Rams crown three champs at Matman
Men's Wrestling - Mon, Jan 16, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Results
MOUNT VERNON - In a meet featuring 10 nationally-ranked teams and 28 rated wrestlers, Cornell College crowned the most individual champions and scored the second-most team points before its home fans at the Matman Invitational Saturday in the arena of the Small Multi-Sport Center.
Seniors Timothy Hood (125 pounds), Tigue Snider (133) and Joe Hambleton (165) all went out with titles in their final Matman appearances. Hood was voted Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament after knocking off two higher-ranked foes to win his weight class.
Coach Mike Duroe's sixth-ranked Rams scored 117 points to place a solid second in the 14-team field. Cornell finished comfortably ahead of 10th-ranked Luther (94.5 points) in third place and top-ranked Wartburg (94.0) in fourth. No. 4 Coe won the team title with 153 points.
"We did some things very well and were competitive in most of the weight classes," Cornell head coach Mike Duroe said. "At the same time we have some upperclassmen now who are not performing up to their capabilities. These guys are wrestling too tentative and not giving themselves a chance to win. We have to double and triple our efforts in areas we need to improve."
Hood made an impressive run through the tournament's toughest weight class, which fielded five of the top eight 125-pounders in NCAA Division III. The eighth-ranked and third-seeded Hood (20-4) opened the day with a pin in 2:37 over Lakeland's Grant Franson, and then coasted to a 15-0 technical fall in the quarterfinals over Carl Deluca of UW-Oshkosh.
Hood earned a 9-5 semifinal win over seventh-ranked Jimmy Gotto of Coe. He claimed the championship with an 8-4 victory over fifth-ranked Daniel Mendoza of Luther. Hood jumped to a quick 5-0 first-period lead in the finals en route to his 11th consecutive win.
"What has really impressed me about Tim Hood is his mental approach to the sport," Duroe said. "He hates to lose. He hates to give up a point in practice. That's why he's been so successful. He's real smart in his training and preparation."
Snider won the 133-pound bracket with a 4-0 record as the No. 3 seed. He notched a 15-8 semifinal victory over eighth-ranked and second-seeded Jacob Williams of NAIA's Concordia (Neb.). Snider scored a 5-1 win over Coe's Jordan Westfall in the championship match.
Snider recorded a technical fall (22-7) and decision (10-4) in his first two bouts. He raised his season record to 18-9.
"Tigue is going to gain a lot of confidence from winning this tournament," Duroe said. "He's a leader in the room and off the mat. He has a strong work ethic and it's starting to pay off."
Hambleton picked up Cornell's third individual title, receiving a medical forfeit from Coe's top-ranked Nick LeClere in a much-anticipated 165-pound final. The second-seeded Hambleton advanced to the championship with a 3-1 semifinal decision over Luther's Garret Bonte. He collected a major decision (14-3), pin (1:57) and forfeit in the early rounds.
Hambleton stretched his winning streak to nine matches. He is the team leader in wins with a 25-3 record.
Sophomore 10th-ranked Alex Coolidge finished 4-1 and placed third at 197. He lost by fall in the semifinals to Augsburg's fourth-ranked Brad Baus. Coolidge rebounded with a 5-1 consolation victory before prevailing 4-3 in the third-place match against Alex Moreno of Stevens Institute of Technology. Coolidge also earned a pair of major decisions, moving his record to 16-6.
The Rams had four wrestlers place sixth in Michael Buhr at 141, Nicholas Loughlin at 157, Andrew Roberts at 184 and Wyatt Bauman at 285. The top-seeded Loughlin dropped a tough 6-5 semifinal battle - decided in overtime by a penalty point - to ninth-ranked Cole Welter of Wartburg.
Rams in the rankings - Cornell remained No. 6 for the second consecutive week in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Team Poll, released Jan. 10.
The Rams have four rated individuals, led by second-ranked Nicholas Loughlin (21-7) at 157. Hambleton held the No. 4 spot at 165. Hood jumped two slots to No. 8 at 125. Coolidge came in at No. 10 at 197 for the second week in a row.
Coming up - The Rams (6-2 overall, 1-0 Iowa Conference) gear up for a Saturday night (Jan. 21) showdown with top-ranked Wartburg (12-1, 2-0 IIAC) at 7 in Waverly. The defending national champion Knights won the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals earlier this month.
"Any time you have a chance to wrestle the No. 1 team in the country, you have to be excited about it," Duroe said. "We have nothing to lose or protect, and everything to gain. It's a challenge."
Cornell competes in the IIAC Duals Jan. 28, hosted by Central in Pella. The Rams are slated to wrestle Buena Vista, Luther, Loras and Central.
"We have seven dual meets the next four weeks," Duroe said. "It will be very important that we build some momentum."
