Monday, March 24, 1997

Dogs had their day at NCAA wrestling tourney

By MIKE BURNS
Collegian Sports Writer

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- For a sports fan who roots for the underdog, the 1997 NCAA Wrestling Championships was the place to be Friday as six wrestlers advanced in the championship bracket by knocking off higher-seeded opponents.

Penn State wrestler Biff Walizer attempts to break down his Lock Haven opponent. Walizer was one of five Nittany Lions who lost bouts in the first round of the NCAA wrestling championships. (Collegian Photo/Clinton Marchant - click for full size image)

At 118 pounds, Jessie Whitmer of Iowa started the run by knocking off Big Ten champ and No. 3 seed David Morgan of Michigan State, 7-4, in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Whitmer defeated No. 2 seed and Big 12 champ Teague Moore of Oklahoma State, 10-7, to earn a berth in the finals slated for Saturday night.

"This match (against Moore) was for all the marbles, and I was peaking at the right time," Whitmer said. "I was trying to do the best I could since this is my final year, and it made it very special that I beat a guy from Oklahoma State."

In the other half of the 118-pound bracket, Lindsey Durlacher of Illinois upset No. 1 seed and defending national champion Sheldon Thomas of Clarion, 3-1, to earn the right to meet Whitmer in the final.

The next big upset occurred in the 158-pound semifinal as No. 3 seed Tony Robie of Edinboro defeated No. 2 seed and 1996 NCAA runner-up Ernest Benion of Illinois, 7-5, in overtime to claim his shot at the national title against Iowa's Joe Williams.

At 167 pounds, No. 6 seed Brandon Slay of Penn made it to the finals by beating No. 3 seed Jeff Catrabone of Michigan, 3-1, in overtime in the quarterfinals. He then escaped in a tie-breaker for a 4-3 win over No. 2 seed and Big Ten champ Kevin Wilmot of Wisconsin in the semifinals.

The biggest upset of the day happened in the 177-pound weight class, as unseeded John Van Doren of Lehigh defeated No. 1 seed and Big 12 champ Mark Smith of Oklahoma State, 10-9, in the quarterfinals.

"I knew I was capable of beating him (Smith), but I didn't expect it," Van Doren said after the match.

Van Doren lost his bid for a national title when he was defeated by Big Ten champ and No. 4 seed Mitch Clark of Ohio State, 7-2, in the semifinals.

In the last bout won by an underdog on the day, No. 5 seed Lee Fullhart of Iowa defeated No. 1 seed and No. 1-ranked Jason Robison of Edinboro, 7-4, in the semifinals. Fullhart went on to win the 190-pound title with a 4-3 decision against John Kading of Oklahoma.