WVU's Williamson Falls Short of All-America Status

By Ira Green
WVU Sports Information Office

OMAHA, Neb. (March 19, 2010) – West Virginia University wrestler Brandon Williamson fell one victory short of becoming the Mountaineers’ first heavyweight All-American at the 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Friday.

A Riverside, Conn., native, Williamson had a tough start on day two of the tournament, dropping an 8-2 decision to the No. 2 seed, Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State.

Falling to the wrestleback bracket, Williamson was matched up against the No. 11 seed, Mitch Monteiro of Cal-State Bakersfield. Williamson took the lead with an escaped point in the second, but Monteiro tied the match at one apiece in the third with an escape. After going scoreless in sudden victory, Monteiro elected down in the first tiebreaker. He recorded a reversal and went up 3-1, heading into the second tiebreaker. Williamson elected down, but was unable to break free, falling by the aforementioned score.

Williamson won consecutive matches on day one of the tournament, defeating two seeded wrestlers – No. 7 seed Jarod Trice of Central Michigan and No. 10 seed Dominick Russo of Rutgers.

Before the end of day two, the Mountaineers are tied with Drexel for 47th place with five points.

Williamson finished the season with a 20-8 overall record. The junior college transfer took second at the Eastern Wrestling League Championships and qualified for his first NCAA Division I national tournament.

HWT:
#2 seed Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) dec. Brandon Williamson (WVU), 8-2
#11 seed Mitch Monteiro (Cal-State Bakersfield) dec. Brandon Williamson (WVU), 3-1 (t.b.)

WVU’s Williamson Continues to Roll

OMAHA, Neb. (March 18, 2010) – West Virginia University wrestler Brandon Williamson continued to roll in the second session of the 2010 NCAA Championships at the Qwest Center on Thursday evening.

Unseeded at heavyweight, Williamson posted a 3-0 decision over No. 10 seed Dominick Russo. Williamson accumulated two minutes in riding time in the second period and came close to earning near-fall points multiple times. In the third, Williamson elected neutral and registered a takedown moments into the period.

The victory was the third upset at heavyweight during the second session. Williamson will move on to face 2009 All-American Jared Rosholt in the quarterfinals on Friday morning.

Donnie Jones (165) and Shane Young (125) each finished the tournament 0-2 at their respective weight classes.

Young lost to Princeton’s Garrett Frey in the second session, 5-4. Young made a charge late, grabbing takedown in the second and third periods, but an escape by Frey in the final period proved to be the difference.

Young, a Jeannette, Pa., native, completed a remarkable true freshman campaign. He finished the season with a 16-10 overall record, took second at the EWL Championships en route to his first ticket to the NCAA Championships.

Jones fell to Michigan State’s Kyle Bounds, 9-4, in the second session. He cut the deficit to one point in the final period, but an escape, takedown and riding time gave Bounds the victory.

Jones, a redshirt senior, also returns after being granted a sixth year of eligibility, finished the season with a 20-12 overall mark.

Action on Friday, March 19, at the NCAA Championships will begin 10:30 a.m. ET.

125 pounds:

Frank Lomas (Cal-State Bakersfield) dec. Shane Young (WVU), 7-2 Garrett Frey (Princeton) dec. Shane Young (WVU), 5-4

165 pounds:
#7 seed Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Donnie Jones (WVU), 4-2 (SV)
Kyle Bounds (Michigan State) dec. Donnie Jones (WVU), 9-4

HWT:
Brandon Williamson (WVU) pinned #7 seed Jarod Trice (Central Michigan), 6:13
Brandon Williamson (WVU) dec. #10 seed Dominick Russo (Rutgers), 3-0

Williamson Advances at NCAAs

OMAHA, Neb. (March 18, 2010) – Junior transfer Brandon Williamson was the lone West Virginia University wrestler to advance in the championship bracket through session I at the 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships, held at the Qwest Center.

Williamson, who is unseeded, took on No. 7 seed Jarod Trice of Central Michigan at heavyweight. The two circled the mat through the first period with neither wrestler earning a point. In the second, Williamson chose the down position and Trice accumulated all two minutes in riding time. In the third, it was Trice who chose the defensive position, and Williamson was able to maintain control and bring Trice’s riding time down to 59 seconds before the Central Michigan wrestler broke free. Williamson, down 1-0, got in deep on a single and was able to take Trice down and flip him on his back for the pin at the 6:59 mark.

Williamson improves his record to 19-7 overall, earning his first victory at the Division I national championships. The Riverside, Conn., native was a two-time junior college All-American, winning the national title in 2008.

Williamson will wrestle Oklahoma’s Nathan Fernandez tonight, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals on Friday.

Redshirt senior Donnie Jones was also slated against the No. 7 seed at his weight class, facing Ryan Morningstar of Iowa in a 165-pound bout. After going scoreless through the first, Jones chose down in the second and was able to score a reversal for the 2-0 lead. Morningstar escaped before the end of the period and went into the third trailing, 2-1. He tied it at two apiece with an escape after starting from the down position, sending the match into sudden victory. Jones came out of the gate aggressive, getting in deep on a single before the referee questionably called a stalemate. Moments later, Morningstar was in deep and was able to score the winning takedown.

Jones will wrestle later today against the winner of the pigtail match, featuring Michigan State’s Kyle Bounds and Rider’s Rob Morrison. Jones defeated Bounds in a dual this season, 5-3.

Freshman Shane Young started the day for the Mountaineers at 125 pounds. Cal-State Bakersfield’s Frank Lomas opened the scoring in the first with a takedown, while tacking on 2:45 in riding time. Lomas increased his lead to 3-0, entering the final period. Young elected neutral in the third and scored on a takedown to the cut deficit to one. Lomas, however, escaped and tacked on a late takedown for the 7-2 victory.

Young, also wrestling later today, is slated to face Princeton’s Garrett Frey, who lost to top-seed Angel Escobedo of Indiana.

Session II will begin tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET.

125 pounds:
Frank Lomas (Cal-State Bakersfield) dec. Shane Young (WVU), 7-2
Shane Young (WVU) vs. Garrett Frey (Princeton)

165 pounds:
#7 seed Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Donnie Jones (WVU), 4-2 (SV)
Donnie Jones (WVU) vs. Kyle Bounds (Michigan State)/Rob Morrison (Rider)

HWT:
Brandon Williamson (WVU) pinned #7 seed Jarod Trice (Central Michigan), 6:13
Brandon Williamson (WVU) vs. #10 seed Dominick Russo (Rutgers)

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