The No. 2 Michigan wrestling team (3-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) coasted to its third consecutive win on Sunday, defeating Indiana (0-2, 0-2), 32-6.
Just as they did in their first two duals, the Wolverines started today’s meet with a win, this time courtesy of redshirt freshman Cam Amine at 165 pounds. Amine used three takedowns, riding time and an escape to secure an 8-3 victory for himself and a 3-0 lead for Michigan.
After Amine came redshirt senior Logan Massa at 174 pounds. Much like in his first two matches of the year, Massa started slow before dominating his opponent in the third period. Whereas his first two victories of the year were major decisions, against Indiana Massa executed a cement mixer to pin his opponent in 6:38 minutes.
“As soon as he got on the mat and opened it up with that first turn, you could see the energy just evaporate out of his opponent,” coach Sean Bormet said. “As (Massa) continues to get his motor going, he just keeps getting better and better.”
Freshman Jaden Bullock took the mat next, wrestling up a weight at 184 pounds. Making his debut for the Wolverines’, Bullock flashed every ounce of the skill that made him a two-time Virginia state champion. In the first period alone, Bullock jumped out to a 14-0 lead after a takedown and three near-falls. Just 48 seconds into the second period, Bullock notched a two-point takedown to earn a 16-0 technical fall and five team points.
“He did an awesome job today,” said Bormet. “Once he started to work on top, he just blew that match wide open with those four-point turns.”
Added Bullock: “It was exactly what I wanted to do. Hopefully, I can do it some more.”
A Michigan loss at 197 pounds put a dent in its margin of victory, but junior Mason Parris regained momentum for the Wolverines by pinning his opponent in a mere 2:06 minutes. Michigan’s heavyweight shot in on a single-leg before placing his opponent first in a half-nelson and then onto his back for the fall.
Following Parris was last week’s big-ten wrestler of the week, freshman Dylan Ragusin, wrestling his second-ranked opponent in three matches. Although Ragusin trailed 4-3 heading into the final period, the freshman escaped with his riding time intact (1:22 minutes) and added a stall point to secure a 6-4 victory.
After Ragusin, the Wolverines dropped the contest at 133 pounds, but then closed the dual with three consecutive wins. Now, with two weeks off before its next competition, undefeated Michigan will focus on staying fresh and avoiding complacency as it prepares for its first tri-meet since January 2018.
“We’ve got a lot of things to work on these next two weeks,” said Bormet. “But I know we’ll be excited to go wrestle Iowa at Carver and the University of Illinois. Everyone’s been waiting to compete, guys are pumped up and we’re looking forward to the trip.”