Michigan State University Athletics
Fish Scores Largest First Round Upset in Two Years, Becomes Lowest Seed to Reach NCAA Wrestling Quarterfinals
3/17/2023 12:53:00 AM | Wrestling
Three Spartans Stay in the Hunt in Tulsa
TULSA, Okla. – Junior 165-pounder Caleb Fish scored the largest first round upset since 2021 and ultimately became the lowest seed to reach the quarterfinals of the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Thursday inside the BOK Center. Three of MSU's four national qualifiers remain in contention, with junior 157-pounder Chase Saldate and redshirt senior 184-pounder Layne Malczewski continuing action in the consolation rounds.
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In his opening round match against fourth-seeded Cornell grappler Julian Ramirez, 29th-seeded Fish dominated for an 8-4 decision, securing the largest first round upset at the NCAA Championships in two years. At the 2021 Championships in St. Louis, No. 31 Owen Pentz of North Dakota State pinned second-seeded Eric Schultz in 4:51 of elapsed match time, marking the largest individual opening-round upset in recent memory. After advancing to the quarterfinals with a 7-2 decision over Pittsburgh's Holden Heller, Fish became the lowest-seeded wrestler to reach the National Quarterfinals since the NCAA began seeding all 33 individuals at each weight class in 2019. Prior to Fish, the next-lowest seed to advance to the quarterfinals was 28th-seeded Sam Stoll of Iowa in the 2019 tournament.
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One of the most thrilling stories at the 2023 Championships began on mat eight, with Fish squaring off against Ramirez. Things held true to form through the first three minutes, with the higher-seeded Cornell star scoring a takedown with 1:41 remaining in the first period to take a 2-0 lead and 1:19 of riding time into the second stanza. Ramirez won the toss and chose bottom to open the middle frame, a decision he would come to regret 34 seconds later after Fish managed to turn him for four swipes on the left side of the mat. Ramirez escaped to cut into Fish's newfound lead, but the Spartan remained ahead by a 4-3 score after two. Fish elected to start the third in neutral and booked his first takedown of the match with 1:17 remaining. Despite a Ramirez escape with 33 seconds to go, Fish took him down once more five seconds later to finalize the stunning 8-4 decision.
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Fish's second round match against Heller featured further dominance from the Eaton Rapids, Michigan, native Spartan. The 165-pounder's second match of the day mirrored the first after Heller scored an early first-period takedown with 1:27 to go. Unfazed, Fish escaped five seconds later to make it 2-1 through the first three minutes. Heller chose bottom after Fish won the toss and deferred, and yet again, Fish dominated the top position in the second period. A merciless two-minute ride from the Spartan starter included a pair of near fall points, ultimately resulting in a 3-2 MSU lead with a decisive 1:55 advantage in riding time heading into the finale. Fish chose bottom to start the third, escaped 15 seconds later, added another takedown and the riding time point for good measure en route to a 7-2 decision and quarterfinal bid.
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At 157 pounds, 11th-seeded junior Chase Saldate opened the day against 22nd-seeded Derek Holschlag of Northern Iowa, and despite a late push deep in the third period, Saldate dropped his opening match by 4-3 decision. Searching for his first career NCAA Tournament win in his third appearance, Saldate returned to the mat in Thursday night's opening session with a dominant mindset against Columbia's No. 27 Cesar Alvan. After notching a takedown with just 26 seconds remaining in the first period, Saldate managed to turn Alvan to his back and stick his shoulder blades to the mat before the conclusion of the first period, scoring a win by fall at the 3:00 mark. Saldate matched his career high for wins in a single season, improving to 26-7 overall in 2022-23 following his first NCAA victory.
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Redshirt senior 184-pounder Layne Malczewski opened his NCAA Tournament run against No. 18 Brian Soldano of Rutgers. Although Malczewski got out to a solid start, the 15th-seeded Spartan got reversed and pinned moments later, dropping his opening bout by fall at the 1:40 mark. Seeking his first career win at the NCAA Championships, Malczewski returned to the mat in the second session determined to extend his stay in the Sooner state.
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In the first round of consolation action against No. 31 Zayne Lehman of Ohio, Malczewski looked to get in on a couple of shots early in the first, but neither grappler was able to score through the first three minutes. The Macomb, Michigan, native Spartan chose bottom to start the second and booked a reversal a mere 18 seconds into the frame, riding Lehman out for the rest of the period. Lehman started on bottom in the third and never mustered an escape, finalizing Malczewski's 3-0 decision after factoring in over three minutes of riding time for the MSU starter. Malczewski improves to 24-5 after the first day of the NCAA Championships and garnered his first career win at the national tournament.
