The MSU wrestling team got a good look at its competition by hosting 18 teams and about 400 wrestlers at the MSU Open this weekend at Jenison Field House.
And head coach Tom Minkel said he was very pleased with where his team stands after its second tournament of the year.
“The level was really high and intense this weekend. This has evolved into one of the toughest college tournaments in the country,” Minkel said. “This is a great way to start the season because at this level of competition we really can see things we need to work on to win.”
Senior Karl Nadolsky was one of eight Spartan grapplers to place in the tournament, improving on last weekend’s runner-up finish by winning the 149-pound division title. Nadolsky, the top-seeded wrestler at 149 pounds, defeated Pittsburgh’s Justin Giovinco 3-1 in the title bout.
Though Nadolsky finished at the top, he said he wished last weekend’s rival, Ohio State’s Jake Percival, would have been in attendance. Percival defeated Nadolsky 3-2 in the final match at the Eastern Michigan Wrestling Open on Nov. 2, and was expected to be the top seed until he withdrew from the competition Saturday.
“(Percival) was my motivation for this weekend, and all of a sudden he’s not here and I get bumped up to the No. 1 seed,” Nadolsky said. “It shifted that thought process for me, but then the expectations are high and I had to win it.”
Adding to MSU’s honors by finishing runner-up in the 197-pound division was senior Nik Fekete.
Fekete, the top-seed in the 197-pound division, advanced to the championship bout before receiving the short end of a 2-1 decision to Anton Talamantes of Ohio State. The tournament was Fekete’s first since a season-ending shoulder injury last year, leaving Minkel impressed with his hard work.
“For him to come right out of the gate, I was very pleased with where he’s at, given what he’s had to go through,” Minkel said. “I’m really certain he’ll continue to improve on the base that he has.”
Freshman Nick Simmons garnered runner-up honors in the 125-pound division.
Simmons bowed out with a 6-1 loss to Michigan’s A.J. Grant.
At the 184-pound division and heavyweight level, seniors Rashad Evans and John Wechter each took sixth place, respectively. Wechter advanced to the semifinals before dropping a 7-3 decision to defending National Champion Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State.
Three more grapplers rounded out Spartan finishers at the individual meet. Freshman Darren McKnight downed SUNY-Brockport’s Kris Harrington 9-4 in the seventh-place match, while freshman Craig Trombly and junior Anton Hall took home eighth place in the 141 and 174-pound divisions, respectively.
“We have a very committed team, a very mature group of kids, and I think we’ll make good progress throughout the year,” Minkel said.
