Jan. 8, 2011
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The 18th-ranked Purdue wrestling team had a harsh welcome back to the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals on Saturday, falling in their tournament opener to second-ranked Oklahoma State University at the UNI Dome, 26-6. No. 12 Purdue junior A.J. Kissel and senior Roger Vukobratovich picked up the team's lone wins as the Boilermakers go on to face 17th-ranked Central Michigan in the consolation side of the tournament.
The Cowboys raced out to a big lead as they won the first seven bouts of the match, including one technical fall. Fifth-ranked freshman Jon Morrison opened the contest with a 4-0 win over Purdue freshman Camden Eppert at 125 pounds, and top-ranked Jordan Oliver took down Boilermaker senior Akif Eren at 133 pounds, 20-5. The match was Eren's first of the season at 133 pounds, cutting down from 141.
Purdue junior Jake Fleckenstein made his season debut at 141 pounds, falling to 19th-ranked junior Luke Silver by decision, 8-3, and No. 5 Cowboy junior Jamal Parks pushed the Oklahoma State lead to 14-0 with an 8-2 decision over Boilermaker senior Sam Patacsil at 149 pounds. Senior Neil Erisman upended Purdue's 12th-ranked Colton Salazar at 157 pounds, 11-5, and Boilermaker rookie Kyle Mosier was cut down by the officials in his 4-3 near-upset of ninth-ranked Cowboy freshman Dallas Bailey. Leading 2-1 going into the second period, Bailey took the bottom position and Mosier used almost the next two minutes making him pay for it. Mosier displayed a tough ride, keeping the Cowboy down, but in the final seconds a scramble ensued and the official awarded a very questionable reversal to Bailey as time expired. Down 4-1, Mosier scored a reversal in the third period, but came up short in a big match.
Tenth-ranked Boilermaker senior Luke Manuel got off to a slow start against No. 9 Oklahoma State junior Mike Benefiel at 174 pounds, giving up a four-point play in the opening minute, and it cost him in the end of a 9-7 decision. The following contest between Kissel and 11th-ranked Chris Perry at 184 pounds was a three-ring circus, leaving fans confused all around. After a scoreless first period that contained a pair of great wrestling scrambles, Kissel took the down position in the second period looking for an escape. With a strange set up on top, the official intervened four times to tell Perry he was in an illegal starting position, but called just one caution in the period as Perry rode Kissel for the full two minutes. Kissel turned around and returned the favor in the third as Perry took bottom, but was unable to escape. The difference proved to be a technical violation by Perry as he grabbed Kissel's headgear in an attempt to get out and was dinged for a penalty point in the 1-0 victory for the Old Gold and Black.
The Boilermakers lost another close one at 197 pounds as ninth-ranked Purdue senior Logan Brown came up just short against third-ranked Clayton Foster. Brown surrendered a takedown in the second period, and came up just short on several shots of his own in the 3-2 decision. Vukobratovich closed out the meet on a high note at 285 pounds, topping freshman Blake Rosholt by decision, 6-1, with a five-point play at the buzzer. A tight match until the end, the score was knotted 1-1 in the last 30 seconds, but Vukobratovich had no interest in overtime, taking Rosholt to his back and nearly pinning him in the win.
This afternoon's match with the Chippewas is the ninth meeting between the two schools in wrestling history, with Purdue holding a 5-3 advantage. The two first met in 1987, with the Boilermakers earning a 36-10 win in West Lafayette, but Central Michigan has one the last two contests, dating to 1997. Purdue and Central Michigan last met in Ashland, Ohio on Jan. 16, 2005, as the Chippewas earned a 36-3 victory.
Updates of the 3 p.m. contest will be available at the Official Purdue Twitter Page.
RESULTS
125- Jonathon Morrison (Oklahoma State ) DEC Eppert, Camden (Purdue University) 4-0
133- Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State ) TF5 Eren, Akif (Purdue University) 7;00
141- Luke Silver (Oklahoma State ) DEC Fleckenstein, Jake (Purdue University) 8-3
149- Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State ) DEC Patacsil, Sam (Purdue University) 8-2
157- Robert Erisman (Oklahoma State ) DEC Salazar, Colton (Purdue University) 11-5
165- Dallas Bailey (Oklahoma State ) DEC Mosier, Kyle (Purdue University) 4-3
174- Mike Benefiel (Oklahoma State ) DEC Manuel, Luke (Purdue University) 9-7
184- Kissel, A.J. (Purdue University) DEC Chris Perry (Oklahoma State ) 1-0
197- Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State ) DEC Brown, Logan (Purdue University) 3-2
285- Vukobratovich, Roger (Purdue University) DEC Blake Rosholt (Oklahoma State ) 6-1