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At 197 pounds, graduate Cameron Caffey took the mat for his final NCAA Championships as the No. 19 seed at his weight class. The Spartan captain opened the tournament against a Big Ten-rival and familiar foe in Iowa's No. 14 Jacob Warner. The opening bout went Iowa's way in a 5-1 decision, with Warner advancing to the second round of the tournament. In his ensuing matchup in the consolation first round, Caffey fought valiantly but was unable to overcome an early first period takedown from Northwestern's Andrew Davision, ultimately ending the Spartan graduate's run in Tulsa with a 3-2 decision.
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Caffey concludes his career at Michigan State as the fourth-winningest wrestler in school history, amassing a stunning 121 victories in the Green & White since his inaugural season on the Banks of the Red Cedar in 2017-18. The Carbondale, Illinois, native concludes his career with a 121-38 overall record in East Lansing, trailing program legends Erich Harvey (147), Nick Simmons (138) and David Morgan (129) for the most wins at MSU. A mainstay in Michigan State's lineup, Caffey's contributions to Spartan wrestling helped lift the program to back-to-back 10-win dual seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23, the first streak of that nature at Michigan State in 27 years. Caffey also became the program-record holder for NCAA Championship qualifications, selected for the tournament five times despite the 2020 Championships being canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Green & White have already surpassed their team score from a season ago through the first two sessions of action, registering 5.0 points so far after a 4.0 point showing in 2022. The Spartans currently sit in 35th place. Defending National Champion Penn State leads the field with 26.0 points, followed by Iowa with 21.5 points, Missouri with 17.5 points, and Minnesota and NC State tied for fourth with a 16.5 point total after the opening day of wrestling.
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UP NEXT
Michigan State remains in Tulsa for the second day of the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Friday, March 17, as the Spartans continue action at the BOK Center. Session III begins at 12 p.m. (ET) with Quarterfinals and further Consolation matches, followed by an 8 p.m. start in Session IV which will feature the Championship Semifinals and Round of 12. Michigan State's opening matches on Friday are listed below.
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165 Quarterfinals | #29 Caleb Fish (MSU) vs. #5 Quincy Monday (PRIN)
157 Cons. Second Round | #11 Chase Saldate (MSU) vs. #12 Kendall Coleman (PUR)
184 Cons. Second Round | #15 Layne Malczewski (MSU) vs. #17 Tate Samuelson (LEH)
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All eight mats will have continuous live coverage throughout the weekend on the ESPN family of networks. Live footage from each mat will be available via ESPN+, with select sessions and matches available on linear television via ESPNU and ESPN. Follow the Spartans on Twitter (@MSU_Wrestling) for live updates and mat assignments throughout the weekend.
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POSTMATCH QUOTES
MICHIGAN STATE QUOTES
Head Coach Roger Chandler
On the impact that Cameron Caffey had in his time at MSU…
"It's really unfortunate that Cam had to end his career this way. But, at the end of the day, despite a shoulder injury, he wanted to go out in the national tournament and do it his way. He wanted to compete to the bitter end. He has taken our program to new heights in so many different ways. He elevated the standards for this program from an academic standpoint, as well as how we compete. I couldn't be more proud of the guy and the way he has represented Michigan State at the highest levels of college wrestling."
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On the tremendous opening-day performance from Caleb Fish…
"Caleb Fish. I've said this time and time again. People don't truly know what he is until he gets his hands on them. He's the strongest guy you'll ever wrestle, and he wrestles with his set of gifts and talents like nobody else. He's extremely fundamentally sound. Probably the biggest thing that he has is his strength, as well as a gas tank that lasts for seven minutes-plus. That's the recipe for success. If you can wrestle for all seven minutes as hard as you possibly can, it's probably going to work out in your favor."
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WRESTLING MATCH RESULTS
2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
BOK Center – Tulsa, Okla.
157 Pounds / #11 Seed / Chase Saldate
First Round | #22 Derek Holschlag (UNI) dec. #11 Chase Saldate (MSU) 4-3
Cons. First Round | #11 Chase Saldate (MSU) fall over #27 Cesar Alvan (COLU) 3:00
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165 Pounds / #29 Seed / Caleb Fish
First Round | #29 Caleb Fish (MSU) dec. #4 Julian Ramirez (COR) 8-4
Second Round | #29 Caleb Fish (MSU) dec. #20 Holden Heller (PITT) 7-2
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184 Pounds / #15 Seed / Layne Malczewski
First Round | #18 Brian Soldano (RUT) fall over #15 Layne Malczewski (MSU) 1:40
Cons. First Round | #15 Layne Malczewski (MSU) dec. #31 Zayne Lehman (OHIO) 3-0
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197 Pounds / #19 Seed / Cameron Caffey
First Round | #14 Jacob Warner (IOWA) dec. #19 Cameron Caffey (MSU) 5-1
Cons. First Round | #30 Andrew Davison (NU) dec. #19 Cameron Caffey (MSU) 3-2
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FOLLOW THE SPARTANS
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State wrestling. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan wrestling team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_Wrestling.
