Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Michigan State Open
Petrov Wins 125-Pound Title at Michigan State Open
11/15/2015 9:32:00 PM | Wrestling
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Bucknell senior Paul Petrov posted a 3-0 record with two falls on his way to the 125-pound title in the open division at Sunday's Michigan State Open. He was one of seven Bison placewinners on the day at the competitive event.
Robert Schlitt (4th at 165 pounds), Tyler Smith (7th at 141 pounds) and Victor Lopez (7th at 149 pounds) joined Petrov as Bucknell placewinners in the open brackets, while Nick Stephani (2nd at 174 pounds), Collin Boylan (5th at 149 pounds) and Connor Wagh (6th at 174 pounds) were placewinners in the freshman/sophomore brackets. A total of 23 Bison competed at the Michigan State Open.
Petrov, who is now 5-0 this season, received a first-round bye in the 13-person bracket. He opened his day with a pin of Jeffery Alijah of Northern Illinois to earn a spot in the semifinals. The two-time NCAA qualifier then posted a 9-3 decision over Central Michigan's Brent Fleetwood before pinning Wisconsin's Johnny Jimenez in 5:44 in the finals. It was the 83rd victory of Petrov's career.
Schlitt was one of three Bucknell wrestlers in the 165-pound open weight class as he was joined by D.J. Hollingshead and Brenan McAllister. Schlitt opened with a pin and then posted back-to-back decisions against opponents from Michigan and Indiana to earn a spot in the semifinals. There, he lost to Chad Welch by decision and dropped the third-place bout to Forrest Przybysz (Appalachian State) by major decision.
Smith lost his second bout of the day to finalist Zach Horan of Central Michigan, meaning he had to battle back through the consolation bracket to earn his seventh-place finish. He finished with a 5-2 record on the day with two major decisions and a fall. Smith, who posted a dramatic comeback win over nationally ranked Rick Durso during Friday's dual at Franklin & Marshall, won the seventh-place bout by medical forfeit.
Lopez had a shorter road to his seventh-place showing as he earned a first-round bye and then posted a 1-0 decision vs. West Virginia's Zachary Moore to move to the quarterfinals. A loss to third-place finisher Luke Blanton (Indiana) moved Lopez to the consolation bracket. He posted a win by decision and then lost by decision to end up in the seventh-place match, where he downed Ohio State's Blake Riley-Hawkins by a commanding 11-1 major decision.
Stephani posted a 3-1 record Sunday en route to his runner-up finish. He opened with a fall and then posted two close decisions to advance to the finals. Stephani lost in the final to Michigan State's Shane Shadaia by a 7-2 score. Stephani now has a 4-5 record in his rookie season.
Boylan was 5-1 on the day as he advanced to the quarterfinals and went 3-0 in the consolation brackets. All five of his victories were by decision, and his only loss came in overtime. Boylan defeated Purdue's Nate Limmex by a 2-1 score in the fifth-place match.
After dropping his first bout of the day, Wagh won four in a row in the consolation bracket to earn a spot in the fifth-place match, where he lost by an 8-4 score to Jake Hinz of Indiana. Wagh moved through the bracket with a fall, decision, medical forfeit and major decision.
There were no team scores kept at the Michigan State Open.
The Bison will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Navy Classic in Annapolis, Maryland.
Players Mentioned
