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Franklin Gomez Earns Big Ten
Wrestler of the Week
EAST LANSING,
Mich. - Franklin Gomez (Brandon, Fla.), MSUs 133-pound sophomore starter,
was tabbed the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Wednesday, Nov. 14, as
announced by the conference office. Gomez kicked off the 2007-08 season
with five-straight wins, including an upset over then-ranked No. 3 Andrae
Hernandez of Indiana. His weekend success also resulted in jumping four
spots in the national rankings, moving up to sixth at 133 pounds. In
addition to Gomezs appearance in the rankings, senior teammate Joe
Williams (Orange, Calif.) also made the polls, ranking 14th at 197 pounds.
Franklin Gomez and Joe Williams climb in national rankings EAST LANSING, Mich. - Intermat/NWMA released updated rankings Tuesday evening, placing Michigan States senior Joe Williams and sophomore Franklin Gomez among the nations elite collegiate wrestlers. Williams, who recorded his first official duals in the 197 weight class last weekend, ranks No. 14, while Gomez, who preseason ranked at No. 10 in the 133-pound class, jumped in the standings to No. 6. Williams turned in an outstanding performance in last weekends two MSU events, posting a dual win and a second-place finish at the MSU Open, improving to 7-2 this year. Highlighting his success, Williams upset then-ranked No. 16 David Mendoza of Old Dominion twice over the weekend, first in Fridays dual, an 11-3 major decision victory, and again in the semifinals of the MSU Open. Adding to Michigan States strong weekend, Gomez picked up four wins in the open tournament en route to claiming the title at 133 pounds; the sophomore, a Puerto Rico native, is the only Spartan to remain undefeated this year with a 5-0 mark. After earning a 15-2 major decision in the first round, Gomez faced Kyle Hutter for the second time in three days. Gomez defeated Hutter in Friday nights dual with an 8-3 decision and bested the Old Dominion starter again in the tournament with a 4-2 victory. In his championship bout, Gomez knocked off Indianas then-ranked No. 3 Andrae Hernandez 5-2. Gomez, Williams and the Spartans will return to action Saturday, Nov. 17 at the ACC-Big Ten Class hosted by the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. Michigan State will wrestle UNC, Virginia and North Carolina State at 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
Former MSU wrestling coach,
Grady Peninger,
Grady Peninger
The Class of 2007 includes: Richard Frey (cross country/track & field)
from the Pioneer Era; Shirley Cook (basketball/field hockey/track &
field), Jim Ellis (football), George Guerre (football) and Dean Look
(football/baseball) from the Early Era; Marshall Dill (track & field), Tom
Ross (hockey), Scott Skiles (basketball) and Valerie Sterk Kemper
(volleyball) from the Contemporary Era; and Grady Peninger (wrestling) and
George Perles (football) from the former coach/administrator category.
#1-ranked High School National
Champion, Eric Olanowski, the 2007 High School National Champion at 112 lbs., has signed to wrestle for Tom Minkel and the Spartans. Olanowski, from Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, VA, is a three-time finalist and the 2007 Virginia State Champion. Eric also won this season's Beast of the East and the Super 32 wrestling tournaments. Olanowski is ranked #1 in the nation in his weight class by all the major wrestling publications. He will wrestle at 125 lbs. for the Spartans. Dave Cheza, three-time state place winner from Grand Blanc, Michigan, became a 2007 High School All-American with a fourth place finish at the High School National Championships at 140 lbs. He is ranked #8 among all seniors in the nation in his weight class. He is projected to wrestle at 157 lbs. for the Spartans. Phil Khozein is a two-time State Champion from Hesperia, Michigan. He won his first state title in 2005 at 125 lbs and his second in 2007 at 140 lbs. His projected weight class in college is 149 lbs. Curran Jacobs, from Owosso, placed second at the Michigan High School State Championships at 171 lbs. He is projected to wrestle at 174 lbs. at MSU.
Franklin Gomez and Nick Simmons
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Nick Simmons and Franklin Gomez are set to compete at the USA Wrestling World Team Trials this weekend (June 9-10) in Las Vegas, Nev. Simmons, MSUs first four-time All-American since 1976, qualified for the trials by finishing second at the U.S. National Freestyle Championships, while Gomez, who will be a sophomore on the 2007-08 team, qualified by winning the Northeast Regional Championship. The champion in each of the seven mens freestyle classes will qualify for the U.S. World Team and travel to the World Championships held Sept. 17-23 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Simmons, who wrestled at 133 pounds during his senior season in 2006-07, is wrestling at 121 pounds (55 kg) at the trials. The three-time Big Ten Champion will be one of the top challengers in the weight class. One of his main competitors will be 20-year-old Henry Cejudo, a 2006 Junior World silver medalist, who is looking to make his first U.S. World Team at the Senior level. Cejudo pulled out a 4-4, 4-3, 5-0 win over Simmons in the finals of the U.S. Nationals. Simmons, a Williamston, Mich., native, closed out his Spartan wrestling career first in falls with 46 and second in wins with 138. Gomez is making the jump up to the 132.25-pound division (60 kg). The Brandon, Fla., native redshirted in 2005-06 and competed at 125 pounds as a freshman in 2006-07. Gomez claimed first place at the Northeast Regional Championship, defeating Danny Felix of Sunkist Kids in the first-place match, 1-0, 1-0. Gomez was ranked in the top 10 a majority of the season in his weight class and compiled a 31-8 record, including seven technical falls and eight major decisions. Each weight class will be started and completed in one day. Gomez (60 kg) is scheduled to wrestle on Saturday, while Simmons will wrestle on Sunday (55 kg). The event consists of a Challenge Tournament early in the day in each weight class, with a best-of-three Championship Finals Series at the conclusion of the day. All participants in the World Team Trials had to qualify in order to compete. In the Olympic styles, the field in each weight consists of the top seven placewinners from the 2007 U.S. Nationals, past World or Olympic Team members, medalists from international tournaments within the year and specific medalists from selected qualifying events. The U.S. World Team Trials will have the same format and will feature the same field of athletes who are expected to compete at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, also set for Las Vegas in June of 2008.
