ISU, Iowa Tied for NCAA Lead

03.20.2009 | Men's Wrestling

By: cyclones.com

ST. LOUIS, Mo. ? Iowa State's David Zabriskie was in trouble. “Little Z,” the NCAA Wrestling Championships' No. 1 seed at heavyweight was down 6-1 after the first period and seemed to be getting pushed around by West Virginia's Dustin Rogers. Then the comeback began. Zabriskie looked tireless as the Mountaineer wrestler gave up his big lead to the relatively diminutive Cyclone heavyweight. Zabriskie, roared back and took down Rogers in the final 20 seconds to secure his 9-8 victory at the Scottrade Center. It was huge for Iowa State.

Complete NCAA Session II Coverage
Complete Session II Results Cael Sanderson Talks Day One		Photo Album

At the end of the first day's competition, Iowa State is tied with the Hawkeyes for the team lead with 33 points. The Hawks have six wrestlers in the championship bracket heading into Friday's quarterfinals and three in consolation action. ISU has five wrestlers in the championship bracket and five wrestling back. Ohio State is third with 30 points, Nebraska is fourth with 24 and Edinboro fifth at 22 ?.

Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said he was shocked to see his heavyweight down 6-1.

“To be honest, I don't know how (Zabriskie) got himself in trouble,” Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. “I think he knew he would win even when he was down 6-1.”

Zabriskie said he never panicked.

“I have been in this position before,” Zabriskie said. “This win was about heart.”

Iowa State went 5-4 in the second round of the NCAA Championships but was pushed forward in the team standings by bonus point performances at 165 and 197 pounds in the championship bracket.

“We had more ups than downs today,” Sanderson said. “I am not paying any attention to the team race because it isn't as important as our guy's individual efforts. We just need to make sure that our guys are ready for their matches.”

The NCAA Championships continue Friday with wrestling action in Session III beginning at 10 a.m.
Two-time NCAA finalist and second-seeded Cyclone, Jake Varner (197) kept the bonus points coming in his second-round match with a major-decision shutout of Purdue's Logan Brown, 11-0 Thursday evening. Varner's next opponent will be seventh-seed Brandon Hasley of CSU-Bakersfield in the quarterfinals.

No. 8-seed Jon Reader of Iowa State continued his offensive showcase into the second round with a major decision victory over Penn State's Dan Vallimont, 11-3. Vallimont is a returning All-American for the Nittany Lions. Reader takes to the quarterfinals to face Hofstra's Ryan Patrovich. Patrovich upset top-seeded Mack Lewnes of Cornell in the first round Thursday morning.

ISU's sixth-seeded Nick Gallick advanced to Friday's quarterfinal round with a tough 6-4 decision of Lehigh's Seth Ciasuli. Gallick will face J Jaggers of Ohio State. Gallick beat Jaggers 6-2 in an exhibition match at the NWCA All-Star Classic earlier this season.

Cyclone Cyler Sanderson evened his season series against Boise State's Adam Hall when it mattered most. ISU's returning All-American at 157 pounds edged the Bronco by decision, 4-3. Sanderson advances to the quarterfinals to wrestle Nebraska's top-seeded Jordan Burroughs. Sanderson will look to keep his momentum rolling against the Husker, to whom he has dropped three matches this season.

After losing in the first round, ISU's Jerome Ward (184) bounced back to beat Missouri's Dorian Henderson for the second time this season, 6-1. Ward, a redshirt freshman, will face 10th-seeded Christopher Honeycutt of Edinboro in the consolation bracket tomorrow.

In a marathon match that spanned 13 minutes, ISU's Nick Fanthorpe finally ran out of fuel fending off the No. 10-seeded Jake Strayer of Penn State in second-round action. The match went through five minutes of overtime periods locked in a tie at 3-3 before Strayer caught Fanthorpe rolling across his back. Fanthorpe dropped the match, 7-3 (TB3). He will wrestle in consolation action tomorrow against Illinois All-American Jimmy Kennedy. It was a tough one to swallow for the throng of Iowa State fans rooting on their team.

Ninth-seeded Cyclone Tyler Clark fell to Penn's Rollie Peterkin in 125-pound competition in the second round. Clark will face Kent State's Nicholas Bedelyon in the consolation bracket.

Mitch Mueller of Iowa State fell in the second round to No. 4 seed Lance Palmer of Ohio State by decision, 3-0. Mueller, a junior, faces Edinboro's Torsten Gillispie in tomorrow's consolation

ISU's Duke Burk was unable to keep his upset streak going as he fell to No. 5 Raymond Jordan of Missouri by major decision, 12-4. Burk will wrestle in consolation action tomorrow against Alex Caruso of Lehigh.

SECOND ROUND
125 pounds ? No. 8 Rollie Peterkin (Penn) dec. No. 9 Tyler Clark, 6-3
133 pounds ? No. 10 Jake Strayer (Penn State) dec. No. 7 Nick Fanthorpe, 7-3 (TB3)
141 pounds ? No. 6 Nick Gallick dec. Seth Ciasuli (Lehigh), 6-4
149 pounds ? No. 4 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) dec. Mitch Mueller, 3-0
157 pounds ? No. 9 Cyler Sanderson dec. No. 8 Adam Hall, 4-3
165 pounds ? No. 8 Jon Reader major dec. Dan Vallimont (Penn State), 11-3
174 pounds ? No. 5 Raymond Jordan (Missouri) major dec. Duke Burk, 12-4
197 pounds ? No. 2 Jake Varner major dec. Logan Brown (Purdue), 11-0
HWT? No. 1 David Zabriskie dec. Dustin Rogers (West Virginia), 9-8