Iowa holds tight edge on Nebraska after semifinal round at 53 annual Midlands Championships
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by Richard Immel USA Wrestling
EVANSTON, Ill. - The finals are set at the 53rd annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships with Iowa holding on to a narrow two-point lead in the team race over second place Nebraska after semifinal action.
The Hawkeyes boast the most finalists of any team with three. Top-seeds Thomas Gilman, Brandon Sorensen and Nathan Burak all secured spots in tonight's finals session.
However, Iowa suffered four losses in the semifinal round, including a medical forfeit by NCAA runner-up Cory Clark, leaving room for Nebraska to close the gap.
Nebraska has two finalists led by NCAA All-American Timothy Dudley who booked his 184-pound finals ticket courtesy of a fall over Princeton’s Abram Ayala with five seconds remaining in the match. The Huskers also picked up an unexpected finalist at 197 pounds with redshirt freshman Derek White topping Hayden Hrymack of Rutgers 6-2 in the semifinals.
North Carolina State joins Iowa and Nebraska only other teams with at least two finalists.
Two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski continued to roll for the Wolfpack on his way to the 285-pound finals with a 10-1 major decision victory over Hawkeye Sam Stoll. Gwiazdowski will face Arizona State Sun Devil freshman Tanner Hall in the finals.
Thomas Gantt joined Gwiazdowski as a Wolfpack finalist after defeating Chad Walsh of Rider 6-4 in sudden victory of their 157-pound semifinal. Gantt will face three-time NCAA qualifier Cody Pack of South Dakota State in the finals.
Two-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner David Taylor faced a stiff test from Iowa’s Sammy Brooks in the 184-pound semifinals. Taylor failed to earn bonus points for the first time during the competition, defeating Brooks by a 7-2 margin. Taylor is set to face Nebraska’s Dudley in the finals.
The championship finals are set for 8 p.m. (CT) tonight and can be viewed live on the Big Ten Network.
Further information on the 53rd Annual Midlands Championships can be found at NUSports.com and complete brackets are hosted on Trackwrestling.com.
53rd Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, Ill.
Team Standings After Semifinals
1. Iowa 120.5
2. Nebraska 118.5
3. Rutgers 95.5
4. North Carolina State 82
5. Iowa State 59
6. Northwestern 58
7. Rider 57
8. South Dakota State 56
9. Princeton 54.5
10. Old Dominion 54
Finals Matchups
125 lbs. - No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Ronnie Rios (Oregon State)
133 lbs. - No. 6 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 13 Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion)
141 lbs. - No. 4 Andrew Long (Grand View) vs. No. 7 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois)
149 lbs. - No. 1 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern)
157 lbs. - No. 1 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) vs. No. 2 Thomas Gantt (North Carolina State)
165 lbs. - No. 4 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) vs. No. 3 Chad Welch (Purdue)
174 lbs. - No. 4 Cody Walters (Ohio) vs. No. 3 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton)
184 lbs. - No. 1 David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) vs. No. 3 Timothy Dudley (Nebraska)
197 lbs. - No. 1 Nathan Burak (Iowa) vs. No. 14 Derek White (Nebraska)
285 lbs. - No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) vs. No. 7 Tanner Hall (Arizona State)
Semifinal Results
125 lbs.
No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) dec. No. 5 Joshua Rodriguez (North Dakota State), 4-1
No. 2 Ronnie Rios (Oregon State) fall No. 3 Tim Lambert (Nebraska), 2:21
133 lbs.
No. 13 Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion) MFF No. 1 Cory Clark (Iowa)
No. 6 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) dec. No. 7 Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers), 5-2
141 lbs.
No. 4 Andrew Long (Grand View) tech. fall Ronnie Perry (Unat. Lock Haven), 25-8
No. 7 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois) dec. No. 14 Matthew Kolodzik (Unat. Princeton), 5-4 (TB1)
149 lbs.
No. 1 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. No. 4 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska), 7-4
No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. No. 3 Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion), 3-1 (SV1)
157 lbs.
No. 1 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) dec. No. 4 John Boyle (American), 6-2
No. 2 Thomas Gantt (North Carolina State) dec. No. 6 Chad Walsh (Rider), 6-4 (SV1)
165 lbs.
No. 4 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) dec. No. 9 Adam Fierro (CSU Bakersfield), 10-4
No. 3 Chad Welch (Purdue) maj. dec. Mitch Wightman (American), 15-2
174 lbs.
No. 4 Cody Walters (Ohio) dec. No. 1 Alex Meyer (Iowa), 7-0
No. 3 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton) dec. No. 2 Micah Barnes (Nebraska), 5-4 (TB2)
184 lbs.
No. 1 David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) dec. No. 4 Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 7-2
No. 3 Timothy Dudley (Nebraska) fall No. 7 Abram Ayala (Princeton), 6:55
197 lbs.
No. 1 Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec. No. 5 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska), 4-2
No. 14 Derek White (Nebraska) dec. No. 10 Hayden Hrymack (Rutgers), 6-2
285 lbs.
