Terps in Second through ACC Championship Semifinals
3/5/2011 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 5, 2011
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - With 60 points, the University of Maryland wrestling team is in second place through the championship semifinals of the ACC Tournament at the University of Virginia. The 11th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies are in first place with 61 points.
No. 16 Jon Kohler (141 pounds), No. 15 Kyle John (157), No. 4 Josh Asper (165), No. 15 Mike Letts (174) and Corey Peltier have all clinched NCAA berths by advancing to the finals in their respective weight classes. Spencer Myers (heavyweight) also advanced to the finals and would clinch a tournament berth by winning the individual title today.
Maryland and Virginia Tech both have six wrestlers in the finals and Virginia has four. North Carolina State has two wrestlers in the finals while North Carolina and Duke each have one.
Sixteenth-ranked Kohler advanced to the 141-pound finals by pinning Duke's Mike Bell in under three minutes and then topping North Carolina's Mike Rappo 5-2 in the semifinals. Kohler, the 2007 ACC Champion will face NC State's Darrius Little in the championship.
After shutting out Shawn Harris of Virginia 6-0 in the first round, No. 15 Kyle John topped North Carolina's Corey Mock 2-0 in the semifinals. John and fifth-ranked Jesse Dong of Virginia Tech will compete in the 157-pound championship match.
No. 4 Josh Asper and No. 15 Mike Letts each received first-round byes before easily defeating their opponents in the semifinals. Asper earned over five minutes of riding time over Virginia's Jedd Moore and earned a 12-3 major decision. Similarly, Letts controlled Thomas Ferguson of North Carolina as he picked up the 12-2 win.
Asper will take on Virginia Tech's No. 20 Pete Yates in the 165-pound finals while Letts will challenge Virginia's No. 4 Chris Henrich.
Corey Peltier topped Virginia Tech's John Dickson at 184 pounds and advanced to the finals to take on Duke's Diego Bencomo, who upset No. 19 Jon Fausey of Virginia.
At heavyweight, Spencer Myers pinned North Carolina's Ben Brooks and topped Virginia's Jack Danilkowicz 3-1 to advance to the finals. Myers will take on Virginia Tech's David Marone for the title.
The finals are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Shane Gentry, Lou Ruland, Justin Cash and Christian Boley will hit the mats again at 3:30 for the consolation semifinals.
-ES-
Players Mentioned