Spartans announce 2006-07 award winners The MSU wrestling team held its annual awards banquet last weekend at the Kellogg Center with several Spartan wrestlers being honored. The awards were as follows: Most Falls Award - Nick Simmons Special Recognition Awards:
Nick and Andy Simmons looking for
The Simmons brothers, Nick and Andy, close out their historic wrestling careers this week at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, held March 15-17 at The Palace of Auburn Hills. This will be the fourth and final appearance for the Simmons brothers at the NCAA Championships. Both wrestlers have a legitimate shot at winning national titles this weekend - Nick enters the tournament as the top seed at 133 pounds, while Andy is the eighth seed at 141. Nick, a three-time Big Ten Champion, is looking to become MSU's first national champion since Kelvin Jackson in 1995 and first four-time All-American since Pat Milkovich in 1976. Andy is a two-time All-American and ranks ninth all-time at MSU with 114 career victories. The duo is looking to become only the second set of brothers in school history to win a national title in the same year, as Pat and Tom Milkovich accomplished the feat in 1972. A PERFECT SCRIPT Natives of Williamston, the Simmons brothers will be looking for a storybook ending to their collegiate careers this weekend in their home state of Michigan. In fact, Andy closed out his high school career by winning the state title at The Palace in 2002. Andy finished his high school career 219-0 with four state titles, while Nick went 211-0 with four state championships. His senior year, Nick won his fourth state title at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Only four high school wrestlers in the state of Michigan have gone undefeated, and just 11 wrestlers have won four state titles. Most of Nick's senior season has gone right to script. On Senior Night at Jenison Field House, wrestling in the final match of the dual, Nick pinned Oklahoma's Henry Roman in 58 seconds to set MSU's all-time pins record with 46. In his final career matches in East Lansing, Nick won his third straight Big Ten title at the Big Ten Championships March 3-4 in the Breslin Center. REMEMBER THE LAST TIME? With the NCAA Wrestling Championships being held at The Palace this year, it marks the first time since 1942 that the championships are in the state of Michigan. The last time they were in the Great Lakes State, Michigan State hosted the event in 1942. MSU placed runner-up at the 1942 championships, coming up just short to Oklahoma State. The only other time the NCAA Wrestling Championships have been in Michigan was in 1934, when University of Michigan was the host. Nick Simmons - 133 pounds, No. 1 seed (36-1 record, 34-1 NCAA record, 13-1 duals) Three-time Big Ten Champion...won 125-pound title in 2005 and 2006...claimed the 133-pound title this season by defeating Indiana's Andrae Hernandez. One of only six Spartans to win three Big Ten titles. First season wrestling at 133 pounds after three years at 125 pounds. Has tied his career high with 36 wins this season, which is 13th in MSU single-season history. Three-time All-American...looking to become MSU's first four-time All-American since 1976. Owns a 13-6 career record at the NCAA Championships...his 13 wins rank tied for fifth most in MSU history at the NCAA Championships. Nick Simmons Has advanced to the NCAA semifinals the
past two seasons...has placed fourth the past two years. Andy Simmons - 141 pounds, No. 8 seed (13-5 record, 12-5 NCAA record, 6-3 duals) Two-time All-American at 141 pounds. Placed fifth at the 2006 NCAA Championships and sixth at the 2005 NCAA Championships. Has battled injuries all season...missed five duals and the Midlands Championships. Has advanced to the semifinals the past two years, falling both times to Iowa State's Nate Gallick. Won Big Ten title at 141 in 2006...placed fourth this season. In the consolation semifinals at the Big Ten Championships, beat top-seeded Manuel Rivera of Minnesota, 8-2. Andy Simmons Three-time NCAA qualifier. Owns a 10-6 career record at the NCAA Championships. Boasts a 114-28 career record. Tied for ninth in MSU history in wins. Enters the NCAA Championships ranked seventh. Has defeated two ranked wrestlers this season (No. 13 Andy Kruger - Central Michigan; No. 12 Cassio Pero - Illinois). Selected to wrestle in the NWCA All-Star Classic for the second time in his career, but could not compete at the event due to injury. Compiled a 20-2 record in his career at home dual meets. Won the 2005 Eastern Michigan and Nittany Lion Opens. Took second at 2005 Big Ten Championships. Two-time Midlands runner-up. Won three open tournament titles his sophomore season. Named MSU's Most Outstanding Wrestler in 2003-04 after winning 33 matches as a freshman. MICHIGAN STATE: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY Michigan State was the first Big Ten team to win a national title in wrestling (1967). Coach Minkel's best showing at the NCAA Championships came in 1995, when the Spartans took third. Nick Simmons is looking to become MSU's first four-time All-American since Pat Milkovich (1972-76). Spartan wrestlers have won 24 individual NCAA titles. Greg Johnson is MSU's only three-time NCAA champion (1970-72).
Michigan State Hosts Big Ten No. 22 MICHIGAN STATE hosts BIG TEN
CHAMPIONSHIPS SPARTANS HOST BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1996 East Lansing will be the center of the college wrestling world this weekend as Michigan State hosts the Big Ten Championships at the Breslin Center for the first time since 1996. The Big Ten Conference is the premier wrestling league in the nation, receiving 72 bids to the NCAA Championships, the most of any conference. The Big Ten features 10 ranked teams, including defending champion and top-ranked Minnesota. The Simmons brothers, Nick and Andy, are returning Big Ten Champions for MSU. Nick, a two-time champion at 125 pounds, will wrestle at 133 pounds in the championships for the first time in his career. The senior enters the championships ranked No. 2 in the country with a 33-1 record. He set MSU's all-time pins record last Friday against Oklahoma, collecting his 46th-career fall by pinning the Sooners' Henry Roman in just 58 seconds. Andy won the 141-pound title last season and is currently ranked fourth in the nation with a 10-3 record. Another Spartan with a legitimate shot at winning a Big Ten title is 125-pounder Franklin Gomez. In one of the toughest weight classes in the Big Ten, Gomez went 6-3 against Big Ten competition, and is ranked eighth in the country with a 31-6 record overall. Nick Simmons SETS MSU'S ALL-TIME PINS RECORD The setting couldn't have been more perfect. Wrestling in his final home dual on Senior Night, in the last match of the evening at 133 pounds, senior Nick Simmons became MSU's new all-time falls leader by pinning Oklahoma's Henry Roman in just 58 seconds last Friday at Jenison Field House. It gave Simmons 46 falls for his illustrious career, passing Jim Mason, who collected 45 from 1980-84. In addition, Simmons moved into second at MSU with 130 career victories. For his efforts, he was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the fifth time in his career. Simmons hopped on the wrestling platform at Jenison for the final time in his career to a standing ovation. The patient crowd had waited all evening for Simmons to break the record - and the Williamston native did not disappoint. He recorded a takedown less than 10 seconds into the match, and from there, it was only a matter of time. Simmons recorded near-fall points to go up 5-0 at the 2:19 mark, and with Roman on his back, Simmons positioned himself for the record-setting pin. It came just seconds later, at the 2:02 mark. Simmons then waved to the crowd on his way over to shake hands with Oklahoma Coach Jack Spates. "With Nick and Andy, I've said this over and over, there's symmetry to their careers," said MSU head coach Tom Minkel. "And that was the case here, as Nick breaks the all-time pin record in his last dual. We just drew the matches randomly at the beginning, and it worked out that he's the last bout of the night. It's like it was meant to be. At that point, you just knew." "I'm really, really happy for him. He exemplifies what aggressive wrestling is all about. He's always trying to pin you, no matter what, so he certainly deserves that record." BIG TEN ANNOUNCES PRE-SEEDS FOR BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS Four Spartan wrestlers earned pre-seeds for the Big Ten Championships, the conference office announced on Monday. Nick Simmons, the two-time defending champion at 125 pounds, earned the No. 1 seed at 133 pounds. Andy Simmons, also a returning champion, was slotted in the No. 3 position at 141 pounds. Franklin Gomez, wrestling in his first Big Ten Championships, was the fourth seed at 125 pounds and junior Joe Williams was selected as the sixth seed at 184. MICHIGAN STATE: BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY Michigan State has won eight Big Ten
titles in program history, including seven in a row from 1966-1972. MICHIGAN STATE WRESTLING - DID YOU KNOW? Michigan State... MSU CELEBRATING 1967 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM The MSU wrestling program will celebrate the 40-year anniversary of the 1967 NCAA Championship team Friday night with a team reunion at the Kellogg Center. The team, along with former coach Grady Peninger, will also get together to watch the Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the Breslin Center this weekend. The 1967 Spartans were the first Big Ten wrestling team to win a national championship. END OF AN ERA This weekend marks the last time Nick and Andy Simmons, two of the top wrestlers in Michigan State history, will compete on the campus of MSU.
