Michigan Grappler - Everything wrestling in Michigan

2 Chipps, 2 Wolverines, 1 Spartan advance to NCAA semifinals

7 Michigan Grapplers still alive for National Championship

2008 NCAA Championships

March 20-22 - St Louis, MO

3/21 - Michigan, Central Michigan, and Michigan State will all be

represented in tonight's NCAA Championship Semifinals. Michigan

and CMU each advanced two to the semifinals while MSU's lone

qualifier Franklin Gomez is also still alive for the title.

CMU won two of their four quarterfinal matches as Christian Sinnott

edged Doug Umbeheaur of Rider 3-2 at 184lbs and Wynn Michalak

outlasted Max Askren of Missouri in a wild bout at 197lbs. Michalak,

seeded 4th, was trailing the 5th seeded Askren 3-1 in the 2nd period

when he countered an Askren shot attempt with a cradle good for a

takedown and two nearfall. Michalak took the lead and it held up as

ended the match up 5-4 to move on the semifinals. Brandon Sinnott

and Bubba Gritter both fell in the quarterfinals and now must win at

least one consolation match to become an all-american. Christian

Sinnott will now square off with #1 seed Jake Varner in the semis

while Michalak will meet the top seed at 197lbs in John Glenn of American.

The University of Michigan followed suit, as two of their four quarterfinalists won as well. Top seeded Eric Tannenbaum controlled Northern Iowa's Moza Fay 7-4 at 165lbs while Steve Luke looked equally dominant in a 6-2 win over Matt Stolpinski of Navy. Returning finalist Josh Churella will not be making a repeat run to the finals as he was upended by Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska while UM true freshman Kellen Russell's title run was halted by J Jagger of Ohio State. Luke will now square off with Brandon Browne of Nebraska in the semis and Tannenbaum will meet Mack Lewnes of Cornell.

Michigan State has yet to lose a match in the tournament as their lone qualifier Franklin Gomez has upheld his #1 seed thus far. Gomez used two 2nd period takedowns to get past Minnesota's Mack Reiter in the quarters and he will now meet Iowa's Joe Slaton for the third time this year. Slaton is the only man to beat Gomez this year, but Gomez avenged the loss at the Big Ten tournament two weeks ago.

Two of the three former Davison standouts won their quarterfinal matches. Paul Donahoe knocked off Gabe Flores of Illinois at 125lbs while Brent Metcalf won a closely contested battle with Ohio State's Lance Palmer. Donahoe will now meet up with #2 seed Jayson Ness of Minnesota while Metcalf is slated against the man who just beat Churella, Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska. The third Davison native in the quarters, Jon Reader of Iowa State, ended up on the losing end of a 5-3 decision to Nick Marable of Missouri.

All of Central Michigan's nine qualifiers are still alive as Luke Smith, Conor Beebe, Brandon Carter, and Trevor Stewart are still alive in the consolation bracket. Stewart won a tough consolation match against #7 seed Jake Dieffenbach of Oklahoma State 4-2. All four of these guys are still two wins away from earning all-american honors.

Roger Kish of Minnesota, a former 4x MI state champ for Lapeer West, fell to Iowa State's top seeded Jake Varner in the quarterfinals 2-0.

Here is how the Michigan guys who are still alive fared in their last bouts:

Championship Quarterfinals

125lbs - #3 Paul Donahoe (Nebraska) dec #6 Gabe Flores (Illinois) 4-2

133lbs - #1 Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) dec #8 Mack Reiter (Minnesota) 5-3

141lbs - #6 J Jaggers (Ohio State) dec #3 Kellen Russell (Michigan) 5-3

149lbs - #1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) dec #9 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) 3-2

149lbs - #4 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) dec #5 Josh Churella (Michigan)

165lbs - #1 Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) dec #8 Moza Fay (Northern Iowa) 7-4

165lbs - #3 Nick Marable (Missouri) dec #6 Jon Reader (Iowa State) 5-3

174lbs - #4 Jay Borschel (Iowa) dec #5 Brandon Sinnott (Central Michigan) 8-2

174lbs - #2 Steve Luke (Michigan) dec #7 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) 6-2

184lbs - #1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) dec #8 Roger Kish (Minnesota) 2-0

184lbs - #4 Christian Sinnott (Central Michigan) dec Doug Umbehaur (Rider) 3-2

197lbs - #4 Wynn Michalak (Central Michigan) dec #5 Max Askren (Missouri) 5-4

285lbs - #1 Dustin Fox (Northwestern) dec #8 Bubba Gritter (Central Michigan) 2-1

Consolation Round #3

125lbs - Luke Smith (Central Michigan) dec #12 Tyler Shinn (Oklahoma State) 5-3

133lbs - Conor Beebe (Central Michigan) dec Jeff Hedges (UNC Greensboro) 7-3

149lbs - Brandon Carter (Central Michigan) dec Cesar Grajales (Penn) 4-0

165lbs - #9 Trevor Stewart (Central Michigan) dec #7 Jake Dieffenbach (Oklahoma State) 4-2

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