Day One at MSU Open
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
November 7, 1998
EAST LANSING, Mich. - On day one of the 1998 MSU Open wrestling championships, nine members of the Michigan State wrestling squad went undefeated to earn a spot in the semi-finals. The MSU Open will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 8 at Jenison Field House. The action begins at 10 a.m., with the championship and medal matches beginning at 2 p.m.
Sophomore All-American Pat McNamara will compete at 133 pounds. NCAA qualifier Issac Miller will wrestle at 141, while sophomore Mike Castillo will represent the Spartans at 149. Michigan State is guaranteed to have a wrestler in the 157 finals as freshman Gray Maynard will take on sophomore Cory Posey. At 165, senior Greg DeGrand will look to improve on his fourth place finish in the 1997 MSU Open. Freshman Nik Fekete will look to earn the title at 184 in his first collegiate tournament. NCAA qualifier Nick Muzashvili will look to improve on a third-place finish in 1997 at 197. Finally, Matt Lamb will look to earn the first title of his collegiate career at 285.
Four other Spartans qualified to compete on Sunday. They are working their way through the consolation bracket after losing one match on Saturday. Every wrestler competing on Sunday is guaranteed of placing in the top eight.
The MSU Open is one of the largest collegiate wrestling tournaments in the United States, consisting of over 300 participants from nearly 20 schools and wrestling clubs. No team scores are kept in the MSU Open.