Ohio State won the team title in Las Vegas (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)LAS VEGAS -- Two champions. One runner up. Two third placers. The Ohio State wrestling team is coming back from Las Vegas with some hardware to show for it after competition concluded on Sunday at the 35th annual Cliff Keen Invitational.
THE SHORT STORY
On the strength of six placers, Ohio State took home the team title with 118.5 points, edging out second-place Wisconsin (113.5). It is the Buckeyes' first Cliff Keen title since 2012 and the fourth time in the last five years they've crowed multiple champions. Minnesota was the only other school in the 36-team field with more than one champion.
Nathan Tomasello (133 lbs.) and Micah Jordan (149 lbs.) won first place matches while Myles Martin (184 lbs.) and Kollin Moore (197 lbs.) rebounded from tough semifinal losses to place third. Jose Rodriguez made a run to the 125 lb. finals before finishing second while Cody Burcher took eighth place at 165 lbs.
TOMASELLO TAKES TITLE #2
Tomasello's championship round match with third seeded and ninth-ranked Stevan Micic was tied at 2-2 entering the third period and Tomasello scored the decisive point when he escaped the start the final stanza. He also scored the matches only takedown in the second period. His CKLV title is the second of his career, after winning the 125 lb. championship last year.
In the semifinals, Tomasello scored five second period points (two takedowns, one escape) and added a riding time point at the conclusion of the match for a workman-like 8-3 decision against 18th-ranked and fifth-seeded Mark Grey of Cornell.
JORDAN MAKES IT BACK TO BACK
Facing his second top-10 opponent of the day, Jordan finished off his second straight CKLV title by getting a key four point near fall with 1:26 remaining in the match against Edinboro's Pat Lugo. The redshirt sophomore, ranked No. 6 this week by InterMat, is now 17-0 on the season. He's also 4-0 vs. ranked opponents.
Jordan's 9-4 semifinal win over seventh-ranked Justin Oliver of was keyed by a second period reversal and two third period takedowns.
RODRIGUEZ EDGED IN FINALS
Facing top-seeded and second-ranked Joe Dance of Virginia Tech in the finals, Rodriguez (9-2) led 3-2 late in the third period but Dance completed the winning takedown with just six seconds remaining. Rodriguez had built his 3-2 edge on a first-period takedown and escape to begin the third.
Rodriguez started the semifinals off for Ohio State with a bang, picking up a 17-1 technical fall over Northern Colorado's Trey Andrews, the tournaments sixth seeded. Rodriguez scored four points on two first-period takedowns and then had a takedown and four-point near fall in the second to extend his lead to 10-1.
MARTIN TAKES THIRD
Eighth-ranked the third seeded Zack Zavatsky upset Martin (11-1) 6-4 in the semifinals when he scored a takedown in the waning seconds of the first period and then a critical two-point near fall in the third period.
Martin rebounded by scoring early and often in a 16-4 major decision against Wisconsin's Hunter Ritter to set up a third-place match with 15th-ranked Steven Schneider. Martin took Schneider down nine times on his way to a 22-7 tech fall that took 6:04.
MOORE FINISHES STRONG
Facing his first ranked opponent of the year in the semifinals, Martin hung tough with second-ranked Brett Pfarr of Minnesota for the first period, trailing just 4-3. Pfarr then turned up the heat, getting a series of takedowns in the third to register the 15-7 major decision.
In the third place match, Moore picked up his biggest win of the season, topping sixth-ranked Jacob Smith of West Virginia 9-7. Tied at 3-3 after one period, Moore scored three points in the second period on an opening escape and takedown that stretched the lead to 6-3. Up 6-4 in the third, Moore's decisive score was a takedown with 52 seconds remaining.
BURCHER GOES 1-1, TAKES EIGHTH
The sixth Buckeye to compete on Saturday was Burcher, who got the lone point in his consolation quarterfinal win over Tyrel White of Columbia via riding time and then dropped a heartbreaking sudden victory decision to 20th-ranked Brandon Womack of Cornell in the consolation semifinals. For the tournament, Burcher went 4-2 to improve his overall record to 12-4.
