March 4, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Purdue University wrestling team secured four automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Championships at the Big Ten Tournament, hosted by Michigan State University on Saturday and Sunday, as the Boilermakers finished 10th with 33 points. Freshman Justin Fraga led the way with his fourth-place finish at 165 pounds.
Fraga advanced to the third-place match with a narrow 2-1 win over fourth-seeded Roger Smith-Bergsrud. Both wrestlers pushed back and forth unable to take the other down in the first period. Fraga opened the second by building over 1:30 of riding time before Smith-Bergsrud took a 1-0 lead with an escape. Fraga evened the count at the start of the third with an escape of his own, and the standing stalemate ensued for the remainder of regulation, giving Fraga the riding-time point and 2-1 win.
Fraga had a rematch with third-seeded Tyler Safratowich of Minnesota in the third-place match, but fell there, 7-5. Fraga took a 2-0 advantage with a match-opening takedown, but Safratowich rallied with back-to-back escapes and a two-point takedown to take a 4-2 lead. Fraga reevened the count with his 16th reversal of the season, and took a 5-4 lead at the start of the third with an escape. The the score virtually tied, as Safratowich had a riding-time point in tow, the pair scrambled down the stretch and traded small advantages, neither able to score the takedown. Fraga appeared to have gained the upper hand in the waning seconds, securing both of his opponent's legs, but Safratowich turned the tide with just six ticks left on the clock and earned the win.
Fraga becomes the highest placing freshman at Purdue since former All-American Chris Fleeger took home third place at the 2002 Big Ten Championships.
Joining Fraga at the national championships will be senior captain Nathan Moore and sophomores Jake Patacsil and Jake Murphy. This is Moore's third-consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships at 197 pounds, while Patacsil and Murphy will be making their first visits at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Moore locked up seventh place with a 4-3 win over eighth-seeded Nathan Everhart of Indiana. After a scoreless first period, Moore opened the second period with a reversal to take a 2-0 lead. Everhart evened the count with an escape and a stalling point, but Moore continued his offensive pressure and scored a late takedown to seal his win.
Patacsil secured his NCAA bid with a 2:54 pinfall of seventh-seeded Troy Tirapelle of Illinois. He dominated the match from the get-go, scoring a takedown and a pair of two-point nearfalls before sinking in a cradle and working Tirapelle to the mat for the pin.
Murphy scored a last-second takedown to slide past eighth-seeded Rob Sulaver of Michigan, 3-1. Both wrestlers were only able to score an escape point apiece through most of regulation, but Murphy managed to scramble behind Sulaver in the final 10 seconds to earn seventh-place and his first career NCAA berth.
The University of Minnesota won its second straight Big Ten team title, defeating the field by more than 50 points.
The foursome will return to Michigan in two weeks at the University of Michigan will be hosting the national championships at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich.
Big Ten Tournament Results
125 pounds #8 Brandon Tucker
1st Round - Michael Watts (Michigan): won by decision, 5-3
Quarterfinal - #1 Jayson Ness (Minnesota): lost by pinfall, 2:11
1st Round Consolation - Collin Cudd (Wisconsin): lost by decision, 7-3
133 pounds Sean Schmaltz
1st Round - #8 T.J. Enright (Ohio State): lost by decision, 3-2
1st Round Consolation - #7 Mario Galanakis (Iowa): lost by decision, 6-2
141 pounds Nick Bertucci
1st Round - #8 Justin Chrzanowski (Michigan): lost by decision, 11-5
1st Round Consolation - #7 J Jaggers (Ohio State): lost by pinfall, 0:25
149 pounds #4 Jake Patacsil -
1st Round - Jeff Wimberley (Michigan State): won by major decision, 17-9
Quarterfinals - #5 Tyler Turner (Wisconsin): lost by decision, 7-2
1st Round Consolation - Marty Gould (Northwestern): won by decision, 5-0
Consolation Quarterfinals - #8 Matt Coughlin (Indiana): lost by decision, 9-5
7th-Place Match - #7 Troy Tirapelle (Illinois): won by pinfall, 2:54
157 pounds #7 Jake Murphy
Quarterfinals - #2 Brandon Becker (Indiana): lost by major decision, 9-0
1st Round Consolation - Dominic Marella (Northwestern): won by major decision, 8-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #6 Bubba Jenkins (Penn State): lost by decision, 4-2 sudden victory
7th-Place Match - #8 Rob Sulaver (Michigan): won by decision, 3-1
165 pounds #6 Justin Fraga
Quarterfinals - #3 Tyler Safratowich (Minnesota): won by decision, 6-4 sudden victory
Semifinals - #2 Mark Perry (Iowa): lost by major decision, 9-1
Consolation Semifinals - #4 Roger Smith-Bergsrud (Illinois): won by decision, 2-1
3rd-Place Match - #3 Tyler Safratowich (Minnesota): lost by decision, 7-5
174 pounds Jason Martin
1st Round - #3 Steve Luke (Michigan): lost by major decision, 12-2
1st Round Consolation - #5 Trevor Perry (Indiana): lost by decision, 8-5
184 pounds Nick Skinner
1st Round - #2 Roger Kish (Minnesota): lost by pinfall, 3:52
1st Round Consolation - #8 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin): lost by pinfall, 1:32
197 pounds #6 Nathan Moore
Quarterfinals - #3 Patrick Bond (Illinois): lost by decision, 8-7
1st Round Consolation - Nick Palmieri (Michigan State): won by pinfall, 2:16
Consolation Quarterfinals - #7 Nick Roy (Michigan): lost by decision, 8-6 tiebreaker
7th-Place Match - #8 Nathan Everhart (Indiana): won by decision, 4-3
285 pounds David Pisarcik
1st Round - #7 John Wise (Illinois): lost by decision, 6-1
1st Round Consolation - #8 Corey Morrison (Ohio State): lost by decision, 5-2