connors (North Carolina) d. Damon Broadbent (SF State), 10-4
126 - 1st - Terry Brands (Hawkeye WC) d. Dwight Hinson (Iowa State), forfeit; 3rd - Doug Schwab (Iowa) d. Pat McNamara (Michigan State), 4-1; 5th - Steven Walker (Penn) d. David Perkins (Oregon), 11-8; 7th - Chris Heckel (Duke) d. Matt Turnbow (Eastern Michigan), 10-3
134 - 1st - Mark Ironside (Iowa) d. Jeremy Ensrud (Oregon), 7-5; 3rd - Dustin DeNunzio (Harvard) d. Carl Perry (Illinois), 6-5; 5th - Scott Schatzman (Northwestern) d. Sonny Marchette (Lassen), 6-4; 7th - Mike Mendoza (CSU-Bakersfield) d. Jason Mutarelli (Virginia), 6-2
142 - 1st - Casey Cunningham (Central Michigan) d. Roger Chandler (Unattached), 3-1; 3rd - Jeff McGinness (Iowa) d. John Marc Bentley (North Carolina), 12-3; 5th - Yoshi Nakamura (Penn) d. Tracy Brown (Arizona State), 6-5; 7th - Jarrett Mathews (Army) d. Justin Hurst (Rutgers), 5-4
150 - 1st - Chris Bono (Sunkist Kids WC) d. Eric Siebert (Illinois), 9-7; 3rd - Tod Surmon (Dave Schultz WC) d. Steve Blackford (Arizona State), forfeit; 5th - Daryll Christian (Oregon) d. Terry Murphy (Wildcat WC), 7-3; 7th - Alex Coriano (Wildcat WC) d. Drew Pariano (Northwestern), 5-3
158 - 1st - Lincoln McIlravy (Gateway 2000 WC) pin Mark Samples (Edinboro), 1:11; 3rd - Matt Suter (Arizona State) d. Ryan Cunningham (Central Michigan), 2-1 ot; 5th - Brian Pitzer (Bucknell) d. Sean Morgan (Oregon), 6-5; 7th - Gabe McMahan (Iowa) d. Bill Zeman (Illinois), 7-6
167 - 1st - Joe Williams (Iowa) d. Brandon Slay (Penn), 5-3; 3rd - Matt Hughes (Panther WC) d. Casey Strand (Arizona State), 7-3; 5th - Kevin Welsh (Edinboro) d. Sean Salmon (Ohio State), 6-5; 7th - Chris Snyder (Central Michigan) d. Paul Healy (SF State), 7-6
177 - 1st - Mitch Clark (Ohio State) d. Jevon Herman (Illinois), 4-3; 3rd - Aaron Simpson (Arizona State) d. John Dattalo (Unattached), 4-3; 5th - Francis Volpe (Harvard) d. Joe Watson (Georgia State), 8-7; 7th - Chris Vike (Central Michigan) d. Brad Horton (Iowa State), 6-3
190 - 1st - Jason Robison (Edinboro) d. Lee Fullhart (Iowa), 3-2; 3rd - Sam Neider (Northwestern) pin Pat Quirk (Illinois), 3:12; 5th - Chael Sonnen (Oregon) d. Jeremy Goeden (Northern Illinois), forfeit; 7th - Scott Stay (North Carolina) pin Eric Duus (Dave Schultz WC), 5:44
Heavyweight - 1st - Stephen Neal (CSU-Bakersfield) d. Rex Holman (Unattached), 17-7; 3rd - Karl Roesler (Illinois) d. Wes Hand (Iowa), 3-1 ot; 5th - Chad Lamer (Hawkeye WC) d. Brian Keck (Wildcat WC). forfeit; 7th - Jason Gleasman (Syracuse) d. Leslie Apadoe (VMI), 7-3
Team Standings - 1. Iowa, 134.50 pts.; 2. Illinois, 113.5 pts.; 3. Oregon, 92.5 pts.; 4. Arizona State, 84 pts.; 5. Central Michigan, 71.5 pts.; 6. Iowa State, 67 pts.; 7. Edinboro, 66 pts.; 8. Pennsylvania, 63.5 pts.; 9. Michigan State, 59 pts.; 10. CSU-Bakersfield, 53 pts.
Dan Gable Outstanding Wrestler Award: Lincoln McIlravy, Gateway 2000 WC
Gorriaran Award (most falls in the least time): Karl Roesler, Hwt.,Illinois (3 falls in 7:49).
Fastest Fall of the Tournament: Chael Sonnen, Oregon, 18 seconds
Art Kraft Champion of Champions Award: Jason Robison, Edinboro