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In his opening round match against fourth-seeded Cornell grappler Julian Ramirez, 29th-seeded Fish dominated for an 8-4 decision, securing the largest first round upset at the NCAA Championships in two years. At the 2021 Championships in St. Louis, No. 31 Owen Pentz of North Dakota State pinned second-seeded Eric Schultz in 4:51 of elapsed match time, marking the largest individual opening-round upset in recent memory. After advancing to the quarterfinals with a 7-2 decision over Pittsburgh's Holden Heller, Fish became the lowest-seeded wrestler to reach the National Quarterfinals since the NCAA began seeding all 33 individuals at each weight class in 2019. Prior to Fish, the next-lowest seed to advance to the quarterfinals was 28th-seeded Sam Stoll of Iowa in the 2019 tournament.
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One of the most thrilling stories at the 2023 Championships began on mat eight, with Fish squaring off against Ramirez. Things held true to form through the first three minutes, with the higher-seeded Cornell star scoring a takedown with 1:41 remaining in the first period to take a 2-0 lead and 1:19 of riding time into the second stanza. Ramirez won the toss and chose bottom to open the middle frame, a decision he would come to regret 34 seconds later after Fish managed to turn him for four swipes on the left side of the mat. Ramirez escaped to cut into Fish's newfound lead, but the Spartan remained ahead by a 4-3 score after two. Fish elected to start the third in neutral and booked his first takedown of the match with 1:17 remaining. Despite a Ramirez escape with 33 seconds to go, Fish took him down once more five seconds later to finalize the stunning 8-4 decision.
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Fish's second round match against Heller featured further dominance from the Eaton Rapids, Michigan, native Spartan. The 165-pounder's second match of the day mirrored the first after Heller scored an early first-period takedown with 1:27 to go. Unfazed, Fish escaped five seconds later to make it 2-1 through the first three minutes. Heller chose bottom after Fish won the toss and deferred, and yet again, Fish dominated the top position in the second period. A merciless two-minute ride from the Spartan starter included a pair of near fall points, ultimately resulting in a 3-2 MSU lead with a decisive 1:55 advantage in riding time heading into the finale. Fish chose bottom to start the third, escaped 15 seconds later, added another takedown and the riding time point for good measure en route to a 7-2 decision and quarterfinal bid.
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At 157 pounds, 11th-seeded junior Chase Saldate opened the day against 22nd-seeded Derek Holschlag of Northern Iowa, and despite a late push deep in the third period, Saldate dropped his opening match by 4-3 decision. Searching for his first career NCAA Tournament win in his third appearance, Saldate returned to the mat in Thursday night's opening session with a dominant mindset against Columbia's No. 27 Cesar Alvan. After notching a takedown with just 26 seconds remaining in the first period, Saldate managed to turn Alvan to his back and stick his shoulder blades to the mat before the conclusion of the first period, scoring a win by fall at the 3:00 mark. Saldate matched his career high for wins in a single season, improving to 26-7 overall in 2022-23 following his first NCAA victory.
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Redshirt senior 184-pounder Layne Malczewski opened his NCAA Tournament run against No. 18 Brian Soldano of Rutgers. Although Malczewski got out to a solid start, the 15th-seeded Spartan got reversed and pinned moments later, dropping his opening bout by fall at the 1:40 mark. Seeking his first career win at the NCAA Championships, Malczewski returned to the mat in the second session determined to extend his stay in the Sooner state.
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In the first round of consolation action against No. 31 Zayne Lehman of Ohio, Malczewski looked to get in on a couple of shots early in the first, but neither grappler was able to score through the first three minutes. The Macomb, Michigan, native Spartan chose bottom to start the second and booked a reversal a mere 18 seconds into the frame, riding Lehman out for the rest of the period. Lehman started on bottom in the third and never mustered an escape, finalizing Malczewski's 3-0 decision after factoring in over three minutes of riding time for the MSU starter. Malczewski improves to 24-5 after the first day of the NCAA Championships and garnered his first career win at the national tournament.
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At 197 pounds, graduate Cameron Caffey took the mat for his final NCAA Championships as the No. 19 seed at his weight class. The Spartan captain opened the tournament against a Big Ten-rival and familiar foe in Iowa's No. 14 Jacob Warner. The opening bout went Iowa's way in a 5-1 decision, with Warner advancing to the second round of the tournament. In his ensuing matchup in the consolation first round, Caffey fought valiantly but was unable to overcome an early first period takedown from Northwestern's Andrew Davision, ultimately ending the Spartan graduate's run in Tulsa with a 3-2 decision.
