Kendle, Gomez, Jones all take top spots in respective
weight classes.
EAST LANSING, Mich., 11/10/08 - The Michigan State wrestling team made
its home debut on Sunday, Nov. 9, hosting its annual MSU Open. Over 500
wrestlers from schools across the country made the trip to East Lansing,
and the Spartans didn't disappoint as hosts.
Senior Rex Kendle, junior Franklin Gomez and sophomore Anthony Jones
took the 165, 133 and 157-pound titles, respectively, in what MSU head
coach Tom Minkel said was the best team effort he's seen in quite some
time.
"I was as pleased with our performance this weekend as I have been with
any of my teams in a long, long time," Minkel said. "I think from top to
bottom our kids wrestled as a team harder than any team I've had that I
can remember in recent memory. This is a really outstanding group of
young men."
Gomez went 3-0 in the 133-pound class, picking up two major decisions
and a technical fall on the way to the title in the open bracket. Kendle
won five matches, including a 6-4 decision over No. 12 Chris Brown of
Old Dominion in the title match. Jones won his freshman/sophomore title
match in 45 seconds, pinning Virginia's Jedd Moore.
Eight more Spartans placed in the freshman/sophomore division. Redshirt
freshman Eric Olanowski topped true freshman Colby Borchetta in the
125-pound fifth-place match, giving Olanowski a fifth-place finish and
Borchetta sixth. Redshirt freshman Collin Dozier took third at 141, with
classmate David Cheza finished sixth at 149.
The Spartans took half of the medals in the 174-pound class, with
redshirt freshman Curran Jacobs placing second, true freshman Bryant
Craft taking fourth, and classmate Mason Reid finishing fifth. Freshman
heavyweight Steve Andrus also finished fifth for the Spartans.
Redshirt freshman Ian Hinton was the only other MSU representative to
medal in the open division, taking third in the 184-pound class.
The Spartans return to action at the ACC-Big Ten Clash in Raleigh, N.C.,
next Saturday, Nov. 15.
Freshman/Sophomore Division Final Brackets
Open Division Final Brackets
MSU Results
All Place Finishers
