WEEK 14 PREVIEW
Sectionals, Sectionals, Sectionals
Week 14 is all about the individual sectional, just like last week was all about the regional. Hopefully, our wrestlers can put together another fantastic week, and we'll be able to set a new record for state qualifiers in one season (current record is 7 qualifiers). We have a very legitimate possibility of doing exactly that. We just need to do what we have been - wrestling up to our own abilities.
Sectionals are at Normal Community High School this weekend. On Friday, wrestling begins at 4:30 pm, so make any arrangements you need to for work! On Saturday, session 2 starts at 9:00 am, with the final round slated to begin at 1:30 pm.
Sectional brackets have already been released, and you can look through them on TrackWrestling here. Remember that this is not a seeded tournament - this follows a very rigid schematic to create the brackets. If you're unfamiliar, here are a few key details.
- Regional champions are on one side of the bracket, while the second and third place finishers are on the other.
- Regional champions do not wrestle in the preliminary round - they have byes into the quarterfinals.
- Preliminary matchups always include the 2nd place finisher from one regional taking on the 3rd place finisher from another.
- Scratches: In the event that someone cannot wrestle, the alternate steps in and everyone moves up one spot as needed. If the 1st place wrestler is pulled, then the 2nd place wrestler takes the place of the champion, the wrestler finishing in third fills the 2nd place spot in the bracket, and the alternate would take the spot vacated by the 3rd place wrestler.
WEEK 13 RECAP
It was a really good week for Lockport Wrestling. We had an absolutely outstanding regional tournament, qualifying 13 wrestlers for sectionals - a new Lockport record - and winning the regional over the #5 team in the state, Providence, by a 98.5 margin. Fun fact that I omitted from the regional recap: We lost a total of 7 matches in the regional tournament. 7 matches!!!
If you want a more detailed play-by-play of the regional, and/or want to check out the brackets, you can! Click here for the full recap from regionals, because it's long enough as it is and I'm not typing enough that this becomes a thesis
ALUMNI RECAP
Vince Dietz (St. Cloud State University): Dietz took the mat for St. Cloud on Saturday after sitting out for their dual Friday night, and continued his fantastic season. Dietz did his part in helping the top DII school in the nation pick up a 34-12 win over Minnesota State, as he picked up a nice 20-4 technical fall over Matt Blome at the end of the second period.
Shaun'Qae McMurtry (Northern Illinois University): McMurtry only had one match this week, and it was when NIU squared off against Missouri. Qae lost by first period fall to Mizzou's Daniel Lewis, who is currently ranked 6th at 165. Mizzou dominated the dual, winning 38-3 as a team. Quick Note: If you are able to make it, this SUNDAY, 2/12, at 1:00 pm, NIU will be hosting Buffalo for their senior day. This will be the last time Qae steps foot on the mat at home for NIU, so if you are able, consider heading out to the dual!
Dan Radcliffe (Central College): Radcliffe helped Central College to a 28-9 win over Luther College last Thursday, picking up an 11-7 decision victory over Gilbert Valdez. Wish I could add more but I've got no details on this one. But good job, Dan!
Eddie Ginnan (Central College): This was not this week, but a result from last week that I missed. On January 28th, Ginnan took the mat at the Duhawk Open at 165, posting a 2-2 record on the day, but failing to place. Ginnan lost his opener to Cameron Lopez of Northern Iowa (formerly of Mt. Carmel HS), but then bounced back in the consolation bracket to pick up an 11-2 major decision and an 18-2 technical fall. Ginnan would the fall to Iowa State's Luke Wentzel, 5-0. Lopez and Wenzel ended up taking third and fourth, respectively.
Chris Murino (Central College): Just like Ginnan, I flat-out missed ths result. Murino also competed at the Duhawk Open, but failed to place, posting a 1-2 record on the day. After dropping an opening match by fall, Murino picked up a win by fall in the consolations, but dropped a very close 1-0 decision in the next bout and was eliminated.
Brian Rossi (Stanford University): Rossi had a wild week last week. Actually, week would be unfair - wild 24 hours is more accurate. Stanford wrestled at Boise State on Saturday, and at Oregon State on Monday. Brian, having just recently been cleared to start hitting the mats full time again, was not with the team as he was not slated to wrestle in either dual. In Saturday's dual, however, Stanford's 19th ranked Gabe Townsell suffered an injury. Rossi, who was back in Palo Alto studying, got a call from his coach Sunday and was flown out to Oregon State to meet up with the team, arriving late Sunday night. Then there was also the issue of making the weight, which he did. Ultimately though, Rossi's wild ride didn't have a happy ending, as he dropped a 5-2 decision to Oregon State's Kegan Calkins, another former Illinois standout who spent his high school years at Montini.
Brad Johnson (Oklahoma University): Brad had a tough week, posting an 0-2 record, over the course of three days. On Friday, Oklahoma battled South Dakota State University, where Johnson had a tall task in taking on the #7 wrestler in the nation, Nate Rotert. Johnson was unable to find any momentum, falling 14-5 to Rotert, as the team dropped the dual 20-19 (19-19 tie, SDSU had criteria that awarded them the winning point). Johnson was back on the mat Sunday as Oklahoma rebounded well, taking out Northern Iowa by a score of 27-13, but Johnson came away without the win, falling to Jacob Holschlag by a final of 9-5. Having watched this match, I have no qualms in saying Brad was the better wrestler - Holschlag was able to score a four point nearfall in the second that was the difference maker in the bout. Johnson was superior on their feet, but did not have a chance to turn, as he spent most of the match cutting away at his deficit.
Shayne Oster (Northwestern University): Shayne had a tough loss this week, falling to Illinois' Eric Barone 7-5 in his first bout back from suffering a moderate knee injury. I didn't see the bout, but asked Shayne about it at Regionals this Saturday. He didn't give me a play-by-play, but did say that his coach told him "I'd rather you wrestle the way you did and lose that match than wrestle the way he did and win." So, we've got that going - coaches don't say that too often.