OSU Wrestlers Tie For 8th-Place At Big Ten Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | General, Wrestling
March 5, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio- – The Ohio State wrestling team finished the Big Ten wrestling championships tied for eighth-place with Penn State with a total team score of 47.5 points. Iowa won the tournament with 139.5 points. Seven Buckeyes placed in the top eight in their weight classes. The top seven wrestlers from each weight advance to the National Tournament March, 16-18 at St. Louis. MO. The Buckeyes qualified five wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State finished the tournament in last place last season. The Buckeyes were 2-6 in the Big Ten regular season and 9-9 overall. Head coach Russ Hellickson said there was no way he could be unhappy with the way his team wrestled.
“We fared well at the tournament,” Hellickson said. “We were picked to finish 10th or 11th and we finished eighth. Considering the season we had I am very happy with the way we wrestled at the tournament.”
Nick Preston (So., Columbus, Ohio) is the only Buckeye to advance to the championship bout. Preston lost to Michigan State’s Nick Muzashvili in the Big Ten Championship bout at 197-pounds, 8-3. The two faced each other at the Michigan State open in Nov. and Muzashvili won, 3-2.
Preston started the tournament with a 7-5 win over Michigan’s Joe Degain. He then defeated Iowa’s Lee Weber, 16-9. Preston finished Saturday by defeating Penn State’s Ross Thatcher, 5-3. Preston qualified for the NCAA Tournament and finished the tournament, 3-1.
Kore Sharpley (Jr., Shaker Heights, Ohio) had a bye in the first round at 125-pounds. He wrestled Jody Strittmatter of Iowa in the second round and was pinned in 0:58. Sharpley competed in the wrestlebacks and defeated Illinois’ Ryan Escobar, 6-5. He lost to Indiana’s Pat Cassidy in his last wrestleback and also lost the fifth place bout to A. J. Grant of Michigan, 5-3. Sharpley finished the tournament in sixth-place and is guaranteed a bid to the NCAA Tournament. His overall tournament record was 1-2.
Brian Roskovich (Sr., Bridgeport, Ohio) won his first round match against Northwestern’s Nick Scacco, by pinning him in 2:51. He lost his next match to Illinois’ Adam Tirapelle, 10-2. Roskovich won his first wrestleback over Brady Cudd from Wisconsin, by technical fall. He then lost to Mike Zadick of Iowa in the next round of wrestlebacks, 7-3. Roskovich won the seventh-place bout Sunday against Purdue’s Jimmy Hawthorn, 3-2. Roskovich received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and was 3-2 overall at the tournament.
Josh Janson (So., Loveland, Ohio) lost his first round match to Penn State’s Nate Wachter, 10-4. He won his first wrestleback by pinning Drew Parino of Northwestern in 4:07. Janson lost his second wrestleback, 4-2, to Corey Wallman of Wisconsin. Janson lost to Nate Wachter of Penn State, 3-2, in the seventh-place bout on Sunday. He was 1-3 overall in the tournament.
Peter Rogers (Sr., Sheboygan, Wis.) had a first-round bye and won his second-round match, 7-0, over Iowa’s Matt Anderson. He lost his second session match to Brad Pike of Minnesota, 3-2. Rogers defeated Greg Degrand of Michigan State, 2-0, on Sunday. He won his third-place bout against Iowa’s Matt Anderson, 3-1. Rogers qualified for the NCAA tournament and was 3-1 overall at the tournament.
Joel Walker (So., Columbus, Ohio) defeated Michigan’s Charles Martelli, 10-5, in the first-round. He lost to Illinois’ Ben King, 7-4 in the second round. Walker defeated Indiana’s Mingo Morrison, 5-2 in his first wrestleback. He lost to Delany Berger of Minnesota, 9-7 in his second wrestleback. Walker lost his seventh-place match against Will Hill of Michigan State, 9-6. Walker was 2-3 overall at the tournament.
Donovan True (Sr., Oshkosh, Wis.) lost his first round match to Jeff Knupp of Penn State, 13-12. He won his first wrestleback by pinning Purdue’s Jared Williams in 4:40. He also won his second wrestleback in sudden death overtime, 6-4. True lost to Penn State’s Jeff Knupp, 7-5 in his final wrestleback. In the fifth-place bout he lost to Ciezki of Northwestern by fall in 2:14. True has earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament and was 2-3 overall in the tournament.
