No. 9 Spartan Wrestling Falls To No. 13 Central Michigan

Dec. 3, 2002

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The No. 9 Michigan State wrestling team lost to No. 13 Central Michigan Tuesday night (Dec. 3) at Jenison Field House on a new NCAA rule that was implemented at the beginning of the season to prevent ties in regular-season dual meets. If the teams are tied at the end of the meet, several criteria are used to determine the winner. With the score tied at 16-16, CMU defeated Michigan State on criteria H (eighth tiebreaker), which rules that the team with the most near fall points is the winner. Central Michigan had 10 near fall points to MSU's three, and therefore was declared the victor of the dual meet. The rule already applied for dual tournaments, but was put into place at the beginning of this season for regular-season dual meets as well.

The win snaps an eight-match losing skid against the Spartans for Central, which improves its record to 1-0. MSU falls to 1-1 on the season.

"We could have stepped up, but the bottom line is that we didn't get it done," said MSU head coach Tom Minkel. "The guys need to learn to make the commitment to take it to their opponents. A lot of guys were just trying to eek out a win. But we'll learn from this and move on."

The dual was tied at 13-13 when No. 8 Nik Fekete (Sr., Cranford, N.J.) stepped up with a big 10-4 victory over Brett Faustman at 197 pounds. In the final match at heavyweight, however, Bill Stouffer upset No. 15 John Wechter (Sr., Saginaw), 6-4, to force a tie in total points.

Nick Simmons (R-Fr., Williamston), ranked 15th, started the match off at 125 pounds with an 8-0 major decision victory over Kyle Stoffer. The win marked Simmons' first collegiate dual match victory. The match started slow, but Simmons added two reversals in the first two periods to take a 4-0 lead. The red-shirt freshman added an escape point and a takedown late in the third, and with riding time advantage, walked away with the 8-0 win.

MSU took a 7-0 lead with Ryan L'Amoreaux's (Jr., Clarkston) 3-1 sudden victory win over Jason Borelli in the 133-pound match. Thirty-seconds into overtime, No. 15 L'Amoreaux picked up Borelli and slammed him down for the takedown.

The Chippewas got on the board in the 141-pound bout as sixth-ranked Jason Mester of Central Michigan controlled Darren McKnight (R-Fr., Hixson, Tenn.) for a 10-3 victory.

In a battle of top-ranked wrestlers at 149 pounds, No. 10 Ty Morgan held off No. 11 Karl Nadolsky (Holland) in a tiebreaker. With the score tied at one apiece, Nadolsky chose the bottom in the tiebreaker, but could not escape Morgan's hold. The dramatic win for Morgan cut MSU's lead to one at 7-6.

Two-time All-American and fifth-ranked Gray Maynard (Sr., Las Vegas) halted CMU's two-match win streak with a 10-7 win over 12th-ranked David Bolyard in the 157-pound match. Maynard was in control most of the match, as he built a 9-3 lead before Bolyard scored two late takedowns to pull within two points. Maynard had over a three minute riding time advantage, however, and tacked on a point for the 10-7 win, pushing MSU's lead to 10-6.

Central Michigan tied the dual after the break in the 165-pound bout with David Carr's 14-2 major decision over Arsen Aleksanyan (Sr., Santa Ana, Calif).

MSU jumped back ahead 13-10 in the 174-pound match. Down 3-1 at the beginning of the third period, 11th-ranked Rashad Evans (Sr., Niagara Falls, N.Y.) made a sensational comeback to top Mitch Hancock, 4-3. Evans reversed Hancock early in the third period to tie the score at 3-3 and rode Hancock the remainder of the match, adding the deciding riding-time point for the 4-3 win.

CMU tied the dual once again after Alex Lammers decisioned Jeff Clemens (R-Fr., Bellbrook, Ohio), 3-1, at 184 pounds.

MSU returns to action for the Midlands Championships Dec. 28-29 in Evanston, Ill.

MATCH SUMMARY:Wt. Winner              Loser           Score       Team Score125 No. 15 Nick Simmons (MSU) Kyle Stoffer (CMU)  8-0 (Major) MSU, 4-0133 No. 15 Ryan L'Amoreaux (MSU)    Jason Borelli (CMU) 3-1 (SV)    MSU, 7-0141 No. 6 Jason Mester (CMU)    Darren McKnight (MSU)  10-3        MSU, 7-3149 No. 10 Ty Morgan (CMU)      No. 11 Nadolsky (MSU)   1-1 (TB)    MSU, 7-6157 No. 5 Gray Maynard (MSU)  No. 12 David Bolyard    10-7        MSU, 10-6165 David Carr (CMU)        Arsen Aleksanyan (MSU)    14-2 (Major)    Tied, 10-10174 No. 11 Rashad Evans (MSU) Mitch Hancock (CMU) 4-3     MSU, 13-10184 Alex Lammers (CMU)      Jeff Clemens (MSU)    3-1     Tied, 13-13197 No. 8 Nik Fekete (CMU)      Brett Faustman (CMU)    10-4        MSU, 16-10285 Bill Stouffer (CMU)     No. 15 Wechter (MSU)    6-4     Tied, 16-16
MICHIGAN STATE (1-1); CENTRAL MICHIGAN (1-0); ATTENDANCE: 1022