No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) maj. dec. No. 4 Sam Stoll (Iowa), 10-1
No. 7 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) maj. dec. No. 6 Ross Larson (Oklahoma), 10-2
The Hawkeyes boast the most finalists of any team with three. Top-seeds Thomas Gilman, Brandon Sorensen and Nathan Burak all secured spots in tonight's finals session.
However, Iowa suffered four losses in the semifinal round, including a medical forfeit by NCAA runner-up Cory Clark, leaving room for Nebraska to close the gap.
Nebraska has two finalists led by NCAA All-American Timothy Dudley who booked his 184-pound finals ticket courtesy of a fall over Princeton’s Abram Ayala with five seconds remaining in the match. The Huskers also picked up an unexpected finalist at 197 pounds with redshirt freshman Derek White topping Hayden Hrymack of Rutgers 6-2 in the semifinals.
North Carolina State joins Iowa and Nebraska only other teams with at least two finalists.
Two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski continued to roll for the Wolfpack on his way to the 285-pound finals with a 10-1 major decision victory over Hawkeye Sam Stoll. Gwiazdowski will face Arizona State Sun Devil freshman Tanner Hall in the finals.
Thomas Gantt joined Gwiazdowski as a Wolfpack finalist after defeating Chad Walsh of Rider 6-4 in sudden victory of their 157-pound semifinal. Gantt will face three-time NCAA qualifier Cody Pack of South Dakota State in the finals.
Two-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner David Taylor faced a stiff test from Iowa’s Sammy Brooks in the 184-pound semifinals. Taylor failed to earn bonus points for the first time during the competition, defeating Brooks by a 7-2 margin. Taylor is set to face Nebraska’s Dudley in the finals.
The championship finals are set for 8 p.m. (CT) tonight and can be viewed live on the Big Ten Network.
Further information on the 53rd Annual Midlands Championships can be found at NUSports.com and complete brackets are hosted on Trackwrestling.com.
53rd Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, Ill.
Team Standings After Semifinals
1. Iowa 120.5
2. Nebraska 118.5
3. Rutgers 95.5
4. North Carolina State 82
5. Iowa State 59
6. Northwestern 58
7. Rider 57
8. South Dakota State 56
9. Princeton 54.5
10. Old Dominion 54
Finals Matchups
125 lbs. - No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Ronnie Rios (Oregon State)
133 lbs. - No. 6 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 13 Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion)
141 lbs. - No. 4 Andrew Long (Grand View) vs. No. 7 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois)
149 lbs. - No. 1 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern)
157 lbs. - No. 1 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) vs. No. 2 Thomas Gantt (North Carolina State)
165 lbs. - No. 4 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) vs. No. 3 Chad Welch (Purdue)
174 lbs. - No. 4 Cody Walters (Ohio) vs. No. 3 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton)
184 lbs. - No. 1 David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) vs. No. 3 Timothy Dudley (Nebraska)
197 lbs. - No. 1 Nathan Burak (Iowa) vs. No. 14 Derek White (Nebraska)
285 lbs. - No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) vs. No. 7 Tanner Hall (Arizona State)
Semifinal Results
125 lbs.
No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) dec. No. 5 Joshua Rodriguez (North Dakota State), 4-1
No. 2 Ronnie Rios (Oregon State) fall No. 3 Tim Lambert (Nebraska), 2:21
133 lbs.
No. 13 Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion) MFF No. 1 Cory Clark (Iowa)
No. 6 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) dec. No. 7 Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers), 5-2
141 lbs.
No. 4 Andrew Long (Grand View) tech. fall Ronnie Perry (Unat. Lock Haven), 25-8
No. 7 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois) dec. No. 14 Matthew Kolodzik (Unat. Princeton), 5-4 (TB1)
149 lbs.
No. 1 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. No. 4 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska), 7-4
No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. No. 3 Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion), 3-1 (SV1)
157 lbs.
No. 1 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) dec. No. 4 John Boyle (American), 6-2
No. 2 Thomas Gantt (North Carolina State) dec. No. 6 Chad Walsh (Rider), 6-4 (SV1)
165 lbs.
No. 4 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) dec. No. 9 Adam Fierro (CSU Bakersfield), 10-4
No. 3 Chad Welch (Purdue) maj. dec. Mitch Wightman (American), 15-2
174 lbs.
No. 4 Cody Walters (Ohio) dec. No. 1 Alex Meyer (Iowa), 7-0
No. 3 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton) dec. No. 2 Micah Barnes (Nebraska), 5-4 (TB2)
184 lbs.
No. 1 David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) dec. No. 4 Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 7-2
No. 3 Timothy Dudley (Nebraska) fall No. 7 Abram Ayala (Princeton), 6:55
197 lbs.
No. 1 Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec. No. 5 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska), 4-2
No. 14 Derek White (Nebraska) dec. No. 10 Hayden Hrymack (Rutgers), 6-2
285 lbs.
No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) maj. dec. No. 4 Sam Stoll (Iowa), 10-1
No. 7 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) maj. dec. No. 6 Ross Larson (Oklahoma), 10-2
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