Jan. 30, 2000
The 21st-ranked Purdue wrestling team won three major decisions to keep the match close, but lost 21-15 to 10th-ranked Michigan on Sunday at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. Purdue junior captain Evan Robinson's major decision at 133-pounds tied the team score heading into the final match, but Michigan's Damion Logan, ranked fourth at 141-pounds, pinned Boiler junior Luis Blanco with 53 seconds remaining in the third period to break the deadlock. Purdue now stands at 8-8 (0-4 Big Ten).
Despite the loss, there were many notable performances for the Boilermakers. Freshman Kirk Moore defeated Michigan junior James Rawls 10-2 to run his record to 9-9 on the season. Senior Mark Colegrove bounced back from Friday's 16-3 loss to Michigan State's Nick Muzashvili, ranked number one, to defeat Michigan junior Joe Degain at 197-pounds. Sophomore All-American Jason Silverstein outscored Wolverine freshman A.J. Grant 13-5 at 125-pounds en route to his fourth Big Ten win and Robinson's victory at 133-pounds added to his team-leading win total. His record stands at 21-4 (3-2 Big Ten).
Purdue sophomore Jon Fitch also performed well in front of a home crowd in his high school gym. Fitch, a 1997 graduate of Carroll High School, battled Michigan sophomore Charles Martelli in a match that went down to the wire. Fitch registered a late takedown to draw within one point at 5-4, and again had a firm grip of Martelli's leg, but could not bring him down before time expired in the third and final period. "It was a lot of fun," said Fitch about wrestling at his high school. "I saw a lot of familiar faces and it brought back a lot of memories. As far as the match is concerned, I feel bad that I could not pull it out for my team. It came down to missed opportunities."
Purdue looks for its first Big Ten victory this season as it faces two conference foes at home this weekend. The Boilers meet Ohio State at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4, in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility and meet Penn State at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4., in West Lafayette, Ind.
Michigan 21, Purdue 15 125-#9 Jason Silverstein, PU def. A.J. Grant, UM 13-5 133-#20 Evan Robinson, PU def. Matt Michalski, UM 13-3 141-#7 Damion Logan, UM def. Luis Blanco, PU Fall (6:03) 149-Mike Kulczycki, UM def. Jimmy Hawthorne, PU 6-3 157-Tony Holifield, UM def. James Leavell, PU 8-6 165-Kirk Moore, PU def. Jason Rawls, UM 10-2 174-Charles Martelli, UM, def. Jon Fitch, PU 5-4 184-#9 Andy Hrovat, UM def. Jared Williams, PU 11-5 197-Mark Colegrove, PU def. Joe Degain, UM 3-2 Hwt.-#16 Matt Brink, UM def. #9 Jacob Vercelli 3-1 OT