Rob Sherrill
07-23-2011, 09:35 AM
It's a good old-fashioned blowout, folks.
With an all-Illinois final at 98 pounds and another finalist at 145 before the evening session even began, four more Illinois wrestlers punched their tickets last night, giving Illinois seven finalists in this morning’s final session here at the FargoDome.
And Illinois has 20 All-Americans – count ‘em, 20. That’s a record…as far as I know.
The team tale of the tape: Illinois owns a 31-point lead, 83-52 over Iowa, which will take a solid second place with 12 All-Americans. Iowa is the only state besides Illinois with more total All-Americans than Illinois has finalists.
******
Matt Garelli (105) will try to repeat as Junior freestyle champion – he won last year at 98 – against the Greco-Roman champion, California state champion Johnson Mai.
Zane Richards (130), up a weight from his Greco-Roman finals appearance, faces Brandon Jeske of Virginia in a rematch of the Cadet Greco-Roman final a year ago, which Richards won.
Edwin Cooper (152) will face three-time Oregon champion Zac Brunson and Greco-Roman OW Jahwon Akui (189) will go for a double title against Devin Peterson of Wisconsin as two wrestlers going for double titles square off. It could have been a second all-Illinois final, but Peterson beat Sam Brooks in three periods in their final round robin match.
Greco-Roman champion Nkosi Moody faces Tommy Pawelski at 98 and returning Cadet National champion Brian Murphy (145) faces Brian Realbuto of New York. Those three earned their way to the finals yesterday morning.
With an all-Illinois final at 98 pounds and another finalist at 145 before the evening session even began, four more Illinois wrestlers punched their tickets last night, giving Illinois seven finalists in this morning’s final session here at the FargoDome.
And Illinois has 20 All-Americans – count ‘em, 20. That’s a record…as far as I know.
The team tale of the tape: Illinois owns a 31-point lead, 83-52 over Iowa, which will take a solid second place with 12 All-Americans. Iowa is the only state besides Illinois with more total All-Americans than Illinois has finalists.
******
Matt Garelli (105) will try to repeat as Junior freestyle champion – he won last year at 98 – against the Greco-Roman champion, California state champion Johnson Mai.
Zane Richards (130), up a weight from his Greco-Roman finals appearance, faces Brandon Jeske of Virginia in a rematch of the Cadet Greco-Roman final a year ago, which Richards won.
Edwin Cooper (152) will face three-time Oregon champion Zac Brunson and Greco-Roman OW Jahwon Akui (189) will go for a double title against Devin Peterson of Wisconsin as two wrestlers going for double titles square off. It could have been a second all-Illinois final, but Peterson beat Sam Brooks in three periods in their final round robin match.
Greco-Roman champion Nkosi Moody faces Tommy Pawelski at 98 and returning Cadet National champion Brian Murphy (145) faces Brian Realbuto of New York. Those three earned their way to the finals yesterday morning.