Dec. 31, 2008

By Amy Farnum Novin
NCAA.com

Top-ranked Iowa claimed its 20th team title at the Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill., this week, edging runner-up and second-ranked Iowa State by three points, 156.6-153.5, on Dec. 30.

The Hawkeyes captured three individual championships in the tournament, led by 149-pound junior Brent Metcalf.  The native of Davison, Mich., won his second consecutive Midlands title with a 14-5 major decision against No. 3 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin. It was his 50th career win, and 47th straight victory as he improved to 15-0 on the year. Metcalf also earned the tournament’s Highest Point Total Award for scoring 27 team points during the competition, the most of any wrestler.
 
Junior 133-pound Daniel Dennis and junior 165-pound Ryan Morningstar also starred for the Hawkeyes as they won their first Midlands individual titles. Dennis knocked off Iowa State’s Nick Fanthorpe, 4-3, in the final match. Fanthorpe, an All-American, entered the tournament as the nation’s fourth-ranked wrestler in his bracket. Dennis was named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for his performance. Morningstar also edged an ISU wrestler, downing No. 4 Jon Reader, 5-4, in overtime.

The defending NCAA champions return to the mat on Jan. 10-11 at the 2009 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. 

BIG RED, BIG TITLE: Third-ranked Cornell won its first team title at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C., outdistancing second-place Edinboro in the team standings at this week’s tournament.

Sophomore 165-pound Mack Lewnes, ranked first nationally in his weight class, topped Edinboro’s Jarrod King (No. 6), 3-2, for his second straight title at the tournament. The Big Red’s Steve Anceravage captured the 174-pound title with an overtime pin of 11th-ranked Chris Henrich of Virginia.

Cornell entered the tournament finals in first place, but Edinboro took the lead after winning individual titles at 125, 133 and 157 pounds. After Lewnes’ win, the Big Red trailed by one point, and Anceravage’s victory allowed the Big Red to secure the team title.

UPSET CITY:  Wisconsin earned its highest finish in several years at the Midlands as the Badgers claimed fourth place behind Zach Tanelli and Dallas Herbst’s individual title victories. It is the best finish for the Badgers since grabbing second place in 1987.

Tanelli, seeded No. 8 and ranked 15th nationally, upended Iowa’s Alex Tsirtis, who was seeded second entering the tournament, by a resounding 10-3 score in the 141-pound final. It was Tanelli’s first collegiate invitational title and he had entered Midlands on a three-match losing streak.

Herbst handed Iowa State Jake Varner his first loss of the season in the 197-pound championship with the 2-1 defeat.  Varner was Herbst’s only loss of the season – a 4-0 decision in the Badgers’ dual match against Iowa State Nov. 21. 

“They stayed aggressive, wrestled their style and didn’t make any mistakes,” said Wisconsin head coach Barry Davis. “After we came back from the Cliff Keen Invite we talked with them about some things to work on and told them they had to force their will on their opponents and wrestle their style of match and we did that. By doing that, that’s how we won.”