Saturday, March 4
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michigan State University
vs
Big Ten Championships
Three Spartans Reach Podium on Final Day of 2023 B1G Wrestling Championships
3/5/2023 7:09:00 PM | Wrestling
Saldate Leads the Way with Fifth-Place Outing at 157
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan State wrestling saw a trio of student-athletes reach the podium on the final day of the 2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships on Sunday inside the Crisler Center on the campus of the University of Michigan.
By reaching the podium on Sunday, junior 157-pounder Chase Saldate, redshirt senior 184-pounder Layne Malczewski and graduate 197-pounder Cameron Caffey each guaranteed automatic qualifications to the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in two weeks. Saldate led the way for the Green & White, placing fifth at 157 pounds while Caffey finished sixth in the 197 pound bracket. Malczewski rounded out the Spartans on the podium with an eighth-place result at 184.
The Spartans have placed at least three wrestlers on the Sunday podium at the Big Ten Championships for the past five seasons, landing at least three automatic qualifiers in the NCAA Championships in that same five-year span. Saldate booked his third-straight placement at the Big Ten Championships in as many opportunities, while Malczewski reached the podium for the third time and Caffey cracked the top-eight for the fourth-straight season. Due to an injury the night before, Malczewski was forced to medically forfeit out of the seventh-place bout against fifth-seeded Iowa grappler Abe Assad on Sunday morning, landing him the eighth-place distinction.
Individually, Saldate's impressive junior campaign continues, as the Spartan captain needs only one more win to set a new career-record for victories in a single season, rising to 25-6 overall this year. After booking a win in the ninth-place bracket semifinals, junior 125-pounder Tristan Lujan improves to 18-11 overall and 11-4 in tournament action, while junior 165-pounder Caleb Fish improves on his career-best season and climbs to 26-9 overall with a 15-5 tournament ledger.
The Gilroy, California, native Saldate opened his Sunday in Ann Arbor against Michigan rival and sixth-seeded Will Lewan in the consolation semifinals. After a scoreless first period, Lewan chose bottom to start the second and escaped 10 seconds into the frame. Saldate started on bottom in the third and escaped to tie the match at 1-all, ultimately forcing sudden victory after a deadlocked regulation. Lewan scored the decisive takedown halfway through the overtime period to send Saldate to the fifth-place bout.
In the fifth-place match, Saldate was pitted against the nation's sixth-ranked wrestler and third-seeded Big Ten grappler in Purdue's Kendall Coleman. In his most complete match to date, Saldate rolled to a thrilling 6-1 decision, securing his highest-ranked win of the 2022-23 season and one of the best individual wins of his collegiate career. The opening period saw Saldate book the opening takedown with a bear hug on the right side of the mat, and Coleman escaped 1:15 into Saldate's ride. Leading 2-1 through the first period, Saldate started the second on bottom and popped up 25 seconds into the frame, following that up with a single-leg takedown with 1:25 remaining. Maintaining a 5-1 advantage heading into the final stanza, Coleman chose neutral but failed to score, culminating in the 6-1 Spartan decision after adding in the riding time point.
Caffey squared off against fellow-Illinois native and Illini grappler Zac Braunagel in the consolation semifinals, with Braunagel scoring a double-leg takedown on the left side of the mat with 1:20 remaining in the first period. Caffey escaped after 24 seconds of Illini riding time, giving Illinois a 2-1 lead through the first three minutes. Braunagel started the second on bottom, and Caffey had a solid chance at back points before the Illini starter managed to roll through for a reversal. Caffey escaped to close the second and started the third on bottom, registering a quick escape, but a shot by Braunagel with around a minute left saw Caffey land the wrong way, forcing him to injury default out of the match and medical forfeit the fifth-place contest against fifth-seeded Jacob Warner of Iowa.
In the NCAA Allocation ninth-place brackets, Lujan opened the day with a thrilling 6-5 decision over 10th-seeded Penn State wrestler Gary Steen. The ensuing bout at 125 saw Lujan drop the ninth-place contest to seventh-seeded Braxton Brown of Maryland, falling in 7-4 fashion. Fish's performance in the ninth-place bracket saw the Spartan starter at 165 pick up an impressive SV-1, 3-1 decision over 14th-seeded Terrapin John Martin Best before ultimately falling in a 4-3 contest to ninth-seeded Andrew Sparks of Minnesota. At 133 pounds, graduate Rayvon Foley was defeated by fall against No. 13 Dustin Norris from Purdue at the 2:04 mark of the match, while graduate Ryan Vasbinder dropped his tournament finale at 285 to ninth-seeded Jacob Bullock of Indiana in a 7-4 decision.
