EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State wrestling team welcomed No. 17-ranked Wisconsin to Jenison Field House on Friday evening to cap off its three-match homestand. On a night led by three bonus point victories, MSU took five matches to upset the Badgers, 22-15.
For the Spartans, it was it's first victory over a Top 20 opponent since the 2021-22 season when they defeated then No. 14-ranked Rutgers, 20-14.
A win on Friday helped Michigan State snap a three-dual skid as the team improves to 8-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten. Friday's win over Wisconsin guarantees the Spartans a .500 or better finish for the third consecutive season. Wisconsin falls to 6-3 and 0-2 in B1G duals.
"I'm happy to see the fruits of the labor coming out tonight for these guys with the work and the effort they put in," said Michigan State head wrestling coach Roger Chandler. "These guys never quit, they keep fighting and you can see it with no one hanging their head. Look at Andy Hampton, he's going through a rough spell, but you see he's fighting for the whole seven minutes and that's what we need out of him."
Starting the night at 157 pounds, No. 21-ranked senior Chase Saldate entered Friday's dual with with seven victories by fall to rank eighth in the country. Saldate would continue to add to that total as he pinned Wisconsin's Luke Mechler with at the 5:43 mark in the third period. With Saldate leading Mechler 5-0 going into the finals period, and taking the down position, the Gilroy, California, native reversed the position and roll Mechler to his shoulders for the fall. Saldate's eighth win by fall of the season ties his career high. It's Saldate's fifth win by fall in his last seven matches.
In a top-25 showdown at 184 pounds, No. 21-ranked graduate Layne Malczewski squared off against No. 16-ranked Shane Liegel. Malczewski pushed the pace early on with a first period takedown, but Liegel was able to escape. After a tight two periods, Malczewski held a 3-2 lead going into the final two minutes of action. Taking the down position to start the third, Malczewski escaped the grasp of Liegel for the early escape and sealed the victory with a takedown in the final minute.
The redshirt freshmen duo of 197-pounder Kael Wisler and heavyweight Josh Terrill continued adding to their breakout seasons as each earned important bonus points for Michigan State on Friday night. Wisler controlled Wisconsin's Josh Otto from the start maneuvering a single leg takedown in the final minute of the first period. After an escape to begin the second period and a point for Otto's stalling, Wisler led 5-0, a third. Wisler used a third period takedown and 1:27 of riding time to pick up the major decision, picked up his sixth bonus point dual victory of the season.
Terrill, who leads Division I in victories this season, increased his win total to 24. After a slow first period with no action against Gannon Rosenfeld, a Terrill escape got the action started before he was caught for a takedown. The local Holt, Michigan, native recovered and tossed Rosenfeld to his back to secure the fall with two seconds remaining in the second period.
Heading into the 141-pound bout, Michigan State was looking to secure the upset with a 19-12 lead. No. 30-ranked redshirt senior Jordan Hamdan scored an early takedown and his 2:29 riding time against Felix Lettini en route to a 5-2 victory to secure the upset victory for MSU.
The Spartans dropped matches at 165, 174, 125, 133 and 149 pounds, but were never out of the fight as each bout ended by decision. No. 9-ranked 165-pound senior Caleb Fish faced his fourth top-10 opponent in his last five outings as he went head-to-head with the Badgers No. 5-ranked Dean Hamiti. Fish put up a valiant effort as he dropped to Hamiti in a 5-3 decision.
Michigan State's wrestling team will be back in action next weekend, hitting the road to face No. 26-ranked Illinois on Friday, Feb. 2, before heading to No. 28-ranked Indiana on Sunday, Feb. 4.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
Michigan State 22, No. 17 Wisconsin 15
Jan. 26, 2024 // Jenison Field House // East Lansing, Mich.
Attendance: 518
157 | No. 21 Chase Saldate (MSU) fall over Luke Mechler (UW) 5:40 | MSU leads 6-0
165 |No. 5 Dean Hamiti (UW) dec. No. 9 Caleb Fish (MSU) 5-3 | MSU leads 6-3
174 | No. 12 Max Maylor (UW) dec. DJ Shannon (MSU) 5-0 | Tied 6-6
184 | No. 21 Layne Malczewski (MSU) dec. Shane Liegel 8-2 | MSU leads 9-6
197 | No. 29 Kael Wisler (MSU) major dec. Josh Otto (UW) 9-1 | MSU leads 13-6
HWT | Josh Terrill (MSU) fall over Gannon Rosenfeld (UW) 4:58 | MSU leads 19-6
125 | No. 3 Eric Barnett (UW) dec. Tristan Lujan (MSU) 4-2 | MSU leads 19-9
133 | Nicolar Rivera (UW) dec. Andy Hampton (MSU) 10-6 | MSU leads 19-12
141 | No. 30 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) dec. Felix Lettini (UW) 5-2 | MSU leads 22-12
149 | No. 23 Joseph Zargo (UW) dec. Braden Stauffenberg (MSU) 10-5 | MSU wins 22-15
Recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.
