Logan Massa hits a double leg on Anthony Valencia in the finals at 74 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)CORALVILLE, Iowa -- Logan Massa repeated as Senior Nationals freestyle champion on Sunday and did so in dominant fashion.
The fifth-year senior at the University of Michigan claimed a 15-2 technical superiority over Anthony Valencia in the finals at 74 kilograms.
Massa gave up the opening point off a step out, but cruised the rest of the way. He used a four-point throw to go up 4-1 and added a takedown late in the first period to go up 6-1 at the break. He continued to pile it on the second period and closed out the technical superiority after Valencia attempted a desperation move in the final 20 seconds of the match.
"I just keep trying to score points," said Massa. "It doesn't matter if the score is 1-0 or 9-0. I've got to score the next point. I've got to keep scoring points."
To make the Olympic team, Massa will have to go through Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs and two-time world champ Kyle Dake. He believes he can compete with anyone in the world.
"I just beat Bekzod [Abdurakhmonov]," said Massa. He's a two-time world bronze medalist. So I'm right there with those guys. Let's go. Let's bring it."
Massa was one of two champions for the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. The other was Mason Parris at 125 kilograms.
Mason Parris after winning the title at 125 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)For Parris, a 2019 junior world champion, it was his first major breakthrough on the senior level. Like his teammate Massa, Parris was dominant in the finals, claiming a 12-2 technical superiority over Tanner Hall.
Parris, a Big Ten runner-up in 2020, hit a dump early in the match, scoring four but giving up two exposure, making the score 4-2. He used a gut wrench to score two more and go up 6-2. A short time later, Parris fired off a shot and scored two before adding two more gut wrench turns to close out the match in the first period.
Headed home with hardware. 2ï¸âƒ£ #SeniorNationals champs for the Wolverines. @massa_logan @Parris58 #CKWC #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/txBn8ajpkM
— Michigan Wrestling (@umichwrestling) October 11, 2020
A pair of Cornell standouts -- one present and one past, Vito Arujau and Gabe Dean, earned titles at 57 kilograms and 86 kilograms respectively.
Arujau, a 2019 junior world silver medalist, faced surprise finalist Dylan Ragusin iat 57 kilograms. After Ragusin, a freshman at Michigan, scored the opening point off a step out 10 seconds into the match, Arujua rolled the rest of the way. He scored a pair of takedowns before showcasing a strong par terre game, turning Ragusin multiples times on his way to a 13-3 technical superiority.
"I think people can see now that I'm competing in there with the best guys," said Arujau. "If you didn't think I had any shot before, hopefully you can revaluate and give me at least a little bit of a shot."
Gabe Dean won the title at 86 kilograms after a three-year layoff (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Dean, who last competed in 2017 prior to this weekend, won a hard-fought finals match over top-seeded Nate Jackson at 86 kilograms. Jackson scored the first point off the activity clock and led 1-0 at the break. Dean kept the pressure on in the second period and Jackson was placed on the activity clock. After Jackson was unable to score, Dean was awarded a point and held on to win 1-1 on criteria of scoring the final point.
Third-seeded Kollin Moore used a big opening period to pace him a to 12-5 victory over Kyven Gadson at 97 kilograms. Moore built an 8-4 lead after the opening period and continued to add to his lead in the second period.
Andrew Alirez came through as the No. 9 seed to win the title at 65 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Andrew Alirez, a sophomore at Northern Colorado, was the lowest seeded wrestlers to win a freestyle title, coming through as the No. 9 seed at 65 kilograms. Alirez topped Evan Henderson in the finals at 65 kilograms, 5-1. He controlled the match from start to finish, going up 3-0 in the first period before adding a second takedown in the final period to extend his lead to 5-0. Henderson would add a late step out point, but it was too little, too late.
Finals results:
57 kilograms: Vito Arujau tech. Dylan Ragusin, 13-3 1:51
65 kilograms: Andrew Alirez dec. Evan Henderson, 5-1
74 kilograms: Logan Massa tech. Anthony Valencia, 15-2 5:46
86 kilograms: Gabe Dean dec. Nate Jackson, 1-1
97 kilograms: Kollin Moore dec. Kyven Gadson, 12-5
125 kilograms: Mason Parris tech. Tanner Hall, 12-2 1:23
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