As a team, Michigan State published a 13th-place finish in the nation's best wrestling conference, scoring a total of 28.0 team points through the conclusion of the Big Ten Championships. The Green & White finished ahead of 14th-place Maryland, which hauled in a total of 24.0 points at the event. Penn State collected yet another Big Ten title with a 147.0-point outing at the tournament, finishing 12.5 points ahead of second-place Iowa. Nebraska, Ohio State and Michigan rounded out the top five teams in the B1G after the weekend wrapped up in Ann Arbor.
UP NEXT
Michigan State wrestling gears up for its final action of the 2022-23 season in two weeks, March 16-18, as the Spartans send a contingent of qualifying student-athletes to the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
WRESTLING MATCH RESULTS
2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships
Crisler Center – Ann Arbor, Mich.
125 Pounds / #11 Seed / Tristan Lujan
Day One
First Round | #6 Michael DeAugustino (NU) dec. #11 Tristan Lujan (MSU) 5-1
Cons. First Round | #11 Tristan Lujan (MSU) dec. #14 Andre Gonzales (OSU) 4-1
Cons. Second Round | #4 Eric Barnett (WISC) dec. #11 Tristan Lujan (MSU) 4-1
Ninth Bracket First Round | #11 Tristan Lujan (MSU) major dec. #14 Andre Gonzales (OSU) 8-0
Day Two
Ninth Bracket Semifinal | #11 Tristan Lujan dec. #10 Gary Steen (PSU) 6-5
Ninth-Place Match | #7 Braxton Brown (UMD) dec. #11 Tristan Lujan (MSU) 7-4
133 Pounds / #9 Seed / Rayvon Foley
Day One
First Round | #8 Brody Teske (IOWA) dec. #9 Rayvon Foley (MSU) 4-1
Cons. Second Round | #7 Joe Heilmann (RUT) dec. #9 Rayvon Foley (MSU) 5-2
Day Two
Ninth Bracket Semifinal | #13 Dustin Norris (PUR) fall over #9 Rayvon Foley (MSU) 2:04
141 Pounds / #12 Seed / Jordan Hamdan
Day One
First Round | #5 Jake Bergeland (MINN) dec. #12 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) SV-1, 7-5
Cons. First Round | #13 Cayden Rooks (IU) dec. #12 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) 7-2
Ninth Bracket First Round | #13 Cayden Rooks (IU) dec. #12 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) 10-3
149 Pounds / #13 Seed / Peyton Omania
Day One
First Round | #4 Max Murin (IOWA) won by injury default over Peyton Omania (MSU) 2:03
Cons. First Round | #12 Jake Harrier (ILL) won by medical forfeit over Peyton Omania (MSU) MFF
157 Pounds / #4 Seed / Chase Saldate / 5th Place
Day One
First Round | #4 Chase Saldate (MSU) dec. #13 Andrew Clark (RUT) 5-2
Quarterfinals | #4 Chase Saldate (MSU) dec. #5 Cobe Siebrecht (IOWA) 9-2
Semifinals | #1 Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. #4 Chase Saldate (MSU) 4-3
Day Two
Consolation Semifinal | #6 Will Lewan (MICH) dec. #4 Chase Saldate (MSU) SV-1, 3-1
Fifth-Place Match | #4 Chase Saldate (MSU) dec. #3 Kendall Coleman (PUR) 6-1
165 Pounds / #7 Seed / Caleb Fish
Day One
First Round | #7 Caleb Fish (MSU) fall over #10 Bubba Wilson (NEB) 4:45
Quarterfinals | #2 Cameron Amine (MICH) dec. #7 Caleb Fish (MSU) SV-1, 4-2
Cons. Second Round | #8 Dan Braunagel (ILL) fall over #7 Caleb Fish (MSU) 6:00
Day Two
Ninth Bracket Semifinal | #7 Caleb Fish (MSU) dec. #14 John Martin Best (UMD) SV-1, 3-1
Ninth-Place Match | #9 Andrew Sparks (MINN) dec. #7 Caleb Fish (MSU) 4-3
174 Pounds / #11 Seed / Ceasar Garza
Day One
First Round | #6 Donnell Washington (IU) major dec. #11 Ceasar Garza (MSU) 8-0
Cons. First Round | #11 Ceasar Garza (MSU) dec. #14 Cooper Noehre (PUR) 3-2
Cons. Second Round | #5 Edmond Ruth (ILL) dec. #11 Ceasar Garza (MSU) 6-2
184 Pounds / #6 Seed / Layne Malczewski / 8th Place
Day One
First Round | #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) fall over #11 Evan Bates (NU) 3:41
Quarterfinals | #3 Isaiah Salazar (MINN) dec. #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) 8-5
Cons. Second Round | #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) #12 Ben Vanadia (PUR) 6-2