Pre-Seeds for 2007 Big Ten PARK RIDGE, Ill. The preliminary seeds for the 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships were announced today by conference officials. The pre-seeds are determined by a vote amongst the conferences head wrestling coaches after consideration of regular-season results. The 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will take place on Saturday, March 3, and Sunday, March 4, at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. The official Big Ten Championships bracket will be set on Friday, March 2. Top-ranked Minnesota leads all Big Ten teams with four top pre-seeds, as Jayson Ness (33-3 at 125 pounds), Manuel Rivera (34-0 at 141), Dustin Schlatter (29-0 at 149) and Cole Konrad (26-0 at HWT) all earned the top billing for the Golden Gophers. Last season, Konrad was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and has won his last 67 matches. Schlatter was the conferences Freshman of the Year in 2005-06, while Ness and Rivera have both earned Wrestler of the Week accolades this season. Penn State earned a pair of top pre-seeds, while Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State and Northwestern and were all represented with one selection. The Nittany Lions boast top pre-seeds in James Yonushonis (27-3 at 174) and defending Big Ten Champion Phil Davis (22-1 at 197). The remaining No. 1 pre-seeds consist of Illinois Michael Poeta (19-0 at 157), Michigans Eric Tannenbaum (21-0 at 165), Michigan States Nick Simmons (31-1 at 133) and Northwesterns Jake Herbert (24-0 at 184). Less than one week remains until all 11 conference schools will take to the mats for the 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Ten conference squads are currently ranked in the nations top 25, including unanimous No. 1 Minnesota. Illinois is ranked seventh, followed by No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 10 Iowa, No. 11 Penn State, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 18 Indiana, No. 21 Ohio State, No. 22 Michigan State and No. 23 Michigan. Last year at Indiana, Minnesota claimed the 2005-06 conference championship with a score of 138 points. Illinois (125) placed second and Michigan (115), Penn State (91) and Northwestern (87.5) rounded out the top five. Iowa (86) and Wisconsin (76.5) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, while Michigan State (68), Purdue (45.5), Indiana (43.5) and Ohio State (40) rounded out the field. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the Michigan State University Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or online at www.msuspartans.com. The complete list of pre-seeds follows. 2007 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS PRELIMINARY SEEDS 125 lbs.
Spartans close out regular season
against No. 14 Oklahoma No. 22 MICHIGAN STATE vs. No. 14
OKLAHOMA It will be the end of an era Friday night as Nick and Andy Simmons will wrestle in their final home dual meet at Jenison Field House. The No. 22 Spartans (3-10) close out the regular season against No. 14 Oklahoma (10-7) at 7 p.m. before gearing up for the Big Ten Championships March 3-4 at the Breslin Center. In addition to Nick and Andy, the program will honor fifth-year senior Tony Greathouse before the match for Senior Night. The Simmons brothers are two of the top wrestlers in Michigan State history. Here's a brief look at their impact: Nick Simmons Three-time All-American at 125 pounds...two-time defending Big Ten Champion at 125...boasts a 129-19 career record...tied the MSU falls record (45) last Sunday against Penn State by pinning Bryan Heller in 2:41...tied for second in MSU history with David Morgan with 129 career wins...currently ranked No. 2 at 133 pounds with a 32-1 record...went 2-0 last weekend at 141 pounds...has beat nine ranked wrestlers this season...beat defending NCAA champion and top-ranked Matt Valenti of Penn, 2-0, in the 133 finals of the MSU Open on Nov. 12...was ranked No. 1 in the nation from Nov. 15 to Jan. 30...his only loss came Feb. 2 to T.J. Enright, who Simmons beat in the semifinals of the MSU Open...named MSU Open Most Outstanding Wrestler...in his first career dual at 133 pounds, he defeated No. 3 Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State, 4-0...went 4-0 to win the Eastern Michigan Open...named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week four times in his career (latest Nov. 15, 2006)...went 6-0 to claim first place at the Penn State Open, beating No. 7 Jake Strayer of PSU for the title...became just the 26th individual in Midlands history to win three straight individual titles...also became just the 19th wrestler to win at least 20 matches in four years of competition at the Midlands (21-1 overall Midlands record)...named 2004-05 MSU Male Athlete of the Year. Andy Simmons Two-time All-American at 141 pounds...defending Big Ten champion at 141...boasts a 111-25 career record...tied for ninth in MSU history in wins...currently ranked No. 4 at 141 with an 10-2 record...has beat two ranked wrestlers this season...selected to wrestle in the NWCA All-Star Classic for the second time in his career, but could not compete at the event due to injury...due to injury, he has had to sit out five duals and the Midlands Championships. QUOTING COACH MINKEL Excerpts from Coach Minkel's weekly press conference at the Breslin Center: On Nick Simmons tying the falls record... "It was kind of a landmark day for Nick Simmons. He's kind of famous in the wrestling community for his ability to pin his opponent. In his next to his last home dual he caught the kid in his signature move, the spladle. If you're not familiar with wrestling terminology, it's not a move that you see in college very often, it's kind of a high school move because the kids aren't quite as strong. The spladle is a combination of the splits and the cradle and the bottom line is if you are lying on your back and your feet are over your head, that's the spladle. It's a very painful move to get caught in, and a little embarrassing at the same time. Nick is famous for it. It was a nice win for him, he tied the all-time pins record here at Michigan State. He has the Oklahoma dual, Big Ten's, and the NCAA's to break that record, so hopefully over the next couple weeks he'll get that done." On the Oklahoma dual... "Oklahoma's coming to town on Friday, and they're a very good team. A particularly good match up is at 125 pounds. Franklin Gomez will face Sam Hazewinkel, who is one of the best wrestlers in the country. Sam is a senior, and both his father and uncle were on the U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman team around the same time I was competing. He's famous for his upper body technique and is a great, powerful wrestler. Franklin, on the other hand, is kind of a low, fast-moving young man, kind of a low to the ground attack, so it should be an interesting match up and should be a great dual." On Andy and Nick Simmons' wrestling careers... "We're looking forward to Oklahoma, and Nick and Andy's final home duals here at Michigan State. They grew up in Williamston, and they've been in the area since they were children, so it's kind of a signature day for them, and their last dual at Jenison Field House. "There's really so much similarity to their careers here. Williamston is seven or eight miles east of town here, and I wrestled for Williamston and for the same high school coach. When I became the coach here at Michigan State, which was 16 years ago, they were just children, but they started wrestling very early and had remarkable careers even as children. Having grown up in this area, they have a lot of fans in Williamston and very strong support in that area. All of us have followed them since they were just little tiny kids through high school wrestling. Both of them were undefeated in high school, I forget Nick's record but he had like 220 wins and 190 falls, just an incredible record. Both went through high school completely undefeated with a remarkable number of falls. Both did well at the junior national level and then to come here to Michigan