Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Seek Third Straight Big Ten Victory at Michigan
1/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 28, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. -- After passing its first two tests of the Big Ten season with flying colors, No. 19 Northwestern (9-3, 2-0) faces another stiff challenge Saturday when it heads to Ann Arbor to take on No. 18 Michigan (5-6, 0-0). The action gets underway at 6 p.m. CT at Cliff Keen Arena with live scoring available on the NWCA Live Scorebook and live video streaming available at Mgoblue.com.
Sixth-year senior Jake Herbert, the nation's top-ranked 184-pounder, stands at a perfect 20-0 in 2008-09 following two victories last weekend that improved his career record in Big Ten dual matches to 25-1. Herbert notched his 12th fall of the year in 2:26 against Michigan State's Nick Palmieri on Friday and picked up a 22-7 tech fall victory against Wisconsin's Eric Bugenhagen on Sunday. He enters Saturday's match with a 135-4 career record and the best all-time winning percentage (.971) in Northwestern history. His last loss came in the 2006 NCAA final--his only loss that season--to Missouri's Ben Askren.
Junior Brandon Precin, ranked No. 3 at 125 lbs., won his 90th career match Sunday vs. Wisconsin, a 12-0 major decision against Drew Hammen in which Precin nearly had his second pin of the weekend in the first period. He improved to 20-1 this year and has not dropped a decision since Nov. 9 when he narrowly lost in overtime to Edinboro's Paul Donahoe, who currently sits atop the 125-pound weight class rankings.
Against Wisconsin, redshirt freshman Robert Kellogg provided the extra boost that Northwestern needed to overcome the Badgers. With the team score even at 10, Kellogg trailed in the third period, 4-1, to UW's Travis Rutt before Kellogg turned the tables and managed to get Rutt to his back. The native of Sioux City, Iowa held on for the pin and collected a crucial six points for Northwestern that proved to be the difference in the 21-19 victory. It was Kellogg's 11th win and first pin of the season.
FACING THE WOLVERINES
No. 18 Michigan enters its first Big Ten match of the year with a 5-6 dual mark on the heels of a 22-15 loss to No. 13 Virginia Tech. The Wolverines have battled through a challenging schedule, facing seven nationally ranked teams and posting a 2-5 record against those teams. Michigan is not far off from having an above-.500 record; against Penn State in the NWCA National Duals, then-No. 4 Tyrel Todd (197) won by pin to draw the Wolverines even at 18 entering the final bout, but Penn State's Stefan Tighe overcame UM's Eddie Phillips by a 2-1 margin for the win.
Nevertheless, the Wolverines are a talented team featuring five wrestlers in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Coaches' Poll beginning with the nation's top-ranked 174-pounder, senior and two-time NCAA All-American Steve Luke (17-0). At 141, Michigan relies on sophomore Kellen Russell, who owns a No. 4 ranking and an active winning streak of 10 consecutive matches. No. 6 Tyrel Todd has been reliable at 197, where he scored 12 points for Michigan in its doubleheader against Binghamton and the Hokies on Saturday. Sophomore Anthony Biondo checks in at No. 13 in the 184-pound division while senior Michael Watts ranks 15th at 125.
Saturday's contest will be the first between Northwestern and Michigan since NU's final Big Ten match of the 2006-07 season when the Wildcats earned a 20-14 win. The victory was Northwestern's first dual defeat of Michigan since 1994 and capped a five-match winning streak to close the regular season. Current Wildcats Jake Herbert, Brandon Precin and Eric Metzler all contributed wins on that day.
RANK AND FILE
After retaining the No. 19 spot in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA national rankings for two weeks, Northwestern was joined at the 19th spot by Indiana in the latest poll released on Jan. 27. Northwestern has been as high as No. 10 in the rankings, which came on Nov. 18. The Wildcats also checked in at No. 12 in the W.I.N. Magazine Tournament Team Power Index with 34 points.
BACK TO HIS ROOTS
Northwestern volunteer assistant coach Ryan Bertin returns to the site of his collegiate wrestling successes when NU visits Michigan Saturday. Bertin, now in his third season with the Wildcats' staff, won two NCAA championships (2003, 2005) at the 157-pound weight class and was earned All-American status four times while wrestling for the Wolverines. He was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year in 2005, the same season in which he posted a 31-1 record with a perfect 18-0 dual mark.
WINNING IS CONTAGIOUS
Of the 20 grapplers on Northwestern's roster, 11 have managed to compile records that are at least .500 or better, led by the undefeated Herbert at 20-0. Two more Wildcats--Kyle Bertin (165) and Andrew Nadhir (149)--are just one win away from pulling their records back to the .500 level. Last year, 15 of 23 wrestlers finished at or above .500 for the season.
