MINNEAPOLIS - It happened just half an hour into the first session of the Big Ten Championships.
Two big upsets occurred within 10 seconds of each other.
Michigan State's unseeded Jeff Wimberley trailed 9-4 before catching No. 2 seed Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin with a cement mixer in the first round at 141 pounds. Just seconds later, Indiana's unseeded Kurt Kinser slipped behind returning Big Ten champion and NCAA runner-up Ryan Lang of Northwestern to win 6-4 in overtime.
Welcome to the wild and wacky 2008 Big Ten tournament, an event where occurrences like these won't be unusual over the next two days. Those types of outcomes are almost expected with eight of the country's top 13 ranked teams slugging it out at Minnesota's Williams Arena.
Three wrestlers who finished second in the 2007 NCAA Championships lost in the quarterfinals on Saturday before 6,229 fans.
Top-ranked Iowa, as expected, grabbed the first-session lead with 74 points and placed eight wrestlers in the semifinals. No. 8 Minnesota, the 2007 Big Ten and NCAA team champion, was second with 64 points and seven wrestlers in the semifinals. Illinois was third with 50 points and five in the semifinals.
Fourth-seeded Daniel LeClere of Iowa pulled off one of the most dramatic wins of the quarters, hitting a sweet inside trip for a takedown with three seconds left in a 2-1 win over No. 5 seed Garrett Scott of Penn State.
Another upset came at 149 when No. 6 seed Jake Patacsil of Purdue rallied to knock off No. 3 seed and returning NCAA runner-up Josh Churella of Michigan 7-6 in the quarterfinals.
In the loaded 149 class, Junior World freestyle champion Bubba Jenkins of Penn State shot in to finish with a takedown in a 6-5 quarterfinal win over All-American Lance Palmer of Ohio State. Jenkins is seeded fourth and Palmer fifth.
In the strong 157 class, two-time Big Ten champion C.P. Schlatter of Minnesota earned a 4-2 win over returning NCAA runner-up Craig Henning of Wisconsin. Schlatter is seeded fourth and Henning fifth.
Two-time NCAA champion Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota passed his first test with an 8-1 quarterfinal win over Kinser. The 2006 NCAA champion and No. 2 seed moves into the semifinals against Patacsil.
Iowa's Brent Metcalf, the No. 1 seed at 149, recorded a pair of pins to earn a semifinal spot against Jenkins. Metcalf pinned Jenkins in a dual meet after falling behind early in the match.
Semifinal wins by Schlatter and Metcalf would set up the much-anticipated first college showdown between the two. They last met when Schlatter beat Metcalf in the finals of the 2005 Senior High School Nationals.
Iowa senior Mark Perry, back on the mat for the first time in nearly two months, pinned Michigan State's Rex Kendle in the quarterfinals. Perry is the top seed at 165. He is the returning NCAA champion at that weight. He is competing for the first time since having knee surgery in January.
The Hawkeyes capped a strong opening session when senior heavyweight Matt Fields scored three third-period takedowns to rally for a 7-5 win over John Wise of Illinois. The fourth-seeded Fields advances to face No. 1 J.D. Bergman of Ohio State in the semifinals.
BIG TEN SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS
125 POUNDS
Jayson Ness (Minnesota) vs. Gabe Flores (Illinois)
Angel Escobedo (Indiana) vs. Charlie Falck (Iowa)
133 POUNDS
Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) vs. Mack Reiter (Minnesota)
Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) vs. Joey Slaton (Iowa)
141 POUNDS
Kellen Russell (Michigan) vs. Dan LeClere (Iowa)
Manuel Rivera (Minnesota) vs. Keith Sulzer (Northwestern)
149 POUNDS
Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. Bubba Jenkins (Penn State)
Jake Patacsil (Purdue) vs. Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota)
157 POUNDS
Mike Poeta (Illinois) vs. C.P. Schlatter (Minnesota)
Jeff Marsh (Michigan) vs. Dan Vallimont (Penn State)
165 POUNDS
Mark Perry (Iowa) vs. Roger Smith-Bergsrud (Illinois)
Matt Coughlin (Indiana) vs. Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan)
174 POUNDS
Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. Nick Hayes (Northwestern)
Gabe Dretsch (Minnesota) vs. Jay Borschel (Iowa)
184 POUNDS
Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) vs. Roger Kish (Minnesota)
Phil Keddy (Iowa) vs. Tyrel Todd (Michigan)
197 POUNDS
Mike Tamillow (Northwestern) vs. Dallas Herbst (Wisconsin)
Patrick Bond (Illinois) vs. Phil Davis (Penn State)
HEAVYWEIGHT
J.D. Bergman (Ohio State) vs. Matt Fields (Iowa)
Kyle Massey (Wisconsin) vs. Dustin Fox (Northwestern)
Two big upsets occurred within 10 seconds of each other.
