University of Minnesota Athletics
GOLDEN GOPHER WRESTLERS CAPTURE 2001 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP
3/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
All 10 Maroon and Gold grapplers placed, proving that balance was a key ingredient in winning the Big Ten crown. Minnesota had two individual champions, three runners-up, three third-place finishers, one fourth-place finisher and one fifth-place grappler.
Rounding out the top five were Illinois (130.5 pts.), Iowa (129.5 pts.), Michigan (109 pts.) and Ohio State (104.5 pts.)
The Golden Gophers earned their eighth conference title overall. Minnesota last captured the Big Ten Championship in 1999 in Ann Arbor, Mich., with 139 points to Iowa's 121. Last year, Gold Country took second place, falling to the Hawkeyes by an eight-point margin, 140.5- 132.5. Minnesota's 2001 Big Ten crown was the program's fourth-straight finish in the top three at the Big Ten tournament.
With the exceptional team performance, all 10 Golden Gopher grapplers qualified for the 2001 NCAA Championships. The national tournament takes place March 15-17 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
See below for highlights from Minnesota's championship bracket finals matches and consolation bracket finals matches.
2001 Big Ten Championships
Session 3
Welsh-Ryan Arena; Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
March 4, 2001
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET - Golden Gopher Finals Results
125 No. 1 seed Jody Strittmatter (IOWA) dec. No. 2 seed Leroy Vega (MINN), 6-0
141 No. 1 seed Doug Schwab (IOWA) dec. No. 2 seed Chad Erikson (MINN), 9-6
149 No. 2 seed Jared Lawrence (MINN) dec. No. 1 seed Adam Tirapelle (ILL), 9-5
157 No. 1 seed T.J. Williams (IOWA) maj. dec. No. 2 seed Luke Becker (MINN), 15-7
HWT No. 2 seed Garrett Lowney (MINN) dec. No. 4 seed John Lockhart (ILL), 5-2
Golden Gopher Championship Bracket Finals Play-by-Play/Highlights:
125 - No. 1 seed Jody Strittmatter (IOWA) dec. No. 2 seed Leroy Vega (MINN), 6-0
1ST period: No scoring
2nd period: Strittmatter starts down; Strittmatter escape 0:05 (0-1); Strittmatter takedown 0:41 (0-3); Advantage time Strittmatter 1:14 3rd period: Strittmatter takedown 1:10 (0-5); Advantage time Strittmatter 2:05 (0-6)
FINAL Strittmatter dec. Vega, 6-0
Second-seeded Leroy Vega fell to top-seeded Jody Strittmatter of Iowa 6-0 in the title match at 125 pounds. Strittmatter led throughout, did not allow a Vega takedown and ended with over two minutes of advantage time. A junior from Portage, Ind., Vega is now 1-6 in his career versus Strittmatter, the 2000 125-pound Big Ten Champion. Vega, a two-time All-American advances to his third-straight NCAA Championships. He improved upon his past two third-place finishes in the 1999 and 2000 Big Ten tournaments. Vega now looks to gain his third All-America honor and improve on his fifth-place finishes at the past two national tournaments.
141 - No. 1 seed Doug Schwab (IOWA) dec. No. 2 seed Chad Erikson (MINN), 9-6
1st period: Schwab takedown 1:36 (0-2); Erikson escape 2:35 (1-2); Schwab takedown 2:55 (1-4); Advantage time Schwab 1:14
2nd period: Schwab takedown 1:00 (1-6); Erikson escape 1:40 (2-6); Advantage time Schwab 1:55
3rd period: Erikson starts down; Erikson escape 0:09 (3-6); Schwab takedown 1:03 (3-8); Erikson escape 1:26 (4-8); Erikson takedown 1:54 (6-8); Advantage time Schwab 2:24 (6-9)
FINAL Schwab dec. Erikson, 9-6
Second-seeded Chad Erikson lost 9-6 at the hands of Doug Schwab of Iowa, the Big Ten's top-seeded and nation's top-ranked wrestler at 141 pounds. Schwab led the entire match and did not allow an Erikson takedown until late in the third period. Schwab also finished the match with 2:24 of advantage time. Nevertheless, Erikson's runner-up finish is an immense improvement on his past two Big Ten Championship performances where he failed to place in 1999 or 2000. With his second-place finish, Erikson qualifies for his first NCAA Championships.
