Finals set for tonight at 39th annual Midlands Wrestling Championships

<< Back to Articles
Heather Van Peursem (TheMat.com)
12/30/2001


EVANSTON, IL - Following the semifinal round this afternoon, the field has been narrowed to 20 wrestlers who will compete for a Midland championship title in the finals set for 7:30 central tonight. at Welsh Ryan Arena on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.    All three wrestlers who were in the running to become members of the 20 in 4 Club have made their marks.  The 20 in 4 Club is an honor given to wrestlers who have reached a total of 20 wins in their first four years of competition at the Midlands. Those entering the Club this year include Cael Sanderson of Iowa State, Yoshi Nakamura from Penn, Mitch Clark from the Ohio International Wrestling Club.     Nakamura entered the Club last night with a quarterfinal win over Josh Jansen of Ohio State, as did Mitch Clark with a quarterfinal win over Jason Cooley or Oregon State in the quarters. Sanderson earned his spot in the Club today with a semifinal win over Jon Trenge of Lehigh. Sanderson is now the the second wrestler in the history of the tournament to enter the Club undefeated. The only other wrestler to reach such a milestone was Dan Gable.    Joe Williams of the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club is one step closer to tying the record for the most consecutive championships title, as well as the record for the most placings in the tournament. Williams defeated Jeff Rusak of Old Dominion in the semifinals to secure a finals position. Seeded first at 174-pounds, if Williams wins his weight class this year he will tie the record for the most consecutive Midlands championships set in 1987 by Bruce Baumgartner with eight wins. Another championship win this year also will tie John Fisher's record by placing in nine consecutive Midlands tournaments.     Semifinal Match Results are as follows:   125 Pounds    #1 Leroy Vega (University of Minnesota) dec. #5 Luke Eustice (Iowa), 5-3   #3 Alexis Vila (Unattached-UN) dec. Mason Lenhard (Penn), 9-2       133 Pounds    #1 Matt Azevedo (Cyclone WC) fall #5 Zach Roberson (Iowa State University), 1:33   #10 Cliff Moore (University of Iowa) dec. #3 Jeff Ratliff (Ohio State University), 5-1       141 Pounds    #1 Eric Larkin (Arizona State) dec. #5 Aaron Holker (Iowa State University), 13-3   #3 Cedric Haymon (Cal-Poly) dec. #2 Mark Conley (Naval Academy), 1-0       149 Pounds    #1 Jared Lawrence (University of Minnesota) dec. #5 Jesse Jantzen (Harvard University), 4-0   #2 Mike Zadick (University of Iowa) dec. #3 Billy Maldanado (Iowa State University), 7-5 OT       157 Pounds    #1 Yoshi Nakamura (Penn) maj. dec. #5 Matt Anderson (University of Iowa), 15-7   #2 Luke Becker (University of Minnesota) dec. #6 Gray Maynard (Michigan State University), 4-2       165 Pounds    #1 Joe Heskett (Iowa State University) fall #5 Johnny Clark (Ohio State University), 3:35   #2 Matt Lackey (University of Illinois) dec. Alibek Pardakulov (Central Missouri), 7-3       174 Pounds    #1 Joe Williams (Sunkist) dec. #5 Jeff Rusak (Old Dominion University), 6-3   #2 Rick Springman (Penn) win by forfeit #6 Greg Parker (Princeton University)       184 Pounds    #1 Viktor Sveda (Indiana University) dec. #4 Austin Palmer (Iowa State University), 5-1   Tyson Thivierge (Montana State North) dec. #3 Jessman Smith (University of Iowa), 