Minnesota's Owen Webster advanced to the quarterfinals with a pin over Cornell's Ben Darmstadt (Photo/David Peterson)The opening session of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational brought some surprising results. Let's examine the 10 biggest upsets of the opening session -- five from the round of 16 and five from the round of 32.
Round of 16
125: Jack Medley (Michigan) dec. No. 15 Jakob Camacho (NC State), 6-5
Camacho entered this season with high expectations after going 26-3 as a redshirt. Medley, a sophomore, entered the tournament with a season record of 6-5. In the round of 16, he edged the 15th-ranked Camacho, 6-5. In the third period, with the score tied 3-3, Camacho cut Medley loose with 45 seconds left to make the score 4-3. Camacho then earned a takedown to go up 5-4. However, Medley was able to get a reversal with just over 20 seconds remaining to retake the lead and he held on for the 6-5 win.
125: Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) dec. No. 16 Jacob Schwarm (Northern Iowa), 4-2
Based on rankings and tournament seeds, this is considered an upset, but it probably shouldn't be since it's DeAugustino's second win over the returning NCAA qualifier Schwarm this season. After a scoreless first period, Schwarm rode DeAugustino the entire second period to accumulate two minutes of riding time. In the third period, with the score 0-0, DeAugustino picked up a reversal with 40 seconds remaining to go up 2-0. Schwarm would get a late escape to make the score 2-1 and then add a point for riding time, which sent the match to sudden victory. The Northwestern wrestler then countered a Schwarm shot in sudden victory to earn a 4-2 win.
133: Louie Hayes (Virginia) dec. No. 15 Anthony Madrigal (Oklahoma), 6-1
Hayes was an NCAA qualifier two seasons ago at 125 pounds. He struggled with his weight last season early last season and moved up from 125 pounds to 133 pounds part way through the season. Hayes went 18-13, but failed to qualify for the NCAAs. Hayes entered Las Vegas unranked, but in the round of 16 he knocked off the 15th-ranked Madrigal, 6-1. Hayes scored takedowns in the final two periods to pace him to the victory.
174: Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) dec. No. 9 Devin Skatzka (Minnesota)
Coleman, an NCAA qualifier last season, knocked off the returning All-American Skatzka, 9-6, in the round of 16. The ISU sophomore dominated Skatzka on their feet, picking up four takedowns to zero. Skatzka is strongest from the top position but was unable to get there much in the match.
184: No. 19 Owen Webster (Minnesota) pinned No. 7 Ben Darmstadt (Cornell)
Webster, a Fargo champion and Cadet world bronze medalist in high school, started his college career at Division III Augsburg where he became an All-American before transferring to Minnesota. After a disappointing 2018-19 season that saw him compile a 7-9 record, Webster broke into the rankings at 184 pounds this season after a strong start. In the round of 16, Webster faced 2018 All-American Ben Darmstadt. A minute into the match, Webster locked up a cradle and secured fall over Darmstadt to advance to the quarterfinals.
Down goes six-seed Ben Darmstadt‼ï¸
— Minnesota Wrestling (@GopherWrestling) December 6, 2019
Webster sticks the fourth-ranked wrestler in the nation exactly a minute into the battle to advance to the quarterfinals! pic.twitter.com/Q93zc0XXSb
Round of 32
133: Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) dec. No. 9 Taylor Lamont (Utah Valley), 6-1
Lovett, a true freshman for the Cornhuskers, stunned LaMont, 6-1, in the first round of the tournament. After a scoreless first period, LaMont chose the down position. Lovett was able to lock up a cradle and score four nearfall points to go up 4-0. With choice in the third period, Lovett chose the top position and was able to ride LaMont for most of the period until a late escape. With riding time, Lovett claimed a 6-1 victory.
133: Dylan Koontz (Ohio State) dec. No. 14 Josh Kramer (Arizona State), 8-6 SV
Koontz, a sophomore who made his dual meet debut last Sunday against Cornell, scored an upset victory over No. 14 Josh Kramer of Arizona State, 8-6. Kramer controlled most of the match. He led 5-2 with just over a minute remaining in the match before Koontz picked up a reversal to make the score 5-4. Koontz cut Kramer and picked up a takedown with five seconds remaining to send the match to sudden victory. In sudden victory, Koontz countered a shot from Kramer and came behind for a match-winning takedown.
157: Justin McCoy (Virginia) injury default over No. 11 Will Lewan (Michigan)
The unseeded freshman McCoy looked strong in defeating a banged-up Lewan in the opening round. McCoy, who went 25-3 as a redshirt, used two first-period takedowns to go up 4-1 on the nation's No. 11 wrestler after the opening period. In the second period, Lewan chose the down position and McCoy was able to turn him for two points to go up 6-1. A short time later, Lewan was forced to injury default, giving McCoy the victory.
174: Andrew McNally (Kent State) pinned No. 13 Daniel Bullard (NC State), 6:14
Bullard, who entered the tournament ranked No. 13, completely dominated McNally for the first two periods. He controlled every position and built a 13-1 lead heading into the final period. In the third period, McNally came out strong, scoring a takedown to cut the deficit to 13-3. He then locked up a cradle and secured a fall with 46 seconds remaining in the match.
197: Greg Bulsak (Clarion) pinned No. 18 Tanner Orndorff (Utah Valley), 4:01
This would be classified as a mild upset. The unseeded Bulsak, an NCAA qualifier who fell out of the national rankings, pinned No. 18 Orndorff in the second period. Bulsak struck first with a takedown, but Orndorff came back to tie the match with a late first-period reversal. After Orndorff escaped in the second period to go up 3-2, Bulsak scored a takedown off a single leg and then drove the Utah Valley wrestler his back for the fall.
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