March 20, 2008
Results by Weight Class
125: James Nicholson
The Monarchs redshirt freshman jumped to a quick 4-1 lead over Edinboro's Eric Morrill in the first period with two takedowns, including a tough two-points on the edge of the mat. After Morrill started down in the second and escaped to cut the lead to 4-2, Nicholson grabbed another takedown to go up four and nearly earned back points. He would add an escape point and the riding time point in the third for the final score of 8-2 and his first ever NCAA Tournament win.
In the second round, #10 Nicholson faced #7 Mike Sees (Bloomsburg) after Sees posted 21 match points in his opening round win. The Des Moines native for ODU was the aggressor for most of the match and would upset the fifth-year senior Husky grappler, 7-2, allowing just two escape points. After going down 0-1 with the escape point in the second, Nicholson put it into the next gear with a takedown and back points to go up 4-1. He would add an escape and another takedown in the third for the final count of 7-2 to take another step closer to the podium.
133: Kyle Hutter
Hutter jumped to a 2-0 lead with a takedown of Baker in the first, but the #11 seed Joe Baker would go on a 12-3 run to win it 12-5 in the opening round. The pair had wrestled earlier in the year with Baker winning a 3-5 decision, but this time Hutter could not convert any shots on the Navy grappler.
In the wrestlebacks, Hutter would win his first ever NCAA Tournament bout against UT-Chattanooga senior Stephen Hromada, 2-1. With little action in the first period, the Monarch grappler was on top in the second, and rode Hromada for the full two minutes. Hutter escaped in the third to go up 1-0 with the riding time advantage and stayed away from Hromada's attack for the remainder of the match, getting docked a stalling point, but still winning 2-1 to advance to day two. Hutter will face Ohio State's Reece Humphrey to start the second day in St. Louis.
141: Ryan Williams
Through regulation, the rematch between Kent State's Drew Lashaway and ODU's Ryan Williams was tied at one with the only points coming on escapes. Headed into overtime, both 141-pounders had taken shots on offense, but neither were able to convert for the takedown on the edge of the mat. In the first overtime period, Lashaway took a shot and forced Williams to scramble as time expired. Both earned escape points in the tiebreaker forcing a second sudden victory overtime period where Lashaway would again take a shot, but Williams managed to get wrapped up for a stalemate. Out of the next whistle, he earned the match-winning takedown and advanced to face #1 Chad Mendes (Cal Poly).
In the second round, Williams was faced with the top-ranked wrestler in the tournament at 141 lbs, Chad Mendes. Earlier in the season, Mendes managed to pin the Monarch in the first period. This time, though, Williams stayed off his back and gave the top seed a run before falling 4-7. The undefeated Cal Poly wrestler continued on his quest for the weight title and Williams moves on to wrestle Tim Harner from Liberty in the wrestlebacks. Williams and Harner wrestled at the Virginia Intercollegiates earlier this season and the Monarch won by major decision.
165: Chris Brown
In a highly anticipated match between Brown and Cornell's #4 seed Mack Lewnes there was no score in the first period. Brown was down to start the second and Lewnes scored a two-second nearfall on the Monarch to go ahead 2-0. However, Lewnes would then get called for an illegal hold, locking Brown's hands, and the Monarch would escape to tie it up at the end of the second. Lewnes was down in the third and earned a quick reversal on Brown to go back up, 4-2. The Old Dominion grappler would escape in the third, but Lewnes had the riding time advantage so Brown would need a takedown to tie it and send it into overtime. Unfortunately, he couldn't get the two and fell to the #4 seed, 5-3.
The Monarch sophomore cruised to victory in his first wrestleback appearance, dropping the Bakersfield fifth year senior Daniel Atondo in a major decision, 13-5. The bonus point victory was in Brown's control from the opening whistle, as he earned takedown after takedown, cutting his opponent every time. In all, he had six takedowns and an escape for the victory and will now face Arizona State's Patrick Pitsch in the second round of the wrestlebacks tomorrow morning.
184: Jesse Strawn
Strawns first NCAA Tournament appearance was not lacking in excitement, as he was across the mat from NC State's Ryan Goodman. The two battled for the first three minutes as Goodman grabbed the first takedown, but Strawn reversed him to tie it at two apiece. Goodman started to build a lead in the second period, though, with a pair of takedowns and at the start of the third, added a reversal to go up five. However, Strawn would not go away and hit Goodman with a flurry of moves, grabbing another reversal and two takedowns to pull within two. Unfortunately for the Monarch, there just wasn't enough time on the clock as he fell two points shy of the comeback and was bumped to the consolation bracket.
The Monarchs' 184-pounder would be the first to get bumped from the Tournament as he was pinned by Cal St. Fullerton's Ian Murphy, a fifth year senior. Murphy grabbed the takedown, cradled Strawn and earned the pin 27 seconds into the match. Strawn's 0-2 appearance at the NCAA Tournament concludes his sophomore season with a 31-15 record.
285: Andy Totusek
The Monarchs only true freshman at the NCAA Tournament faced West Virginia fifth year senior Dustin Rogers in his first ever appearance at the Big Dance. The two both earned escape points in the second and third and were tied up at 1-1 for the only scoring of almost the entire match, but with two seconds remaining Rogers nailed a takedown to go up 3-1. The Moutaineer grappler was awarded a penalty point and Toto earned an escape point for the final count of 4-2 in the opening round.
Totusek's tournament would come to a close on the first day when he suffered a 2-12 major decision loss to Jon May (Nebraska). The match was close early, but May would break Toto midway through the second and piled up 12 points on the Monarch rookie.