Lebe Places Third, Lauer Fourth

Tim Goodenow
WVU Sports Information Office


December 4, 2004

LAS VEGAS – West Virginia University wrestlers Brandon Lauer and Matt Lebe each placed in the Top 4 on Saturday at the 23rd annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational held at the Cashman Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

Fourth-seeded Lebe defeated Clarion’s Chris Horning for the second time in two days to earn third-place honors at 157 pounds. Junior Lebe wrestled to a scoreless opening period with Horning before notching the winning takedown in the second period, hanging on for a 3-2 decision.

Lebe defeated sixth-seeded Brian Stith of Arizona State, 3-2, to advance to the third/fourth place-match. Lebe dropped a tough 6-4 sudden victory decision to All-American Ryan Bertin of Michigan. The two wrestlers traded takedowns and escapes in the opening period for a 3-3 tie. Both wrestlers escaped in the final two periods to send the bout into overtime. Bertin, the No. 1 seed, scored a double-leg at the edge of the mat for the win.

Lauer, the No. 2 seed at 141 pounds, took third-place honors following an injury default to No. 1 seed Matt Murray from Nebraska. All-American Murray held a 4-1 lead when Lauer injured his knee.

Lauer, a Highland, Md., native posted a 9-7 sudden victory decision over Clarion’s Frank Edgar to advance into the third/fourth-place match. Lauer led 5-3 after two periods, before Edgar tied the match at 7-7 with 25 second remaining. Mountaineer Lauer tallied the winning takedown in the first minute of overtime for the victory. He dropped a semifinal match, 9-2, to sixth seeded Ricky LaForge of Hofstra.

Ryan Wilman opened the day with a 3-1 decision over Wisconsin’s Kelly Flaherty, the No. 6 seed. The two grapplers remained scoreless after two periods with Wilman riding Flaherty the entire middle period. The Senior Mountaineer countered a missed shot attempt for a takedown midway through the final period for bout’s first score and the win. Wilman then took an early 3-1 lead on Virginia’s No. 8 seed Rocco Caponi, before falling 10-4. The Kennesaw, Ga., native took seventh-place honors with a medical forfeit.

West Virginia, which traveled just seven wrestlers, finished in 14th-place out of 46 teams with 53.5 points. Michigan won the overall team title with 148 points.

The 11th-ranked Mountaineers are idle until their annual trip to the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29-30, in Evanston, Ill.

Overall Team Scores
1. Michigan - 148
2. Nebraska - 139.5
3. Hofstra - 108.5
4. Arizona State - 103.5
5. Cornell - 97.5
14. West Virginia - 57.5

Individuals Match-by-Match

141: Brandon Lauer (4-2, 4th place)
Brandon Lauer (WVU) FALL Dan Shaw (Montana State), 4:08
Brandon Lauer (WVU) DEC Jacob Skoles (Boise State), 10-4
Brandon Lauer (WVU) FALL Chris McCormick (Missouri), 4:32
Ricky LaForge (Hofstra) DEC Brandon Lauer (WVU), 9-2
Brandon Lauer (WVU) DEC Frank Edgar (Clarion), 9-7 SV-1
Matt Murray (Nebraska) INJ DEF Brandon Lauer (WVU), :56

149: Mike Torriero (2-1)
Mike Torriero (WVU) DEC Stephen Wolery (Ohio State), 7-6
Craig Henning (Wisconsin) FALL Mike Torriero (WVU), 7:00
Mike Torriero (WVU) DEC Orlando Perez (Oregon State), 7-5
Jeff Owens (Cal Poly) MED FOR Mike Torriero (WVU)

157: Matt Lebe (5-1, 3rd place)
Matt Lebe (WVU) MAJOR Angelo Lago (Cal State Fulerton), 11-3
Matt Lebe (WVU) DEC John Cholish (Cornell), 4-0
Matt Lebe (WVU) DEC Chris Horning (Clarion), 3-2
Ryan Bertin (Michigan) DEC Matt Lebe (WVU), 6-4 SV-1
Matt Lebe (WVU) DEC Brian Stith (Arizona State), 3-2
Matt Lebe (WVU) DEC Chris Horning (Clarion), 3-2

165: Zac Fryling (3-2)
Will Durkee (Virginia) DEC. Zac Fryling (WVU), 3-2
Zac Fryling (WVU) FALL Christian Arellano (Cal State Baskerfield), 1:37
Zac Fryling (WVU) DEC Risto Marttinen (Cal State Fullerton), 7-3
Zac Fryling (WVU) MAJOR Gary Dack (Wyoming), 12-3
Patrick Pitsch (Arizona State) DEC Zac Fryling (WVU), 6-3 SV-2

174: Ryan Wilman (6-2, 7th place)
Joe Lowe (UNC Greensboro) DEC Ryan Wilman (WVU), 3-2 SV-2
Ryan Wilman (WVU) DEC Josh Johnston (Missouri Valley), 8-1
Ryan Wilman (WVU) MED FOR Evan Copeland (Adams State)
Ryan Wilman (WVU) MED FOR Leonel Sanchez (Cal State Fullerton)
Ryan Wilman (WVU) DEC Steve Grayson (Oregon State), 11-5
Ryan Wilman (WVU) DEC Kelly Flaherty (Wisconsin), 3-1
Rocco Caponi (Virginia) DEC Ryan Wilman (WVU) 10-4
Ryan Wilman (WVU) MED FOR Kevin Gabrielson (NC State)

197: Jared Villers (1-2)
Jared Villers (WVU) DEC Leo Saniuk (Brown), 9-3
Ryan Flaherty (Wisconsin) FALL Jared Villers (WVU), 3:00
Willie Breyer (Michigan) FALL Jared Villers (WVU), 4:11

285: Jeff Courtney (0-2)
Kirk Nail (Ohio State) DEC Jeff Courtney (WVU), 6-2
Scott Buhman (VMI) DEC Jeff Courtney (WVU), 5-2


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