Compared to Ohio State's 1-2 record in the finals, the Big Red went 1-1. Finishing third was Oklahoma with 109.5 points. The 2009 championship comes a year after the Scarlet and Gray finished 11th.
Humphrey, No. 1 in the nation and a senior team tri-captain, remains undefeated this season at 14-0 following six victories in Nevada. The native of Indianapolis, Ind., scored bonus points in three of his six wins, which included a pin, technical fall and major decision. His final three bouts came against seeded wrestlers in No. 8 Kenny Hashimoto Northern Colorado, No. 4 Kyle Dake of Cornell and No. 6 Fil Novachkov of Cal Poly. Despite the tough competition, Humphrey was able to outscore his final three opponents, 24-11. Humphrey's win over Dake proved to be pivotal in the team standings as well. The Big Red stood just 10 points behind the Buckeyes entering the second and final day of competition.
Palmer, another Buckeye senior team captain, was second for the second consecutive year at 149 pounds, a weight class considered one of the toughest in the nation. The No. 2-seed from Columbia Station, Ohio, Palmer faced No. 1 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin in the final and dropped a close 3-1 decision. Palmer had won nine-straight matches before his setback in the final.
Like his teammate Palmer, Sponseller also was a runner-up for the second straight year at 165 pounds. And also like Palmer, Sponseller faced a Badger in the final in No. 1 seed Andrew Howe. The junior from Glenmont, Ohio, lost, 6-3, in the championship bout.
With Top 8 finishes, Nikko Triggas (125), Dave Rella (174) and Mike Pucillo (184) also were instrumental in guiding Ohio State to the team title. Triggas was eighth, Rella was seventh and Pucillo earned a fourth-place finish.
The Buckeyes return to dual action against No. 19 Edinboro at 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at Perrysburg High School in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Team Standings (Top 10)
1. 122.5 Ohio State
2. 121.5 Cornell
3. 109.5 Oklahoma
4. 97.5 Boise State
5. 94 Nebraska
6. 90.5 Indiana
7. 78.5 Cal Poly
8. 77.5 Oregon State
9. 73.5 Wisconsin
10. 71 Wyoming
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now