149 - No. 2 seed Jared Lawrence (MINN) dec. No. 1 seed Adam Tirapelle (ILL), 9-5
1st period: Lawrence takedown 1:37 (2-0); Tirapelle escape 1:50 (2-1);Advantage time Lawrence 0:13
2nd period: Tirapelle starts down; Tirapelle escape 0:12 (2-2); Lawrence takedown 0:25 (4-2); Tirapelle escape 0:42 (4-3); Lawrence takedown 0:47 (6-3); Advantage time Lawrence 1:52
3rd period: Lawrence starts down; Lawrence escape 0:16 (7-3); Tirapelle takedown 1:26 (7-5); Lawrence escape 1:38 (8-5); Advantage time Lawrence 1:22 (9-5)
FINAL Lawrence dec. Tirapelle, 9-5
Second-seeded sophomore Jared Lawrence captured his first Big Ten individual crown, downing archrival Adam Tirapelle of Illinois, the top seed at 149 pounds, 9-5 in the title match. Lawrence, the 2000 Big Ten runner-up to Tirapelle, tallied three takedowns and ended the match with 1:22 of advantage time to cruise to victory. Lawrence, the 2000 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, scored a key takedown early in the second period with the score tied at two and did not look back en route to the individual conference championship. Lawrence moves on to the NCAA Championships with hopes on building on his All-American sixth-place finish at the 2000 national tournament.
157 - No. 1 seed T.J. Williams (IOWA) maj. dec. No. 2 seed Luke Becker (MINN), 15-7
1st period: Williams takedown 0:12 (0-2); Becker escape 0:16 (1-2); Williams takedown 1:05 (1-4); Becker reversal 1:18 (3-4); Williams escape 1:22 (3-5); Williams takedown 1:58 (3-7); Becker escape 2:05 (4-7); Williams takedown 2:09 (4-9); Becker escape 2:20 (5-9); Advantage time Wiliams 0:28
2nd period: Becker starts down; Becker escape 0:02 (6-9); Stall warning Becker 1:58; Advantage time Williams 0:30
3rd period: Williams starts down; Williams escape 0:23 (6-10); Williams takedown 1:07 (6-12); Becker escape 1:22 (7-12); Stall warning Becker 1:19 (7-13); Williams takedown 1:58 (7-15); Advantage time Williams 0:24
FINAL Williams maj. dec. Becker, 15-7
No. 2 seed Luke Becker failed to post his first victory on top-seeded and top-ranked T.J. Williams of Iowa, falling to the Hawkeye in a 15-7 major decision. Williams scored six takedowns and only allowed a Becker reversal in the match. The eight-point deficit was Becker's largest losing margin on the season. With his second-place finish, Becker matches his performance from last year's conference tournament where he was also the runner-up to Williams. Becker advances to the 2001 NCAA Championships looking to improve upon last year's All-American sixth-place finish.
HWT - No. 2 seed Garrett Lowney (MINN) dec. No. 4 seed John Lockhart (ILL), 5-2
1st period: Lowney takedown 2:45 (2-0); Stall warning Lowney; Advantage time Lowney 0:13
2nd period; Lockhart starts down; Lockhart escape 0:08 (2-1); Advantage time Lowney 0:21
3rd period; Lowney starts down; Lowney escape 0:10 (3-1); Lowney takedown 1:40 (5-1) Lockhart escape 1:52 (5-2); Advantage time Lowney 0:23
FINAL Lowney dec. Lockhart, 5-2
Second-seeded heavyweight Garrett Lowney added a Big Ten individual title to his trophy case with his 5-2 win over No. 4 seed John Lockhart of Illinois. Lowney scored a takedown late in the first period and did not allow more than an escape to Lockhart in the title match. The bronze medal winner at Greco-Roman 213 pounds at the 2000 Olympics, Lowney advances to the NCAA Championships in his first full season with the Golden Gophers.
