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11-20-2006, 02:28 PM
http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-wrestl/auto_action/357945.jpegPoeta Wins Third Consecutive Title; Fifteen Grapplers Place for Illinois
Columbia, Mo. - Sophomore Mike Poeta (157), junior Gabe Flores (125), freshmen Jimmy Kennedy (133) and John Dergo (184) led 15 Illinois placewinners at the team's season-opening tournament in Columbia, Mo. For the fourth-ranked Poeta (Highwood, Ill.), this is his third title in as many seasons. The 16th-ranked Illini had 15 wrestlers place in the tournament despite missing two of their returning starters from the lineup.
Poeta, who was the No. 1 seed at 157, won four straight matches en-route to the title. He won a 10-4 decision over the second-seeded and 10th-ranked Mike Chandler (Missouri) in the finals.
"I felt real good", said Poeta. "I used this tournament to gauge where I'm at. There are a few things I need to work on, but I got the `W' and that's what matters."
The sixth-ranked Flores (Madera, Calif.), who moves down to his natural weight of 125 pounds this season, dominated five opponents, including second-seeded and 13th-ranked Javier Maldonado (Chatt.), 9-1, as he captured his first title. The No. 1 seed at 125 overwhelmed his opponents as he won by two technical falls, two major decisions and a pin.
"I feel more comfortable after moving down (in weight)," Flores said. "I wanted to come in here and pin everybody. But you can't do that with all the good wrestlers that make it to this tournament. Hopefully, I've opened some people's eyes."
Senior All-American Cassio Pero finished in second place as he dropped a 9-2 decision to Kyle Evans (C. Oklahoma) in the 141-pound bracket. At 165, sophomore Roger Smith-Bergsrud (Lake Bluff, Ill.) won decision over the top-seeded Shane Siebert (Oklahoma) to finish third.
Along with Dergo (Morris, Ill.) and Kennedy (Ingleside, Ill.), the Illini saw great success from the freshman group. At 141, Joey Kotowski (Naperville, Ill.) finished third, Ben Friedl (Orland Park, Ill.) placed fourth at 174 and Michael Shaub (Lockport, Ill.) finished sixth at heavyweight.
"This was a good tournament for us," said head coach Mark Johnson. "We had 10 guys place in the open tournament and five in the freshman division. We wanted to see where we stand. We know what we need to fix and where to get better because we get to do this again in two weeks at the UNI Open."
MISSOURI OPEN
1st: Mike Poeta (157), Gabe Flores (125)
2nd: Cassio Pero (141)
3rd: Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165)
4th: Pat Brownson (184)
5th: Jim Comfort (133), John Wise (HWT)
6th: Dan Manzella (133), Clint Arlis (157), Patrick Bond (197)
FRESHMAN DIVISION
1st: Jimmy Kennedy (133), John Dergo (184)
3rd: Joey Kotowski (149)
4th: Ben Friedl (174)
6th: Michael Shaub (HWT)
Missouri Open -- Open Division Brackets (http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/miss/sports/m-wrestl/auto_pdf/MissouriOpen.pdf)
Missouri Open -- Freshman/Sophomore Division Brackets (http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/miss/sports/m-wrestl/auto_pdf/MissouriFreshmen.pdf)
Columbia, Mo. - Sophomore Mike Poeta (157), junior Gabe Flores (125), freshmen Jimmy Kennedy (133) and John Dergo (184) led 15 Illinois placewinners at the team's season-opening tournament in Columbia, Mo. For the fourth-ranked Poeta (Highwood, Ill.), this is his third title in as many seasons. The 16th-ranked Illini had 15 wrestlers place in the tournament despite missing two of their returning starters from the lineup.
Poeta, who was the No. 1 seed at 157, won four straight matches en-route to the title. He won a 10-4 decision over the second-seeded and 10th-ranked Mike Chandler (Missouri) in the finals.
"I felt real good", said Poeta. "I used this tournament to gauge where I'm at. There are a few things I need to work on, but I got the `W' and that's what matters."
The sixth-ranked Flores (Madera, Calif.), who moves down to his natural weight of 125 pounds this season, dominated five opponents, including second-seeded and 13th-ranked Javier Maldonado (Chatt.), 9-1, as he captured his first title. The No. 1 seed at 125 overwhelmed his opponents as he won by two technical falls, two major decisions and a pin.
"I feel more comfortable after moving down (in weight)," Flores said. "I wanted to come in here and pin everybody. But you can't do that with all the good wrestlers that make it to this tournament. Hopefully, I've opened some people's eyes."
Senior All-American Cassio Pero finished in second place as he dropped a 9-2 decision to Kyle Evans (C. Oklahoma) in the 141-pound bracket. At 165, sophomore Roger Smith-Bergsrud (Lake Bluff, Ill.) won decision over the top-seeded Shane Siebert (Oklahoma) to finish third.
Along with Dergo (Morris, Ill.) and Kennedy (Ingleside, Ill.), the Illini saw great success from the freshman group. At 141, Joey Kotowski (Naperville, Ill.) finished third, Ben Friedl (Orland Park, Ill.) placed fourth at 174 and Michael Shaub (Lockport, Ill.) finished sixth at heavyweight.
"This was a good tournament for us," said head coach Mark Johnson. "We had 10 guys place in the open tournament and five in the freshman division. We wanted to see where we stand. We know what we need to fix and where to get better because we get to do this again in two weeks at the UNI Open."
MISSOURI OPEN
1st: Mike Poeta (157), Gabe Flores (125)
2nd: Cassio Pero (141)
3rd: Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165)
4th: Pat Brownson (184)
5th: Jim Comfort (133), John Wise (HWT)
6th: Dan Manzella (133), Clint Arlis (157), Patrick Bond (197)
FRESHMAN DIVISION
1st: Jimmy Kennedy (133), John Dergo (184)
3rd: Joey Kotowski (149)
4th: Ben Friedl (174)
6th: Michael Shaub (HWT)
Missouri Open -- Open Division Brackets (http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/miss/sports/m-wrestl/auto_pdf/MissouriOpen.pdf)
Missouri Open -- Freshman/Sophomore Division Brackets (http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/miss/sports/m-wrestl/auto_pdf/MissouriFreshmen.pdf)