Jesse Leng (Fr., Columbus, Ohio) lost his first match at 133-pounds by technical fall to Eric Juergens of Iowa. He lost his wrestleback, 6-1, to Evan Robinson of Purdue. Leng is finished with the tournament.
Sean Petersen (Jr., New Port Richey, Fla.) lost his first-round match at 141-pounds to Minnesota’s Chad Erickson, 15-7. He lost his first wrestleback, Mike Castillo of Michigan State, 11-3. Petersen is finished in the tournament.
Tony Sylvester (Jr., Massillon, Ohio) lost this first-round match to Purdue’s Jake Vercelli, 10-3. He lost his first wrestleback, 9-3, to Josh Saul of Northwestern. Sylvester is finished in the tournament.
The Buckeyes return to action March 5 at Purdue for the final rounds of the Big Ten Championships.
INDIVIDUAL MATCH RESULTS
1ST ROUND
125-Kore Sharpley (OSU) bye
133-Eric Juergens (IA) tech. fall Jesse Leng (OSU)
141-Chad Erickson (Min) maj. dec. Sean Petersen (OSU), 15-7
149-Brian Roskovich (OSU) pinned Nick Sacco (NU) 2:51
157-Nate Wachter (PSU) dec. Josh Janson (OSU), 10-4
165-Peter Rogers (OSU) bye
174-Joel Walker (OSU) dec. Charles Martelli (UM), 10-5
184-Jeff Knupp (PSU) dec. Donovan True (OSU), 13-12
197-Nick Preston (OSU) dec. Joe Degain (UM), 7-5
HWT-Jake Vercelli (PU) dec. Tony Sylvester (OSU), 10-3
SECOND ROUND
125-Jody Strittmatter (IA) pinned Kore Sharpley (OSU) 0:58
149-Adam Tirapelle (Ill) maj. dec. Brian Roskovich (OSU), 10-2
165-Peter Rogers (OSU) dec. Matt Anderson (IA), 7-0
174-Ben King (Ill) dec. Joel Walker (OSU), 7-4
197-Nick Preston (OSU) dec. Lee Weber (IA), 16-9
THIRD ROUND
165-Brad Pike (Min) dec. Peter Rogers (OSU), 3-2
197-Nick Preston (OSU) dec. Ross Thatcher (PSU), 5-3
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Nick Muzashvili (MSU) dec. Nick Preston (OSU), 8-3
WRESTLEBACKS
125-Kore Sharpley (OSU) dec. Ryan Escobar (Ill), 6-5 Pat Cassidy (IU) dec. Sharpley (OSU), 6-2
133-Evan Robinson (PU) dec. Jesse Leng (OSU), 6-1
141-Mike Castillo (MSU) maj. dec. Sean Petersen (OSU), 11-3
149-Mike Zadick (IA) dec. Brian Roslovich (OSU), 7-3
157-Josh Janson (OSU) pinned Drew Parino (NU) 4:07 Corey Wallman (WIS) dec. Janson (OSU), 4-2
165-Peter Rogers (OSU) dec. Greg Degrand (MSU), 2-0
174-Joel Walker (OSU) dec. Mingo Morrison (IU), 5-2 Delany Berger (MIN) dec. Walker (OSU), 5-2
184-Donovan True (OSU) pinned Jared Williams (PU) 4:40 True (OSU) dec. Ty Matthews (IU), 6-4 Jeff Knupp (PSU) dec. True (OSU), 6-5
285-Josh Saul (NU) dec. Tony Sylvester (OSU), 9-3
THIRD-PLACE MATCHES
Peter Rogers (OSU) dec. Matt Anderson (IA), 3-1
FIFTH-PLACE MATCHES
125-A. J. Grant (UM) dec. Kore Sharpley (OSU), 5-3
184-Tom Ciezki (NU) pinned Donovan True (OSU) 2:14
SEVENTH-PLACE MATCHES
149-Brian Roskovich (OSU) dec. Jimmy Hawthorne (PU), 3-2
157-Nate Wachter (PSU) dec. Josh Janson (OSU), 3-2
174-Will Hill (MSU) dec. Joel Walker (OSU), 9-6
