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Michigan wrestlers pinned by Spartans

To have it or not to have it, that's the question.

The "it" is, in this case, experience, and when it comes down to the crunch, the Michigan wrestling team doesn't have it.

Last night, the No. 17 Wolverines finally came out on the wrong side of a close one, losing to No. 4 Michigan State in front of a full house at Cliff Keen Arena.

As has been the case in each of Michigan's previous two meets, the Wolverines managed only one win in the first few matches. The difference in this contest, however, was that one of these losses was a pin, making that particular victory worth six points instead of the usual three or four.

After a loss by freshman Joe Warren at 118 pounds, sophomore Brandon Howe gained a decision over Spartan Brian Bolton to pull Michigan within a point at 4-3.

Wolverine freshman Corey Grant followed with a close overtime loss to Michigan State senior captain Jed Kramer at 134, and then the roof fell in.

Less than two minutes into the first period, eighth-ranked Spartan senior Phil Judge pinned 142 pound freshman Jeff Reese, giving the visitors a huge 10-point lead.

"The slimmest difference in the dual meet was the difference between throwing a freshman out there against a fifth-year senior at 142," Michigan coach Dale Bahr said.

Sophomores Bill Lacure and Jeff Catrabone, at 150 and 158 pounds, respectively, both won four-point major decisions to bring the Wolverines within two at 13-11, once again leaving the fate of the meet hanging in the balance going into the last four matches.

A loss by Michigan's Josh Young at 167 and a win by Wolverine senior captain Jesse Rawls Jr. rang the score to 17-14, Spartans, and the night's result was placed squarely on the shoulders of Michigan senior Lanre Olabisi in the penultimate match at 190 pounds.

Olabisi kept the contest against eighth-ranked Spartan Brian Picklo close into the third stanza.

But when Picklo followed up an escape with a takedown with less than a minute remaining, Michigan's fate -- barring a pin in the final heavyweight contest -- was sealed.

Michigan's No. 7 heavyweight Airron Richardson, who saved not only the day but the entire past weekend for the Wolverines with key wins at No. 8 Illinois and No. 18 Northwestern, came close to getting the critical pin early in the first period.

But his opponent, Jason Peterson, was able to stall Richardson long enough to hold him to a 9-1 major decision.

In a situation that is becoming all too familiar to Bahr and his troops, there isn't too much to tell the heavier wrestlers as they go into their matches needing to pull the Wolverines out of sizable holes.

"We tell them we have to get a pin," Bahr said. "Once you lose a pin you've got to offset it with a pin."

Despite the loss, Bahr was upbeat about last night's event.

"I think it's a great match for wrestling, whenever you get two highly competitive schools and you get (a capacity crowd) on a cold winter night," he said.

"I'd like to have won the (meet), but the matches were exciting, and that's good for wrestling."