Big Ten Tournament: Session 1 (first round & quarters)

We're within 40 minutes until the start of the Big Ten Championships at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich. Wrestlers are warming up.

The top-ranked University of Iowa Hawkeyes are looking for their third straight and 34th overall Big Ten title. A ouple interesting item at 157, Jake Kerr received the nod for the Hawkeyes and is the No. 4 seed. He'll open with a quarterfinal match against No. 5 Sean Nemec of Ohio State. Aaron Janssen owns a 5-2 win over Nemec in the Iowa/OSU dual on Feb. 19. Also, Dustin Schlatter was injured during practice this week and was drawn in to the bracket. He'll face the new top-seed Colton Salazar of Purdue. Schlatter will take the mat but medical forfeit, which will still allow him eligible for an at-large bid for nationals, according to the University of Minnesota sports website. (addition) This bracket had an opening-round upset. MSU's Anthony Jones beat third-seeded Kurt Kinser of Indiana, 3-1, in overtime.

I will give you updates here as the matches go along. Just refresh and updates should appear. I will try to view them but it's easier with questions if you email them to kj.pilcher@gazcomm.com:

125: Matt McDonough (Iowa) vs. Brenan Lyon (MSU): McD with a T2 about 1:13 into the first. Puts him on his back. Not sure how Lyon fought off. McDonough leads 5-0 after first. McD adds escape in second to go up 6-0. McD T2 and 8-0 lead. McD turns him and gets fall in 4:33.

141: Montel Marion (Iowa) vs. Mark Weber (Mich): We're up. Marion with a high crotch for takedown and 2-0 lead with 2:14 to go in first. Weber E1 and Marion then counters a shot for another takedown and 4-1 lead. Marion rides him out and has more than 1:50 of riding time at end of first. Marion with E1 (5-1) and then adds a takedown for 7-1 lead midway thru the second. Weber E1, making it 7-2 at end of second. Weber with another escape to start third. Marion leads 7-3. Marion in on single for takedown and finishes to make it 9-3. Weber released, 9-4. Marion adds another takedown for 11-4 lead and has over 3 minutyes of RT when Weber gets escape to make it 11-5. Marion with a trip and takedown with about 12 seconds left. Marion gets, 14-5 win.

Two Hawkeye matches and bonus points in both.

Another item of note, Ryan Prater of Illinois did not make weight at 141. He was the No. 5 seed. He was scratched and they did not redraw, allowing Adam Lynch of Penn State advance to the semifinals after a win over Indiana's Geno Capezio in a pigtail match. Due to the scratch the big ten loses one of its qualifiers at that weight, dropping them to 4 from 5.

165: Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) vs. Jason Martin (Purdue): This is underway. Mstar with an opening takedown. Mstar with tilt for NF2 and 4-0 lead. Mstar adds E1 to start second. He's up 5-0. Mstar t2 for 7-0 lead. Mstar win 8-0, amassing 4:24 of RT.

174: Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. Nick Avery (Indiana): Borschel very active. Gets a takedown for 2-0 lead as well. Borschel trying to work bar arms. Borschel a fury on top working his stuff on top. He turns him but Avery is able to push himself off the mat. Borschel gets NF3 and leads 5-0 after first. Borschel gets cradle locked up and gets fall in 3:53.

Hwt.: Dan Erekson (Iowa) vs. David Pisarcik (Purdue): Erekson taking the mat. Erekson drops in on a shot and gets T2 in the opening minute. Pisarcik E1 in short time. First period ends 2-1 erekson. Erekson rides out Pisarcik and then adds an escape for a 3-1 at the start of the third. Erekson with a takedown to go up 5-1. Erekson with a tilt in the waning moments of the third for a 9-1 with over 5:22 of RT.

125: McDonough (Iowa) vs. John Deneen (Ill): McDonough up 2-0 with 1:15 RT with 1:20 left in the first. McDonough with reversal in second. Up 4-0. adding to his 2:30 of RT with 1:15 to go in 2nd. Deneen with E1 and now it's 4-1 to start third. Deneen with E1 to make it 4-2 McD. McD scores a t2 off single, making it 6-2. McD exchanges E1 for T2 and up 10-4. E1 for Deneen but McD answers with takedown and 13-5 win. McD will face Zach Sanders of Minny in the semis.

133: Daniel Dennis (Iowa) vs. Ian Paddock (OSU): They are scoreless in first. The two go out of bounds, resulting in paddock hitting the hardwood of the UM basketball court. Oaddock returns after some injury time, but Dennis gets T2 for 2-0 lead. Dennis up, 3-0 in the third. Dennis wins 4-0 and faces Franklin Gomez in the semis.

141: Marion (Iowa) vs. Juan Archuleta (Iowa): Marion's match has started. Marion down 3-1 in the second period. Marion comes around behind Archuleta for a takedown to tie it 3-3 with a minute left in second. Marion rides him out then adds an E1 and T2 in the third to go up 6-3. He's got RT as well. Archuleta scores R2 late and wins 7-5.

149: Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. Nicholas Bertucci (Purdue): Metcalf doesn't waste any time with a takedown and then gets double-arm bar, adjusts and then gets pin in 1:08. Paybacks are heck.

157: Jake Kerr (Iowa) vs. Sean Nemec (OSU): We starting. kerr gets takedown on a throw-by about midway point of first. Nemec E1. Kerr spins behind, nemec comes to feet, Kerr tries to trip him down, but then pops his hips and brings him to mat for 4-1 lead. Rides him out for 4-1 lead and 46 secs RT after first. Nemec with reversal in second, cutting the lead to 4-3. Kerr E1 with 1 second to go in second period. Leads 5-3 and picks neutral in third. Kerr wins 5-3 and faces Colton Salazar in the semifinals.

165: Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) vs. Cody Yohn (Minnesota): Mstar up 3-0 in the final minute.

174: Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. Justin Zeerip (Michigan): Borschel wins 2-0. 

184: Phil Keddy (Iowa) vs. Kaleb Young (Minny): Keddy up, 2-0, after opening takedown. Riding tough with 1:30 to go in first. Keddy leads 8-3 with less than 20 seconds to go in second. Keddy looking good. Keddy now up 11-3. Young with E1, but Keddy has RT. Keddy adds another takedown and handles Young, 14-4.

197: Chad Beatty (Iowa) vs. Cody Magrum (OSU): Beatty and Magrum start up. Scoreless with 59 seconds to go in first. Beatty with a takedown with 16 seconds to go in first and then turns him for NF3 and 5-0 lead after first. beatty rides him out in the second. He leads 5-0 going into third with 2:16 RT. Beatty wins 6-0.

Hwt.: Dan Erekson (Iowa) vs. Ben Apland (Michigan): Erekson gets a takedown a little more than 20 seconds into match. Up 2-0. Erekson with a pin in 1:17. Gives Iowa 10 semifinalists.

Team standings after the quarterfinals:

1. Iowa 93, 2. Penn State 59, 3. Minnesota 56.5, 4. Wisconsin 47.5, 5. Ohio State 46, 6. Michigan State 28, 7. Illinois 22, 8. Indiana 20, 9. Purdue 18, 10. Michigan 16, 11. Northwestern 4.