For the third consecutive match, the UW wrestling team (5-3 Big Ten, 14-4-1 overall) needed a dramatic heavyweight performance from No. 4 ranked junior Kyle Massey to claim victory at the UW Field House. On Friday, the No. 10 Northwestern Wildcats became the latest victims.
Trailing 19-18 entering the final match of the dual, the Badgers sent Massey to the mats to wrestle NU's No. 1 ranked and undefeated heavyweight grappler Dustin Fox. After Fox jumped ahead early in the match, Massey recorded a reversal in the second period to hold the slim 2-1 edge heading into the final frame.
Fox evened the match after logging an escape with 1:22 remaining in the bout. However, Massey responded with a takedown to open a two-point lead with only 46 seconds remaining, a lead that he would never relinquish, pulling off a 5-3 upset win over Fox.
The Badger win proves even more admirable after they climbed out of an early 6-0 deficit following Wildcat Brandon Precins' pin of No. 20 UW senior Colin Cudd in the opening 125-pound bout.
In the 133-pound division, Badger junior Zach Tanelli cut NU's lead to 6-3 after dismantling Wildcat Eric Metzler 8-1 in a match that was never in doubt.
The Wildcats quickly answered by winning each of the next two affairs, widening their margin to 13-3.
However, in the 157-pound division, UW's reliable All-American senior Craig Henning put the Badgers back on the winning side. Leading 4-0 heading into the final period, Henning surrendered five points from his opponent, but was able to match that outburst to claim the decision with a 9-5 edge.
In the 165-pound match, UW senior Jake Donar tallied his sixth pin of the season a mere 1:04 into the bout to draw the Badgers within one at 13-12 with four matches remaining.
Once again Northwestern re-established their lead and opened the gap back to four points following Wildcat Nick Hayws 15-11 win over Badger senior Dan Clum.
Trailing 16-12, UW benefited from sophomore Trevor Brandvold's pin of NU's Adil Kolovic in the 184-pound class. The six-point decision gave the Badgers a two-point lead with only two matches remaining.
In the 197-pounds division, UW's No. 8 junior Dallas Herbst was matched up with No. 2 ranked Mike Tamillow of Northwestern. The match was never easy for Herbst as he fell behind 2-0 early in the first period. The second period did not get much better as Tamillow added three more points to his lead as he cruised to the 6-1 win.
The loss would be the last for UW as Massey recorded a major upset and dethroned Fox to claim the dual in the heavyweight division.
UW has the weekend off before heading to Minneapolis for the Big Ten Championships March 8 and 9.
- uwbadgers.com contributed
to this report.
