Wrestle-offs Determine Ohio State’s Starting Lineup – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/12/1998 12:00:00 AM | General, Wrestling
November 12, 1998
COLUMBUS, OHIO – Fresh off a successful showing at the Michigan State Open, the Ohio State wrestling team returned to action this week with intersquad wrestle-offs, which go a long way to determining the starting lineup for the Buckeyes this year.
Form held throughout the competition as those wrestlers that were expected to find success did so. At 133 pounds, two matches were needed to determine the winner between Mark Balog and Robert Sessley. In the first meeting, the two sophomores finished regulation and overtime deadlocked at 1-1. Sessley started strong in the second meeting, taking down Balog several times before eventually winning, 9-1, in the weight class the coaching staff felt was up for grabs.
The competition level at 157 pounds was also extremely high. Junior Brian Roskovich defeated redshirt freshman Brendan Burns, 8-0, in the finals. Burns managed to get to the finals by defeating Josh Janson in the match of the tournament. Janson led Burns, 10-6, with five seconds remaining in the match when Burns picked up two points for a takedown and two back points after he headlocked Janson. Burns eventually was victorious in overtime, 12-10.
The 149 and 184-pound weight classes could not be determined as many wrestlers in those classes were either injured or ill. Those positions will be competed for later in the week.
The Buckeyes wrestle in their first dual match of the season Sunday, November 22, at 1:00 pm against Iowa State in St. John Arena. The projected starting lineup for that match will be:
125 lbs. Matt Fratta
133 lbs. Robert Sessley
141 lbs. Keaton Anderson
149 lbs. To be determined
157 lbs. Brian Roskovich
165 lbs. Peter Rogers
174 lbs. Bo James
184 lbs. To be determined
197 lbs. Eric Wood
HWT Bob Schlatter
FIRST ROUND-
125 pounds: Kore Sharpley def. Eric Adler 19-4, technical fall
133 pounds: Robert Sessley def. Tim Jordan 8-3 Mark Balog def. Josh Daugherty 16-6
141 pounds: Sean Peterson def. Tariq Seiffulah 8-2
157 pounds: ROUND ROBIN Brendan Burns def. Josh Janson 12-10, ot Brian Roskovich def. Josh Janson fall at 3:00 Brian Roskovich def. Brendan Burns 8-0
165 pounds: Joel Walker def. Lawson Cruz fall at 5:24
174 pounds: Bo James def. Phillip Freeman fall Pat Feldman def. Nick Stepanovich 7-4
184 pounds: Sean Salmon def. Thomas Rossi 10-3
197 pounds: Eric Wood def. Adam Donahue 10-3
Heavyweight: Bob Schlatter def. Tony Sylvester 4-3
SECOND ROUND-
125 pounds: Matt Fratta def. Kore Sharpley 2-1
133 pounds: Mark Balog tied Robert Sessley 1-1, ot Josh Daugherty def. Tim Jordan 6-4
141 pounds: Keaton Anderson def. Sean Peterson 4-0
157 pounds: Brian Roskovich def. Josh Janson fall at 3:00
165 pounds: Peter Rogers def. Joel Walker 8-0
174 pounds: Bo James def. Pat Feldman 6-4 Nick Stepanovich def. Phillip Freeman 5-4
THIRD ROUND-
133 pounds: Robert Sessley def. Mark Balog 9-1
157 pounds: Brian Roskovich def. Brendan Burns 8-0
