Gambrall's drop to 184 picks up a second NCAA berth

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Losing allowed Grant Gambrall to gain another trip to the national tournament.

After struggling at 197 pounds, Gambrall made the move back down to 184 pounds, where he was an All-American, placing third at the NCAA Championships last season. He captured an automatic NCAA berth for the second year with his second straight fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships on Sunday at Purdue University's Mackey Arena.

Gambrall advanced to the semifinals Saturday and then closed his conference tournament with an 8-2 win over defeated Michigan State's Ian Hinton.

“I'm happy with where my weight is at,” said Gambrall, who battled effects of concussion that limited his activity early in the season. “I feel I can move better.

“I just have to come to wrestle every match. This tournament when I came to wrestle I was dominant. The matches I didn't I got beat.”

Gambrall, a two-time state champion at Iowa City West, is 10-10 overall and 3-3 at 184. He placed higher at the national tournament than college. He went on a strong run in the biggest tournament of the year, and now he returns, knowing what to expect.

The challenge will be tough, but at the roots it is still the same as any competition.

“There's going to be a lot of matches,” said Gambrall, who wrestled six in the three-day tournaments last year and was set for a seventh but a wrestler forfeited after not making weight. “Other than that, it's just wrestling. If I take care of business, wrestle like I'm capable of and wrestle like I do in practice I'll get the results I want.”

The Hawkeyes earned eight automatic NCAA berths, including Matt McDonough (125), Tony Ramos (133), Montell Marion (141), Derek St. John (157), Mike Evans (165), Ethen Lofthouse (174) and heavyweight Bobby Telford. Iowa had one less than Penn State and Minnesota and the same as Illinois. The NCAA Division I Championships are March 15-17 in St. Louis, Mo.

Heated exchange

University of Iowa's Tony Ramos demonstrated his displeasure in trying to track down Ohio State's Logan Stieber in the third period of their 133-pound final won by Stieber, 5-2.

Ramos (28-3) got face-to-face with Stieber and then fired his feet in place before forcing a handshake and leaving the mat. It was his second loss to Stieber.

It was an example of the fiery and competitive nature of Ramos.

“I think he was frustrated, let it show,” said Iowa Coach Tom Brands, noting that Ramos might have been frustrated in himself. “It's hard to keep your emotions in check, especially in this sport. I don't fault him for that.”

Award haul

The Big Ten Conference announced its tournament and yearly honors following the championship session.

University of Michigan 141-pound champion Kellen Russell shared the Outstanding Wrestler honor with Penn State 149-pounder Frank Molinaro, who scored a pin and two technical falls not allowing a point in the final two rounds.

Russell earned a 7-2 victory over Iowa's Montell Marion in the finals, claiming his fourth Big Ten tournament title. He became the first Wolverine wrestler to accomplish the feat and is just the 11th in conference history to win four crowns. The Hawkeyes' Mark Ironside was the last four-time conference champ, sweeping titles from 1995-98.

Ohio State's Logan Stieber was Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Cael Sanderson was named Coach of the Year, guiding Penn State to a second straight Big Ten team title. The Nittany Lions' David Taylor was Wrestler of the Year.