Youth prevails against Spartans By Jon Schwartz Daily Sports Writer In the beginning, it was difficult to tell exactly which side had the crowd's favor in yesterday's wrestling match between Michigan and Michigan State at Cliff Keen Arena. But in the afternoon's second match, at 184 pounds, pitting Michigan's Andy Hrovat against the Spartans' James Brimm, it became clear - these fans were behind the Michigan youngsters. The Wolverines have an abundance of young stars on this year's roster, including several wrestlers who have had to step up due to the team's many injuries. But none have had a bigger all-around impact than Hrovat, a sophomore, and 125-pound freshman A.J. Grant. And it showed against the Spartans. Hrovat's match against Brimm was their second duel this season - Hrovat tallied a fall 1:16 into the match the first time they met. From the start, when meet announcer Matt Stout informed the crowd of the previous meeting, the Michigan faithful were hoping for a repeat performance by Hrovat. He didn't disappoint. "I knew (Brimm) was going to be more defensive," Hrovat said, "so I'd have to get my offense going." After a scoreless first round, Hrovat took a 3-1 lead into the third round. But the sophomore star wasn't ready to settle for a minor decision. He wanted the fall. "I kind of knew that he was going to get tired," Hrovat said. "I knew that later in the match I'd have the chance to pin him." Hrovat took over in the third round. After running the score up to 10-4, he finally recorded the pin that he was waiting for at 1:39 of the third round. "Andy got us rolling again," Michigan coach Joe McFarland said. "Those extra points, that's what we've been talking about all week. That makes the difference in the dual." To get the pin, Hrovat used his signature move, a double leg takedown. It is a move that he has used at every opportunity so far in his career. "That's my bread-and-butter shot and I think that I can hit it on every single guy in the country," Hrovat said. "That's what I'm going to keep going back to if I need to score." After the Hrovat match, the Michigan fans were lulled to sleep by Joe DeGain's loss at 197 pounds and by heavyweight Matt Brink's 2-1 defensive and technical victory. But the excitement returned to the meet when Grant stepped onto the mat against Chris Williams. The 125-pound match had some history behind it. The two fighters had met often in high-school with Williams, who is older, often prevailing. And in their two meetings this season, Grant had lost by one point each time. But Grant wasn't ready to swallow another defeat. "I was ready for him," Grant said. "I wanted to go out and attack him right away and that's what I did." Throughout the first two rounds, the symmetry of the two wrestlers showed. Locked 2-2 after the first round and 5-5 after the second, neither wrestler seemed able to pull out an advantage. But at 1:15 of the third round, Grant scored a pivotal takedown that ended up being the determining point in the match. As the seconds wound down and time finally expired, Grant stood at the center of the mat, his hands raised in victory, his mind focused on finally beating his rival. "It feels good," Grant said. "I'm starting to get more confidence now so it feels better." Williams' spirits weren't nearly as high. The sophomore had to be pushed back onto the mat to shake hands with his opponent after the loss. At the end of the meet, McFarland had a smile from ear to ear. Despite a long season ahead of them, the coach has two young stars to rely on. JOANNA PAINE/Daily Michigan 125-pounder A.J. Grant has performed beyond his age this year. The freshman's victory over Michigan State's Chris Williams only added to his successful year. Originally on page 6B in the 1-24-2000 issue of the Daily.