MSU won two of the opening three bouts to keep the score close early, but the Wolverines surged ahead with three straight bonus wins after the intermission break.
Fifth-year senior Justin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) kicked off the dual meet with his second win over the Spartans' 11th-ranked Curran Jacobs this season, using takedowns in the first and third periods to secure a 7-1 decision at 174 pounds. Zeerip, ranked fifth, struck quickly on a snap-down and head in the hole and elicited a pair of stalling calls on bottom while riding out the remainder of the first period. He escaped in the second and tacked on a late takedown on another hard snap-down. Zeerip improved to 18-2 on the season.
After the Spartans took their temporary and short-lived advantage with back-to-back wins at 184 and 197 pounds, Michigan won at the top and bottom of the lineup to carry a three-point lead into the intermission.
Senior/junior heavyweight Ben Apland (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) used a pair of takedowns and 2:44 in riding-time advantage to cruise past No. 18-ranked Mike McClure. Apland, ranked 11th, fought off an extended single-leg attack early in the first and eventually scored off it, converting on a front headlock, to gain the initial lead. He rode out the period, escaped quickly in the second, and added an explosive double leg midway through the third.
Junior/sophomore Grant Pizzo (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) reclaimed the Wolverines' advantage with a 7-4 decision over Eric Olanowski in a swing match at 125 pounds. Pizzo countered an early MSU shot to score on a first-period single leg and extended his advantage with another in the second. Olanowski used a Peterson to reverse the Wolverine late in the middle frame, but Pizzo managed to stay off his back until the buzzer. He rode a majority of the third period to seal the match and claim his third Big Ten win.
Michigan picked up back-to-back major decisions out of the intermission from senior Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS) and fifth-year senior Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively. Stevens converted six takedowns, including four in the first period, and added two back points and 3:17 in riding time to cruise past Terry Turner, 17-7.
Top-ranked Russell extended his win streak to 15 straight matches with a 10-0 shutout against Brian Gibbs at 141 pounds. Russell scored the bulk of his points in the first period, finishing on a quick duck-under before using a pair of power halves to tack on six back points. He escaped early in the second and rode out the third to accumulate 4:16 in riding time and improve to 22-1 this season.
Junior/sophomore Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS) claimed Michigan's third straight bonus win with a quick first-period pin against Dan Osterman at 149 pounds. Grajales, ranked seventh, fought off an early and deep single-leg shot, scrambling for the takedown and immediately locking up a cradle to stick the Spartan wrestler at the 1:50 mark. It was Grajales' second pin and 10th bonus win of the season, and he improved to 14-3.
The teams splits the final two matches as Michigan State's 12th-ranked Anthony Jones Jr. benefited from a stalling call in the tiebreaker to claim the 157-pound contest, 3-2, before junior/sophomore Dan Yates (Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia HS) closed out the dual with a 6-0 decision David Cheza at 165 pounds. Yates scored on takedowns in the first and third periods and accumulated 1:19 in riding time to claim his second win of the weekend.
Michigan will close out its Big Ten dual schedule next weekend with a pair of road contests. The Wolverines will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face rival Ohio State at 6 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 3) before wrapping up the weekend on Sunday (Feb. 5) with a 2 p.m. slate against Penn State in State College, Pa.
Results:
174 -- #5 Justin Zeerip (U-M) dec. #11 Curran Jacobs, 7-1 U-M, 3-0
184 -- Ian Hinton (MSU) dec. Hunter Collins, 8-5 Tie, 3-3
197 -- Nick McDiarmid (MSU) dec. Chris Heald, 8-3 MSU, 6-3
Hwt -- #11 Ben Apland (U-M) dec. #18 Mike McClure, 6-0 Tie, 6-6
125 -- Grant Pizzo (U-M) dec. Eric Olanowski, 7-4 U-M, 9-6
133 -- #18 Zac Stevens (U-M) major dec. Terry Turner, 17-7 U-M, 13-6
141 -- #1 Kellen Russell (U-M) major dec. Brian Gibbs, 10-0 U-M, 17-6
149 -- #7 Eric Grajales (U-M) pinned Dan Osterman, 1:50 U-M, 23-6
157 -- #12 Anthony Jones Jr. (MSU) dec. Brandon Zeerip, 3-2 TB U-M, 23-9
165 -- #17 Dan Yates (U-M) dec. David Cheza, 6-0 U-M, 26-9
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