In the last match of Session II, Eric Bugenhagen survived a close battle against Eddie Bordas of Rider, 5-1, in the wrestlebacks at heavyweight.
With the first period going scoreless, Bugenhagen started down in the second period. He escaped one second into the period to go up 1-0.
In the third period, Bugenhagen secured riding time and allowed Bordas to escape to have the match tied at 1-1. Bordas used up his injury time though, allowing Bugenhagen to choose to go to the down position. Bugenhagen then escaped with 27 seconds left to go up 2-1. With one second left, Bordas was called for fleeing the mat. Riding time made it 5-1.
Team standings through Championship Second Round:
1. Iowa 33.5
2. Oklahoma State 23.0
3. Cornell 21.0
4. Wisconsin 20.0
5. Iowa State 19.0
Ohio State 19.0
7. Oklahoma 18.5
8. Lehigh 17.0
9. Central Michigan 16.0
Penn State 16.0
Other Big Ten Schools
11. Minnesota 15.0
15. Michigan State 11.0
22. Purdue 9.0
27. Indiana 8.5
31. Illinois 7.5
32. Michigan 7.0
59. Northwestern 0.0
Cole Schmitt scored a 10-2 major decision over Ryan Adams of North Dakota State to stay alive in the wrestlebacks at 141 lbs.
Schmitt moved ahead 2-0 with a takedown 55 seconds into the match. In the closing seconds of the first period, he picked up 3 nearfall points to lead 5-0 after 1.
Starting in neutral in the 2nd, Adams was able to get a takedown, but Schmitt escaped to lead 6-2 after 2 periods.
Schmitt started down in the 3rd period but escaped 10 seconds into the final frame to go up 7-2. He then got a takedown 30 seconds into the period. With the addition of riding time, Schmitt won 10-2.
Through the second round of the heavyweight division of the championship round, Wisconsin sits in 4th place with 20 points. Iowa leads all schools with 33.5 points
In a matchup of ranked wrestlers, No. 5 Trevor Brandvold downed No. 12 Brent Haynes of Missouri, 5-2, at 197 lbs.
With 1:11 left in the first period, Brandvold earned a takedown to go up 2-0.
To start the second period, Brandvold began down and escaped 13 seconds in. A takedown from Haynes with 1:36 remaining cut the lead to 3-2, but Brandvold escaped with 1 minute remaining.
Haynes started in the down position in the third period, and Brandvold was able to ride him the entire frame to earn riding time and win 5-2.
Sophomore Travis Rutt took an early lead, but he was overcome by No. 1 Kirk Smith of Boise State in a second round matchup at 184 lbs.
After a scoreless first period, Rutt earned an escape after starting down in the second period. The lead would not last though as Smith got a takedown with 51 seconds left.
Smith started the third period down and escaped then scored a takedown in the first 48 seconds of the third period to move up 5-1. Rutt escaped with 33 seconds left, but riding time was given to Smith to make it a 6-2 final.
Sophomore and No. 1 seed Andrew Howe won his second round match in dominating fashion over Justin Kerber of Cornell, 14-3. Howe finished with an impressive 3:39 of riding time in the match.
Howe got right to work, scoring a takedown 6 seconds into the match. He let Kerber up at 1:51, but then took him down 11 seconds later. Another escape was followed by another takedown as Howe led 6-2 after one period.
The second period started with Howe down, but he got a reversal to make it 8-2 with 1:06 left. An escape by Kerber was then followed by takedown from Howe. The second period ended with Howe up 10-3.
The third period featured Howe escaping as he started down. He then used a takedown and riding time to advance to the quarterfinals.
Kyle Ruschell, the No. 4 seed at 149 lbs., was upset in the second round by Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro, 6-4.
Ruschell jumped out to a 3-0 lead after scoring a takedown in the waning seconds of the first period and then an escape six seconds into the second period.
The wrestlers started in neutral for the third period. Gillespie got a takedown with 1:30 left in the match, but Ruschell was able to escape to take a 4-2 lead with 1:22 remaining.
Gillespie was able to take him down though with 33 seconds left and then earned backpoints with 17 seconds left to earn the upset win.
No. 8 Tyler Graff had little trouble with No. 9 Steve Bell of Maryland in a second round match. Graff cruised to a 13-5 win to reach the quarterfinals at 133 lbs.
Thirty seconds into the match, Graff got a takedown to go up 2-0. An escape by Bell was followed by another takedown by Graff to go ahead 4-1. A reversal by Bell cut the lead to 4-3, but an escape gave Graff a 5-3 lead after an exciting first period.
Graff escaped after starting in the down position in the second period. He then scored a takedown with 33 seconds left in the period to go up 8-3. In the final 7 seconds of the period, Bell escaped but Graff got a last-second takedown to lead 10-4 after two periods.
The third period featured only two scores as Bell escaped at the 1:45 mark, while Graff added a takedown with 19 seconds left. Adding in riding time, Graff prevailed 13-5.
