Heading into the weekend, the Wisconsin wrestling team knew this could be a make or break span of matches. Count it as a make for the Badgers, who came away with two come-from-behind Big Ten wins.
Sunday afternoon, the Badgers headed to Minneapolis to take on fourth-ranked and defending national champion Minnesota. After exchanging five lead changes, Wisconsin faced a 17-11 deficit heading into the final two bouts.
That?s when junior Dallas Herbst stepped up to the mat. It took Herbst a mere minute and three seconds to pin Minnesota’s Yura Malamura to tie the dual match score at 17-17.
With the match and the upset on the line, it was time for junior heavyweight and Minnesota native Kyle Massey to take the mat against Ben Berhow. After a scoreless first period, Massey scored an escape and a takedown to take a 3-0 lead. Berhow managed to score an escape before the period ended to make the score 3-1. Berhow opened the third period with an escape to get within 3-2, but that would be as close as he would get. Massey scored a takedown and a point with riding time to win the match 6-2 and give Bucky a 20-17 upset dual win.
Head coach Barry Davis knows that his team?s performance in tight duals is what makes this a special team.
?If you want to bring home the hardware, you have to win the close matches,? Davis said. ?Every match in the Big Ten or the NCAA can be a one-takedown match. ? Our guys know if you want to be successful you must win close matches. That?s the way it?s going to be.?
The Badgers found themselves in a hole after taking only three of the first eight matches. Zach Tanelli scored a 5-1 decision at 133 pounds over fifth-ranked Mack Reiter. It was Tanelli’s fifth dual in the last sixth against a top-10 opponent.
Sixth-ranked Kyle Ruschell rebounded well from a loss Friday against 10th-ranked Kellen Russel of Michigan to score a 6-1 decision over third-ranked Manual Rivera of Minnesota. The last time these two met, Ruschell upset Rivera in the Big Ten semifinals last season. Sunday was the same storyline, as Ruschell scored an escape, a takedown, two near-fall points and a point of riding time to get the win.
UW?s other win was from captain and All-American Craig Henning. Henning gave UW five huge team points by tech falling Gopher Luke Mellmer.
Herbst, who also pinned his opponent Friday night and is now just three pins away from tying former Badger great Lee Kemp?s all-time record, knew in both situations a pin from him would give his team a much-needed boost.
?We were in a situation where we could win,? Herbst said. ?That just meant that me and Kyle had to get bonus points, so one of the two of both of us had to do it. That?s the mindset there usually is going for that big pin.?
Friday?s home match against the Wolverines had the same feelings as Sunday, as the Badgers were down heading into the final two bouts. Herbst performed the same, pinning Michigan’s Anthony Biondo before barely breaking a sweat in 1:17. That pin put the Badgers within 18-16 when Massey came up and scored a major decision to give the team a 20-18 team win.
Michigan brought in three top-four wrestlers at 165, 174 and 184. The Wolverines won all three of those matches, but the Badgers allowed bonus points in only one of them.
?They wrestled smart,? Davis said. ?I told them, put yourself in a position to win it. Be smart. They?ve got to give themselves the opportunity.?
After defeating two top-10 teams, there is only one dual meet left for Wisconsin before the Big Ten Championships. Tanelli knows these two wins have the Badgers in great position.
?Right now we?ve got to keep the momentum we have,? Tanelli said. ?Everyone?s working hard. We?ve got to keep that going, and things should take care of themselves.?
? UWBadgers.com contributed to this report