State and continue their success has meant a lot to the program to have them here. "Now they're in their final stretch, and it's going to be sad to see them move on, and I know all these things eventually come to a close. They're both ranked, Nick is ranked number two right now with just one loss, and Andy is ranked number four. Andy has been out with a back injury for quite a bit, but he should be back in the lineup on Friday, and then a week from Saturday is the Big Ten Championships. My hope and the wish for all of us is that they finish strong, they're both returning Big Ten Champions, and they both have a good shot at winning the NCAA Championships. Hopefully they can finish strong, and leave the end of an era. Both will continue on at the Olympic level, but this is kind of an important stretch in the next three weeks as they close out their Michigan State careers. It's been great having them in our program, and it'll be considerably different without them." Nick Simmons TIES MSU'S ALL-TIME FALLS RECORD Senior Nick Simmons tied MSU's all-time falls record by pinning Bryan Heller in 2:41 at 141 pounds on Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Penn State. Simmons tied Jim Mason, who collected 45 career falls from 1980-84. Simmons, ranked second at 133 pounds, wrestled at 141 for the second straight match due to an injury that forced fourth-ranked Andy Simmons from the lineup. Nick tied the falls record using his signature move, the spladle. With 42 seconds left in the first, Simmons recorded a takedown, then proceeded to tack on near-fall points to go up 4-0. After a restart at the 36-second mark, Simmons quickly put Heller on his back, and put him in the spladle. It was only a matter of seconds with Heller in the spladle that Simmons positioned himself for the record-tying pin. "I just wanted to take care of business for Andy so he could get some rest," said Simmons after the match. "It was good, it's about time I tied it, I've been waiting too. Hopefully I can break it next week, but as long as you finish out the season with Big Tens and nationals, as long as I get that, this record is only second tier. I had a little more anxiety going into the weekend knowing I would be wrestling at 141, but I also knew that those guys would probably wrestle me a little more since they knew I was smaller than them." A LOOK AT NO. 14 OKLAHOMA (10-7, 0-5 BIG 12) Oklahoma upset No. 8 Hofstra last weekend
in Norman, 21-13. MATCHES TO WATCH: 125: Top-ranked Sam Hazewinkel puts his
undefeated record on the line against No. 8 Franklin Gomez. SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU Overall: Oklahoma leads, 36-8 A LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S DUAL Oklahoma 24, MSU 11 Feb. 23, 2006
Norman, Okla. FURTHER LOOK AT Nick Simmons Senior Nick Simmons is having a dominating year in his last season for the Green and White. A three-time All-American at 125 pounds, Simmons moved up to 133 pounds this season, and is the nation's No. 2 wrestler in his new weight class, according to the latest coaches' poll. Although he suffered his first loss of the season to T.J. Enright of Ohio State on Feb. 2, he is still ranked No. 1 in the country by Amateur Wrestling News and The Wrestling Report. Simmons is currently 32-1 and has won tournament titles at Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and the Midlands Championships. He was ranked No. 1 in the NWCA rankings from Nov. 15 to Jan. 30 before falling to Enright. Simmons did beat Enright in the semifinals of the MSU Open, 1-0. Simmons has defeated nine wrestlers in the current rankings, including defending NCAA champion and top-ranked Matt Valenti of Penn, who he beat in the 133 finals at the MSU Open, 2-0. He has also defeated No. 4 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State), No. 5 Tyler McCormick (Missouri), No. 8 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois), No. 11 Jake Strayer (Penn State), No. 13 Drew Headlee (Pittsburgh), No. 16 Joe Baker (Navy), No. 19 T.J. Enright (Ohio State) and No. 19 Andrae Hernandez (Indiana). Simmons is tied for second in the MSU record book in victories (129) and is tied for first in falls (45). SPARTANS BOAST FOUR TOP 10 WRESTLERS Four Michigan State wrestlers were ranked in the latest NWCA/InterMat rankings released Feb. 20, including Nick Simmons, who is No. 2 at 133 pounds. Nick's brother, Andy, is ranked fourth at 141 pounds, while red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez is eighth at 125. Junior Joe Williams is ranked 10th at 184 pounds. LOOKING FOR A REPEAT Fifth-year senior and two-time All-American Andy Simmons, the defending Big Ten Champion at 141 pounds, is ranked fourth in the country with a 10-2 record. He sat out nearly seven weeks with an injury earlier this season from mid-November to early January, but he's 6-1 since his return to the lineup. Simmons wrestled in the first dual of the season Nov. 16 at Oklahoma State, but was then out of action until the Central Michigan dual on Jan. 5. He defeated No. 13 Andy Kruger in his first match back, and recorded a major decision in the Pittsburgh dual. He shut out No. 12 Cassio Pero of Illinois, 6-0, in the Big Ten opener. Simmons has not wrestled in MSU's last three duals, but is schedule to wrestle against Oklahoma on Senior Night. MAKING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT Red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez has made an immediate impact in the lineup this year for the Spartans. During his red-shirt season, Gomez compiled a 23-3 record at 125 pounds and captured three first-place finishes (Cleveland State Open, Kent State Open, Edinboro Open) and three second-place finishes (EMU Open, MSU Open, Penn State Open). Two of his three losses last season came at the hands of Spartan All-American Nick Simmons. In his first year as a starter, Gomez is 31-5, including open title wins at Eastern Michigan and Michigan State. He placed second at the Penn State Open for the second straight season and took third at the Midlands Championships. Gomez is currently ranked eighth by NWCA/InterMat. Gomez outscored his opponents 52-3 in the EMU Open and took home the title with a 9-1 major decision over Alex Usztics of Navy. At the MSU Open, Gomez was equally as dominant in winning his second title of the young season. Gomez topped 11th-ranked Obenson Black of Lock Haven, 5-1, in the championship match to move to 10-0 on the season. Although Gomez lost in the quarterfinals at the Midlands Championships as the top seed, he stormed back to win his last four matches to place third. In his first career dual meet, Gomez stepped into hostile territory and came up with a big victory, defeating Tyler Shinn of Oklahoma State in Stillwater, 4-1. In a thrilling match in the Big Ten opener, Gomez rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat then-No. 6 Gabe Flores of Illinois, handing Flores his first loss of the season. Gomez has also beat No. 10 Obe Blanc of Lock Haven, No. 13 Mark McKnight of Penn State, No. 14 Tyler Shinn of Oklahoma State and No. 17 Luke Smith of Central Michigan. Gomez was a highly-touted recruit after completing the "triple crown" of high school wrestling in 2005, winning the high school national championship, the junior freestyle national championship and the junior Greco-Roman national championship. HEALTH MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE Junior Joe Williams, who has battled injuries throughout his career, is having his most consistent season as a Spartan. Williams has recorded 24 victories this season, marking a new career high. His previous best came his freshman season, when he collected a 22-8 record. He is currently ranked 10th in the nation at 184 pounds with a 24-9 record. The Orange, Calif., native won his second career title at the Penn State Open in December, and made a splash on the national scene by taking second at the Midlands Championships. He also placed third at the Eastern Michigan Open and sixth at the Michigan State Open. He defeated then-No. 15 John Dergo, 8-3, in the Big Ten opener vs. Illinois.