Michigan State's unseeded Jeff Wimberley trailed 9-4 before catching No. 2 seed Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin with a cement mixer in the first round at 141 pounds. Just seconds later, Indiana's unseeded Kurt Kinser slipped behind returning Big Ten champion and NCAA runner-up Ryan Lang of Northwestern to win 6-4 in overtime.
Welcome to the wild and wacky 2008 Big Ten tournament, an event where occurrences like these won't be unusual over the next two days. Those types of outcomes are almost expected with eight of the country's top 13 ranked teams slugging it out at Minnesota's Williams Arena.
Three wrestlers who finished second in the 2007 NCAA Championships lost in the quarterfinals on Saturday before 6,229 fans.
Top-ranked Iowa, as expected, grabbed the first-session lead with 74 points and placed eight wrestlers in the semifinals. No. 8 Minnesota, the 2007 Big Ten and NCAA team champion, was second with 64 points and seven wrestlers in the semifinals. Illinois was third with 50 points and five in the semifinals.
Fourth-seeded Daniel LeClere of Iowa pulled off one of the most dramatic wins of the quarters, hitting a sweet inside trip for a takedown with three seconds left in a 2-1 win over No. 5 seed Garrett Scott of Penn State.
Another upset came at 149 when No. 6 seed Jake Patacsil of Purdue rallied to knock off No. 3 seed and returning NCAA runner-up Josh Churella of Michigan 7-6 in the quarterfinals.
In the loaded 149 class, Junior World freestyle champion Bubba Jenkins of Penn State shot in to finish with a takedown in a 6-5 quarterfinal win over All-American Lance Palmer of Ohio State. Jenkins is seeded fourth and Palmer fifth.
In the strong 157 class, two-time Big Ten champion C.P. Schlatter of Minnesota earned a 4-2 win over returning NCAA runner-up Craig Henning of Wisconsin. Schlatter is seeded fourth and Henning fifth.
Two-time NCAA champion Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota passed his first test with an 8-1 quarterfinal win over Kinser. The 2006 NCAA champion and No. 2 seed moves into the semifinals against Patacsil.
Iowa's Brent Metcalf, the No. 1 seed at 149, recorded a pair of pins to earn a semifinal spot against Jenkins. Metcalf pinned Jenkins in a dual meet after falling behind early in the match.
Semifinal wins by Schlatter and Metcalf would set up the much-anticipated first college showdown between the two. They last met when Schlatter beat Metcalf in the finals of the 2005 Senior High School Nationals.
Iowa senior Mark Perry, back on the mat for the first time in nearly two months, pinned Michigan State's Rex Kendle in the quarterfinals. Perry is the top seed at 165. He is the returning NCAA champion at that weight. He is competing for the first time since having knee surgery in January.
The Hawkeyes capped a strong opening session when senior heavyweight Matt Fields scored three third-period takedowns to rally for a 7-5 win over John Wise of Illinois. The fourth-seeded Fields advances to face No. 1 J.D. Bergman of Ohio State in the semifinals.
BIG TEN SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS
125 POUNDS
Jayson Ness (Minnesota) vs. Gabe Flores (Illinois)
Angel Escobedo (Indiana) vs. Charlie Falck (Iowa)
133 POUNDS
Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) vs. Mack Reiter (Minnesota)
Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) vs. Joey Slaton (Iowa)
141 POUNDS
Kellen Russell (Michigan) vs. Dan LeClere (Iowa)
Manuel Rivera (Minnesota) vs. Keith Sulzer (Northwestern)
149 POUNDS
Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. Bubba Jenkins (Penn State)
Jake Patacsil (Purdue) vs. Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota)
157 POUNDS
Mike Poeta (Illinois) vs. C.P. Schlatter (Minnesota)
Jeff Marsh (Michigan) vs. Dan Vallimont (Penn State)
165 POUNDS
Mark Perry (Iowa) vs. Roger Smith-Bergsrud (Illinois)
Matt Coughlin (Indiana) vs. Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan)
174 POUNDS
Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. Nick Hayes (Northwestern)
Gabe Dretsch (Minnesota) vs. Jay Borschel (Iowa)
184 POUNDS
Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) vs. Roger Kish (Minnesota)
Phil Keddy (Iowa) vs. Tyrel Todd (Michigan)
197 POUNDS
Mike Tamillow (Northwestern) vs. Dallas Herbst (Wisconsin)
Patrick Bond (Illinois) vs. Phil Davis (Penn State)
HEAVYWEIGHT
J.D. Bergman (Ohio State) vs. Matt Fields (Iowa)
Kyle Massey (Wisconsin) vs. Dustin Fox (Northwestern)
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