Wrestling rallies to beat Cornell

Tigers take down No. 16 Cornell at the Hearnes Center.

By Ryan Huber

Published Jan. 29, 2008

In search of its first home dual victory of the season, the No. 11 Tiger wrestling squad came out in force Sunday afternoon at the Hearnes Center, pulling out a 21-13 victory over the No. 16 Cornell Big Red for its fourth come-from-behind victory on the year.

Down 13-10 with three bouts left in the match, No. 4-ranked senior Raymond Jordan dominated the third period against sophomore and Kansas City native Michael Moore in the 184-pound bout. Jordan took Moore down five times in the final 1:28 to seal off a 17-6 victory and put Tigers in the lead, 14-13.

“I got off to a slow start in my match,” Jordan said. “But then I started to feel better as the match went on. I could tell that Mike was getting tired and I knew I could take him down easier.”

No. 4-ranked sophomore Max Askren continued the takedown onslaught against sophomore Taylor Moore, twin brother of Mike, compiling six takedowns in his 16-3 win.

To finish off the match, No. 13-ranked Mark Ellis, a sophomore clinched a double overtime victory as he escaped the grips of No. 10-ranked Zach Hammond, a senior, for a 2-1 win. Ellis sprained his ankle at a team function on Jan. 22, but it didn’t hold him back.

“We are starting to wrestle better,” coach Brian Smith said. “I don’t think we are where we need to be, but it’s not March either. “In the last month of practice there has been a lot more focus. I think getting your teeth kicked in by Iowa and teams like that at the National Duals wakes you up. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes that, but we have woken up and we realize we have talent, we can win if we start doing the small things right.”

Following losses at the 125-pound and 133-pound weight class, junior Marcus Hoehn and Josh Wagner battled deep into their bouts, claiming 9-3 and 14-3 victories, respectively.

The 165-pound bout showcased No. 2 versus No. 4 as Tiger Nick Merable took on freshman Mack Lewnes. Plagued by an upset stomach, Merable had to take an injury timeout with under two minutes left in the second period to find the nearest trashcan. Following the delay, he held off a ferocious attack by Lewnes in the last 17 seconds of the match as Lewnes tried to gain top position for a two-point takedown. Nearly pulling off the upset, the third bout ended with Marable up 3-2.

Askren appeared back to form in his match compared to his performances last year when he was ranked as the top wrestler in the nation as a freshman.

“I am having fun,” he said. “Last year I kind of got caught up with winning and the ratings. It stopped being fun when you are worried about measuring yourself all the time. I had a blast today.”

“Max is focused,” Smith said. “In the beginning of the year, he had some focus issues and I’m sure Ben (Askren) talked with him, but he is there ... He doesn’t care where he is ranked, he doesn’t care who he is wrestling, he is going out there.”

Ellis’ gutsy performance followed a rough patch in his season, losing to three Top 10 opponents heading in the match.

“When I woke up this morning I said, no matter what, I have to win today,” he said. “I am on a three-match losing streak. The longer the match went, the better it was for me, he would get more tired and I would win.”