Wrestling Concludes Big Ten
Schedule No. 22 MICHIGAN STATE vs. No. 18 INDIANA No. 22 MICHIGAN STATE vs. No. 11 PENN
STATE The No. 22 Michigan State wrestling team (3-8, 2-4 Big Ten) returns home after a long road trip to Minnesota and Iowa last weekend to host No. 18 Indiana on Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 11 Penn State on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Spartans fell to the top-ranked Gophers, 35-4, and lost at No. 10 Iowa, 33-9. Second-ranked Nick Simmons won both of his matches over the weekend to improve to 30-1 for the season. He notched a major decision (13-0) over Minnesota's Mike Thorn for MSU's only win of the dual, then won by injury default over Iowa's Mario Galanakis. Simmons was up 5-0 on Galanakis before the match was stopped with 37 seconds left in the first period. Junior Joe Williams reached a milestone with his win in the Iowa dual, collecting his 23rd victory of the season, marking a new career high. His previous career best was 22 wins, when he went 22-8 his freshman year. The Orange, Calif., native is ranked 10th at 184 pounds with a 23-9 record. Although the final score was 33-9, MSU battled Iowa in several hard-fought matches. MSU was up 6-3 after Simmons' injury default win, but unfortunately gave the six points right back with a forfeit at 141 pounds. At 157 pounds, Tony Greathouse lost by one point to 16th-ranked Ryan Morningstar, 3-2, and Rocky Cozart led most of his match at 165 against fourth-ranked Mark Perry before falling 9-7. In the 174-pound match, John Murphy and No. 3 Eric Luedke were tied after regulation, 1-1, but Luedke had a riding-time advantage of 1:22 to collect the one point needed for the victory. In the opening match at 125 pounds, No. 4 Franklin Gomez lost on a last-second takedown in the third period to No. 8 Charlie Falck. No. 18 Indiana enters East Lansing with a 12-4 record, 3-3 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers scored wins over No. 23 Michigan, 21-15, and No. 12 Northwestern, 28-11, last weekend. Penn State, ranked 11th, did not wrestle last weekend. The Nittany Lions (12-5, 3-3) will head to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan Friday night before facing MSU on Sunday. In their last dual, the Lions defeated Iowa, 24-13, before a crowd of nearly 6,000 at PSU's Rec Hall. Penn State also defeated Northwestern, 25-8, that same weekend. The matches against Indiana and Penn State are the final duals of the Big Ten schedule. The Spartans close the regular season Friday, Feb. 23 against No. 14 Oklahoma at Jenison Field House. MSU hosts the 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships March 3-4 at the Breslin Center. QUICK GLANCE AT Nick Simmons Senior Nick Simmons is having a dominating year in his last season for the Green and White. A three-time All-American at 125 pounds, Simmons moved up to 133 pounds this season, and is the nation's No. 2 wrestler in his new weight class, according to the latest coaches' poll. Although he suffered his first loss of the season to T.J. Enright of Ohio State on Feb. 2, he is still ranked No. 1 in the country by Amateur Wrestling News and The Wrestling Report. Simmons is currently 30-1 and has won tournament titles at Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and the Midlands Championships. He was ranked No. 1 in the NWCA rankings from Nov. 15 to Jan. 30 before falling to Enright. Simmons did beat Enright in the semifinals of the MSU Open, 1-0. Simmons has defeated nine wrestlers in the current rankings, including defending NCAA champion and top-ranked Matt Valenti of Penn, who he beat in the 133 finals at the MSU Open, 2-0. He has also defeated No. 4 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State), No. 5 Tyler McCormick (Missouri), No. 8 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois), No. 11 Jake Strayer (Penn State), No. 13 Drew Headlee (Pittsburgh), No. 16 Joe Baker (Navy), No. 19 T.J. Enright (Ohio State) and No. 20 Andrae Hernandez (Indiana). Simmons is third in the MSU record books in victories (127) and is second in falls (44). He needs only two pins to surpass Jim Mason (45 falls, 1980-84) to become MSU's all-time falls leader. LOOKING FOR A REPEAT Fifth-year senior and two-time All-American Andy Simmons, the defending Big Ten Champion at 141 pounds, is ranked fourth in the country with a 10-2 record. He sat out nearly seven weeks with an injury earlier this season from mid-November to early January, but he's 6-1 since his return to the lineup. Simmons wrestled in the first dual of the season Nov. 16 at Oklahoma State, but was then out of action until the Central Michigan dual on Jan. 5. He defeated No. 13 Andy Kruger in his first match back, and recorded a major decision in the Pittsburgh dual. He shut out No. 12 Cassio Pero of Illinois, 6-0, in the Big Ten opener. HEALTH MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE Junior Joe Williams, who has battled injuries throughout his career, is having his most consistent season as a Spartan. With his win in the Iowa dual, Williams recorded his 23rd win of the season, marking a new career high. His previous best came his freshman season, when he collected a 22-8 record. He is currently ranked 10th in the nation at 184 pounds with a 23-9 record. Joe Williams has won a career-high 23 matches this season. The Orange, Calif., native won his second career title at the Penn State Open in December, and made a splash on the national scene by taking second at the Midlands Championships. He also placed third at the Eastern Michigan Open and sixth at the Michigan State Open. He defeated No. 15 John Dergo, 8-3, in the Big Ten opener vs. Illinois. A LOOK AT NO. 18 INDIANA (12-4, 3-3 BIG TEN) Five Hoosiers are ranked in the top 20 of
their respective weight classes, led by seventh-ranked Brandon Becker at
157 pounds. Angel Escobedo is ranked ninth at 125, Andrae Hernandez is
20th at 133, Matt Coughlin is 19th at 149, and Marc Bennett is 11th at
184. MATCHES TO WATCH: 125: No. 7 Franklin Gomez will meet No. 9
Angel Escobedo for the first time in his collegiate career. SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU Overall: MSU leads, 44-21-3 A LOOK AT NO. 11 PENN STATE (12-5, 3-3 BIG TEN) Penn State did not wrestle last weekend.
In their last action, the Nittany Lions beat Northwestern, 25-8, and Iowa,
24-13, at home. MATCHES TO WATCH: 125: No. 10 Mark McKnight beat No. 7
Franklin Gomez earlier in the year in the finals of the Penn State Open
with a 5-3, sudden-victory decision. SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU Overall: Penn State leads, 10-9 A LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S DUAL
No. 20 Spartans Face Toughest Road
Trip No. 20 MICHIGAN STATE at No. 1 MINNESOTA No. 20 MICHIGAN STATE at No. 10 IOWA The 20th-ranked Michigan State wrestling team (3-6, 2-2 Big Ten) faces its toughest road trip of the season with matches at No. 1 Minnesota and No. 10 Iowa this weekend. The Spartans will take on the top-ranked Gophers (16-1, 5-0) Friday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. ET in Minneapolis before traveling to Iowa City to battle the 10th-ranked Hawkeyes (12-4, 3-2) Sunday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. ET. Live video of the Minnesota dual will be available at gophersports.com, while live audio and video of the Iowa dual will be available at hawkeyesports.com. Live stats of the Iowa dual will be free of charge at hawkeyesports.com. The Spartans are coming off a 21-14 road win over Purdue last Sunday in West Lafayette. MSU fell behind early, 7-0, but bounced back to win six of the next seven matches to clinch the victory. No. 5 Franklin Gomez recorded his team-leading eighth major decision of the season at 125 pounds, improving his record to 30-2 and 4-0 in the Big Ten. In his four conference matches, Gomez has won by a combined score of 45-13. Fifth-ranked Andy Simmons, wrestling at 141 pounds, also kept his conference record unblemished with a 10-1 major decision over Nick Bertucci. Simmons (10-1 record, 4-0 Big Ten) has won by a combined 22-1 with a fall in Big Ten action. MSU was tripped up by Ohio State in Columbus last Friday, falling to the Buckeyes, 19-14. In one of the biggest upsets of the season, OSU's T.J. Enright stunned No. 1 Nick Simmons at 133 pounds with a 4-2 overtime decision. Although Gomez recorded a technical fall and MSU received key performances from Andy Simmons, Tony Greathouse (157) and John Murphy (174), it wasn't enough to topple the Buckeyes. Minnesota enters Friday's match with a 16-1 record, 5-0 in the Big Ten. Since falling in their first dual of the season at Hofstra Nov. 25, the Gophers haven't lost. They have wins over Oklahoma State, Central Michigan, Iowa State and Illinois, and beat then-No. 1 Missouri, 20-16, to win the Cliff Keen National Duals Jan. 14 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Minnesota travels to Lincoln on Sunday to take on Nebraska. Iowa has a 12-4 overall record and a 3-2 mark in Big Ten action. The Hawkeyes beat Michigan last Friday, 20-13, but lost at Penn State on Sunday, 24-13. A LOOK AT NO. 1 MINNESOTA (16-1, 5-0 BIG TEN) An impressive nine Gophers are ranked individually in the latest NWCA/InterMat rankings. The Gophers beat No. 18 Indiana on the road last Friday, 29-7, and No. 11 Illinois on Sunday at home, 28-12. The last time MSU visited Minnesota, the Spartans beat the Gophers on Jan. 28, 2005, 28-14. The Gophers won the National Duals in January, beating Cornell, Central Michigan, Iowa State and Missouri for the title. MATCHES TO WATCH: No. 4 Franklin Gomez will put his undefeated Big Ten record on the line against No. 4 Jayson Ness at 125 pounds...No. 4 Andy Simmons will do the same at 141 pounds against No. 2 Manuel Rivera...Simmons beat Rivera, 9-4, in last year's Big Ten Championships...No. 10 Joe Williams looks to avenge his major decison loss last year to No. 2 Roger Kish at 184. SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU Overall: Minnesota leads, 24-23 Last meeting: Minnesota 41, MSU 3 (Feb. 19, 2006 - East Lansing, Mich.) Streak: Minnesota 1 Last MSU win: MSU 28, Minnesota 14 (Jan. 28, 2005 - Minneapolis, Minn.) A LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S DUAL Minnesota 41, Michigan State 3 Feb. 19, 2006 East Lansing, Mich. 285- Cole Konrad maj. dec. Max Lossen
