The Predicament.com-your ultimate Iowa wrestling source

By Matt Pfiffner
Publisher, The Predicament

Sunday, May 31
Challenge Tournament semifinals and finals, consolation matches
3:30 p.m.
Mark Rial and Faruk Sahin advanced to the challenge tournament finals, but as is the case in some weight classes, there was not someone waiting already in the best-of-three finals for Sunday night, so those two advance to face each other for the spot on the World Team.

Also wrestling tonight for spots on the team will be former ISU Cyclone Trent Paulson at 66 kg. in freestyle and former Iowa Hawkeye Steve Mocco at 120 kg. in freestyle.

Action resumes at 6:30 with the best-of-three series finals and the third-place matches.

3:10 p.m.
At 84 kg. in freestyle consolation semifinal action, Rock Rapids native Tom Meester met Keith Gavin and former Iowa Hawkeye Eric Luedke faced Chris Pendleton.

Meester scored first against Gavin with an early takedown. He added another takedown later in the period for a 2-0 advantage. Gavin scored a takedown and turn with 10 seconds left for the 2-2 period win. In the second, Meester scored a takedown in the opening seconds for a quick 1-0 lead. Gavin scored a push out point to knot the period at 1-1. Gavin added a late takedown for a 2-1 lead and won by that score.

Luedke scored the first point against Pendleton and held on for the 1-0 win. In the second, Luedke once again went up 1-0. Pendleton scored a push out, but Luedke scored three in the final seconds with a driving takedown out of bounds for the match win.

2:40 p.m.
In consolation semifinal action at 66kg. in freestyle, Brent Metcalf and Doug Schwab squared off. Metcalf drew first blood with a takedown midway through the first period. Schwab scored a push out with seven seconds left for the 1-1 period win. In the second period, they went to the clinch. Metcalf won the ball draw and took Schwab down right away for the 1-0 period win. In the third and deciding period, Metcalf scored a takedown midway through the period for a 1-0 lead. Schwab countered with a takedown with 30 seconds left for the lead at 1-1. Metcalf could not score in the closing seconds and Schwab advanced to the third-place match.

2:30 p.m.
The first match featuring an Iowan in the afternoon session was in consolation action at 55 kg. freestyle - CR Kennedy State champ and current UNI Panther Cruse Aarhus against Zach Sanders.
After losing the first period 3-2, Aarhus rebounded with a 6-6 win in the second, based on more two-point moves. Sanders dominated the third period, 5-1,to eliminate Aarhus.

At 66 kg. freestyle in consolation action, Doug Schwab won a pair of close periods against Mario Mason, 2-1, 5-4.

At 66 kg. freestyle in the semifinals, current Hawkeye Brent Metcalf faced Jared Frayer. Frayer won the first period 1-0 off the clinch, but Metcalf used a takedown and gut wrench for a 3-0 win in the second. Frayer scored a counter takedown with two seconds left in the third period to win the match.

Tom Meester lost the first period of his freestyle consolation match against Brandon Sinnott at 84 kg., but rallied for the win with a pair of solid 3-0 period wins.

The lone Iowan to reach the finals of the challenge tournament was former Fort Dodge standout Mark Rial at 66 kg. in the Greco-Roman competition. He dropped the first period against Kerry Regner, but used a tough front headlock for three turns in the second period for a 6-0 win in just 21 seconds and used it again on top in the final seconds of the third period for a 2-0 victory.

At 120 kg. in the freestyle consolations, current ISU Cyclone Eric Thompson nearly had Les Sigman pinned in the second period, but had to settle for a 6-0 period win to tie the match. Sigman rallied from an early 3-0 deficit in the third period for a 6-3 win to take the match.

First round, quarterfinal and first-round consolation matches
Action will resume at 1:30 p.m. with semifinals, challenge tournament finals and consolation matches.

11 a.m.
In consolation action at 84 kg. in freestyle, Rock Rapids native Tom Meester faced former ISU Cyclone David Bertolino. Meester used a lift to counter a Bertolino shot in the first period for two points and a 2-0 win. Meester scored a pair of takedowns and leg laces for a 4-0 lead in the second, but Bertolino hit a nice takedown with exposure for three points, to make it a 4-3 match. Meester scored a late takedown for a 5-3 lead and Bertolino could manage just a push out late in the period, for a 5-4 Meester win.

Also at 84 kg., former Hawkeye Eric Luedke remained alive in the tournament with a consolation win over James Yonushonis.

10:45 a.m.
At 120 kg. in freestyle, current ISU Cyclone Eric Thompson faced off against Dom Bradley. Bradley pushed Thompson out of bounds in the opening seconds of the first period for a 1-0 win. In the second period, Thompson scored first with a push out, but Bradley scored a pair of takedowns and a late push out for the 3-1 victory.

10:20 a.m.
The lone Iowan in Sunday's Greco-Roman tournament was victorious in his first bout. Mark Rial faced Teyon Ware in a very tough quarterfinal bout. Ware turned Rial late in the first period for a 2-0 win, but Rial rebounded with a beautiful throw in the second for a 4-1 win. In the third and deciding period, it was scoreless with 30 seconds left and Rial got the chance to start on top. He turned Ware and kept him on his back for the match win. He will wrestle in the semifinals this afternoon.

A pair of former in-state wrestlers hit the mats at 84 kg. in freestyle action.

Eric Luedke, a former Hawkeye, came in as the top seed, but lost to Carl Fronhofer, 0-2, 3-0, 0-1. After a tough first period, Luedke dominated the second, but was pushed out of bounds in the third for the only point.

Former Cyclone David Bertolino lost to Chris Pendleton, 4-6, 0-1. The first period saw Bertolino fall behind early and just fall short of the comeback bid. Pendleton scored a push out point in the second to advance to the semifinals.

10 a.m.
A pair of wrestlers from the Iowa room started their tournaments at 66 kg. in freestyle with mixed results.

Brent Metcalf scored three takedowns in a 2-0, 1-0 opening round win over Kevin LeValley. On the other side of the bracket, the wrestler who defeated Metcalf in the NCAA finals, Darrion Caldwell, shocked 2009 Olympian Doug Schwab, 1-0, 2-1. Caldwell used his speed for three takedowns, while Schwab scored in the closing seconds of the second period, but could not execute a late leg lace for the period win.

9:55 a.m.
The first two Iowans to wrestle in the morning session weren't that successful.

At 55 kg. in freestyle, Cruse Aarhus of UNI was defeated by Logan Stieber, 5-0, 6-0. Stieber dominated from start to finish.

At 84 kg. in freestyle, Rock Rapids native Tom Meester was defeated by Zack Giesen, 8-0, 1-0. Giesen rolled in the first period and scored a push out with 30 seconds left in the second period for the win.

8:35 a.m.
Several wrestlers from the state will once again be in action on the second and final day of wrestling at the World Team Trials.
They are:
55 kg. freestyle - Cruse Aarhus, UNI
66 kg. freestyle - Brent Metcalf, Iowa; Doug Schwab, former Iowa; winner of challenge tournament faces Trent Paulson, former ISU
84 kg. freestyle - Eric Luedke, former Iowa; Tom Meester, Rock Rapids native; David Bertolino, former ISU
120 kg. freestyle - Eric Thompson, ISU; winner of challenge tournament faces Steve Mocco, former Iowa
66 kg. Greco-Roman - Mark Rial, Fort Dodge native