'M' gobbles up Wendy's foes

Wrestlers perfect on weekend

By Nathan Linsley

Daily Sports Writer

Perfection.

It is not often that a team can begin a full day of competition and expect to shutout three teams in a row, but that is exactly what happened Sunday for the Michigan wrestling team at the Wendy's Classic Duals in Ashland, Ohio.

The Wolverines (7-0) did not surrender a match in their three duals on the afternoon, defeating Binghamton, 45-0, Marquette, 50-0 and Cleveland State 48-0.

All three of the victories saw the Wolverines score bonus points with nine technical falls and five pins total.

"It gives us a lot of confidence going into next weekend," said sophomore A.J. Grant, noting the National Duals which begin on Saturday in State College.

The eighth-ranked Wolverines are riding a wave of confidence with the three victories improving their season dual meet record to a perfect 7-0.

Senior co-captains Joe DeGain and Otto Olson led the charge with DeGain winning twice by fall and Olson recording three technical falls.

Coach Joe McFarland had the opportunity to mix up the lineup a bit with Katsuhiko Sueda (125), Mark Churella (157) and Daniel Seder (149), all competing in their first dual meets of the season.

The lineup changes are important to build experience and confidence for the backup wrestlers as the Big Ten schedule begins on Jan. 26 when the Wolverines face Minnesota, the top-ranked team in the nation.

In a grueling sport such as wrestling, the threat of injury makes it necessary for everyone on the team to be ready to step in immediately.

"It's good that the other guys got a chance to wrestle," Grant said. "They got their confidence up, because they really wrestled well this weekend."

133-pounder Foley Dowd and 141-pound Clark Forward also won three times for the Wolverines, who took six matches by forfeit.

While the competition this weekend was a step below the Big Ten, the team was able to take advantage of the opportunity to refine its moves and sharpen its competitive edge.

"You're still working hard because you are working all of your moves," Grant said. "It gives you a chance to work on your whole arsenal."

Michigan will need its whole arsenal in the weeks to come with matchups against Minnesota, Iowa and hated rival Michigan State on the horizon.

Cyclone ties record: Iowa State junior Cael Sanderson tied one of the most revered records in sports this weekend when he won his 100th-consecutive match. The streak ties the record set by former Cyclones star and the legendary Iowa coach, Dan Gable.

Sanderson is undefeated in his collegiate career, posting records of 39-0 as a freshman and 40-0 as a sophomore. He is bidding to become the first ever undefeated, four-time NCAA champion.

A win next weekend at the National Duals would break the record, which Gable set in 1970.