(MSU), 17-6 A LOOK AT NO. 10 IOWA (12-4, 3-2 BIG TEN) Iowa beat Michigan in Ann Arbor last weekend on Friday, 20-13, but fell at Penn State on Sunday, 24-13. The Hawkeyes feature seven ranked wrestlers in their starting lineup. Iowa has also defeated Purdue and Northwestern in Big Ten action and has lost to Wisconsin. MATCHES TO WATCH: Gomez and Charlie Falck will meet at 125 in a battle of top-10 wrestlers...at 141, Andy Simmons beat Alex Tsirtsis in last year's dual, 2-1...Tsirtsis enters the week ranked No. 6. SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU Overall: Iowa leads, 30-15-2 Last meeting: MSU 19, Iowa 17 (Feb. 5, 2006 - East Lansing, Mich.) Streak: MSU 1 Last Iowa win: Iowa 31, MSU 6 (Feb. 1, 2004 - Iowa City, Iowa) A LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S DUAL QUICK GLANCE AT Nick Simmons Senior Nick Simmons is having a dominating year in his last season for the Green and White. A three-time All-American at 125 pounds, Simmons moved up to 133 pounds this season, and is the nation's No. 2 wrestler in his new weight class, according to the latest coaches' poll. Although he suffered his first loss of the season to T.J. Enright of Ohio State on Feb. 2, he is still ranked No. 1 in the country by Amateur Wrestling News and The Wrestling Report. Simmons is currently 28-1 and has won tournament titles at Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and the Midlands Championships. He was ranked No. 1 in the NWCA rankings from Nov. 15 to Jan. 30 before falling to Enright. Simmons did beat Enright in the semifinals of the MSU Open, 1-0. Simmons has defeated nine wrestlers in the current rankings, including defending NCAA champion and top-ranked Matt Valenti of Penn, who he beat in the 133 finals at the MSU Open, 2-0. He has also defeated No. 4 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State), No. 5 Tyler McCormick (Missouri), No. 8 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois), No. 10 Joe Baker (Navy), No. 12 Jake Strayer (Penn State), No. 14 Drew Headlee (Pittsburgh), No. 18 T.J. Enright (Ohio State) and No. 20 Andrae Hernandez (Indiana). Simmons is third in the MSU record books in victories (125) and is second in falls (44). He needs only two pins to surpass Jim Mason (45 falls, 1980-84) to become MSU's all-time falls leader. SPARTANS BOAST FOUR TOP 10 WRESTLERS Four Michigan State wrestlers were ranked in the latest NWCA/InterMat rankings released Feb. 6, including Nick Simmons, who is No. 2 at 133 pounds. Nick's brother, Andy, is ranked fourth at 141 pounds, while red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez is fifth at 125. Junior Joe Williams is ranked 10th at 184 pounds
After Dramatic Win Over Michigan,
No. 19 MICHIGAN STATE at OHIO STATE at PURDUE The Michigan State wrestling team, fresh off a dramatic win over Michigan last Sunday, looks to keep the momentum rolling with road matches at Ohio State and Purdue this weekend. The Spartans (2-5, 1-1 Big Ten) moved up four spots in this week's coaches' poll to 19th after battling No. 11 Illinois last Friday and upsetting the Wolverines on Sunday. In a thrilling finish that came down to the final match, the Spartans held off the Wolverines (1-5-1, 0-2) to secure a 21-17 win before a season-high crowd of 2,792 at Jenison Field House. With MSU owning a slim 18-17 advantage and needing to claim the heavyweight bout to clinch the dual, red-shirt freshman Alan O'Donnell delivered a 2-1, double-overtime decision over Omar Maktabi to give the Spartans their first dual victory over Michigan since 2003. MSU jumped out to a 15-0 lead thanks to pins by both Nick and Andy Simmons, but after losing the first three matches, the Wolverines won five of the next six to cut the margin to one point going into the heavyweight bout. MSU, winners of two its last three duals, will take on the Buckeyes (6-4, 2-1) Friday night at 7 p.m. before facing the Boilermakers (10-4, 0-4) Sunday at 1 p.m. Last weekend, OSU lost to Penn State, 26-12, but came back to beat Indiana, 19-14. The Boilermakers fell to Iowa and Minnesota on the road. Nick Simmons MOVING CLOSER TO MSU FALLS RECORD Top-ranked Nick Simmons (133 pounds) is just one fall away from tying Jim Mason for the all-time record in Michigan State wrestling history. Mason recorded 45 falls from 1980-84. After pinning Brandon Elliott in just 1:36 in the Michigan dual, Simmons now has 44 falls, including a team-best nine this season. A LOOK AT OHIO STATE (6-4, 2-1 BIG TEN) Ohio State features four ranked wrestlers
in its lineup (No. 17 Lance Palmer at 149; No. 15 Chris Vondruska at 165;
No. 3 Mike Pucillo at 184; No. 8 J.D. Bergman at 197). SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU Overall: MSU leads, 42-28-2 A LOOK AT PURDUE (10-4, 0-4 BIG TEN) Purdue features two ranked wrestlers in
its lineup (No. 12 Jake Patacsil at 149; No. 13 Nathan Moore at 197). SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU Overall: MSU leads, 44-20-1 A LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S DUAL
Wrestling Prepares for Illinois
and Michigan No. 23 MICHIGAN STATE vs. No. 11
ILLINOIS No. 23 MICHIGAN STATE vs. No. 17
MICHIGAN MSU OPENS BIG TEN SEASON THIS WEEKEND The No. 23 Michigan State wrestling team opens the Big Ten dual season this weekend with home matches against No. 11 Illinois and No. 17 Michigan. The Spartans host the Fighting Illini Friday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. in Jenison Field House, while the Wolverines enter East Lansing Sunday, Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. A free webcast of both matches will be available at www.msuwrestling.com, and the Michigan dual will be broadcast by Comcast Local on a tape-delayed basis (to be shown February 7 at 6 p.m.). The Spartans off coming off their first dual win of the season on Jan. 14 against Pittsburgh, 23-13. MSU won six of the 10 matches, including a fall by No. 6 Franklin Gomez and major decision victories for No. 5 Andy Simmons and No. 10 Joe Williams. Illinois upset then-No. 13 Indiana last Sunday to improve to 2-0 in the Big Ten and 6-0 overall. The Wolverines are 1-3-1 in duals this season, and are coming off an 0-2 showing at the Cliff Keen National Duals. Michigan travels to No. 1 Minnesota on Friday prior to taking on the Spartans. QUICK GLANCE AT Nick Simmons Senior Nick Simmons is off to a dominating start in his last season for the Green and White. A three-time All-American at 125 pounds, Simmons moved up to 133 pounds this season, and is the nation's consensus No. 1 wrestler in his new weight class. Simmons is currently 25-0 and has won tournament titles at Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and the Midlands Championships. He has staked his place at No. 1 by defeating seven wrestlers in the current rankings, including previously ranked No. 1 and defending NCAA champion Matt Valenti of Penn in the 133 finals at the MSU Open (Valenti is currently ranked second). He has also defeated No. 5 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State), No. 8 Jake Strayer (Penn State), No. 9 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois), No. 10 Joe Baker (Navy), No. 13 Drew Headlee (Pittsburgh) and No. 19 Ricky Deubel (Edinboro). Simmons is third in the MSU record books in victories (122) and is second in falls (43). He needs only three pins to surpass Jim Mason (45 falls, 1980-84) to become MSU's all-time falls leader. SPARTANS BOAST FOUR TOP 10 WRESTLERS Four Michigan State wrestlers were ranked in the latest NWCA/InterMat rankings released Jan. 23, including Nick Simmons, who is No. 1 at 133 pounds. Simmons jumped to the top spot after beating previously ranked No. 1 and defending NCAA champion Matt Valenti of Penn in the 133 finals at the MSU Open on Nov. 12, and has been ranked No. 1 ever since. Nick's brother, Andy, is ranked fifth at 141 pounds, while red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez is listed at sixth at 125. Junior Joe Williams is ranked 10th at 184 pounds. MSU PARTICIPATES IN GLEN BRAND OPEN AT NEBRASKA-OMAHA Several Spartans participated in the Glen Brand Open last weekend at Nebraska-Omaha. Freddie DeRamus won two matches in the heavyweight bracket to claim