Cons. Third Round | #7 Lenny Pinto (NEB) won by medical forfeit over #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) MFF
Day Two
Seventh-Place Match | #5 Abe Assad (IOWA) won by medical forfeit over #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) MFF
197 Pounds / #4 Seed / Cameron Caffey / 6th Place
Day One
First Round | #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) dec. #13 Brendin Yatooma (MICH) 4-1
Quarterfinals | #5 Jacob Warner (IOWA) dec. #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) 3-2
Cons. Second Round | #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) dec. #11 Billy Janzer (RUT) 4-1
Cons. Third Round | #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) dec. #9 Michial Foy (MINN) 10-7
Day Two
Cons. Semifinal | #3 Zac Braunagel (ILL) won by injury default over #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) 6:17
Fifth-Place Match | #5 Jacob Warner (IOWA) won by medical forfeit over #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) MFF
285 Pounds / #12 Seed / Ryan Vasbinder
Day One
First Round | #5 Trent Hillger (WISC) fall over #12 Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) 3:50
Cons. First Round | #12 Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) dec. #13 Matt Wroblewski (ILL) 3-2
Cons. Second Round | #6 Boone McDermott (RUT) dec. #12 Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) 4-0
Ninth Bracket First Round | #12 Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) dec. #13 Matt Wroblewski (ILL) 1-0
Day Two
Ninth Bracket Semifinal | #9 Jacob Bullock (IU) dec. #12 Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) 7-4
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.
By reaching the podium on Sunday, junior 157-pounder Chase Saldate, redshirt senior 184-pounder Layne Malczewski and graduate 197-pounder Cameron Caffey each guaranteed automatic qualifications to the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in two weeks. Saldate led the way for the Green & White, placing fifth at 157 pounds while Caffey finished sixth in the 197 pound bracket. Malczewski rounded out the Spartans on the podium with an eighth-place result at 184.
The Spartans have placed at least three wrestlers on the Sunday podium at the Big Ten Championships for the past five seasons, landing at least three automatic qualifiers in the NCAA Championships in that same five-year span. Saldate booked his third-straight placement at the Big Ten Championships in as many opportunities, while Malczewski reached the podium for the third time and Caffey cracked the top-eight for the fourth-straight season. Due to an injury the night before, Malczewski was forced to medically forfeit out of the seventh-place bout against fifth-seeded Iowa grappler Abe Assad on Sunday morning, landing him the eighth-place distinction.
Individually, Saldate's impressive junior campaign continues, as the Spartan captain needs only one more win to set a new career-record for victories in a single season, rising to 25-6 overall this year. After booking a win in the ninth-place bracket semifinals, junior 125-pounder Tristan Lujan improves to 18-11 overall and 11-4 in tournament action, while junior 165-pounder Caleb Fish improves on his career-best season and climbs to 26-9 overall with a 15-5 tournament ledger.
The Gilroy, California, native Saldate opened his Sunday in Ann Arbor against Michigan rival and sixth-seeded Will Lewan in the consolation semifinals. After a scoreless first period, Lewan chose bottom to start the second and escaped 10 seconds into the frame. Saldate started on bottom in the third and escaped to tie the match at 1-all, ultimately forcing sudden victory after a deadlocked regulation. Lewan scored the decisive takedown halfway through the overtime period to send Saldate to the fifth-place bout.
