University of Minnesota Athletics
EIGHT WRESTLERS ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
3/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
In the first round of competition, all 10 Golden Gophers advanced with four of them advancing on an automatic bye. Vega defeated Wisconsin's Tony Black with a 12-4 major decision at 125 pounds. At 133 pounds, Lawrence, seeded fourth, pinned Indiana's Gabe Cook in 4:10. Following him was Erikson, seeded fourth at 141 pounds, with a 15-7 major decision over Sean Peterson of Ohio State.
After four byes, Eggum, seeded No. 1 at 184 pounds, won his first round match with a 15-4 major decision over Wisconsin's Brad Marten. At 197 pounds, fifth-seeded Elzen advanced with an 11-2 major decision over Mark Colegrove of Purdue. At heavyweight Lesnar moved into the second round with a pin in 2:31 over Indiana's Michael Dixon.
In the second round of action, Vega defeated sixth-seeded Ryan Escobar 4-3 to move into the semifinals. Lawrence also decisioned Ohio State's Scott Moore 14-7. Minnesota's first loss on the afternoon came at 141 pounds with Michigan's Damion Logan pinning Chad Erikson. At 149 pounds, redshirt freshman Jared Lawrence, the No. 1 seed, pinned eighth seed Brent Narkiewicz of Penn State in 6:02 to advance to the semifinals. At 157 pounds redshirt freshman Luke Becker defeated Northwestern's Drew Pariano with a 10-2 major decision to advance to the semifinal round.
Junior Brad Pike decisioned seventh-seeded Jason Rawls of Michigan with an 8-2 score. Pike advanced to the semifinal round. Senior Delaney Berger, the sixth seed, faced No. 3 seed Gabe McMahan of Iowa in his first match of the afternoon. Berger came up way short, losing the match with a 13-5 major decision. Eggum defeated Northwestern's Tom Ciezki 19-7 to advance to the semifinal round at 184 pounds. Elzen, seeded fifth at 197 pounds, defeated fourth-seeded Pat Quirk of Ilinois with a close 6-5 decision. At heavyweight, Lesnar defeated Penn State's Mark Janus 8-1 to advance to the semifinals.
Erikson was the lone Golden Gopher to compete in the first round of the wrestlebacks this afternoon. Purdue's Luis Blanco pinned Erikson in a controversial pin in 57 seconds.
2000 Big Ten Wrestling Championships Purdue University West Lafayette, Ind. ** All rankings are seeding placements First Round Minnesota Matches No. 3 Leroy Vega (MINN) maj. dec. Tony Black (WIS) 12-4 No. 4 Brett Lawrence (MINN) pinned Gabe Cooke (IND) 4:10 No. 4 Chad Erikson (MINN) maj. dec. Sean Peterson (OSU) 15-7 No. 1 Jared Lawrence (MINN) Bye No. 2 Luke Becker (MINN) Bye No. 2 Brad Pike (MINN) Bye No. 6 Delaney Berger (MINN) Bye No. 1 Brandon Eggum (MINN) maj. dec. Brad Marten (WIS) 15-4 No. 5 Owen Elzen (MINN) maj. dec. Mark Colegrove (PUR) 11-2 No. 2 Brock Lesnar (MINN) pinned Michael Dixon (IND) 2:31 Second Round Minnesota Matches No. 3 Leroy Vega (MINN) dec. No. 6 Ryan Escobar (ILL) 4-3 No. 4 Brett Lawrence (MINN) dec. No. 5 Scott Moore (OSU) 14-7 No. 5 Damion Logan (MICH) pinned No. 4 Chad Erikson (MINN) 1:13 No. 1 Jared Lawrence (MINN) pinned No. 8 Brent Narkiewicz (PSU)6:02 No. 2 Luke Becker (MINN) maj. dec. No. 7 Drew Pariano (NW) 10-2 No. 2 Brad Pike (MINN) dec. No. 7 Jason Rawls (MICH) 8-2 No. 3 Gabe McMahan (IOWA) maj. dec. No. 6 Delaney Berger (MINN) 13-5 No. 1 Brandon Eggum (MINN) maj. dec. No. 8 Tom Ciezki (NW) 19-7 No. 5 Owen Elzen (MINN) dec. No. 4 Pat Quirk (ILL) 6-5 No. 2 Brock Lesnar (MINN) dec. No. 7 Mark Janus (PSU) 8-1 First Round of Wrestlebacks Luis Blanco (PUR) pinned No. 4 Chad Erikson (MINN) 0:57
