Matching last season's championship-round performance, all four Wolverine finalists won their respective matches. Fifth-year senior captains Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) repeated at 165 pounds and heavyweight, respectively, while junior/sophomore Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and sophomore/freshman Steve Luke (Massilon, Ohio/Perry HS) each won in his first-ever Cliff Keen appearance, at 141 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Scoring a fall in the closing seconds of the 141-pound final, Josh Churella, seeded third, kicked off Michigan's performance in the evening session with an explosive start. Churella trailed throughout the match as Cal-Davis' fourth-seeded Derek Moore scored the lone takedown of the first period and accumulated just over two minutes in riding time through the opening two frames. Churella scored a pair of reversals in the middle period, but Moore responded with a reversal of his own to lead 5-4 entering the final frame. After allowing Moore an escape with option start, Churella cut away at his advantage with a takedown midway through the period before giving up another escape on the restart. With about 20 seconds to go, Churella shot in deep on a single leg and got Moore wrapped up in a near-side cradle. The Wolverine wrestler rolled Moore to his back and, after a couple adjustments, got the pin to end the bout at 6:47.
Luke went to the wire with Illinois' top-seeded Alex Tirapelle, also ranked No. 1 in the country at 157 pounds, needing 11 minutes to beat the two-time All-American on riding time after the second round of tiebreakers. With each wrestler earning his escape at the start of the second and third periods, the contest remained locked at 1-1 at the end of regulation. Luke and Tirapelle continued to match each other through the first round of tiebreakers and the second as the score bumped up to 2-2 and then 3-3. Luke's quick escape in the second tiebreaker proved crucial as an extra four seconds in riding time advantage became the deciding factor.
Ryan Churella was named the tournament's outstanding wrestler after earning an 8-2 decision over Missouri's second-seeded Matt Pell to claim his second straight 165-pound title. The Wolverine captain controlled throughout the match, scoring a takedown in each frame and accumulating 3:15 in riding time while allowing Pell just a pair of escapes. During the morning session, Churella picked up a few extra points for the Wolverines with a fall, his second of the tournament, against Adams State's Evan Copeland in the semifinal round. Churella dominated from the opening whistle, scoring a pair of takedowns and three first-period back points before rolling Copeland up to end the bout at the 4:03 mark.
Wagner capped the Wolverines' dominant final-round performance by edging out second-seeded Cain Velasquez of Arizona State 6-2 in the heavyweight final. Wagner earned takedowns in the first and second periods and added 1:23 in riding time to cruise to his second Cliff Keen individual crown. Like Churella, the U-M heavyweight added bonus points to Michigan's team score with a second-period fall against UNC Greensboro's fifth-seeded Tyler Shovlin in the semifinal round.
In addition to the Maize and Blue's four finalists, junior/sophomore Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) claimed fourth at 149 pounds after suffering a pair of tough second-day losses. The Wolverine fell 4-3 to Wisconsin's second-seeded Tyler Turner in the third-place bout after giving up a late takedown in the third period.
The Wolverines will kick off the home portion of their 2005-06 slate next weekend when they host Nebraska on Friday (Dec. 9) for a 7 p.m. non-conference dual at Cliff Keen Arena. Two days later, U-M will head to Mount Pleasant, Mich., for its final dual of the calendar year, squaring off against intrastate rival Central Michigan at 2 p.m.
Top 10 Teams (Final)
1. MICHIGAN 145
2. Cornell 116
3. Missouri 102.5
4. Edinboro 101
5. Arizona State 92
6. Illinois 88.5
7. Cal Poly 76
8. West Virginia 74.5
9. Purdue 69.5
10. Penn 69
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