Wrestlers Head to NCAA Championships
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 16, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - NCAA Preview-Five members of the Michigan State wrestling squad will take part in the NCAA Championships this week at Penn State University. The Spartans will be led by 1998 All-American and 1999 Big Ten champion Pat McNamara (133 pounds). He will be joined by Issac Miller (141), Will Hill (174), Nick Muzashvili (197) and Matt Lamb (285). McNamara, Miller, Hill and Muzashvili will all be making their second straight trip to nationals, while Lamb will be making his first.
McNamara will be looking to improve on his fifth place finish in 1998. Although he is the only returning All-American, Muzashvili came close last year, posting a 3-2 record in Cleveland. Will Hill was 2-2 and Issac Miller was 1-2. In 1998, the Spartans placed 13th with 39 points. The only team title came in 1967. Over the years, Michigan State has had 24 individual champions. The last individual to claim victory was Kelvin Jackson at 118 in 1995.
Big Ten Recap- As a team, Michigan State placed eighth at the Big Ten Championships with 53.5 points. The highlight of the tournament was Pat McNamara's individual title at 133 pounds. McNamara's win gives the Spartans at least one Big Ten champion every year since 1995. He won the title by defeating Michigan's Joe Warren for the fourth time this season.
Nick Muzashvili, who placed sixth in 1998, finished third this year, losing only to champion Tim Hartung. Will Hill placed fifth for the second consecutive season. Matt Lamb improved on his eighth place finish in '98, placing fourth. Issac Miller rounds out the NCAA qualifiers with a seventh-place finish.
Dual Season Recap- The Spartans' 6-11-1 record can be deceiving at first glance. Like many years before, Michigan State boasts one of the most difficult dual meet schedules in the nation. Only four opponents (Findlay, Wisconsin, Montana St. Northern, and Eastern Michigan ) did not appear in the Division I NWCA Top 25 at some point during the year. (Of those four, Findlay and Montana St.-Northern are in the top 5 in the NAIA.) The Spartans easily handled those opponents, winning by an average score of 31.25-8.25. During the season, MSU also upset Arizona State, 17-16, in Tempe, Ariz. At the time of the dual, the Sun Devils were ranked eighth in the nation.
Spartans in the Rankings-Three members of the MSU squad are ranked among the top wrestlers in their individual weight classes according to the Amateur Wrestling News and/or InterMat Wrestling. Pat McNamara is fourth/fourth at 133, Will Hill is 13th/- at 174 and Nick Muzashvili is fifth/seventh at 197.
Keeping Up with the Spartans-There are now more ways than ever to stay current with Michigan State wrestling. Fans can visit the MSU website at www.msuspartans.com. The wrestling program has also recently launced a new website. For complete results, Spartan wrestling merchandise or any other information on MSU wrestling visit www.msuwrestling.com. Finally, be sure to call the Spartan wrestling hotline for results updated within minutes of every match. Call (517) 355-0289.