Feb. 1, 2008

Complete Results: Click Here

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State wrestling (3-8-0, 0-3-0) suffered its fifth-straight defeat Friday night with a 26-12 loss at No. 13 Wisconsin. Despite wins in four matches, the Badgers proved to be too much for the young Spartans, who will travel to No. 16 Indiana for a 2 p.m. Sunday dual on Feb. 3.

Franklin Gomez's win at 133-pounds highlighted MSU's action, as the sophomore remains undefeated in dual action, 11-0, and extends his overall record to 19-1. Gomez has now won six-consecutive matches.

Eddie Skowneski, Nick Palmieri and Rex Kendle scored the additional points on the evening.

The Spartans picked up the first points of the dual as Rex Kendle posted a 2-1 win over Wisconsin's Jake Donar in the 165-pound class. After a scoreless first period, Kendle started the second period down and went up 2-0 with a reversal 48 seconds into the period. Donar managed to escape, but Kendle held onto the lead, holding Donar scoreless through the rest of the second and the entire third period. Michigan State took an initial 3-0 lead.

MSU's lead unfortunately didn't last long as John Murphy fell to Dan Clum in 6:24 at 174 pounds, giving the Badgers a 6-3 lead after two bouts.

At 184 pounds, Nick Palmieri entered the circle and made good work of Trevor Brandvold, giving the Spartans three points to even the overall score, 6-6. Though the Badger scored first in the first period, Palmieri gained control early in the second with a strong takedown followed by three near fall points to lead 5-2 at the end of the period. Strengthening his lead, Palmieri working for two additional near fall points in the final block to seal his 7-2 victory.

Looking to pull ahead, No. 15 Joe Williams started his 197-pound bout taking down UW's Dallas Herbst with 28 seconds remaining in the first period. But Herbst fought back with a reversal in the second and three near fall points to go ahead 5-2 at the end of five minutes. Making it interesting, Williams returned the move with a reversal of his own to open the third period and come within one of the Badger. A Herbst escape gave Wisconsin a 6-4 advantage. And although Williams built up worthy riding time, Herbst pulled out a close 6-5 victory, pulling Wisconsin ahead 9-6.

Wisconsin's Kyle Massey gave Alan O'Donnell a tough time at 285 pounds, as the Badgers widened the lead 13-6 halfway through the match with a 14-2 major decision.

After a brief intermission, Joel Trombly took the mat for the 125-pound bout, but Collin Cudd took an early lead and defeated Trombly 9-2 as the Badgers pulled ahead 16-6.

But in standard fashion, MSU's 133-pounder No. 4 Franklin Gomez put the Spartans back on the board with a 7-4 victory over Zach Tanelli. Gomez had two takedowns, each followed by an escape, in the first period to take an initial 4-2 lead. Tanelli came back in the second to lessen the gap, but Gomez sealed the victory with an escape in the third period. Even with the points, the Badgers still led 16-9.

The Spartans wouldn't score again until the 149 match, when Eddie Skowneski bested Kendall Vogel in a close 3-2 match. Snowkeski's three points inched the Spartans closer but Wisconsin was ahead 22-12, having claimed six points with a pin at 141 pounds.

The Badgers would go on to clinch the overall dual, 26-12, with a major decision at 157 pounds, improving to 11-2-1 overall and 2-1-0 in Big Ten action.

Wisconsin 26, Michigan State, 12

165: Rex Kendle (MSU) dec. Jake Donar (UW), 3-1 0 3
174: Dan Clum (UW) pin. John Murphy (MSU), 6:24 6 3
184: Nick Palmieri (MSU) dec. #15 Trevor Brandvold (UW), 7-2 6 6
197: #4 Dallas Herbst (UW) dec. #15 Joe Williams (MSU), 6-5 9 6
285: #12 Kyle Massey (UW) maj. dec. Alan O'Donnell (MSU), 14-213 6
125: #18 Collin Cudd (UW) dec. Joel Trombly (MSU), 9-2 16 6
133: #4 Franklin Gomez (MSU) dec. #11 Zach Tanelli (UW), 7-4 16 9
141: #7 Kyle Ruschell (UW) pin Micah Carter (MSU), 3:51 22 9
149: Eddie Skowneski (MSU) dec. Kendall Vogel (UW), 3-2 22 12
157: #4 Craig Henning (UW) maj dec. John Fulger (MSU), 13-0 26 12