Feb. 17, 2013
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The 16th-ranked Purdue wrestling team split a pair of contests at the Missouri Regional of the NWCA National Duals on Sunday, topping 20th-ranked Wyoming, 20-16, but falling to sixth-ranked Missouri, 27-15. The Boilermakers move to 15-6 on the season as sophomore Brandon Nelsen earned a pair of victories, and close out the regular season next weekend at Franklin and Marshall.
The Boilermakers got the day off to a good start, splitting matches with the 20th-ranked Cowboys, but earning bonus points at three weights en route to their 15th dual victory of the season. Nelsen highlighted the match with a late fall against Wyoming sophomore Zach Zehner, earning his 14th bonus-point win of the season, while junior Cashé Quiroga and freshman Chad Welch added major decisions at 133 and 174 pounds.
After Wyoming took a 4-0 lead on a major decision by sophomore Tyler Cox, Quiroga responded with a 12-4 major decision of his own over senior Kasey Garnhart at 133 pounds. Quiroga scored four takedowns and opened the third period with a clutch two-point nearfall to earn the bonus point and his third major decision of the season. Nelsen followed up with his seventh fall of the season, building an 8-3 lead on Zehner before reversing him to his back and earning six team points. Nelsen 16 career pins are good for 20th on Purdue's all-time record list.
The lead swelled to 13-4 at 149 pounds as senior Ivan Lopouchanski gave the Boilermakers a 4-1 decision over sophomore Brandon Richardson, but Wyoming rallied at 157 and 165 with a pair of decision to trim it down to 13-10. Welch stopped the run at 174 pounds, dominating Cowboy senior L.J. Helbig from start to finish with two takedowns and seven back points in a 13-1 major decision. Junior Kyle Mosier filled in for injured sophomore Patrick Kissel at 184 pounds, and was edged by sophomore Shane Woods, 3-2, and Purdue sophomore Braden Atwood gave fourth-ranked Wyoming senior Alfonso Hernandez all he could handle at 197 pounds, but fell short of the upset in sudden victory, 9-7. Atwood nearly pinned Hernandez in the second period, using a leg-turk to put him on his back, but settled for a three-point nearfall.
With the match down to heavyweight and a 17-16 Purdue lead, junior Alex White came through for the Old Gold and Black, using a late takedown and a solid third-period ride to outlast sophomore Leland Pfeifer, 4-1. The win was White's first since the Midlands Championships, but kept the Boilermakers unbeaten against Wyoming in series history (3-0-1).
The Boilermakers' second match of the day was not as friendly as they found themselves not only without Kissel, but without the services of Quiroga and Lopouchanski due to injuries in the first dual of the day. Missouri raced out to a 10-0 lead behind a major decision from fourth-ranked Alan Waters at 125 pounds and the forfeit win at 133 pounds, but Nelsen put Purdue on the board at 141 with an 8-4 decision over senior Nicholas Hucke. Nelsen avenged a loss from the dual in November against the Tigers, scoring two takedowns and a reversal in his 22nd victory of the season.
Missouri went back on the offensive at 149 pounds as sophomore Drake Houdashelt scored a 20-5 technical fall over Purdue sophomore Frankie Porras, but Churchard backed his teammate up at 157 pounds, topping Missouri junior Kyle Bradley for the second time this season, 9-5. Purdue sophomore Pat Robinson made it two straight for the Boilermakers at 165 pounds, scoring a 6-1 decision over Trevor Wiest and cutting the score to 15-9, but the Tigers sealed up the dual at 174 and 184 with back-to-back major decisions. Atwood followed Nelsen's example at 197 pounds, avenging a November loss to 11th-ranked senior Brent Haynes with a second-period fall. Haynes led 2-0 going to the second period, but Atwood quickly cradled Haynes off the whistle and put him on the back for his 22nd win of the season and sixth fall of the year. Missouri finished off the dual with a major decision from top-ranked heavyweight Dom Bradley, advancing to next weekend's national dual finals in Minneapolis.
The Boilermakers continue to build on their best dual season over the past 10 years, and most wins under sixth-year head coach Scott Hinkel, and finish off against Buffalo and Franklin and Marshall on Saturday.
#16 Purdue 20 - #20 Wyoming 16
125: Tyler Cox (UW) def. Camden Eppert (PU), MD 19-7 (PU 0 - UW 4)
133: Cashé Quiroga (PU) def. Kasey Garnhart (UW), MD 12-4 (PU 4 - UW 4)
141: Brandon Nelsen (PU) def. Zach Zehner (UW), Fall 6:22 (PU 10 - UW 4)
149: Ivan Lopouchanski (PU) def. Brandon Richardson (UW), D 4-1 (PU 13 - UW 4)
157: Andy McCulley (UW) def. Tommy Churchard (PU), D 6-2 (PU 13 - UW 7)
165: Dakota Friesth (UW) def. Pat Robinson (PU), D 7-3 (PU 13 - UW 10)
174: Chad Welch (PU) def. L.J. Helbig (UW), MD 13-1 (PU 17 - UW 10)
184: Shane Woods (UW) def. Kyle Mosier (PU), D 3-2 (PU 17 - UW 13)
197: Alfonso Hernandez (UW) def. Braden Atwood (PU), SV 9-7 (PU 17 - UW 16)
285: Alex White (PU) def. Leland Pfeifer (UW), D 4-1 (PU 20 - UW 16)
#16 Purdue 15 - #6 Missouri 27
125: Alan Waters (MU) def. Camden Eppert, MD 15-3 (PU 0 - MU 4)
133: Nathan McCormick (MU) wins by forfeit (PU 0 - MU 10)
141: Brandon Nelsen (PU) def. Nicholas Hucke (MU), D 8-4 (PU 3 - MU 10)
149: Drake Houdashelt (MU) def. Frankie Porras (PU), TF 20-5 (5:27) (PU 3 - MU 15)
157: Tommy Churchard (PU) def. Kyle Bradley (MU), D 8-4 (PU 6 - MU 15)
165: Pat Robinson (PU) def. Trevor Wiest (MU), D 6-1 (PU 9 - MU 15)
174: Todd Porter (MU) def. Chad Welch (PU), MD 17-4 (PU 9 - MU 19)
184: Johnny Eblen (MU) def. Andy Wiseman (PU), MD 15-2 (PU 9 - MU 23)
197: Braden Atwood (PU) def. Brent Haynes (MU), Fall 3:13 (PU 15 - MU MU 23)
285: Dom Bradley (MU) def. Alex White (PU), MD 21-7 (PU 15 - MU 27)