6-5       197 Pounds    #1 Cael Sanderson (Iowa State University) maj. dec. #4 Jon Trenge (Lehigh), 16-5   #2 Lee Fullhart (Team Excel) maj. dec. #3 Owen Elzen (University of Minnesota), 12-5       285 Pounds    #4 Mitch Clark (Ohio In WC) dec. #1 John Lockhart (University of Illinois), 4-2 OT   #6 Steve Mocco (University of Iowa) dec. #2 Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State University), 1-1 SV       The Finals, 3rd , 5th, and 7th place matchups include:  Finals Matchups  125 - #1 Leroy Vega (University of Minnesota) vs. #3 Alexis Vila (Unattached-UN)  133 - #1 Matt Azevedo (Cyclone WC) vs. #10 Cliff Moore (University of Iowa)  141 - #1 Eric Larkin (Arizona State) vs. #2 Mark Conley (Naval Academy)  149 - #1 Jared Lawrence (University of Minnesota) vs. #2 Mike Zadick (University of Iowa)  157 - #1 Yoshi Nakamura (Penn) vs. #2 Luke Becker (University of Minnesota)  165 - #1 Joe Heskett (Iowa State University) vs. #2 Matt Lackey (University of Illinois)  174 - #1 Joe Williams (Sunkist) vs. #2 Rick Springman (Penn)  184 - #1 Viktor Sveda (Indiana University) vs. Tyson Thivierge (Montana State North)  197 - #1 Cael Sanderson (Iowa State University) vs. #2 Lee Fullhart (Team Excel)  285 - #4 Mitch Clark (Ohio In WC) vs. #6 Steve Mocco (University of Iowa)      3rd Place Matchups  125 - Ty Malia (Iowa State) vs. #9 Mike Simpson (Arizona State)  133 - Ryan L'Amoreaux (Mich St) vs. #3 Jeff Ratliff (Ohio State University)  141 - Josh Daugherty (Oh St) vs. #3 Cedric Haymon (Cal-Poly)  149 - Scott Frohardt (Air Force) vs.  #3 Billy Maldanado (Iowa State University)  157 - #5 Matt Anderson (University of Iowa) vs. #6 Gray Maynard (Michigan State University)  165 - Troy Letters (Lehi-UN) vs. #5 Johnny Clark (Ohio State University)  174 - Tyler Nixt (Iowa) vs. #5 Jeff Rusak (Old Dominion University)  184 - #2 Damion Hahn (Minnesota) vs. #3 Jessman Smith (University of Iowa)  197 - #4 Jon Trenge (Lehigh) vs. #3 Owen Elzen (University of Minnesota)  285 - #1 John Lockhart (University of Illinois) vs. #2 Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State University)      5th Place Matchups  125 - #5 Luke Eustice (Iowa) vs. Mason Lenhard (Penn)  133 - #5 Zach Roberson (Iowa State University) vs. #4 Mike Jurgens (Iowa)  141 - #5 Aaron Holker (Iowa State University) vs. #8 Coyte Cooper (Ind)  149 - #5 Jesse Jantzen (Harvard University) vs.  #3 Billy Maldanado (Iowa State University)  157 - #4 Jason Ramstetter (Schultz WC) vs. Shad Benton (Pitt-John)  165 - Alibek Pardakulov (Central Missouri) vs. Nate Baker (Minn)  174 - #6 Greg Parker (Princeton University) vs. #7 Ryan Lange (Pur)  184 - #4 Austin Palmer (Iowa State University) vs. #5 Clint Wattenberg (Corn)  197 - #5 Nick Preston (Oh St) vs. Emmett Willson (Mont N)  285 - #5 Jason Cooley (Ore St) vs. #7 Kevin Hoy (Air Force)       7th Place Matchups  125 - #2 Chris Williams (Mich St) vs. Brandon Newill  133 - Mark Jayne (Illinois) vs. Josh Habeck (UW Lac)  141 - Thomas Juarez (Cal-Bak) vs. #4 Robert Sessley (Oh St)  149 - #6 Keaton Anderson (Oh St) vs. #8 Jason DeBruin (Hof)  157 - #7 Derek Jenkins (Rider) vs. #8 Josh Janson (Oh St)  165 - Scott Roth (Corn) vs. Oscar Santiago (Pur)  174 - #9 Jim Stanec (Corn) vs. Gerald Harris (Clv St)  184 - #6 Anton Talamantes (Oh St) vs. #8 Ben Heizer (N Ill)  197 - #9 Chris Skretkowlcz (Hof) vs. #6 Erik Gladish (Az St)  285 - Andy Bowlby (Ore St) vs. #3 Raphael Davis (Schultz WC)