Michigan State University
Michigan State Open
Three Spartans Take First Place at MSU Open
11/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 9, 2008
Complete MSU Open Results
MSU Open Medal Winners| MSU Open Spartan Individual Results
Coach Minkel Podcast
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State wrestling team made its home debut on Sunday, Nov. 9, hosting its annual MSU Open. Over 500 wrestlers from schools across the country made the trip to East Lansing, and the Spartans didn't disappoint as hosts.
Senior Rex Kendle, junior Franklin Gomez and sophomore Anthony Jones took the 165, 133 and 157-pound titles, respectively, in what MSU head coach Tom Minkel said was the best team effort he's seen in quite some time.
"I was as pleased with our performance this weekend as I have been with any of my teams in a long, long time," Minkel said. "I think from top to bottom our kids wrestled as a team harder than any team I've had that I can remember in recent memory. This is a really outstanding group of young men."
Gomez went 3-0 in the 133-pound class, picking up two major decisions and a technical fall on the way to the title in the open bracket. Kendle won five matches, including a 6-4 decision over No. 12 Chris Brown of Old Dominion in the title match. Jones won his freshman/sophomore title match in 45 seconds, pinning Virginia's Jedd Moore.
Eight more Spartans placed in the freshman/sophomore division. Redshirt freshman Eric Olanowski topped true freshman Colby Borchetta in the 125-pound fifth-place match, giving Olanowski a fifth-place finish and Borchetta sixth. Redshirt freshman Collin Dozier took third at 141, with classmate David Cheza finished sixth at 149.
The Spartans took half of the medals in the 174-pound class, with redshirt freshman Curran Jacobs placing second, true freshman Bryant Craft taking fourth, and classmate Mason Reid finishing fifth. Freshman heavyweight Steve Andrus also finished fifth for the Spartans.
Redshirt freshman Ian Hinton was the only other MSU representative to medal in the open division, taking third in the 184-pound class.
The Spartans return to action at the ACC-Big Ten Clash in Raleigh, N.C., next Saturday, Nov. 15.
Players Mentioned
