U-M Wrestling secures first B1G title in 49 years

Submitted by Human Torpedo on March 6th, 2022 at 7:20 PM

I'll admit I'm not a major wrestling follower, first and foremost. That said, U-M is in the Finals on Day 3 with a 1st place lead in the Team Standings and has dealt a big-time blow to the duopoly this conference has experienced from Iowa and Penn State in the sport for decades now. Our last Big Ten title in wrestling was before the Rose Bowl vote, for some perspective, in 1973

Amine had an incredible clutch overtime victory in the weight class of 184 lbs. against Penn State's Brooks.

This is the program's 100th year in varsity. What better way for them to leave a legacy then to end our second longest B1G title drought in athletics history EVER!

True Blue Grit

March 6th, 2022 at 7:30 PM ^

Just watched this.  What a great day to be a Wolverine!  Wrestling wins a Big Ten title.  Michigan probably secures an NCAA bid with a big road win against OSU in basketball.  And the icing on the cake- Wisconsin loses to Nebraska!  I'll sleep like a baby tonight.  

WestQuad

March 6th, 2022 at 8:07 PM ^

Wow!  Just commented here the other day about how PSU is the Alabama football of wrestling but better (or the 1980s Iowa of wrestling, the NE Patriots etc.)  it’s sort of a big deal to win the BIG.  What are are odds for the National Championship?

Zoltanrules

March 6th, 2022 at 8:23 PM ^

Awesome achievement!! I'm a total novice but watched yesterdays semis and was really impressed with our team effort and also Minnesota's heavyweight/Olympic champion Gable Steveson. The Big10 networks documentary on Iowa's wrestling Brand brothers was a good watch (Tom is the Iowa coach now).

core42

March 6th, 2022 at 8:31 PM ^

I'll add this to the new thread as well in case people are only checking one or the other

 

B1G Team Champs!!!

Michigan individual results:

125 - 1st Place - Nick Suriano of Michigan

133 - 3rd Place - Dylan Ragusin of Michigan

141 - 4th Place - Stevan Micic of Michigan

149 - 8th Place - Kanen Storr of Michigan

157 - 2nd Place - Will Lewan of Michigan

165 - 2nd Place - Cameron Amine of Michigan

174 - 2nd Place - Logan Massa of Michigan

184 - 1st Place - Myles Amine of Michigan

197 - 3rd Place - Patrick Brucki of Michigan

285 - 4th Place - Mason Parris of Michigan

M-Dog

March 6th, 2022 at 10:43 PM ^

I was a wrestler in PA where the sport is a religion.  Beating Penn State (and Iowa) for a Big Ten Wrestling title is a big damn deal.

Michigan is good at freaking everything.

kjason

March 6th, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^

Thats crazy that this the first win in that long. I dont follow wrestling really, but I remember when I was in school at UM in the late 2000s reading in the daily about how we had an undefeated wrestler...never lost ever in his whole career. I guess I just figured that meant were pretty damn good and would've won something of note.  But good for these men and good for the university. 

stephenrjking

March 7th, 2022 at 6:44 AM ^

Awesome. I’m not a huge wrestling guy but a couple of men in my church are, and that ropes me in to paying attention. Great to see. Took some dramatic wins on the final day, too.

outsidethebox

March 7th, 2022 at 7:13 AM ^

This is  stunning upset victory-akin to the Miracle on Ice. Wrestling in not a sport with a lot of variability. In January Penn State crushed us in the dual meet-PSU was untouchable. Incredible effort here. 

ewrestling4c

March 7th, 2022 at 7:58 AM ^

This was a really big deal but wrestling can be a weird sport for people not in this to figure out.  I am diehard fan and will be there in 2 weeks a nationals in Detroit. With that being said, this is a big deal. First title in almost 50 years.  Many of the big talking heads in wrestling didn't give Michigan a chance but I thought they were in a great spot. However, I didn't see them winning some of the semifinal matches.

 

Penn State beat Michigan in a dual back in January 29 - 6.  That looks and is bad but some context needs to be looked at.  In a dual the scoring is:

Decision 3 team points - 0 - 7 pt difference in score

Major Decision 4 team points - 8 - 14 pt difference in score

Tech Fall 5 team points - Match stops as soon as there is a 15pt difference 

Fall - 6 team points - Match stops immediately 

Tournament scoring is based off placing. For instance, at 125lbs Michigan's Nick Suriano score 24pts by taking 1st and getting bonus points by scoring major decisions along the way.  In the dual he beat Drew Hildebrandt 3-0 scoring Michigan 3 team points. Drew in the tournament had a rough go and lost both of his 1st 2 matches and scored 0 pts.  

That is a major difference.  I am super excited and Michigan did a fantastic job but in a dual, PSU will win more than 50% of the time and in a bigger tournament like the NCAA's it could be very interesting because you add in so many top level wrestlers from other conferences.  This should be a great tournament and I think Michigan (if they wrestle like they did this weekend) can be in the mix but Iowa and PSU will bring the heat.  We need some help from guys that are in other conferences to be some speed bumps to some of their guys.

chatster

March 7th, 2022 at 8:00 AM ^

Like my brief high-school career, my brief high-school wrestling career has kept me interested in both sports since the mid 1960s. I watched most of the final matches of the Big Ten wrestling championships.

Michigan wrestlers were involved in five of the televised matches with wins for graduate students Nick Suriano, a Rutgers transfer who won the NCAA 133-pound championship in 2019, at 125 pounds and Myles Amine, named Co-Outstanding Wrestler of the championships, at 184 pounds. Suriano's match is first; Amine's match starts at about 1:20:03 into the clip.

The final televised match, the third-place heavyweight match in which Michigan's Mason Parris lost to Penn State's Greg Kerkvliet for the second time this season, is NOT included in this clip. Minnesota's Gable Steveson, perhaps the most famous collegiate wrestler in the nation, won the heavyweight title when Iowa's Nick Cassioppi forfeited due to injury.

michengin87

March 7th, 2022 at 11:14 AM ^

For those not aware, Sean Bormet was named the head coach almost 4 years ago.  He's a two-time UM All American graduating in 1994.  His resume is phenomenal.  He is obviously doing a fantastic job recruiting and developing these young Michigan Men.

Way to go Sean and way to Go Blue!

 

michengin87

March 7th, 2022 at 11:54 AM ^

@Blue Vet

Iowa has won 24 national championships and 33 Big Ten championships in that time.  Then the Big Ten added PSU who has been very dominant in the last decade.

So, we may have been good, but the best in the nation have come out of the Big Ten the majority of the last half century.

NittanyFan

March 7th, 2022 at 12:11 PM ^

Definitely a good tournament for Michigan, congrats on the win.

Michigan has a team without many (any?) real weak links.  That helps for a tournament --- whereas Michigan isn't as good a duel team as PSU, they can hang with them and also beat them in a tournament.

I think the NCAAs (in Detroit) in a couple weeks, it's either PSU (still the favorite) or Michigan.  Iowa should take 3rd place I think: but a couple other schools (NCSU, ISU) could pressure them for that spot.