UP NEXT
Ohio State's 2016-17 home opener is next on the schedule, slated for Thursday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. against No. 5 Missouri. The match will be broadcast live on BTN and tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
PLACEWINNERS
125:
1st: Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) dec. Jose Rodriquez (Ohio State), 4-3
3rd: Sean Russell (Edinboro) dec. Trey Andrews (Northern Colorado), 7-1
5th: Noah Gonser (Eastern Michigan) dec. Sean Nickell (CSU Bakersfield), 5-0
7th: Ben Thornton (Purdue) by forfeit over Markus Simmons (Iowa State)
133:
1st: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. Stevan Micic (Michigan), 3-2
3rd: Mark Grey (Cornell) dec. Mitch Mckee (Minnesota), 2-0
5th: Corey Keener (Central Michigan) pinned Anthony Tutolo (Kent State), 4:12
7th: Ali Naser (Arizona State) dec. Eli Stickley (Wisconsin), 10-4
141:
1st: Joey McKenna (Stanford) dec. Bryce Meredith (Wyoming), 3-1
3rd: Cole Martin (Wisconsin) dec. Russell Rohlfing (CSU Bakersfield), 8-7
5th: Logan Everett (Army) pinned Timmy Box (Northern Colorado), 2:03
7th: Kyle Ayersman (Purdue) by medical forfeit over Jack Mutchnik (American)
149:
1st: Micah Jordan (Ohio State) dec. Pat Lugo (Edinboro), 7-3
3rd: Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) dec. Cole Mendenhall (Wyoming), 6-0
5th: Joey Delgado (Oregon State) by medical forfeit over Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech)
7th: Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) maj. dec. Chase Straw (Iowa State), 11-3
157:
1st: Jake Short (Minnesota) dec. Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan), 3-2
3rd: Archie Colgan (Wyoming) dec. Victor Lopez (Bucknell), 2-1 SV
5th: Josh Shields (Arizona State) by medical forfeit over Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech)
7th: Colt Shorts (Cal Poly) dec. Alex Mossing (Air Force), 4-1
165:
1st: Logan Massa (Michigan) dec. Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), 8-7
3rd: Branson Ashworth (Wyoming) dec. Austin Matthews (Edinboro), 7-2
5th: Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) pinned Brandon Womack (Cornell), 0:40
7th: Alex Lopouchanski (Air Force) by default over Cody Burcher (Ohio State)
174:
1st: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) dec. Brian Realbuto (Cornell), 3-2
3rd: Myles Amine (Michigan) dec. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State), 4-2 SV
5th: Christian Brucki (Central Michigan) by forfeit over Jim Wilson (Stanford)
7th: Kimball Bastian (Utah Valley) by medical forfeit over Nick Wanzek (Minnesota)
184:
1st: Gabe Dean (Cornell) tech. fall Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech), 19-4 5:00
3rd: Myles Martin (Ohio State) tech. fall Steven Schneider (Binghamton), 22-7 6:04
5th: Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan) dec. Hunter Ritter (Wisconsin), 4-1
7th: Nick Fiegener (California Baptist) maj. dec. Samson Imonode (Army), 12-1
197:
1st: Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) dec. Jared Haught (Virginia Tech), 14-1
3rd: Kollin Moore (Ohio State) dec. Jacob Smith (West Virginia), 9-7
5th: Corey Griego (Oregon State) pinned Ricky Robertson (Wisconsin), 1:03
7th: Tom Sleigh (Bucknell) dec. Tanner Orndoff (Utah Valley), 2-0
285:
1st: Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) dec. Ty Walz (Virginia Tech), 6-4 SV
3rd: Michael Kroells (Minnesota) dec. Tanner Hall (Arizona State), 3-2 TB
5th: Nathan Butler (Stanford) dec. Billy Miller (Edinboro), 5-0
7th: Gage Hutchison (Eastern Michigan) by medical forfeit over Quean Smith (Iowa State)
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