March 16, 2007
Brackets: End of Day Two
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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Northwestern enjoyed a successful fourth session of the NCAA Championships as top-seeded Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) and Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward) advanced to the championship finals and the Wildcats earned four All-America honors for the first time since 1990. Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion) and Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) are All-Americans for the first time in their careers while Lang and Herbert earned their second and third career honors, respectively. The 'Cats sit fifth in the overall team standings with 62 points.
Team Standings:
1. Iowa State - 83.5
2. Minnesota - 80
3. Missouri - 69.5
4. Oklahoma State - 62.5
5. Northwestern - 62
6. Michigan - 55.5
Television Coverage
On Saturday morning, for the first time ever, ESPNU will carry live the All-American rounds beginning at 9 a.m. CT. ESPN will air the championships live at 7 p.m. CT Saturday.
Lang continued to provide the crowd with dramatics and his coaches with near-coronaries as he won a 3-2 decision over Rider's Don Fisch in the semifinals. The top-seeded junior notched a pin after an 11-point first period in his quarterfinal match earlier on Friday.
The first period ended with no score, but Lang got on the board first with an escape in the opening seconds of the second period. However, Fisch, who had knocked off three seeded wrestlers entering the match, pulled ahead of Lang with a takedown late in the period.
Neither wrestler could change the score in the third period and entering the final 20 seconds of the match, it appeared Fisch had registered his fourth upset of the tournament. After multiple stalemates, Lang took a last dive at Fisch's ankles in the closing seconds of the match and brought his opponent down for a takedown and a 3-2 decision.
Rider protested the call and after nearly a 10-minute deliberation, the takedown call was upheld and Lang advanced to the finals where he will face UC Davis' second-seeded Derek Moore Saturday night.
"There can never be any doubt in your mind that you can get a takedown when there is still time on the clock," Lang said. "If there is still time left, there is time to score."
Herbert absolutely dominated Michigan's fourth-seeded Tyrel Todd, cruising to a 13-4 major decision in the semifinals. The Wildcat did not waste any time, scoring four points on a takedown and near-fall in the first period.
The junior continued to pressure Todd, allowing several escapes, but extending his lead with a reversal and two more takedowns in the second. Herbert added a third-period takedown and held significant riding advantage to seal the major decision.
Herbert faces Iowa State's sixth-seeded Jake Varner in Saturday night's finals. Varner downed Minnesota's second-seeded Roger Kish in the semifinals. Herbert and Varner have not wrestled each other this season.
"You have to block everything out when you are out there wrestling," Herbert said. "I know Jake (Varner) is a good kid and works hard so it will be a great championship match."
Tamillow clinched All-America status with a 10-3 decision over Wisconsin's 12th-seeded Dallas Herbst. Tamillow scored two takedowns and an escape in the first period to take a 5-3 lead going into the second.
The Wildcat registered an escape and another takedown in the second to take an 8-3 advantage through two periods. He added a riding point in the third for the 10-3 decision.
Tamillow fell by 5-4 decision to Ohio State's J.D. Bergman in his next consolation match and will wrestle for seventh place Saturday morning.
Fox traded escapes with Tennessee-Chattanooga's Matt Coz, but used a riding time advantage to take a 2-1 decision and win All-America honors for the first time in his career. After a win by forfeit in his next consolation match, Fox will wrestle for a place in the third-place match Saturday morning. He takes on Central Michigan's third-seeded Bubba Gritter.
Northwestern Results:
#1 Lang (NU) dec. Fisch (Rider), 3-2
Period 1: No Score
Period 2: 1 ESC (NU), 2 TD (Rider)
Period 3: 2 TD (NU)
#1 Herbert (NU) maj dec. #4 Todd (MICH), 13-4
Period 1: 2 TD (NU), 2 NF (NU)
Period 2: 2 REV (NU), 1 ESC (MICH), 2 TD (NU), 1 ESC (MICH), 2 TD (NU), 1 ESC (NU)
Period 3: 2 TD (NU), 1 ESC (MICH)
#3 Tamillow (NU) dec. #12 Herbst (WIS), 10-3
#4 Fox (NU) dec. Matt Koz (Chattanooga), 2-1
#4 Fox (NU) win by forfeit Spaid (Bloomsburg)
#6 J.D. Bergman (Ohio State) dec. Tamillow (NU), 5-4