For the Spartans, it was it's first victory over a Top 20 opponent since the 2021-22 season when they defeated then No. 14-ranked Rutgers, 20-14.
A win on Friday helped Michigan State snap a three-dual skid as the team improves to 8-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten. Friday's win over Wisconsin guarantees the Spartans a .500 or better finish for the third consecutive season. Wisconsin falls to 6-3 and 0-2 in B1G duals.
"I'm happy to see the fruits of the labor coming out tonight for these guys with the work and the effort they put in," said Michigan State head wrestling coach Roger Chandler. "These guys never quit, they keep fighting and you can see it with no one hanging their head. Look at Andy Hampton, he's going through a rough spell, but you see he's fighting for the whole seven minutes and that's what we need out of him."
Starting the night at 157 pounds, No. 21-ranked senior Chase Saldate entered Friday's dual with with seven victories by fall to rank eighth in the country. Saldate would continue to add to that total as he pinned Wisconsin's Luke Mechler with at the 5:43 mark in the third period. With Saldate leading Mechler 5-0 going into the finals period, and taking the down position, the Gilroy, California, native reversed the position and roll Mechler to his shoulders for the fall. Saldate's eighth win by fall of the season ties his career high. It's Saldate's fifth win by fall in his last seven matches.
In a top-25 showdown at 184 pounds, No. 21-ranked graduate Layne Malczewski squared off against No. 16-ranked Shane Liegel. Malczewski pushed the pace early on with a first period takedown, but Liegel was able to escape. After a tight two periods, Malczewski held a 3-2 lead going into the final two minutes of action. Taking the down position to start the third, Malczewski escaped the grasp of Liegel for the early escape and sealed the victory with a takedown in the final minute.
The redshirt freshmen duo of 197-pounder Kael Wisler and heavyweight Josh Terrill continued adding to their breakout seasons as each earned important bonus points for Michigan State on Friday night. Wisler controlled Wisconsin's Josh Otto from the start maneuvering a single leg takedown in the final minute of the first period. After an escape to begin the second period and a point for Otto's stalling, Wisler led 5-0, a third. Wisler used a third period takedown and 1:27 of riding time to pick up the major decision, picked up his sixth bonus point dual victory of the season.
Terrill, who leads Division I in victories this season, increased his win total to 24. After a slow first period with no action against Gannon Rosenfeld, a Terrill escape got the action started before he was caught for a takedown. The local Holt, Michigan, native recovered and tossed Rosenfeld to his back to secure the fall with two seconds remaining in the second period.
Heading into the 141-pound bout, Michigan State was looking to secure the upset with a 19-12 lead. No. 30-ranked redshirt senior Jordan Hamdan scored an early takedown and his 2:29 riding time against Felix Lettini en route to a 5-2 victory to secure the upset victory for MSU.
The Spartans dropped matches at 165, 174, 125, 133 and 149 pounds, but were never out of the fight as each bout ended by decision. No. 9-ranked 165-pound senior Caleb Fish faced his fourth top-10 opponent in his last five outings as he went head-to-head with the Badgers No. 5-ranked Dean Hamiti. Fish put up a valiant effort as he dropped to Hamiti in a 5-3 decision.
Michigan State's wrestling team will be back in action next weekend, hitting the road to face No. 26-ranked Illinois on Friday, Feb. 2, before heading to No. 28-ranked Indiana on Sunday, Feb. 4.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
Michigan State 22, No. 17 Wisconsin 15
Jan. 26, 2024 // Jenison Field House // East Lansing, Mich.
Attendance: 518
157 | No. 21 Chase Saldate (MSU) fall over Luke Mechler (UW) 5:40 | MSU leads 6-0
165 |No. 5 Dean Hamiti (UW) dec. No. 9 Caleb Fish (MSU) 5-3 | MSU leads 6-3
174 | No. 12 Max Maylor (UW) dec. DJ Shannon (MSU) 5-0 | Tied 6-6
184 | No. 21 Layne Malczewski (MSU) dec. Shane Liegel 8-2 | MSU leads 9-6
197 | No. 29 Kael Wisler (MSU) major dec. Josh Otto (UW) 9-1 | MSU leads 13-6
HWT | Josh Terrill (MSU) fall over Gannon Rosenfeld (UW) 4:58 | MSU leads 19-6
125 | No. 3 Eric Barnett (UW) dec. Tristan Lujan (MSU) 4-2 | MSU leads 19-9
133 | Nicolar Rivera (UW) dec. Andy Hampton (MSU) 10-6 | MSU leads 19-12
141 | No. 30 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) dec. Felix Lettini (UW) 5-2 | MSU leads 22-12
149 | No. 23 Joseph Zargo (UW) dec. Braden Stauffenberg (MSU) 10-5 | MSU wins 22-15
Recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.
