Judging by its performance in pre-season meets, you wouldn't think the Michigan wrestling team was starting seven underclassmen.
The Wolverines continued to post impressive results in their early season tournaments, as seven wrestlers placed in the top five of their weight class in the Northern Open.
The tournament was held at Wisconsin over Thanksgiving weekend.
Of the seven wrestlers, five were either freshmen or sophomores. Freshman Damion Logan gained most of the spotlight, as he placed second in the 126-pound weight class, losing a close 4-1 match to Wisconsin's All-American Eric Jetton.
Logan was placed in the lineup to replace All-American Brandon Howe, who is out for the season with an injury.
Logan's second-place finish follows titles in Michigan's two previous tournaments.
Logan attributed his loss to inexperience.
"I've got nothing to lose," he said. "I know I can wrestle with these guys, but I need to mature a little."
Nevertheless, Michigan coach Dale Bahr is pleased with what he has seen thus far.
"Damion is the best true freshman I have seen at any of our tournaments," Bahr said.
"We knew he was extremely talented when we recruited him, but to win two of your first three tournaments and finish second at the other is impressive."
Among the other underclassmen who wrestled well for the Wolverines were freshman Otto Olson and sophomores Corey Grant and Jeff Reese.
Grant finished fourth after placing first and second, respectively, in the Wolverines' previous two meets.
The lone champion for Michigan was junior Jeff Catrabone, who defeated Kevin Wilot, 4-0, to capture the 167-pound title.
Catrabone is ranked third in the nation. He is unbeaten this season and needs only three more victories to amass 100 for his Michigan career.
"No one has touched Jeff yet," Bahr said. "He has the tools to be one of the top wrestlers at 167 pounds."
Junior Bill Lacure took second in the tournament despite wrestling up at 158 pounds. Lacure lost a close 5-4 match to Matt Hughes of Eastern Illinois.
"I kind of sat on my lead and lost control at the end of the match," he said.
Lacure said it was possible that moving up a weight class put him at a disadvantage.
"I don't want to make excuses, but it might have (played a part in the loss)," Lacure said. "He was bigger than me."
Lacure will move down to his regular weight of 150 for the dual-meet season.
Heavyweight Airron Richardson matched his second-place finish at the Michigan Open on Nov. 24.
Richardson is ranked fifth in the nation and has lost only two matches this season.
Bahr said the only disappointment of the tournament was that the Wolverines only had one champion.
"We wrestled really well all day, but then lost in the last match," Bahr said. "We've got to win in the finals."
There was no team-scoring in the tournament, and the Wolverines were allowed to enter an unlimited number of wrestlers per weight class.
The Wolverines travel to Las Vegas this weekend for their first team tournament.