Minnesota captures second consecutive Big Ten title, qualifies all 10 wrestlers for NCAA Divison I c

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John Fuller (TheMat.com)
03/10/2002


CHAMPAIGN, IL - Despite losing two of three head-to-head matches in the finals against Iowa Hawkeys, the defending Big Ten champions held on to their massive lead to claim a second consecutive Big Ten Championship title and qualify all 10 wrestlers for the NCAA Division I Championships in Albany, NY.    The Gophers crowned five champions. At 125, #1 Leroy Vega won a 6-4 finals decision over #7 seed Luke Eustice of Iowa. Top seeded Ryan Lewis won a 5-2 decision over Ohio State's Jeff Ratliff at 133 pounds. Top ranked and top seeded Luke Becker won 5-3 over Michigan's Ryan Bertin at 157. At 184, third-seeded Damion Hahn handled top seeded Andy Hrovat of Michigan with an 8-4 decision, and second-seeded Owen Elzen narrowly defeated top seeded Nick Preston of Ohio State 9-8.    The Iowa Hawkeyes came in second in team standings scoring 129 team points, crowning two champions, and qualifying eight wrestlers for the Division I national tournament. At 141 pounds, sixth-seeded Luke Moffitt had an outstanding tournament handling third-seeded Grant Hoerr of Wisconsin in the quarters, upsetting second seeded Robert Sessley of Ohio State in the semifinals, and finishing off fourth-seeded Chad Erickson of Minnesota with a pin in the finals. The Hawks other champ, top-ranked and top-seeded Mike Zadick won a controversial and protested finals match over second-seeded Jared Lawrence of Minnesota. In the finals, Zadick was behind 3-2 with 8 seconds left when he hit a double leg at the edge of the mat. The takedown was initially ruled out of bounds, but was over turned and awarded by the second ref on the mat. Minnesota protested the match, but it was denied.    Finishing third in team standings was Michigan, who crowned just one champion, but managed to qualify nearly the entire team for nationals. Top seeded Otto Olson narrowly defeated second-seeded Tyler Nixt of Iowa 3-2 to earn his title. Michigan's two other finalists, second-seeded Ryan Bertin at 157 and top-seeded Andy Hrovat both fell in the finals to finish second.    The Ohio State Buckeyes compiled 115 team points for a fourth place finish, along the way crowning one champion and qualifying nine wrestlers for nationals. Second-seeded John Clark lost a tight match 6-5 to Illinois only finalist, top-seeded Matt Lackey at 165 pounds. In the battle of the big boys, however, second-seeded Tommy Rowlands defeated top ranked and top seeded Hawkeye Steve Mocco, when Mocco was called for locked hands during the second overtime period in the finals.    Sixth other Big Ten teams qualified wrestlers for the Division I nationals despite crowning any champions.  Penn State finished in sixth place with 7 qualifiers; Purdue in seventh with 5 qualifiers; Michigan State in eighth with 5 qualifiers; Wisconsin in ninth with 3 qualifiers; Indiana in tenth with 3 qualifiers; and Northwestern in eleventh place with 2 qualifiers.    The top seven in each weight class qualify for the NCAA Division I Championships in Albany, NY, along with two wildcards positions that went to Ralph Denisco of Wisconsin and Greg Schaefer of Indiana. Both wrestlers receiving wildcards placed eighth at the Big Ten Championships.    Also receiving honors at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships were Ohio State head coach Russ Hellickson and Minnesota head coach J Robinson, who will share the title of Big Ten Coach of the Year. Iowa's Luke Moffitt was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament, while Minnesota's Ryan Lewis was named the Outstanding Big Ten Wrestler of the Season. Heavyweight Hawkeye Steve Mocco received the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.        Final Team Scores  174 - Minnesota, 5 champs, 10 qualifiers  129 - Iowa, 2 champs, 8 qualifiers  121.5 - Michigan, 1 champ, 9 qualifiers  115 - Ohio State, 1 champ, 9 qualifiers  91.5 - Illinois, 1 champ, 9 qualifiers  66.5 - Penn State, 7 qualifiers  55.5 - Purdue, 5 qualifiers  54.5. - Michigan State, 5 qualifiers  50 - Wisconsin, 4 qualifiers  48 - Indiana, 4 qualifiers  13 - Northwestern, 2 qualifiers      NCAA Division I Qualifiers  125 Pounds  1st - Leroy Vega (Minnesota)  2nd - Luke Eustice (Iowa)  3rd - Chris Fleeger (Purdue)  4th - A.J. Grant (Michigan)  5th - Twan Pham (Illinois)  6th - Jesse Leng (Ohio State)  7th - Chris Williams (Michigan State)    133 Pounds  1st - Ryan Lewis (Minnesota)  2nd - Jeff Ratliff (Ohio State)  3rd - Kevin Black (Wisconsin)  4th - Chad Hay (Illinois)  5th - Cliff Moore (Iowa)  6th - Marat Tomaev (Penn State)  7th - Foley Dowd (Michigan)    141 Pounds  1st -Luke Moffitt (Iowa)  2nd - Chad Erickson (Minnesota)  3rd - Coyte Cooper (Indiana)  4th - Scott Moore (Penn State)   5th -Robert Sessley (Ohio State)  6th - John Giacche (Northwestern)  7th - Grant Hoerr (Wisconsin)     149 Pounds  1st - Mike Zadick (Iowa)  2nd - Jared Lawrence (Minnesota)  3rd - Mike Kulczycki (Michigan)  4th - Keaton Anderson (Ohio State)  5th - Karl Nadolsky (Michigan State)  6th - Ryan Berger (Illinois)  7th - Nate Wachter (Penn State)    157 Pounds  1st - Luke Becker (Minnesota)  2nd - Ryan Bertin (Michigan)  3rd - Matt Anderson (Iowa)  4th - Gray Maynard (Michigan State)  5th - Griff Powell (Illinois)  6th - Josh Janson (Ohio State)  7th - Brad Harper (Purdue)    165 Pounds  1st - Matt Lackey (Illinois)  2nd - John Clark (Ohio State)  3rd - Doc Vecchio (Penn State)   4th - Oscar Santiago (Purdue)  5th - Nate Baker (Minnesota)  6th - Charles Martelli (Michigan)  7th - Ryan Kane (Northwestern)    174 Pounds  1st -Otto Olson (Michigan)  2nd - Tyler Nixt (Iowa)  3rd - Jacob Volkmann (Minnesota)  4th - Rashad Evans (Michigan State)  5th - Ryan Lange (Purdue)  6th - Brady Reinke (Wisconsin)  7th - Brian Glynn (Illinois)    184 Pounds  1st - Damion Hahn (Minnesota)  2nd - Andy Hrovat (Michigan)  3rd - Jessman Smith (Iowa)  4th - Viktor Sveda (Indiana)  5th - Jason Potter (Illinois)  6th - Mark Becks (Penn State)  7th - Blake Kaplan (Ohio State)    197 Pounds  1st - Owen Elzen (Minnesota)  2nd - Nick Preston (Ohio State)  3rd - Kyle Smith (Michigan)  4th - Pat DeGain (Indiana)  5th -  Pete Mielnik (Penn State)  6th - John Wechter (Michigan State)  7th - Tyrone Byrd (Illinois)    285 Pounds  1st - Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State)  2nd - Steve Mocco (Iowa)  3rd - Garrett Lowney (Minnesota)   4th - Matt Brink (Michigan)  5th -Jake Vercelli (Purdue)  6th - John Lockhart (Illinois)  7th - Pat Cummins (Penn State)    Wildcards  Ralph Denisco (Wisconsin)  Greg Schaefer (Indiana)