Spartan Wrestling Falls to No. 11 Michigan, 24-15

 

Eric Olanowski pins Sean Broyle at 125 pounds. Photo courtesy of MSU SID.

 

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Eric Olanowski’s pin at 125 pounds gave the Michigan State wrestling team a late lead over No. 11 Michigan, 15-13, but the Wolverines won the final two matches of the dual to defeat the Spartans, 24-15, Friday night at Jenison Field House. 

 

“Michigan is a heck of a team and they have a lot of really good wrestlers, but I thought our team just went out and got after it,” said Spartan head coach Tom Minkel. “I’m really proud of them. We have a lot of injuries, we have a lot of kids out of the lineup, but given that, I thought our kids fought really, really hard.”

 

With the Spartans down 13-9, Olanowski was energetic from the beginning and recorded the fall over Sean Boyle just 1:02 into the 125-pound match. It marked Olanowski’s first fall of the season.

 

“I got a front headlock and I felt his wrist come to my arm,” said Olanowski, describing his fall. “Usually (teammate) Dan Osterman does that move and I see him working on it. We worked on that a little bit (in practice). It just came to me. I knew we needed points so I just went for it. Best feeling of my life.

 

“Right when the ref called it, my heart kind of stopped. So I stood up and just looked around. I didn’t know which way to go, which way to look. Right when I got off the mat everyone was (saying) ‘good job, good job.’ So I was excited, and it’s added because it’s Michigan.”

 

“Eric told us in the locker room before the dual (he) was going to get after it,” said Minkel. “He was kind of lighting things up. But saying you’re going to do it and actually doing it are two different things. I was really happy for him.”

 

The evening’s dual started off with the 149-pound match-up featuring No. 20 Dan Osterman of Michigan State against Eric Grajales of Michigan (11-5, 6-3 Big Ten). Both wrestlers got off to slow starts, as neither was able to score in the first period. Grajales took control in the third and earned a takedown, followed by back-to-back near falls to collect the major decision, 10-1.

 

Sean McMurray ignited the Spartans (9-8, 1-7 Big Ten) by upsetting No. 20 Brandon Zeerip in an 8-2 decision at 157 pounds. McMurray was active in the third period, recording a takedown followed by near fall points with just nine seconds remaining. McMurray added 1:09 of riding time to secure the victory.

 

“All week we worked on pulling the trigger, getting in there for a shot, and getting a takedown, because I have been having trouble with that,” McMurray said. “In the end I just pulled it off. In the third period, I wanted to win and knew I had to get a take down, I just got it done.”

 

“Sean’s a true freshman and new to the whole Big Ten, but he stepped in for us and he’s done a heck of a job. That was a really big win for him,” Minkel added.

 

The 165-pound match featured two red-shirt freshmen in Nick Kaczanowski of MSU and Dan Yates of Michigan. Yates was able to maneuver a reversal in the second period that proved to be the difference; he went on to win the match 5-1.

 

Michigan State notched consecutive victories in both the 174 and 184-pound matches. Curran Jacobs kicked it off for the Spartans against Aaron Hynes at 174 pounds. Jacobs took a 2-1 lead in the third period with a reversal, but Hynes escaped to force overtime. A quick takedown 16 seconds into overtime propelled Jacobs to the 4-2 sudden victory decision.

 

“I just had to keep my composure,” Jacobs said of wrestling in overtime. “We were both exhausted. I knew the first person to make a mistake would lose. And fortunately enough, he made the mistake. He took a shot, I got the angle on him, and I got behind him for the two points and the win.”

 

“Curran has a bad knee and a bad shoulder, but he’s got a good attitude and always goes hard,” said Minkel. “One thing about Curran is that he gives you everything he has.”

 

Ian Hinton kept the momentum going for the Spartans at 184. Hinton was ahead by just one point heading into the final period against Hunter Collins. A takedown and ride time in the third assured the victory by decision, 7-3. MSU lead 9-7 going into the break.

 

The 197-pound contest featured No. 11 Anthony Biondo against Tyler Dickenson. Biondo recorded three takedowns in the third period en route to a 10-4 decision.

 

A low scoring match followed in the heavyweight division between Joe Rizqallah and No. 16 Ben Apland. Rizqallah was able to garner an escape in third, but it was not enough, as Apland received the 3-2 decision to give Michigan a 13-9 lead.

 

Following Olanowski’s pin, Michigan went on to win the last two matches. At 133-pounds Zac Stevens earned a technical fall over Chris Lyon, 22-7. No. 1 Kellen Russell pinned Levi Stace in the 141-pound match to close out the dual.

 

The Spartans return to action Sunday Feb. 20 at Jenison Field House against No. 16 Wisconsin at 2 p.m. in the final dual of the season.

 

 

No. 11 Michigan 24, Michigan State 15

 

149: Eric Grajales (UM) maj. dec. No. 20 Dan Osterman (MSU), 10-1; UM leads 4-0

157: Sean McMurray (MSU) dec. No. 20 Brandon Zeerip (UM), 8-2; UM leads 4-3

165: Dan Yates (UM) dec. Nick Kaczanowski (MSU), 5-1; UM leads 7-3

174: Curran Jacobs (MSU) dec. Aaron Hynes (UM), 4-2 (sv); UM leads 7-6

184: Ian Hinton (MSU) dec. Hunter Collins (UM), 7-3; MSU leads 9-7

197: No. 11 Anthony Biondo (UM) dec. Tyler Dickenson (MSU), 10-4; UM leads 10-9

HWT: No. 16 Ben Apland (UM) dec. Joe Rizqallah (MSU), 3-2; UM leads 13-9

125: Eric Olanowski (MSU) pinned Sean Boyle (UM), 1:02; MSU leads 15-13

133: Zac Stevens (UM) tech. fall Chris Lyon (MSU), 22-7; UM leads 18-15

141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (UM) pinned Levi Stace (MSU), 0:48; UM wins 24-15