In the fifth-place match, Saldate was pitted against the nation's sixth-ranked wrestler and third-seeded Big Ten grappler in Purdue's Kendall Coleman. In his most complete match to date, Saldate rolled to a thrilling 6-1 decision, securing his highest-ranked win of the 2022-23 season and one of the best individual wins of his collegiate career. The opening period saw Saldate book the opening takedown with a bear hug on the right side of the mat, and Coleman escaped 1:15 into Saldate's ride. Leading 2-1 through the first period, Saldate started the second on bottom and popped up 25 seconds into the frame, following that up with a single-leg takedown with 1:25 remaining. Maintaining a 5-1 advantage heading into the final stanza, Coleman chose neutral but failed to score, culminating in the 6-1 Spartan decision after adding in the riding time point.
Caffey squared off against fellow-Illinois native and Illini grappler Zac Braunagel in the consolation semifinals, with Braunagel scoring a double-leg takedown on the left side of the mat with 1:20 remaining in the first period. Caffey escaped after 24 seconds of Illini riding time, giving Illinois a 2-1 lead through the first three minutes. Braunagel started the second on bottom, and Caffey had a solid chance at back points before the Illini starter managed to roll through for a reversal. Caffey escaped to close the second and started the third on bottom, registering a quick escape, but a shot by Braunagel with around a minute left saw Caffey land the wrong way, forcing him to injury default out of the match and medical forfeit the fifth-place contest against fifth-seeded Jacob Warner of Iowa.
In the NCAA Allocation ninth-place brackets, Lujan opened the day with a thrilling 6-5 decision over 10th-seeded Penn State wrestler Gary Steen. The ensuing bout at 125 saw Lujan drop the ninth-place contest to seventh-seeded Braxton Brown of Maryland, falling in 7-4 fashion. Fish's performance in the ninth-place bracket saw the Spartan starter at 165 pick up an impressive SV-1, 3-1 decision over 14th-seeded Terrapin John Martin Best before ultimately falling in a 4-3 contest to ninth-seeded Andrew Sparks of Minnesota. At 133 pounds, graduate Rayvon Foley was defeated by fall against No. 13 Dustin Norris from Purdue at the 2:04 mark of the match, while graduate Ryan Vasbinder dropped his tournament finale at 285 to ninth-seeded Jacob Bullock of Indiana in a 7-4 decision.
As a team, Michigan State published a 13th-place finish in the nation's best wrestling conference, scoring a total of 28.0 team points through the conclusion of the Big Ten Championships. The Green & White finished ahead of 14th-place Maryland, which hauled in a total of 24.0 points at the event. Penn State collected yet another Big Ten title with a 147.0-point outing at the tournament, finishing 12.5 points ahead of second-place Iowa. Nebraska, Ohio State and Michigan rounded out the top five teams in the B1G after the weekend wrapped up in Ann Arbor.
UP NEXT
Michigan State wrestling gears up for its final action of the 2022-23 season in two weeks, March 16-18, as the Spartans send a contingent of qualifying student-athletes to the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
WRESTLING MATCH RESULTS
2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships
Crisler Center – Ann Arbor, Mich.
125 Pounds / #11 Seed / Tristan Lujan
Day One
First Round | #6 Michael DeAugustino (NU) dec. #11 Tristan Lujan (MSU) 5-1
Cons. First Round | #11 Tristan Lujan (MSU) dec. #14 Andre Gonzales (OSU) 4-1
Cons. Second Round | #4 Eric Barnett (WISC) dec. #11 Tristan Lujan (MSU) 4-1
Ninth Bracket First Round | #11 Tristan Lujan (MSU) major dec. #14 Andre Gonzales (OSU) 8-0
Day Two
Ninth Bracket Semifinal | #11 Tristan Lujan dec. #10 Gary Steen (PSU) 6-5
Ninth-Place Match | #7 Braxton Brown (UMD) dec. #11 Tristan Lujan (MSU) 7-4
133 Pounds / #9 Seed / Rayvon Foley
Day One
First Round | #8 Brody Teske (IOWA) dec. #9 Rayvon Foley (MSU) 4-1
Cons. Second Round | #7 Joe Heilmann (RUT) dec. #9 Rayvon Foley (MSU) 5-2
Day Two
Ninth Bracket Semifinal | #13 Dustin Norris (PUR) fall over #9 Rayvon Foley (MSU) 2:04
