Michigan State University Athletics
Four Spartan Wrestlers Head To The NCAA Championships
3/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 14, 2005
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A LOOK AT THE WEEK AHEAD- The four Spartans that qualified for the national tournament, Nick Simmons, Andy Simmons, Darren McKnight and R.J. Boudro, will close out the 2004-05 season this weekend at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo. This is the eighth-straight season that at least four Spartan wrestlers have advanced to the NCAA tournament. The top eight wrestlers in each weight class earn All-American honors.
LAST YEAR IN ST. LOUIS- At last season's NCAA Championships, Andy Simmons, Darren McKnight, Jeff Clemens and Nate Mesyn combined for a 6-8 record. Simmons rallied through the consolation bracket on day two of the tournament, but came up one match short of All-American honors, falling to Central Michigan's Jason Mester. McKnight won his lone match of the tournament by fall against Christopher Nissen of Air Force, and Mesyn advanced to the quarterfinals of the championship bracket before falling twice and eliminating MSU from competition. The Green and White finished in a tie for 34th in 2004.
Nick Simmons AT THE 2003 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS- Nick Simmons will be going for All-American honors for the second time, after claiming seventh at the 2003 NCAA tournament. After recording a fall in the opening round against Edinboro's Jacob Gray, Simmons lost a heartbreaking match, 2-1, Lehigh's Terrance Clendenin, Thursday. But, Simmons came back to win three straight matches Friday, and pinned Minnesota's Bobbe Lowe in the first period to capture seventh place.
THE SPARTANS ALL-TIME AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT- Since arriving at MSU prior to the 1991-92 season, head coach Tom Minkel has garnered 28 All-American performances and one national champion. Prior to the 1992-93 season, MSU suffered a seven-year drought without a top-eight placewinner, dating back to 1986. Since 1992, MSU has finished in the top 15 in the national tournament six times, including a third place finish in 1995, the same year Kelvin Jackson won MSU's first national championship since 1974. The Spartans lone team national championship came in 1967.
SPARTANS ON THE ALL-TIME LISTS- Nick Simmons can break into the top 15 in all-time NCAA tournament wins with five victories at the 2005 championships. He is also five wins away from breaking the top 20 list in all-time wins, and three falls away from moving into fifth all-time in that department. Darren McKnight only needs three victories to break the top 20 list, and can tie for 19th all-time for wins in a season with four victories this weekend.
WEIGHT CLASS BREAKDOWN
125 LBS.- Nick Simmons has wrestled 11 of the 33 other NCAA qualifiers at 125 lbs., and has a combined record of 11-2 against them. His two losses came against Joe Dubuque (Indiana, third in the Big Ten), and Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma, second in the Big 12), while he defeated Collin Cudd (Wisconsin, seventh Big Ten) twice, Kyle Ott (Illinois, second Big Ten), Dubuque, Adam Smith (Penn State, fourth in the Big Ten), Bobbe Lowe (Minnesota, fifth in the Big Ten), Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State, first in the Big 12), Grant Nakamura (Iowa State, fourth in the Big 12), Christian Staylor (Old Dominion, first in the CAA), Luke Smith (Central Michigan, first in the MAC) and Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State, third in the Pac-10).
141 LBS.- Andy Simmons has wrestled eight of the 31 other NCAA qualifiers at 141 lbs., and has a record of 5-3. His wins came against Ryan Lang (Northwestern, fourth in the Big Ten), Mike Simpson (Indiana, sixth in the Big Ten), Daniel Frishkorn (Oklahoma State, third in the Big 12), Ron Tarquino (Pittsburgh, second in the EWL) and Jason Jones (Appalachian State, second in the Southern). His three losses came at the hands of Josh Churella (Michigan, first in the Big Ten), Nate Gallick (Iowa State, first in the Big 12) and Teyon Ware (Oklahoma, second in the Big 12)
149 LBS.- Darren McKnight has wrestled 12 of the 31 other NCAA qualifiers at 149 lbs., and has a 6-8 record against them. His six wins came against Tyler Prater (Virginia Tech, first in the ACC), Craig Henning (Wisconsin, second in the Big Ten), Quincy Osborn (Minnesota, fifth in the Big Ten), Isaac Knable (Indiana, sixth in the Big Ten), Ryan Hurley (Cleveland State, third in the EWL) and Mark DiSalvo (Central Michigan, first in the MAC). His losses came to DiSalvo, Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan, first in the Big Ten) twice, Ty Eustice (Iowa, third in the Big Ten), Doug Withstandley (Purdue, seventh in the Big Ten), Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State, first in the Big 12), Ben Cherrington (Boise State, first in the Pac-10) and Jeff Harrison (Northern Iowa, first in the Western).
174 LBS.- R.J. Boudro has faced eight of the 33 other NCAA qualifiers at 174 lbs., and has a record of 6-6. His wins came against Kelly Flaherty (Wisconsin, fifth in the Big Ten) and Nick Roy (Michigan, sixth in the Big Ten) twice, J.J. Holmes (Eastern Michigan, second in the MAC) and Eric Hauan (Northern Iowa, first in the Western). His six losses came to Jake Herbert (Northwestern, second in the Big Ten) and Mitch Hancock (Central Michigan, first in the MAC) twice, Pete Friedl (Illinois, first in the Big Ten), and Chris Pendleton (Oklahoma State, first in the Big 12).
R.J. Boudro EARNS FIRST-CAREER BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK HONORS- Junior R.J. Boudro earned his first-career Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors after dominating in an 18-5 major decision over Oklahoma's Brad Martens, Feb. 25. Boudro was leading 2-0 going into the third period, when he went on a tear, recording six takedowns and three near-fall points. The 18-point performance is the most points by Boudro since he scored 24 in a technical-fall victory over Eastern Michigan's Ben Best on Nov. 30. Boudro finishes the regular season 16-5, going 7-2 in dual meets and pacing the team with three technical falls. He is ranked as high as No. 12 in some polls and is seeded third at 174 pounds for the Big Ten Championships March 5-6.
63 AND COUNTING...- Nick Simmons' first career Big Ten championship was the 63rd Big Ten title for the Spartans all-time. That passes Wisconsin's 62 and puts MSU in sole possession of fifth place in that category.