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Caffey concludes his career at Michigan State as the fourth-winningest wrestler in school history, amassing a stunning 121 victories in the Green & White since his inaugural season on the Banks of the Red Cedar in 2017-18. The Carbondale, Illinois, native concludes his career with a 121-38 overall record in East Lansing, trailing program legends Erich Harvey (147), Nick Simmons (138) and David Morgan (129) for the most wins at MSU. A mainstay in Michigan State's lineup, Caffey's contributions to Spartan wrestling helped lift the program to back-to-back 10-win dual seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23, the first streak of that nature at Michigan State in 27 years. Caffey also became the program-record holder for NCAA Championship qualifications, selected for the tournament five times despite the 2020 Championships being canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Green & White have already surpassed their team score from a season ago through the first two sessions of action, registering 5.0 points so far after a 4.0 point showing in 2022. The Spartans currently sit in 35th place. Defending National Champion Penn State leads the field with 26.0 points, followed by Iowa with 21.5 points, Missouri with 17.5 points, and Minnesota and NC State tied for fourth with a 16.5 point total after the opening day of wrestling.
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UP NEXT
Michigan State remains in Tulsa for the second day of the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Friday, March 17, as the Spartans continue action at the BOK Center. Session III begins at 12 p.m. (ET) with Quarterfinals and further Consolation matches, followed by an 8 p.m. start in Session IV which will feature the Championship Semifinals and Round of 12. Michigan State's opening matches on Friday are listed below.
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165 Quarterfinals | #29 Caleb Fish (MSU) vs. #5 Quincy Monday (PRIN)
157 Cons. Second Round | #11 Chase Saldate (MSU) vs. #12 Kendall Coleman (PUR)
184 Cons. Second Round | #15 Layne Malczewski (MSU) vs. #17 Tate Samuelson (LEH)
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All eight mats will have continuous live coverage throughout the weekend on the ESPN family of networks. Live footage from each mat will be available via ESPN+, with select sessions and matches available on linear television via ESPNU and ESPN. Follow the Spartans on Twitter (@MSU_Wrestling) for live updates and mat assignments throughout the weekend.
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POSTMATCH QUOTES
MICHIGAN STATE QUOTES
Head Coach Roger Chandler
On the impact that Cameron Caffey had in his time at MSU…
"It's really unfortunate that Cam had to end his career this way. But, at the end of the day, despite a shoulder injury, he wanted to go out in the national tournament and do it his way. He wanted to compete to the bitter end. He has taken our program to new heights in so many different ways. He elevated the standards for this program from an academic standpoint, as well as how we compete. I couldn't be more proud of the guy and the way he has represented Michigan State at the highest levels of college wrestling."
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On the tremendous opening-day performance from Caleb Fish…
"Caleb Fish. I've said this time and time again. People don't truly know what he is until he gets his hands on them. He's the strongest guy you'll ever wrestle, and he wrestles with his set of gifts and talents like nobody else. He's extremely fundamentally sound. Probably the biggest thing that he has is his strength, as well as a gas tank that lasts for seven minutes-plus. That's the recipe for success. If you can wrestle for all seven minutes as hard as you possibly can, it's probably going to work out in your favor."
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WRESTLING MATCH RESULTS
2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
BOK Center – Tulsa, Okla.
157 Pounds / #11 Seed / Chase Saldate
First Round | #22 Derek Holschlag (UNI) dec. #11 Chase Saldate (MSU) 4-3
Cons. First Round | #11 Chase Saldate (MSU) fall over #27 Cesar Alvan (COLU) 3:00
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165 Pounds / #29 Seed / Caleb Fish
First Round | #29 Caleb Fish (MSU) dec. #4 Julian Ramirez (COR) 8-4
Second Round | #29 Caleb Fish (MSU) dec. #20 Holden Heller (PITT) 7-2
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184 Pounds / #15 Seed / Layne Malczewski
First Round | #18 Brian Soldano (RUT) fall over #15 Layne Malczewski (MSU) 1:40
Cons. First Round | #15 Layne Malczewski (MSU) dec. #31 Zayne Lehman (OHIO) 3-0
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197 Pounds / #19 Seed / Cameron Caffey
First Round | #14 Jacob Warner (IOWA) dec. #19 Cameron Caffey (MSU) 5-1
Cons. First Round | #30 Andrew Davison (NU) dec. #19 Cameron Caffey (MSU) 3-2
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FOLLOW THE SPARTANS
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State wrestling. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan wrestling team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_Wrestling.
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, February 18
Monday, January 22
Tuesday, December 12
Wednesday, December 21