Boilermakers Finish 9^th at Big Ten Wrestling Championships

 

The Boilermakers have three individuals eligible for at-large bids for the NCAA Championships.

 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Purdue wrestling team finished 9^th at the 2013 Big Ten Championships, hosted by the University of Illinois on Saturday and Sunday at Assembly Hall. Scoring 38 team points, the Boilermakers have four individuals automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships and three more eligible for at-large bids.

 

The Boilermakers were led by senior Ivan Lopouchanski and sophomore Brandon Nelsen, who finished third and fourth, respectively, at 149 and 141 pounds. Lopouchanski is the BoilermakersÂ’ highest individual placewinner since Colton SalazarÂ’s second-place effort in 2010.

 

Lopouchanski got to the third-place match at 149 pounds with an 8-5 come-from-behind victory over Ohio StateÂ’s eighth-seeded Ian Paddock. Paddock got off to a quick start with two first-period takedowns to take a 4-1 lead, but Lopouchanski chipped away with takedowns in the second and third period and some tough wrestling on top secured the win. He advanced to meet Penn StateÂ’s fifth-seeded Andrew Alton in the third-place bout, where he earned a huge fall at 4:06. Alton took an early lead, cradling Lopouchanski for a five-point move, and the Boilermaker senior reversed Alton before giving up an escape to make it 6-2. Lopouchanski escaped to start the second period and got about a minute in before hitting a big-time move of his own, taking Alton to his back and finishing the match for a pair of crucial bonus points. Lopouchanski is now 27-2 on the season and will await word of a potential seed at the NCAA Championships.

 

Nelsen advanced to the third-place match at 141 pounds with a 5-2 decision over NorthwesternÂ’s Pat Greco, securing his best career finish at the conference championships. He fell behind in the second period, giving up a takedown, but quickly escaped and scored a takedown of his own to take a 4-2 lead to the last period. Nelsen went to work on top in the third, riding Greco out for the decision and 3.5 team points. In the third-place bout Nelsen fell to MinnesotaÂ’s second-ranked Nick Dardanes by major decision, 13-3. Nelsen got to the Golden GopherÂ’s legs several times through the match, but couldnÂ’t finish a takedown. He is now 25-12 on the year, but is unlikely to receive a seed at nationals.

 

Junior Camden Eppert, freshman Chad Welch and sophomore Braden Atwood finished eighth at 125 pounds, 174 pounds and 197 pounds, respectively, all falling in the seventh-place bouts. Eppert fell to IndianaÂ’s Joe Duca, 8-3, Welch suffered an 11-3 major decision loss to MinnesotaÂ’s Logan Storley and Atwood was edged by WisconsinÂ’s Jackson Hein, 3-2.

 

Penn State won its third straight conference title, totaling 151 points over the two-day tournament and crowning four individual champions. Minnesota was second with 139 points, while Iowa took third with 133.5.

 

Nelsen, Lopouchanski, Welch and Atwood all have claimed automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, set for March 21-23 in Des Moines, Iowa. Eppert, fellow junior Cashe Quiroga and senior Tommy Churchard all will look for at-large bids to the championships as Quiroga needs a bid at 133 pounds and Churchard hopes for his second straight at-large bid at 157. Announcements of the entire NCAA field and brackets will be announced late this week.

 

Team Scores

1. Penn State - 151.0

2. Minnesota – 139.0

3. Iowa - 133.5

4. Ohio State - 109.5

5. Illinois - 85.5

6. Michigan - 75.0

7. Nebraska - 61.0

8. Northwestern - 56.0

9. Purdue - 38.0

10. Wisconsin - 37.0

11. Indiana - 30.5

12. Michigan State - 22.0

 

Purdue Results

 

125 Pounds – #6 Camden Eppert – 8^th Place

Quarterfinals – lost to #3 Jesse Delgado (IL), MD 10-2

Conso. First Round – def. Brenan Lyon (MSU), D 4-1

Conso. Quarterfinals – lost to #7 David Thorn (MN), D 3-1

Seventh-Place Match – lost to Joe Duca (IU), D 8-3

 

133 Pounds – #7 Cashe Quiroga

Quarterfinals – lost to #2 Tony Ramos (IA), D 9-5

Conso. First Round – lost to #8 Shawn Nagel (NEB), D 10-9

 

141 Pounds – #5 Brandon Nelsen – 4^th Place

Quarterfinals – def. #4 Bryan Pearsall (PSU), D 2-1

Semifinals – lost to #1 Hunter Stieber (OSU), SV 10-8

Conso. Semifinals – def. Pat Greco (NU), D 5-2

Third-Place Match – lost to #2 Nick Dardanes (MN), MD 13-3

 

149 Pounds – #2 Ivan Lopouchanski – 3^rd Place

Quarterfinals – lost to #7 Dan Osterman (MSU), TB2 2-2 (RT)

Conso. First Round – def. Preston Keiffer (IU), TF 19-4 (7:00)

Conso. Quarterfinals – def. #6 Caleb Ervin (IL), MD 9-0

Conso. Semifinals – def. #8 Ian Paddock (OSU), D 8-5

Third-Place Match – def. #5 Andrew Alton (PSU), Fall 4:06

 

157 Pounds – Tommy Churchard

First Round – lost to #5 Taylor Walsh (IU), D 3-0

Conso. First Round – lost to #3 Dylan Alton (PSU), Fall 1:03

 

165 Pounds – #10 Pat Robinson

First Round – lost to #7 Ryan LeBlanc (IU), MD 10-1

Conso. First Round – lost to #9 Mark Martin (OSU), SV 3-1

Bronze Standard Match* – def. #10 Frank Cousins Jr. (WI), D 7-5

Bronze Standard Match* – lost to Austin Wilson (NEB), MD 12-1

 

174 Pounds – #10 Chad Welch – 8^th Place

First Round – def. #7 Lee Munster (NU), D 3-2

Quarterfinals – lost to #2 Mike Evans (IA), MD 12-3

Conso. First Round – def. #9 Scott Liegel (WI), D 4-1

Conso. Quarterfinals – lost to #3 Robert Kokesh (NEB), D 7-3

Seventh-Place Match – lost to #1 Logan Storley (MN), MD 11-3

 

184 Pounds – Kyle Mosier

First Round – lost to #4 John Rizqallah (MSU), D 6-4

Conso. First Round – lost to #6 Tony Dallago (IL), Fall 6:08

 

197 Pounds – #5 Braden Atwood – 8^th Place

Quarterfinals – lost to #4 Andrew Campolattano (OSU), D 7-6

Conso. First Round – def. #11 Caleb Kolb (NEB), D 4-0

Conso. Quarterfinals – lost to #8 Max Huntley (MI), D 7-3

Seventh-Place Match – lost to #7 Jackson Hein (WI), D 3-2

 

285 Pounds – Alex White

First Round – lost to #5 Mike McClure (MSU), D 4-0

Conso. First Round – lost to #6 Adam Chalfant (IN), MD 12-3

Bronze Standard Match* – lost to Spencer Johnson (NEB), D 5-2

 

* - matches are to determine a bronze standard wrestler for NCAA Championship at-large qualifiers, they do not count towards team scores.