Wrestling Set for NCAA Championships
3/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 15, 2010
Michigan State Notes
NCAA Championships Central
2010 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS • Qwest Center • Omaha, Neb.
Thursday, March 18
Session I, 12 p.m. • Session II, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 19
Session III, 10:30 a.m. TV: ESPNU HD/ESPN360.com
Session IV, 7 p.m. TV: ESPNU HD
Saturday, March 20
Session V, 11 a.m. TV: ESPNU HD
Session VI, 7:30 p.m. TV: ESPN HD/ESPN360.com
All times EDT
THE 2010 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Michigan State wrestling team will send a total of six student-athletes to this year's NCAA Championships. At-large selections Kyle Bounds (165) and Nick Palmieri (184) will join Franklin Gomez (133), David Cheza (149), Anthony Jones Jr. (157) and Ian Hinton (174), who all earned automatic berths as a result of their finishes at the Big Ten Championships, at this year's NCAA Championships. It marks the first time since 2003 that the Spartans have had at least six wrestlers compete in the NCAA Championships.
THE LAST TIME OUT
Franklin Gomez (133) and Anthony Jones Jr. (157) each went 2-0 in the final day of the Big Ten Championships and each took home third place. As a team, the Spartans finished in seventh place with 68.5 points. Jones was the only unseeded wrestler to compete in the finals, third or fifth-place matches. Also placing for the Spartans were Brenan Lyon (Eighth, 125), Dan Osterman (Eighth, 141), David Cheza (Sixth, 149), Kyle Bounds (Eighth, 165), Ian Hinton (Sixth, 174), Nick Palmieri (Sixth, 184) and Alan O'Donnell (Eighth, Hwt.).
GOMEZ LOOKING TO JOIN ELITE COMPANY
Senior Franklin Gomez is looking to become just the sixth Spartan to capture at least two National Championships. With a second national title, Gomez would join Pat Milkovich (1972, 74), Greg Johnson (1970, 71, 72) and Dale Anderson (1967, 68), Merle Jennings (1941, 42) and Burl Jennings (1941, 42) as the only other Spartans to win more than one national title. Gomez won the 2009 National Title at 133 pounds
JONES SHINES AT BIG TEN TOURNEY
With his third-place finish at this year's Big Ten Championships, Anthony Jones Jr. put together one of the most impressive runs of the tournament. The unseeded Jones earned his way into the semifinals with a 3-1 overtime win over No. 3 Kurt Kinser of Indiana and a 9-3 decision over sixth-seeded David Johnson of Michigan. After falling to No. 2 seed and eventual champion, Cyler Sanderson, in the semis, Jones again defeated Kinser in OT in the consolation semifinals, 5-3. In the third-place match, Jones won his third sudden-victory bout of the Championships with a 3-1 win over No. 4 Jake Kerr of Iowa. Jones was the only unseeded wrestler in the tournament to compete in the first or third-place bouts.
CONTINUING TO SHINE
Franklin Gomez enters this year's NCAA Championships having won 37 of his last 39 duals, dating back to last season. Gomez is 23-2 on the year and the defending national champion has surrendered just two takedowns this year. Seventeen of his wins have been falls, tech. falls or major decisions.
Last season, became the 19th different Spartan to claim a National Championship, defeating Reece Humphrey of Ohio State. It was the 25th individual championship in school history.
Players Mentioned