CONSOLATION BRACKET - Golden Gopher Semifinal Results
133 No. 4 seed Evan Robinson (PUR) dec. No. 3 seed Brett Lawrence (MINN), 3-2
165 No. 3 seed Brad Pike (MINN) maj. dec. No. 5 seed Charles Martelli (MSU), 14-4
174 No. 4 seed Jacob Volkmann (MINN) maj. dec. No. 7 seed Mark Becks (PSU), 8-0
184 No. 3 seed Damion Hahn (MINN) dec. No. 8 Anton Talamantes (OSU), 5-3
197 No. 1 seed Owen Elzen (MINN) dec. No. 2 seed Nick Preston (OSU), 9-3
CONSOLATION BRACKET - Golden Gopher Finals Results
133 Fifth-place match No. 3 seed Brett Lawrence (MINN) dec. No. 8 Marat Tomaev (PSU), 5-3
165 Third-place match No. 3 seed Brad Pike (MINN) dec. No. 4 seed Kevin Stanley (IND), 8-3
174 Third-place match No. 2 seed Gabe McMahan (IOWA) dec. No. 4 seed Jacob Volkmann (MINN), 4-2
184 Third-place match No. 3 seed Damion Hahn (MINN) dec. No. 6 seed Jessman Smith (IOWA), 4-3
197 Third-place match No. 1 seed Owen Elzen (MINN) tech. fall No. 4 seed Joe DeGain (MICH), 15-0, 3:26
Golden Gopher Consolation Bracket Finals Highlights
133 Fifth-place match - No. 3 seed Brett Lawrence (MINN) dec. No. 8 Marat Tomaev (PSU), 5-3
No. 3 seed Brett Lawrence captured fifth place at 133 pounds with his 5-3 triumph over Marat Tomaev, the No. 8 seed from Penn State. Lawrence qualifies for his second NCAA Championships and matches his 2000 Big Ten Championships finish. Lawrence led throughout the match and gave the Golden Gophers seven team points.
165 Third-place match - No. 3 seed Brad Pike (MINN) dec. No. 4 seed Kevin Stanley (IND), 8-3
No. 3 seed Brad Pike captured Minnesota's first third-place finish of the afternoon with his defeat of No. 4 seed Kevin Stanley of Indiana at 165 pounds. Pike qualifies for his second-straight national tournament. Last year, he was second in the Big Ten and earned his first All-America honor with his seventh-place finish at NCAAs. Versus Stanley, Pike tallied three takedowns and ended with 2:12 of advantage time in the win.
174 Third-place match - No. 2 seed Gabe McMahan (IOWA) dec. No. 4 seed Jacob Volkmann (MINN), 4-2
Fourth-seeded Jacob Volkmann lost a hard-fought match at 174 pounds to No. 2 seed Gabe McMahan of Iowa in the third-place match. With his fourth-place finish, Volkmann, a redshirt freshman, qualifies for the NCAA Championships in his first season with Minnesota. Volkmann is now winless in four attempts versus the Hawkeye. McMahan led the entire match and did not allow a Volkmann takedown.
184 Third-place match - No. 3 seed Damion Hahn (MINN) dec. No. 6 seed Jessman Smith (IOWA), 4-3
Third-seeded Damion Hahn provided some last-second heroics in the 184- pound third-place match, scoring a takedown of Iowa's Jessman Smith in the match's final five seconds to down the Hawkeye 4-3. Hahn, a redshirt freshman, advances to his first NCAA Championships. Smith led 3-1 after two periods, but Hahn scored an escape and the late takedown to down Smith for the third time this season.
197 Third-place match - No. 1 seed Owen Elzen (MINN) tech. fall No. 4 seed Joe DeGain (MICH), 15-0, 3:26
Top-seeded Owen Elzen earned Gold Country's third third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships in dominating fashion. The top seed at 197 pounds, Elzen posted a 15-0 (3:26) technical fall on No. 4 seed Joe DeGain of Michigan. Elzen improves upon his fifth-place finish at last year's conference tournament and advances to his second-straight NCAA Championships.
Final Team Results 1. Minnesota 154.0 2. Illinois 130.5 3. Iowa 129.5 4. Michigan 109.0 5. Ohio State 104.5 6. Wisconsin 75.0 7. Michigan State 65.0 8. Indiana 59.5 9. Purdue 50.0 10. Penn State 35.0 11. Northwestern 6.0
Click here for final brackets from the 2001 Big Ten Wrestling Championships.
