April 23, 2007
AKRON, OH -- Old Dominion redshirt freshman Billy Chamberlain wrestled to an 8th place finish at the University Freestyle Nationals this weekend. Chamberlain wrestled to a 3-3 record in the tournament, good enough to place. ODU's Jesse Strawn and Ryan Williams also wrestled at Nationals and went 2-2 at the tournament.
Chamberlain's placing at 55 kg (121 lbs) was stifled at first by just one wrestler in Ohio. The formerly ranked Matt Steintrager (Advantage Wrestling) knocked Chamberlain out in the first round with a 4-0, 10-2 decision. However, the Monarch would rebound and win three straight bouts. The first was against the University of Pittsburgh's freshman John Sutika (TF 7-0, 8-0), and was followed by two decisions. He defeated Matthew Hall (Rock Head Wrestling) 3-0, 6-0 and then put away Lance Penhale (West Point WC) by a score of 3-0, 4-1.
Chamberlain met up with Steintrager again in the consolation bracket and fell for the second time by technical fall, 6-0, 6-0. In the 7th/8th place bout Chamberlain would come out very strong, winning the first period 7-1. However, Jake Gonzales (Orange Crush) would rebound to take seventh by a score of 7-1, 7-0 in the final two periods.
Ryan Williams would come out strong in the 66 kg (145.5 lbs) weight class by winning his first two bouts. He toppled Patrick Lanham (Golden Pride Wrestling) by a score of 4-1, 2-6, 3-1 and moved on to defeat George Hickman (Huskey Wrestling) with a score of 1-1, 2-0, 2-1. Williams would fall in his next two bouts, though, and was eliminated from the tournament.
Jesse Strawn would follow the same pattern as Williams in the 84 kg (185 lbs) weight class. He pinned his first opponent, Collin Brooks (Meat Head WC), 26 seconds into the second period. He would then put away Blake Mesyn (Michigan WC) by a score of 4-1, 2-1 before falling to his next two opponents.
NOTES: Billy Chamberlain (Shippensburg, PA) red-shirted for the Monarchs this season...All three Monarch wrestlers were representing King of the Jungle.