Michigan State University
NCAA Championship
Nick And Andy Simmons Advance To Quarterfinals At NCAA Championships
3/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 17, 2006
OKLAHOMA CITY - Nick and Andy Simmons both posted a pair of convincing victories Thursday, March 16 to advance to the quarterfinals at the 2006 NCAA Championships as the Michigan State wrestling team sits 21st after day one. Seniors R.J. Boudro and Darren McKnight are also still alive for the Spartans at 174 and 141 pounds, respectively.
"It is great to have everyone on our team still alive with a day of competition under our belt," head coach Tom Minkel said. "Nick and Andy wrestled tremendously today, with three falls between the two of them in just four matches. Darren and R.J. also worked hard to win their first matches in the wrestlebacks."
Nick Simmons made short work of his first two opponents of the tournament as he pinned them in a combined 1:44. The top seed at 125 pounds recorded his 14th fall of the season against Northern Iowa's Seth Wright just :44 seconds into their first-round bout. He caught the NIU wrestler in a "spladle" immediately off his first takedown to awe the crowd minutes into the start of the tournament.
Simmons did it again in the evening session, notching his 34th career fall against Lock Haven's Obenson Blanc in a mere minute to reach the quarterfinals. The Williamston native is now tied with Jim Mason (1982-83) for falls in a season with 15, and is just one away from tying Erich Harvey (1992-97) for fifth on the MSU all-time pins list. He will face Cal Poly's Chad Mendes Friday morning.
Andy Simmons followed his brother's lead to the quarterfinals, notching his third fall of the year in the first round and his eighth shutout of the season in round two. First, he made short work of Bloomsburg's Brad Forbes. Simmons carried an 8-0 lead into the second period, where he worked Forbes for three near-fall points before pinning him at 4:30.
The younger Simmons set up a rematch with Michigan's Josh Churella in Friday's quarterfinals, with a 6-0 decision over Northern Iowa's T.J. Ettleson. Wrestling as the fourth seed at 141 pounds, Simmons used a first-period takedown and a pair of reversals in the final four minutes to secure his 99th career win.
McKnight was the victim of a tough draw in his opening round match, facing the defending national champion Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State. The Spartan captain was caught in a cradle and pinned at the :31 mark, but the Hixson, Tenn., native persevered to win his first bout in the consolation bracket, 8-6, against Kent State's Jason Bake. McKnight captured the first takedown in the final 10 seconds of the first, which proved to be the difference in his 22nd victory of the season. He will face Wisconsin's Tyler Turner in Session III.
Like McKnight, Boudro used the match's first takedown to claim an 8-6 victory in his first consolation bout against Oregon State's Jeremy Larson. Next, MSU's 174-pounder takes on Oklahoma's Wes Roberts in the Friday morning session.
Boudro was upset in a heartbreaking, triple-overtime bout against Edinboro's Eric Ring in the first round. After a scoreless first period, the grapplers exchanged two minutes of riding time in the second and third frames, sending the match to sudden victory tied at zero. An uneventful first overtime and a tiebreaker set with no escapes left both wrestlers physically drained heading into the second sudden-victory session, where Ring countered a Boudro shot to claim a 2-0 win.
Wrestling resumes Friday, March 17, with Session III at 10 a.m. and continues at 6 p.m. Following Friday's evening session, each weight class will be narrowed down to the top eight.
NCAA Championships Notes - With two wins on the day, Andy Simmons is just one victory short of 100 for his career, tying him for 15th on the MSU all-time wins list with Brian Picklo (1994-97). - Nick Simmons' two victories give him 95 for his career, tied for 17th with Stacey Richmond (1986-89). - The Simmons brothers enter day two of the NCAA tournament with 34 wins, moving into an 11-way tie for 19th on the Spartans' single-season wins list.
Session I
First Round
125 pounds - No. 1 Nick Simmons fall Seth Wright (Northern Iowa) Fall, :44
141 pounds - No. 4 Andy Simmons fall Brad Forbes (Bloomsburg) Fall, 4:30
149 pounds - No. 3 Zack Esposito (Okla. State) fall Darren McKnight Fall, :31
174 pounds - Eric Ring (Edinboro) dec. No. 6 R.J. Boudro SV-2, 2-0
Session II Quarterfinals
125 pounds - No. 1 Nick Simmons fall Obenson Blanc (Lock Haven) Fall, 1:00
141 pounds - No. 4 Andy Simmons dec. C.J. Ettleson (Northern Iowa) 6-0
Consolation First Round
149 pounds - Darren McKnight dec. Jason Bake (Kent State) 8-6
174 pounds - No. 6 R.J. Boudro Jeremy Larson (Oregon State) 8-6
Players Mentioned
