Wrestling Hosts MSU Open This Sunday
11/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 9, 2006
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THIS WEEK IN SPARTAN WRESTLING
WHAT: MSU OPEN
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 12
WHERE: East Lansing, Mich. • Jenison Field House • All Day
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:
10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Preliminary Matches
6 - 8 p.m. - Finals and Medal Matches
MICHIGAN STATE TO HOST OF THE NATION'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS TOURNAMENTS
The Michigan State wrestling program plays host to one of the most anticipated events of the wrestling season, the MSU Open, this Sunday, Nov. 12 at Jenison Field House. Action begins with preliminary matches at 10 a.m.; finals and medal matches will take place approximately between 6 and 8 p.m. The tournament has been changed to a one-day format beginning this season.
Fans: Please note that there is a basketball doubleheader at the Breslin Center on Sunday. The women's team plays Ferris State at 2 p.m. and the men's team plays The Citadel at 5 p.m.
A LOOK AT THE EASTERN MICHIGAN OPEN
Three Michigan State wrestlers captured individual titles at the Eastern Michigan Open last Saturday in the first competition of the season.
Red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez eased his way to a title at 125 pounds, while senior Nick Simmons won the crown at 133 pounds. Gomez went 5-0 on the day, winning the title with a 9-1 major decision over Alex Usztics of Navy in the finals. Simmons went 4-0 and pinned Joe Baker of Navy in 3:38 in the championship at 133.
Senior Tony Greathouse won at 157, while junior Joe Williams compiled a 3-1 record at 184. Greathouse was a perfect 5-0 and beat Aaron Hynes of Michigan in the finals, 5-4.
QUOTING COACH MINKEL
On the Eastern Michigan Open...
"Well, the season is upon us. We had a pretty good day at the Eastern Michigan Open with three champions. Several other guys placed pretty high. Franklin Gomez, a 125-pounder, cruised through the tournament. He scored about 50 points and only gave up three. Nick Simmons got his first championship of the year at 133 pounds. Right now, he may stay at 133 and move down to 125 later on. We'll play that by ear.
"The feel good story of the tournament was Tony Greathouse from Mason. When Tony wrestled in high school he only weighed about 80 pounds, he wasn't big enough for any of the weight classes. He wrestled at 133 for us two years ago, and he had a growth spurt and moved up to 157. He had just an average year last year, I think the transition from 133 to 157 was difficult for him. But he's made the transition, and I think he's a little more comfortable at that weight class now. He beat starters from Ohio State and Michigan on his way to winning his first college championship."
On the Michigan State Open and the upcoming dual with Oklahoma State...
"A few of our starters sat out the EMU Open with injuries, just getting ready for our tournament, the Michigan State Open, which starts with the weigh-in at 8 a.m. and wrestling at 10 a.m. A short list of some of the teams that will be here are Ohio University, Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana, Penn, North Carolina, Cleveland State and Old Dominion. It should be a very, very strong tournament.
"It's a big weekend for us, and after that, we head down to Oklahoma State (Nov. 16) and wrestle the Cowboys down in Stillwater, the three-time defending national champions. However, last year we won five of the 10 matches up here and I think we match up well against them. If we get through our tournament unscathed, we open our season with probably the best team in the country in Oklahoma State. We're really looking forward to that challenge, and it's a great way to start out and see where you are."
PRESEASON RANKINGS
The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and its media Web site, InterMat, tabbed Michigan State 17th in the nation in its preseason poll.
The Spartans, as always, boast one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Thirteen of MSU's 14 duals are against teams ranked in the preseason Top 25, including seven in the top 10. MSU opens its dual-meet schedule Thursday, Nov. 16 in Stillwater, Okla., against defending national champion and second-ranked Oklahoma State.
Individually, the Simmons brothers, both seniors, are once again at the top of their respective weight classes.
Andy Simmons begins the season ranked second at 141 pounds by the NWCA; he is also ranked No. 1 by Amateur Wrestling News and No. 2 by W.I.N. Magazine.
Andy placed fifth at the NCAA Championships last spring at 141 pounds en route to earning All-America honors for the second consecutive year. He went 36-6 his junior year and won the Big Ten title for the first time in his career.
Nick, a three-time All-American, has placed fourth at the NCAA Championships the past two years. He won his second straight Big Ten title last season and compiled an impressive 36-2 overall record. Nick enters the season ranked third by NWCA, Amateur Wrestling News, The Wrestling Mall and W.I.N. Magazine.
Red-shirt freshman Rocky Cozart debuts at No. 18 in the NWCA rankings at 165 pounds. Cozart compiled a 13-3 record during his redshirt season, including a 9-2 mark at 165. He went 4-1 while wrestling at 174.
Junior Joe Williams was ranked 14th at 184 pounds by W.I.N. Magazine.
A LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S MICHIGAN STATE OPEN
Junior Nick Simmons and freshman Rocky Cozart claimed tournament championships at 125 and 165 pounds, respectively, as 11 Michigan State wrestlers took home top-six finishes at the 2005 MSU Open at Jenison Field House.
In a rematch of the 125-pound final at the 2005 EMU Open, junior Nick Simmons defeated freshman Franklin Gomez, 4-0. For the tournament, Nick Simmons tallied a fall and outscored his other four opponents, 40-2. Gomez dominated his four victories, tallying two major decisions and outscoring his opponents, 41-11.
In a thrilling match up between top five wrestlers in the 141-pound final, Andy Simmons narrowly dropped the decision, 6-5, to Northwestern's Ryan Lang. Lang put Simmons to his back early, but held on for the win down the stretch.
Darren McKnight also lost a close match in the final at 149 pounds, 6-3, to Jeff Jaggers of Ohio State. McKnight tallied a takedown in the first period, but was scored on late in the third.
Rocky Cozart took home the championship at 165 pounds. Compiling a 4-0 record over the course of the tournament, Cozart beat top-seeded Will Durkee of Northwestern in the finals, 6-4. Cozart notched a takedown in each of the three periods.
In the 174-pound final, Northwestern All-American Jake Herbert, ranked second in the nation, defeated senior captain R.J. Boudro, 9-1. Boudro was caught on his back early in the match, and could not make up the deficit.
Eight other Spartans claimed top-six finishes in their respective weight classes: Eddie Skowneski took third at 149 pounds, while Tim Hammer at 141 pounds, Greg Goidosik at 174 pounds, Jeff Clemens at 197 pounds and Max Lossen at 285 all took fifth place. Nick Fallico at 149 pounds was the lone Spartan to take sixth place.
Tony Greathouse (157 pounds), Jeremy Bloom (174 pounds), John Murphy (184 pounds) and Freddie DeRamus (285 pounds) all took seventh place, while Jeff Wimberley (133 pounds) claimed eighth.
RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN
Andy Simmons enters the season 15th on MSU's all-time wins list with 101. Nick tied him over the weekend by going 4-0 and now also has 101 career victories. Nick is just nine falls away from Jim Mason's all-time record of 45 set from 1980-84.
LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez is expected to make an immediate impact this year for the Spartans. During his red-shirt season, Gomez compiled a 23-3 record at 125 pounds and captured three first-place finishes (Cleveland State Open, Kent State Open, Edinboro Open) and three second-place finishes (EMU Open, MSU Open, Penn State Open). Gomez entered the rankings at No. 15 by The Wrestling Mall at 133 pounds. He opened the season by going 5-0 and capturing first place at the Eastern Michigan Open at 125 pounds.
Players Mentioned
