InterMat: Inside info from the N.W.C.A
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All-American Round Updates
By Jason Bryant
jbryant@intermatwrestle.com
Simply the best
Saturday morning's 9 a.m. round features the next group of future NCAA champions and senior-level freestyle stars hitting each other right after another. The round started simply enough, with California's Boris Novachkov taking an easy tech fall victory at 98 pounds over Michigan's Bryan Rickard on the raise mat. From there on out, it was one match after another. Matches worth the admission price on their own. Many people had already left after spending over a week in Fargo, but those that saw the action Saturday got their money's worth ... and then some.
Mustari tops Sanders
Tony Mustari of Colorado is going to stay in-state for his college competition years, giving rising Division I Northern Colorado his commitment. Once his college eligiblity begins, he'll be looked upon to be the foundation of the Bears program. He's already representing UNC well, with his 11-0 technical fall over Minnesota's Zach Sanders in the opening round on Saturday. Mustari used a barrage of trapped-arm guts and holds to quickly rack up big points.
Grey rebounds, makes final
Despite his fifth round loss to Ohio's Danny Mitcheff, New Jersey's Mike Grey reached the final at 125 pounds. Grey got the benefit of Mitcheff's ninth-round bye, and with Pennsylvania's Steve Mytych had beaten Mitcheff and Grey teched Mytych in the morning round 11-0. On points, Grey advanced to the final to face Idaho's Shawn Jones, the Greco-Roman champion in the final.
Frishkorn and Frey to meet
Pennsylvania's Adam Frey was one of the nation's best wrestlers from the class of 2005, he'll wrestle one of the best from the upcoming class of 2006, Virginia's Jordan Frishkorn in the final at 130. Frey beat Virginia Tech signee Joey Slaton from Iowa 13-2 in a bout that featured some aggressive wrestling and some funk. With Ray Brinzer and a Gumby plush (no, we're serious) in the corner, Frey completed his run through the B Pool 9-0 with eight tech falls. Frishkorn beat Northern Iowa-bound Kyle Anson and Michigan's Chris Diehl to win the A Pool.
Cyler wins them close
Utah's Cyler Sanderson edged Ohio's Lance Palmer and New York's J.P. O'Connor in round-robin action to reach the finals at 140 pounds. Palmer and Sanderson battled in an early morning match which saw some furious scrambles on deep shots with no scoring, but lots of action. Sanderson got in deep on a double late in the match and hipped over, when Palmer tried to funk out of the move and scored two exposure with 20 seconds to go. Sanderson then beat O'Connor 7-4 on the raised mat to reach the final. He'll face Iowa's Adam Hall, an undefeated state champion from Idaho, who dropped to 145 for Fargo. Hall, a technically sound wrestler who flew under nearly everyone's radar coming into the tournament, lost to Ryan Adams of Minnesota in the round-robin, but it appeared the a bye hurt Adams chances after he lost to New Jersey's Travis Blasco, who lost to Hall in the round-robin.
Mueller impressive
Iowa State-bound Mitch Mueller rolled through the A Pool to reach the final after a 4-1 win over New Jersey's Darrion Caldwell and a fall over Maryland's Cam Watkins. Mueller dominated the Old Dominion-bound Watkins on the raised platform -- and the Iowa grappler will wrestle Indiana's Reece Humphrey, bound for Ohio State, in the final at 135. Humphrey's 5-0 win over Cesar Grajales of Florida in round seven carried him into the final.
Morningstar even more impressive
While Mueller might have given up one point, future Iowa Hawkeye Ryan Morningstar is 9-0 with 82 points scored and none allowed. His closest bout came in the eighth round, when he beat Michigan's Jon Reader 4-0. Morningstar will take on Oklahoma's Shane Vernon, a future Sooner.
It's Dragon and Metcalf
Brent Metcalf of Michigan is one win away from tying the national record for most Junior National titles. Metcalf will face Pennsylvania's Matt Dragon, a Penn signee, in the final. Dragon rallied from an early deficit to beat Kansas' Joe Cornejo 7-5. Cornejo took an early lead with a rarity in freestyle, a Granby Roll, out of a first-period flurry. Dragon and Metcalf wrestled to an 8-7 match at the Dapper Dan Classic during the scholastic post-season, which Metcalf, bound for Virginia Tech, won. Metcalf can tie Georgia's Sean Hage's record for most titles with six.
Updated 11:32 a.m.
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