Senior/junior captain Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy), the nation's No. 1-ranked 141-pounder, put the Wolverines ahead for good with a commanding 10-2 major decision against Shane McQuade. Russell capitalized on a variety of leg attacks, scoring on a single leg, duck under, throw by and snap down to overwhelm McQuade through all three periods. Russell's final takedown came midway through the third period and secured the bonus point, and the Wolverine captain rode out the match to accumulate 3:40 in riding time. He is 26-0 on the season.
Sophomore/freshman Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS) also used an assortment of offensive attacks to cruise past Shawn Perry in the next bout at 149 pounds, scoring three takedowns and four back points en route to 11-3 major decision. After striking on a quick high crotch, Grajales caught Perry in a roll to add a two-point near fall late in the opening frame. He used a Peterson position out of a late second-period scramble to net four points and earned the pin call at the buzzer, before it was waived off after a brief officials' conference. The Wolverine rookie added another high crotch in the third and built up 4:20 in riding-time advantage to earn his fifth win in six matches.
Sophomore/freshman Brandon Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) also earned the pin call in the second period of the subsequent match at 157 pounds, but this held as the Wolverine newcomer stuck Kalvin York at the 4:40 mark. Zeerip held a significant advantage at the time of the pin after finishing on four takedowns, including three in the first period, and was in deep on a fifth single leg when he locked up the cradle and rolled up York to his back. The pin was Zeerip's third of the season and second in Big Ten action.
Sophomore/freshman Dan Yates (Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia HS) capped the Wolverines' victory with a 6-0 decision against Ben Cox at 165 pounds, using single legs in the first and third periods and 4:03 of riding-time advantage to secure his second straight shutout win.
The Badgers essentially won the pre-meet draw, selecting 174 pounds to set up their stretch of highly rated upperweights, but it was Michigan that struck first as senior/junior captain Justin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) used riding time to edge No. 12-ranked Ben Jordan, 2-1, and avenge an earlier-season loss. Zeerip dictated the first period with several single-leg shots -- enough to draw a stalling call on Jordan -- and took the initial lead with a quick second-period escape. The Wolverine captain rode most of the third period, building 1:25 in time advantage to earn the deciding point at match's end.
Wisconsin won back-to-back matches at 184 and 197 pounds -- both decision wins on first-period takedowns and riding time -- before U-M knotted up the team score again with back-to-back decisions of its own.
Junior/sophomore heavyweight Ben Apland (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) picked up his second win of the season over No. 11-ranked Eric Bugenhagen, scoring a pair of counter takedowns en route to a 5-2 decision. Apland, ranked 10th nationally, struck first midway through the opening period, scoring off a whizzer, and countered another Bugenhagen single leg late in the second to control the match throughout.
Sophomore Sean Boyle (Lowell, Mass./Blair Academy) needed nothing more than a second-period reversal and riding time to edge past Tom Kelliher, 3-1, at 125 pounds. Boyle set the pace of the match early on but could not finish on several first-period deep single-leg attempts. The Wolverine started down in the second and quickly shook Kelliher off to earn the deciding reversal before riding out the third period to accumulate 2:31 in time advantage.
Wisconsin's last win came at 133 pounds, where No. 3-ranked Tyler Graff used a big first period to defeat 19th-ranked junior Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS), 8-5. The Wolverine wrestler momentarily had Graff on his back with a first-period headlock, earning a takedown to even the score but could not hold as Graff scored a reversal and built up 2:08 in riding time to pull away.
The Wolverines (10-2, 5-0 Big Ten) will return home to host No. 3-ranked Penn State on Sunday (Feb. 6). The match is slated for a 2 p.m. start at Cliff Keen Arena. Prior to the meet, Michigan will host a free wrestling clinic, featuring two-time NCAA champion Ryan Bertin, from 10 a.m.-noon at the Bahna Wrestling Center.
Results:
174 -- Justin Zeerip (U-M) dec. #12 Ben Jordan, 2-1 U-M, 3-0
184 -- #3 Travis Rutt (UW) dec. Hunter Collins, 6-3 Tie, 3-3
197 -- #2 Trevor Brandvold (UW) dec. #10 Anthony Biondo, 4-1 UW, 6-3
Hwt -- #10 Ben Apland (U-M) dec. #11 Eric Bugenhagen, 5-2 Tie, 6-6
125 -- Sean Boyle (U-M) dec. Tom Kelliher, 3-1 U-M, 9-6
133 -- #3 Tyler Graff (UW) dec. Zac Stevens, 8-5 Tie, 9-9
141 -- #1 Kellen Russell (U-M) major dec. Shane McQuade, 10-2 U-M, 13-9
149 -- Eric Grajales (U-M) major dec. Shawn Perry, 11-3 U-M, 17-9
157 - #20 Brandon Zeerip (U-M) pinned Kalvin York, 4:40 U-M, 23-9
165 --#19 Dan Yates (U-M) dec. Ben Cox, 6-0 U-M, 26-9
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