first place, while John Fulger recorded three falls and took second place at 157 pounds. At 149 pounds, Tim Hammer went 5-2 to take fourth. LOOK WHO'S BACK Fifth-year senior and two-time All-American Andy Simmons (141 pounds) sat out nearly seven weeks with an injury this season, but he's 2-0 since his return to the lineup. Simmons wrestled in the first dual of the season Nov. 16 at Oklahoma State, but was then out of action until the Central Michigan dual on Jan. 5. He defeated No. 13 Andy Kruger in his first match back, and recorded a major decision in the last dual against Pittsburgh. Simmons is currently ranked fifth in the country with a 6-1 record. MAKING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT Red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez is making an immediate impact in the lineup this year for the Spartans. During his red-shirt season, Gomez compiled a 23-3 record at 125 pounds and captured three first-place finishes (Cleveland State Open, Kent State Open, Edinboro Open) and three second-place finishes (EMU Open, MSU Open, Penn State Open). Two of his three losses last season came at the hands of Spartan All-American Nick Simmons. Gomez has opened the season in dominating fashion, going 26-2, including open title wins at Eastern Michigan and Michigan State. He placed second at the Penn State Open for the second straight season and took third at the Midlands Championships. Gomez is currently ranked sixth by NWCA/InterMat. Gomez outscored his opponents 52-3 in the EMU Open and took home the title with a 9-1 major decision over Alex Usztics of Navy. At the MSU Open, Gomez was equally as dominant in winning his second title of the young season. Gomez topped 11th-ranked Obenson Black of Lock Haven, 5-1, in the championship match to move to 10-0 on the season. Franklin Gomez and Nick Simmons. Gomez was a highly-touted recruit after completing the "triple crown" of high school wrestling in 2005, winning the high school national championship, the junior freestyle national championship and the junior Greco-Roman national championship. JACK OF ALL TRADES Wimberley filled in admirably during Andy Simmons' absence from the lineup at 141 pounds. Wimberley took third place at 133 pounds at the MSU Open, but was bumped up to 141 for the Edinboro dual when Simmons was unable to wrestle due to injury. Wimberley responded by winning a 7-5 decision over Daryl Cocozzo, and followed that effort with a third-place finish at the Penn State Open with a 5-1 record. He improved to 2-0 in duals with a 7-2 win over Missouri's Ashtin Primus on Dec. 10. Overall, Wimberley is 3-0 in duals this season. HEALTH MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE The Orange, Calif., native won his second career title at the Penn State Open in December, and make a splash on the national scene by taking second at the Midlands Championships. He also placed third at the Eastern Michigan Open and sixth at the Michigan State Open. A LOOK AT ILLINOIS (6-0, 2-0 BIG TEN) SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU: A LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S DUAL A LOOK AT MICHIGAN (1-3-1, 0-0 BIG TEN) SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU A LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S DUAL
Spartans host Pittsburgh this Sunday The No. 21 Michigan State wrestling team looks for its first dual win of the season this Sunday, Jan. 14 as it hosts Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. in Jenison Field House. The Spartans (0-4) have wrestled arguably the toughest schedule in the nation this season, taking on No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 12 Edinboro, No. 1 Missouri and No. 9 Central Michigan (current rankings). Pittsburgh enters East Lansing with a 4-2 record. The Panthers and Spartans have wrestled one common opponent in No. 1 Missouri, with MSU falling 29-14 to the top-ranked Tigers and the Panthers losing, 35-9. In its last meet, Pitt placed 20th out of 32 teams at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. The Panthers had two placewinners at the tournament as Drew Headlee finished fifth at 133 pounds and Zach Sheaffer placed seventh at heavyweight. "We've got four freshmen in the lineup, and anytime you have that big of a percentage of your lineup in your first year, it leaves you with a lot of work to do," said MSU head coach Tom Minkel at his weekly press conference. "We're 0-4 in our dual meets, but we easily could be 4-0. All of the teams we've wrestled have been ranked in the top 15. We've had some competitive duals, but we're still a match or two away from beating one of those top ranked teams." After battling Pittsburgh, the Spartans will have nearly two weeks to prepare for the Big Ten opener against Illinois on Friday, Jan. 26 at Jenison Field House. QUICK GLANCE AT Nick Simmons Senior Nick Simmons is off to a dominating start in his last season for the Green and White. A three-time All-American at 125 pounds, Simmons moved up to 133 pounds this season, and is the nation's consensus No. 1 wrestler in his new weight class. Simmons is currently 24-0 and has won tournament titles at Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and the Midlands Championships. He has staked his place at No. 1 by defeating seven ranked wrestlers, including previously ranked No. 1 and defending NCAA champion Matt Valenti of Penn in the 133 finals at the MSU Open (Valenti is currently ranked second). He has also defeated No. 3 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State), No. 6 Jake Strayer (Penn State), No. 9 Joe Baker (Navy), No. 15 Tyler McCormick (Missouri), No. 16 Ricky Deubel (Edinboro) and No. 20 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois). Simmons is third in the MSU record books in victories (121) and is second in falls (43). He needs only three pins to surpass Jim Mason (45 falls, 1980-84) to become MSU's all-time falls leader. SPARTANS BOAST FOUR TOP 10 WRESTLERS Four Michigan State wrestlers were ranked in the latest NWCA/InterMat rankings released Jan. 9, including Nick Simmons, who is No. 1 at 133 pounds. Simmons jumped to the top spot after beating previously ranked No. 1 and defending NCAA champion Matt Valenti of Penn in the 133 finals at the MSU Open on Nov. 12, and has been ranked No. 1 ever since. Nick's brother, Andy, is ranked fourth at 141 pounds, while red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez is listed at seventh at 125. Junior Joe Williams is ranked eighth at 184 pounds. Franklin Gomez has won by a combined score of 32-2 in his two home dual-meet matches this season. LOOK WHO'S BACK Fifth-year senior and two-time All-American Andy Simmons (141 pounds) wrestled for the first time since Nov. 16 last Friday against Central Michigan. Simmons, who was battling an injury, defeated No. 13 Andy Kruger in his first match back, 5-0. Simmons is currently ranked fourth in the country with a 5-1 record. JACK OF ALL TRADES Sophomore Jeff Wimberley filled in admirably during Andy Simmons' absence from the lineup at 141 pounds. Wimberley took third place at 133 pounds at the MSU Open, but was bumped up to 141 for the Edinboro dual when Simmons was unable to wrestle due to injury. Wimberley responded by winning a 7-5 decision over Daryl Cocozzo, and followed that effort with a third-place finish at the Penn State Open with a 5-1 record. He improved to 2-0 in duals with a 7-2 win over Missouri's Ashtin Primus on Dec. 10. With Simmons back in action at 141, Wimberley has moved up again, this time to 149 pounds. Red-shirt freshman Eddie Skowneski, who started the first three duals at 149, is out for the season with a rotator cuff injury, leaving an opening in the lineup. Enter Wimberley, who has wrestled well at two other weight classes this season. Wimberley will get the start at 149 Sunday against Pittsburgh, marking his first career start at the weight class. RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN The Simmons' brothers are continuing their assault on the MSU record book. With his 24 wins this season, Nick is third in MSU history with 121 victories. Andy is tied for 12th at MSU with 106 career wins. In addition, Nick is just two falls away from Jim Mason's all-time record of 45 set from 1980-84. PITT NEWS & NOTES: Pittsburgh returns three NCAA qualifiers from last year's team that finished 35th at the NCAA Championships. The Panthers feature three ranked wrestlers: Drew Headlee (11th - 133 pounds), Kevin Gavin (third - 174 pounds) and Matt Kocher (seventh - 157 pounds). Headlee earned All-America honors in 2005, placing eighth at the NCAA Championships. He used a medical redshirt year in 2005-06. At heavyweight, Zach Sheaffer was 2005 Eastern Wrestling League conference champion. Pitt has beaten Rider, Bloomsburg, Appalachian State and Duquesne this season, and has lost to Lehigh and Missouri. Pittsburgh leads overall series, 8-7 Last meeting: MSU 28, Pittsburgh 9 (Nov. 20, 2005 - Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Spartan Wrestling Alumni Reunion
All former MSU wrestlers, coaches, managers and trainers are invited to attend the MSU Wrestling Alumni Reunion to be held during the weekend of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the Breslin Center, March 3 and 4.