141 Pounds / #12 Seed / Jordan Hamdan
Day One
First Round | #5 Jake Bergeland (MINN) dec. #12 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) SV-1, 7-5
Cons. First Round | #13 Cayden Rooks (IU) dec. #12 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) 7-2
Ninth Bracket First Round | #13 Cayden Rooks (IU) dec. #12 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) 10-3
149 Pounds / #13 Seed / Peyton Omania
Day One
First Round | #4 Max Murin (IOWA) won by injury default over Peyton Omania (MSU) 2:03
Cons. First Round | #12 Jake Harrier (ILL) won by medical forfeit over Peyton Omania (MSU) MFF
157 Pounds / #4 Seed / Chase Saldate / 5th Place
Day One
First Round | #4 Chase Saldate (MSU) dec. #13 Andrew Clark (RUT) 5-2
Quarterfinals | #4 Chase Saldate (MSU) dec. #5 Cobe Siebrecht (IOWA) 9-2
Semifinals | #1 Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. #4 Chase Saldate (MSU) 4-3
Day Two
Consolation Semifinal | #6 Will Lewan (MICH) dec. #4 Chase Saldate (MSU) SV-1, 3-1
Fifth-Place Match | #4 Chase Saldate (MSU) dec. #3 Kendall Coleman (PUR) 6-1
165 Pounds / #7 Seed / Caleb Fish
Day One
First Round | #7 Caleb Fish (MSU) fall over #10 Bubba Wilson (NEB) 4:45
Quarterfinals | #2 Cameron Amine (MICH) dec. #7 Caleb Fish (MSU) SV-1, 4-2
Cons. Second Round | #8 Dan Braunagel (ILL) fall over #7 Caleb Fish (MSU) 6:00
Day Two
Ninth Bracket Semifinal | #7 Caleb Fish (MSU) dec. #14 John Martin Best (UMD) SV-1, 3-1
Ninth-Place Match | #9 Andrew Sparks (MINN) dec. #7 Caleb Fish (MSU) 4-3
174 Pounds / #11 Seed / Ceasar Garza
Day One
First Round | #6 Donnell Washington (IU) major dec. #11 Ceasar Garza (MSU) 8-0
Cons. First Round | #11 Ceasar Garza (MSU) dec. #14 Cooper Noehre (PUR) 3-2
Cons. Second Round | #5 Edmond Ruth (ILL) dec. #11 Ceasar Garza (MSU) 6-2
184 Pounds / #6 Seed / Layne Malczewski / 8th Place
Day One
First Round | #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) fall over #11 Evan Bates (NU) 3:41
Quarterfinals | #3 Isaiah Salazar (MINN) dec. #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) 8-5
Cons. Second Round | #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) #12 Ben Vanadia (PUR) 6-2
Cons. Third Round | #7 Lenny Pinto (NEB) won by medical forfeit over #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) MFF
Day Two
Seventh-Place Match | #5 Abe Assad (IOWA) won by medical forfeit over #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) MFF
197 Pounds / #4 Seed / Cameron Caffey / 6th Place
Day One
First Round | #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) dec. #13 Brendin Yatooma (MICH) 4-1
Quarterfinals | #5 Jacob Warner (IOWA) dec. #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) 3-2
Cons. Second Round | #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) dec. #11 Billy Janzer (RUT) 4-1
Cons. Third Round | #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) dec. #9 Michial Foy (MINN) 10-7
Day Two
Cons. Semifinal | #3 Zac Braunagel (ILL) won by injury default over #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) 6:17
Fifth-Place Match | #5 Jacob Warner (IOWA) won by medical forfeit over #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU) MFF
285 Pounds / #12 Seed / Ryan Vasbinder
Day One
First Round | #5 Trent Hillger (WISC) fall over #12 Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) 3:50
Cons. First Round | #12 Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) dec. #13 Matt Wroblewski (ILL) 3-2
Cons. Second Round | #6 Boone McDermott (RUT) dec. #12 Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) 4-0
Ninth Bracket First Round | #12 Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) dec. #13 Matt Wroblewski (ILL) 1-0
Day Two
Ninth Bracket Semifinal | #9 Jacob Bullock (IU) dec. #12 Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) 7-4
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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Braden Stauffenberg | Will To Serve | Spartans All-Access
Tuesday, February 18
Spartans All-Access: Layne Malczewski
Monday, January 22
Spartans All-Access: Mayhem at the Mainstage
Tuesday, December 12
Spartans All-Access: Tristan Lujan
Wednesday, December 21