Simmons brothers leave lasting mark on program
It was over in 58 seconds. Friday was the last time Nick Simmons stepped on the wrestling platform at Jenison Field House for a dual meet.
It was over in 58 seconds. Friday was the last time Nick Simmons stepped on the wrestling platform at Jenison Field House for a dual meet.
Senior brothers Nick and Andy Simmons will wrestle in their final dual meet tonight when the No. 22 MSU wrestling team takes on No.
No. 2-ranked senior Nick Simmons posted his 45th fall Sunday against Penn State's Bryan Heller to tie the all-time record in MSU wrestling history. Wrestling at 141 pounds for the second time in his career, Simmons moved up from his usual weight class of 133 Friday against Indiana to fill in for brother Andy Simmons, who was out with an injury.
The No. 22 MSU wrestling team will conclude its Big Ten play this weekend when it hosts to No. 18 Indiana today and No.
It was a rough Friday night for the No. 20 MSU wrestling team when it was ousted, 35-4, by No. 1 Minnesota. Senior Nick Simmons recorded the lone victory for the Spartans (3-8 overall, 2-4 Big Ten), and freshman Franklin Gomez and senior Andy Simmons' Big Ten undefeated streaks came to an end. Freshman Rocky Cozart nearly recorded a victory for the Spartans, but was edged, 14-12, in a sudden-victory overtime against Minnesota's Tyler Safratowich. The Spartans returned to action to close out another weekend of road meets when they faced No.
The No. 20 MSU wrestling team will embark on its toughest and most crucial road trip of the season when it travels to face No.
After a stunning 19-14 upset loss to Ohio State on Friday, the No. 19 Spartans (3-6 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) bounced back Sunday at Purdue (10-6, 0-6) with a 21-14 victory. Perhaps even more surprising than Friday's defeat was 133-pound No.
For nearly 3,000 fans watching Alan O'Donnell's victory on Sunday, it would be hard to believe he started his wrestling career as a freshman in high school. The meet came down to the last match.
The No. 23 MSU wrestling team defeated No. 17 Michigan Sunday at Jenison Field House to win the overall meet, 21-17, and claim its first dual win over U-M since 2003. Senior brothers Nick and Andy Simmons put the Spartans ahead early, 15-0, but five match wins by the Wolverines put the Maize and Blue back in the picture near the end. With the Spartans hanging on to a slim 18-17 lead, the final decision came down to a double-overtime final match when freshman Alan O'Donnell defeated U-M's Omar Maktabi, 2-1, to secure the victory. "That was the biggest win of my career," O'Donnell said in a written statement.
Wrestling head coach Tom Minkel looks at his team and sees "big-time talent." The only thing missing on the No.
With his face strained and muscles taut, senior wrestler Tony Greathouse scored a takedown in the final seconds of the fifth match to overcome Central Michigan's Andy Keller against the Chippewas on Friday night at Jenison Field House. But the Spartans' glory didn't last through the duration of the match. While Greathouse's takedown served as an exclamation point at the end of a dominant start for the Spartans, the No.
Russ Cozart has been around high school wrestling for 27 years long enough to know when he's got something special. When his son, Rocky, was 4 years old, Cozart knew Rocky could be in for an illustrious career. "When he was old enough to put on a singlet and basically try to push somebody down, he started wrestling," Russ said. A decade later, Rocky Cozart joined the wrestling team his dad coached at Brandon High School in Brandon, Florida. Two years later, Franklin Gomez transferred to the same school and joined the team. By the time the two graduated in 2005, they had combined for five national championships and four state championships.
The MSU wrestling team will find out how it weighs in against one of the nation's premier wrestling programs when it travels to No.
Despite having personal success that most collegiate athletes would only dream of, senior wrestlers Nick and Andy Simmons are more focused on leading their teammates than furthering the filling of their own trophy cases. "Hopefully, I can lead these guys and show them how to win," Andy Simmons said.
All-America brothers Nick and Andy Simmons shared the MSU wrestling team's Most Outstanding Wrestler Award, announced at the team's annual banquet. Andy Simmons, a 141-pound junior, compiled a 36-6 record this season and took fifth at the NCAA Championships. Nick Simmons, a 125-pound junior, finished the season 36-2 en route to a fourth-place finish in the NCAA Championships.
Nick and Andy Simmons repeated as wrestling All-Americans at the 2006 NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City this past weekend, but fell short of their goals to bring home national championships. Nick Simmons earned a fourth-place finish at 125 pounds for the second straight year, and 141-pound Andy Simmons improved from sixth place in 2005 to fifth place. Two other MSU wrestlers seniors R.J.
Juniors Andy and Nick Simmons and seniors R.J. Boudro and Darren McKnight are making return trips to the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City starting today.
Aside from his desk, three computers and typical office supplies, a large birdcage stands in the corner of MSU wrestling coach Tom Minkel's IM-Sports West office.
MSU wrestler Nick Simmons repeated his reign as Big Ten champion and his brother Andy Simmons captured his first conference title at the 2006 Big Ten Championships March 4-5 in Bloomington, Ind. Competing in the 125-pound weight class, Nick Simmons, the tournament's No.
When junior Nick Simmons faced Indiana senior Joe Dubuque last year, he walked away with a win on his way to earning the title of Big Ten wrestling champion. This weekend, No.