Four Spartans Reach Podium on Final Day of B1G Championships

LINCOLN, Neb. – Four members of the Michigan State wrestling team earned their way to a podium finish Sunday afternoon on the final day of the 2022 Big Ten Championships at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Redshirt seniors Rayvon Foley and Cameron Caffey finished sixth in the 133-pound and 197-pound weight classes, respectively, while sophomores Chase Saldate and Caleb Fish placed eighth in the 157 and 165 brackets.

The Spartans' day started with sophomore Tristan Lujan in the 125-pound ninth-place semifinals, dropping a 5-3 decision to Illinois' Justin Cardani that sent Lujan to the 11th-place match later in Session III and saw him miss an automatic qualifier spot to the NCAAs. In that final match, Lujan defeated Jacob Moran of Indiana in a 6-2 decision to end his first B1G Championships on a winning note.

For Fish, he got an early takedown in his seventh-place bout with Minnesota's Cael Carlson, but the Gopher was able to escape and eventually pinned Fish 2:41 into the match. Saldate was also on the losing side of his 157-pound seventh-place match, as Garrett Model of Wisconsin built up a 7-0 decision over Saldate.

Foley opened Sunday in the consolation semifinals, but could not advance past Illinois' Lucas Byrd, as Byrd secured a 5-2 decision to send Foley to the fifth-place match. The Spartans' 133-pounder then opted to medically forfeit the fifth-place match with Northwestern's Chris Cannon.

In the 197 consolation semifinals, Caffey was taken down early by Jacob Warner of Iowa and was unable to gain a lead en route to a 5-3 losing decision. Wrestling in the fifth-place match in the second session of the day, Caffey then lost a narrow 3-2 decision to Purdue's Thomas Penola to put the Spartan sixth on the conference podium.

Redshirt junior Layne Malczewski also wrestled on Sunday, racking up a 10-1 major decision over Jack Jessen of Northwestern in their second match of the weekend to put the Spartan in the ninth-place match, but Malczewski then medically forfeited the ninth-place bout against Rutgers' John Poznanski.

MSU finished the Big Ten Championships in 12th place at 33.0 points. Winning the B1G team title was Michigan with 143.0 points, while Penn State finished in second place at 141.5 points, followed by third-place Iowa with 129.5 points.

All Spartan wrestlers that did not automatically qualify for this month's 2022 NCAA Championships with their placement in Lincoln will find out about a potential at-large bid to Detroit during the NCAA Selection Show on Wednesday, March 9.

Round 1:
125: Drake Ayala (Iowa) dec. Tristan Lujan (MSU), 4-0
133: Rayvon Foley (MSU) tech. fall over King Sandoval (UMD), 17-1
141: Jakob Bergeland (MINN) dec. Matt Santos (MSU), 3-2
149: Max Murin (IOWA) major dec. Peyton Omania (MSU), 12-0
157: Chase Saldate (MSU) dec. Derek Gilcher (IU), 7-4
165: Caleb Fish (MSU) dec. Andrew Clark (RU), 6-3
174: Mikey Labriola (NEB) major dec. Nathan Jimenez (MSU), 15-5
184: Christopher Weiler (WIS) dec. Layne Malczewski (MSU), 8-4
197: Cameron Caffey (MSU) major dec. Matt Wroblewski (ILL), 15-3
285: Mason Parris (UM) tech. fall over Brad Wilton (MSU), 18-3

Quarterfinals:
133: Dylan Ragusin (UM) dec. Rayvon Foley (MSU), 3-1
157: Will Lewan (UM) dec. Chase Saldate (MSU), 3-1
165: Cameron Amine (UM) major dec. Caleb Fish (MSU), 11-1
197: Cameron Caffey dec. Thomas Penola (PUR), 4-2

Semifinals:
197: Max Dean (PSU) dec. Cameron Caffey (MSU), 5-2

Consolation Round 1:
125: Tristan Lujan (MSU) major dec. Zach Spence (UMD), 14-2
141: Chad Red (NEB) pinned Matt Santos (MSU), 6:38
149: Peyton Omania dec. Michael North (UMD), 13-12
174: Andrew McNally (WIS) major dec. Nathan Jimenez (MSU), 9-0
184: Layne Malczewski major dec. Jack Jessen (NU), 13-4
285: Boone McDermott (RU) injury def. Brad Wilton, 0:45

Consolation Round 2:
125: Malik Heinselman (OSU) major dec. Tristan Lujan (MSU), 10-2
133: Rayvon Foley (MSU) dec. Kyle Burwick (WIS), 5-2
149: Michael Van Brill (RU) dec. Peyton Omania (MSU), 9-3
157: Chase Saldate (MSU) major dec. Joseph Roberts (ILL), 8-0
165: Caleb Fish (MSU) major dec. Gaven Bell (UMD), 10-2
184: Abe Assad (IOWA) major dec. Layne Malczewski (MSU), 9-0

Consolation Round 3:
133: Rayvon Foley (MSU) dec. Matt Ramos (PUR), 4-2 (SV-1)
157: Kaleb Young (IOWA) dec. Chase Saldate (MSU), 5-3
165: Clayton Wilson (NEB) dec. Caleb Fish (MSU), 5-2

Ninth-Place Bracket (First Round):
125: Tristan Lujan (MSU) dec. Zach Spence (UMD), 10-3
174: Nick South (IU) dec. Nathan Jimenez (MSU), 6-3
197: Layne Malczewski (MSU), BYE

Ninth-Place Bracket (Semifinals):
125: Justin Cardani (ILL) dec. Tristan Lujan (MSU), 5-3
184: Layne Malczewski (MSU) major dec. Jack Jessen (NU), 10-1

Consolation Semifinals:
133: Lucas Byrd (ILL) dec. Rayvon Foley (MSU), 5-2
197: Jacob Warner (IOWA) dec. Cameron Caffey (MSU), 5-3

Seventh-Place Match:
157: Garrett Model (WIS) dec. Chase Saldate (MSU), 7-0
165: Cael Carlson (MINN) fall over Caleb Fish (MSU), 2:41

Ninth-Place Match:
184: John Poznanski (RU) medical forfeit over Layne Malczewski (MSU)

11th-Place Match:
125: Tristan Lujan (MSU) dec. Jacob Moran (IU), 6-2

Fifth-Place Match:
133: Chris Cannon (NU) medical forfeit over Rayvon Foley (MSU)
197: Thomas Penola (PUR) def. Cameron Caffey (MSU), 3-2

Four Spartans Reach Podium on Final Day of B1G Championships

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Players Mentioned

Cameron Caffey

Caleb Fish

Rayvon Foley

Nathan Jimenez

Tristan Lujan

Layne Malczewski

Peyton Omania

Chase Saldate

Matt Santos

Brad Wilton