The Alumni Reunion package includes all-session special seating tickets to the Big Ten Championships, the Saturday luncheon, and access to the alumni hospitality room. The ticket package is $45 and may be purchased from the MSU athletic ticket office at 1-800-GO-STATE.
Spartans ready to take on Central
Michigan The No. 22 Michigan State wrestling team will wrestle in its first dual meet since Dec. 10 when it matches up against ninth-ranked Central Michigan Friday, Jan. 5 at Jenison Field House beginning at 7 p.m. The Spartans are looking for their first victory over the Chippewas since the 2001-02 season. Although MSU is 0-3 in duals this season, it has wrestled arguably the toughest schedule in the nation after taking on No. 1 Missouri, No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 12 Edinboro (current rankings). The road doesn't get any easier for Michigan State, as it will face No. 25 Pittsburgh next Sunday, Jan. 14 before opening Big Ten conference action Jan. 26 against No. 15 Illinois. Central Michigan enters East Lansing with a 4-2 record. The Chippewas placed fourth at the Midlands Championships last weekend, while the Spartans took seventh. CMU, which won the Reno Tournament of Champions Dec. 20, has wins this season over Bloomsburg, Penn, American and Michigan, and losses to Minnesota and Missouri. SPARTANS BOAST FOUR TOP 10 WRESTLERS Four Michigan State wrestlers were ranked in the latest NWCA/InterMat rankings released Jan. 3, including Nick Simmons, who is No. 1 at 133 pounds. Simmons jumped to the top spot after beating previously ranked No. 1 and defending NCAA champion Matt Valenti of Penn in the 133 finals at the MSU Open on Nov. 12, and has been ranked No. 1 ever since. Nick's brother, Andy, is ranked fourth at 141 pounds, while red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez is listed at seventh at 125. Junior Joe Williams is ranked seventh at 184 pounds. QUICK GLANCE AT Nick Simmons Senior Nick Simmons is off to a dominating start in his last season for the Green and White. A three-time All-American at 125 pounds, Simmons moved up to 133 pounds this season, and is the nation's consensus No. 1 wrestler in his new weight class. Simmons is currently 23-0 and has won tournament titles at Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and the Midlands Championships. He has staked his place at No. 1 by defeating seven ranked wrestlers, including previously ranked No. 1 and defending NCAA champion Matt Valenti of Penn in the 133 finals at the MSU Open (Valenti is currently ranked second). He has also defeated No. 3 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State), No. 5 Jake Strayer (Penn State), No. 9 Joe Baker (Navy), No. 15 Tyler McCormick (Missouri), No. 16 Ricky Deubel (Edinboro) and No. 20 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois). Nick Simmons won his third straight Midlands title last weekend, becoming just the 26th wrestler in tournament history to accomplish the feat. Simmons is tied for third in the MSU record books in victories (120) and is second in falls (43). He needs only three pins to surpass Jim Mason (45 falls, 1980-84) to become MSU's all-time falls leader. LOOK WHO'S BACK Fifth-year senior and All-American Andy Simmons is scheduled to wrestle this Friday against Central Michigan for the first time since taking on Nathan Morgan in the Oklahoma State dual Nov. 16 in Stillwater. SUCCESS AT 141 Sophomore Jeff Wimberley filled in admirably during Andy Simmons' absence from the lineup at 141 pounds. Wimberley took third place at 133 pounds at the MSU Open, but was bumped up to 141 for the Edinboro dual when Simmons was unable to wrestle due to injury. Wimberley responded by winning a 7-5 decision over Daryl Cocozzo, and followed that effort with a third-place finish at the Penn State Open with a 5-1 record. He improved to 2-0 in duals this season with a 7-2 win over Missouri's Ashtin Primus on Dec. 10. CENTRAL MICHIGAN NEWS & NOTES: CMU returns five NCAA qualifiers from last season's team that finished 26th at nationals and first in the MAC. The Chippewas are ranked ninth in the latest coaches' poll. Five Chippewas are ranked first in the MAC. CMU placed fourth at the Midlands Championships with 96.5 points. The Chips have beaten Bloomsburg (23-12), Penn (30-12), American (33-9) and Michigan (21-12). They have lost to Minnesota (24-9) and Missouri (31-9). CMU took first place at the Reno Tournament of Champions Dec. 20. Central Michigan has six ranked wrestlers, led by Brandon Sinnott (174) and Bubba Gritter (285), who are both ranked fifth in their respective weight classes. Brandon's twin brother, Christian, is ranked ninth at 184 pounds. CMU hosts third-ranked Hofstra on Sunday. MAKING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT Red-shirt freshman Franklin Gomez is making an immediate impact in the lineup this year for the Spartans. During his red-shirt season, Gomez compiled a 23-3 record at 125 pounds and captured three first-place finishes (Cleveland State Open, Kent State Open, Edinboro Open) and three second-place finishes (EMU Open, MSU Open, Penn State Open). Two of his three losses last season came at the hands of Spartan All-American Nick Simmons. Gomez has opened the season in dominating fashion, going 24-2, including open title wins at Eastern Michigan and Michigan State. He placed second at the Penn State Open for the second straight season and took third at the Midlands Championships. Gomez is currently ranked seventh by NWCA/InterMat. Gomez outscored his opponents 52-3 in the EMU Open and took home the title with a 9-1 major decision over Alex Usztics of Navy. At the MSU Open, Gomez was equally as dominant in winning his second title of the young season. He won the first round by a technical fall in 2:30, then proceeded to win his next three matches by a combined score of 29-6. Gomez topped 11th-ranked Obenson Black of Lock Haven, 5-1, in the championship match to move to 10-0 on the season. Although Gomez lost in the quarterfinals at the Midlands Championships as the top seed, he stormed back to win his last four matches to place third. In his first career dual meet, Gomez stepped into hostile territory and came up with a big victory, defeating Tyler Shinn of Oklahoma State in Stillwater, 4-1. Gomez was a highly-touted recruit after completing the "triple crown" of high school wrestling in 2005, winning the high school national championship, the junior freestyle national championship and the junior Greco-Roman national championship.
2006 Midlands final pre-seeds 125 133 141 149 157 165 174 | |||||||||||||||||
