First round a mixed success

By Luke Plansky
Daily Staff Writer
Thanks to an upset by Nick Gallick, the second-ranked Iowa State wrestling team made it through the first round with seven still alive in the championship bracket of the NCAA Wrestling Tournament.
Trailing 5-0 in the first period, Gallick (133) pinned Cornell’s third-seeded Adam Frey. Trent (157) and Travis (165) Paulson also each won first-round matches by pin, while Kurt Backes (197) earned a major decision victory. Mitch Mueller (141), Cyler Sanderson (149) and Jake Varner (184) won decisions, and Iowa State was two points behind the tournament lead after the first session.
Freshmen Nick Fanthorpe (125) and David Zabriskie (HWT) as well as senior Grant Turner (174) lost but will wrestle Thursday night in the consolation bracket.
Tournament frontrunner Minnesota went 10-0 in first session matches.

Match Results and Notes

Michael Sees, Bloomsburg dec. Nick Fanthorpe, 8-4.
Sees picks up single but can’t finish… Sees takedown w/~1:08; stall warning sees w/10 seconds…Sees starts down, escapes eight seconds in and preserves riding time; takedown sees, 5-0; Fanthorpe escape; Sees takedown on edge of mat w/11 seconds left in second period; Fanthorpe reaches back, grabs head and tries for defensive fall but time runs out; Fanthorpe intentionally released to start third, 7-2; Fanthorpe takedown, w/~35 seconds, 4-7; Sees wins, 8-4

Next opponent: Luke Smith, Central Michigan, in the first round of consolations. Beat Smith, 4-2, in semifinals of the Midland Open.

Nick Gallick fall Rob Tate, Gardner-Webb, 4:22
Similar height and build… Tate turns a single into the first takedown of the match 2:34 in…Gallick reversal, two-point nearfall; locked hands call at the end of the period, 4-3…Tate starts down in second period…Gallick cradle, three-point tilt, 7-3…Gallick guillotine, switches to half and gets pin, 4:22. First pin of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

First round: Gallick fall Adam Frey, Cornell, 2:41
Frey takedown 33 seconds in; Frey three-point near fall; Gallick reversal and pin with 19 seconds left in first period; Frey riding on side and Gallick puts him down
Next opponent: Jake Strayer, Penn State

Mitch Mueller dec. Eric Kruger, Central Michigan, 4-3.
No scoring in first period. Kruger gets in on one shot, but Mueller fights it… Mueller starts neutral and gets quick takedown; escape Kruger; Mueller low double, finishes, 4-1; escape Kruger, 4-2; Mueller gets poked in eye, takes small time…Third period, Kruger starts down and escapes; Kruger gets single, but Mueller sprawls gets out; Mueller injury time – not elbow; Mueller holds off Kruger in final moments.
Next opponent: #1 Ryan Lang, Northwestern

#11 Cyler Sanderson dec. Michael Roberts, Boston, 3-1
0-0 after first period… Sanderson starts down, escapes 23 seconds in; Roberts get in on single but Sanderson takes it out of bounds…Third period, Roberts down – escapes seven seconds in; Roberts gets in on a single, but Sanderson breaks it; Sanderson counters Roberts shot and gets takedown; Sanderson wins, 3-1

Next opponent: #6 J.P. O’Connor, Harvard

#1 Trent Paulson pin Matt Dragon, Penn, 3:32
Paulson takedown 1:40 in, rides for the rest of first period… Paulson starts down, reversal then a pin at 3:32

Next opponent: Ryan Hluschak, Drexel, who beat Iowa’s Ryan Morningstar, 3-1, in OT

#4 Travis Paulson fall Sean Richmond, Pittsburgh, 2:19
Paulson single-leg takedown 1:20 in, gives up penalty point, 2-1; Paulson gets pin at 2:19 mark.
Next opponent: Roger Smith-Bergsrud, Illinois

#5 Eric Luedke, Iowa dec. Grant Turner, 3-2
Turner stall warning w/10 seconds left, scrambles out of single as period ends… Luedke starts down and escapes quickly in second period – Turner not pushing the action…Turner escapes early in third period; Luedke gets deep single, but Turner fights it off; Luedke gets takedown on the edge of the mat w/23 seconds left; Turner escapes quickly, but Luedke backs off and defends the win.

Next opponent: Kurt Brenner, West Virginia

#6 Jake Varner dec. Lior Zamir, Penn, 5-0
Action but no scoring in first period…Varner gets to his feet, but Zamir doesn’t bring him back down or release – stall warning; Zamir lets him go, and Varner immediately turns around and shoots, gets a driving double-leg takedown, 2-0; Varner puts in half-nelson and tries to turn Zamir; Stalling penalty on Zamir, 3-0…Zamir starts down; Varner earns another stalling point while trying to turn Zamir. Varner earns riding time point.
Next opponent: Ryan Burk, Northern Illinois

#9 Kurt Backes maj. dec. Jacob Bryce, North Dakota State, 16-4
Backes gets offense going early and gets three takedowns and a reversal before working for back points.

Next opponent: #8 Joel Flaggert, Oklahoma, who has beaten Backes twice this season.

David Zabriskie vs. #6 Ed Prendergast, Navy
Prendergast single, picks up leg, takes Zabriskie down straight to his back. Zabriskie is close to edge but can’t escape, is pinned at 1:20.

Next opponent: #11 Spencer Nadolsky, North Carolina