Russell used a counter takedown with just 32 seconds remaining in regulation to break open the deadlocked match and defeat the third-seeded Novachkov for the second time this season. Novachkov initiated the late flurry with a half shot to the legs, but Russell snapped him down and went behind to gain good position. Novachkov turned to face him, providing Russell a body-lock position and after a couple precarious seconds -- and with Russell running out of room on the edge -- he returned the Mustang wrestler hard to the mat and directly to his back for the takedown. He earned no near-fall points but did not need them, allowing Novachkov a escape after 18 seconds before easily fending off a couple last-ditch shots to secure the one-point decision.
The wrestlers had traded little more than escape points and half shots until Russell's winning takedown. Novachkov rode the Wolverine wrestler for the first half of the second, during which Russell got in an awkward position and suffered a somewhat significant ankle injury that required most of his allowed stoppage time. Russell recovered and got away after 1:04 and rode off Novachkov's time advantage before the Mustang escaped to even the score.
Russell becomes the 15th different U-M wrestler to capture an NCAA individual title, upping the Michigan program's total to 21 trophies and four under current head coach Joe McFarland, joining Ryan Bertin (2003, '05) and Steve Luke (2009).
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