Michigan State University
Big Ten Championships
Maynard And Evans Place Fourth At Big Ten Wrestling Championships
3/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 10, 2002
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Juniors Gray Maynard (Las Vegas, NV) and Rashad Evans (Niagra Falls, N.Y.) placed fourth for Michigan State at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships hosted by the University of Illinois this weekend. Maynard and Evans, along with three other Spartan wrestlers, all placed in the top seven and will advance to the NCAA Championships March 21-23 in Albany, N.Y.
Michigan State finished in eighth place with 54.5 points as the finals got underway this afternoon. Entering the finals, top-ranked Minnesota led the competition with 155 points, while Iowa was in second place with 119 points. MSU's eighth-place finish was secure, as only the top five schools had wrestlers competing in the finals.
Maynard, the sixth seed at 157 pounds, upset the No. 4 seed, Josh Janson of Ohio State, 8-3 in the consolation semifinals. Maynard scored two takedowns in the opening period, and controlled the match while avenging a 7-3 loss to Janson back on Nov. 18. Maynard was not as fortunate in the third place match, falling to Iowa's Matt Anderson, the No. 5 seed, 9-3. Maynard had a 3-1 lead early in the third period before Anderson took over.
At 174 pounds, the fifth-seeded Evans disposed of No. 6 seed Brady Reinke of Wisconsin, 9-5, in the consolation semifinals. Evans built a 6-1 lead in the opening period, then hung on to thwart a late rally by Reinke, who had closed within 7-5. A late takedown by Evans put the match away. Evans was later beaten in the third place match by the No. 3 seed, Jacob Volkmann of Minnesota, 13-1.
Joining Maynard in Albany will be senior Chris Williams (Perry, Mich.), junior Karl Nadolsky (Holland, Mich.) and junior John Wechter (Sagniaw, Mich.).
At 125 pounds, Williams became the 12th MSU wrestler to win 100 career matches, and he did it in dominating fashion. Williams blanked No. 6 seed Greg Schaefer of Indiana, 7-0, in the seventh place match. After a scoreless first period, Williams rode Schaefer the entire second period to take control of the match. In the third period, Williams scored a quick escape then a takedown and three-point nearfall to put the match away.
At 149 pounds, Nadolsky, the sixth seed, fell to Keaton Anderson of Ohio State, 3-2, in the consolation semifinals. Anderson scored the match's only takedown with just 1:21 left to earn the victory. In the fifth place match, Nadolsky was involved in another low-scoring, grueling affair, but this time Nadolsky had the match's lone takedown, in the first period, to win 3-2.
Wechter, who was unseeded, lost his consolation semifinal match to No. 3 seed Kyle Smith of Michigan, 12-3. In the fifth place match, Wechter battled into overtime with the No. 7 seed, Pete Mielnik of Penn State, but lost 7-5 when Mielnik recorded a takedown 14 seconds into the extra period.
In other action, Junior Charles Sageman (Saginaw, Mich.), the eighth seed, lost the seventh-place match at 141 pounds to No. 3 seed Grant Hoerr of Wisconsin, 6-1, to finish in eighth place. Junior Anton Hall (Ada, Mich.) the No. 6 seed at 165 pounds, lost his seventh-place match to No. 4 seed Ryan Kane of Northwestern, 9-3.
For complete results and final team scores, visit the Illinois athletic homepage at www.fightingillini.com.
2002 Big Ten Wrestling Championships
Team Scores Entering Finals1. Minnesota - 1552. Iowa - 1193. Michigan - 117.54. Ohio State - 1115. Illinois - 776. Penn State - 66.57. Purdue - 55.58. Michigan State - 54.59. Wisconsin - 5010. Indiana - 4811. Northwestern - 13
Michigan State Day 2 Results
125 pounds - #4 Chris WilliamsSeventh Place Match - def. #6 Greg Schaefer (IND), 7-0
141 pounds - #8 Charles SagemanSeventh Place Match - lost to #3 Grant Hoerr (WIS), 6-1
149 pounds - #6 Karl NadolskyConsolation Semifinal Round - lost to #4 Keaton Anderson (OSU), 3-2Fifth Place Match - def. #5 Ryan Berger (ILL), 3-1
157 pounds - #6 Gray MaynardConsolation Semifinal Round - def. #4 Josh Janson (OSU), 8-3Third Place Match - lost to #5 Matt Anderson (IA), 9-3
165 pounds - #6 Anton HallSeventh Place Match - lost to #4 Ryan Kane (NW), 9-3
174 pounds - #5 Rashad EvansConsolation Semifinal Round - def. #6 Brady Reinke (WIS), 9-5Third Place Match - lost by major dec. to #3 Jacob Volkmann (MN), 13-1
197 pounds - John WechterConsolation Semifinal Round - lost by major dec. to #3 Kyle Smith (MI), 12-3Fifth Place Match - lost to #7 Pete Mielnik (PSU), 7-5, SV
