Champaign, Ill., March 10, 2002 - Penn State co-captain Doc Vecchio (Shillington, Pa./165) continued his stellar junior season Sunday at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Champaign, Ill. as he captured third place and his first NCAA Tournament bid. Vecchio was the highest of seven Penn State placers on the day, all of which earned bids to the NCAA Tournament in Albany, N.Y. March 21-23. Penn State was assured of finishing sixth in the team standings with 66.5 points. Minnesota had a comfortable lead heading into the afternoon's championship bouts with 155 points. Iowa was in second with 119 and Michigan third 117.5, as No. 1 ranked Minnesota appeared assured of winning their second-straight conference crown. Joining Vecchio in placing on the day were sophomores Scott Moore (Franlin, Pa./4th at 141), Marat Tomaev (Vladikavkaz, Russia/6th at 133) and Pat Cummins (Lititz, Pa./7th at Hwt.), juniors Nate Wachter (Norristown, Pa/7th at 149) and Mark Becks (Concord, Ohio/6th at 184) and senior Pete Mielnik (Ephrata, Pa./5th at 197). For Penn State, the sixth place team finish marked its highest in the last three years as did the team's seven NCAA qualifiers. Of the team's six returners with previous Big Ten Tournament experience, three improved on their previous finish. The Lions posted an 18-21 mark as a team in the tournament, going 4-3 in the placing bouts Sunday. Vecchio, the No. 3 seed at 165, started strong on the day posting three first period takedowns for an early lead over No. 8 seed Nate Baker of Minnesota in his first match. He went on to post a 7-3 decision and advance to the third place bout where he took on No. 5 seeded Oscar Santiago of Purdue. After giving up the opening takedown, Vecchio took command of the match posting three takedowns, a pair of escapes and a riding time point for a 9-4 victory. The third place finish was the first placing for Vecchio at the Big Ten Tournament in his third appearance and earned him his first NCAA Tournament bid. He posted a 3-1 mark in the tournament. Moore also worked his way into the third place bout after getting Penn State's first win on the day as he fought off a strong challenge from No. 7 seed John Giacche of Northwestern. Moore held on to a 4-3 victory after fighting off a strong takedown attempt from Giacche late in the third period. With Giacche in deep on a single leg, Moore clamped down on the head and tossed him to his back as the final seconds ticked off. In the third place bout, Moore took on No. 5 seeded Coyte Cooper of Indiana. Moore had pinned Cooper during the dual meet season to start a six match winning streak, but this time it was Cooper who returned the favor sticking Moore in the first period. Moore, the No. 1 seed, took home fourth place after going 2-2 in the tournament. Both Moore and Vecchio cracked he 30-win mark on the year, Vecchio with a 31-11 mark and Moore with a 30-12 record. Both Tomaev and Mielnik struggled in their consolation semifinal bouts and dropped into fifth place bouts. Becks, assured of an NCAA bid, elected to medically forfeit his last two bouts of the tournament and take home a sixth place finish. The knee injury suffered in a late January bout with Indiana's Viktor Sveda and that sidelined him for the last month was reaggravated in his quarterfinal loss to Sveda on Saturday. Becks is expected to be ready for the NCAA tournament. Tomaev, after falling 6-3 to No. 6 seed Chad Hay of Illinois in his first bout of the day, got a rematch with No. 4 seed Cliff Moore in his fifth place bout. Moore defeated Tomaev, 7-2, in first round action. This time Tomaev jumped out to an early lead, but Moore took control in the second period with a pair of takedowns and went on to an 8-5 decision. Tomaev, the No. 5 seed, took home a sixth place finish and is now 20-11 on the year after going 2-3 in the tournament. Mielnik never got anything going in his first bout of the day as he lost a 14-5 decision to No. 4 seed Pat DeGain of Indiana. He got a match-up with unseeded John Wechter of Michigan State in the fifth place bout. The two battled to a 5-5 tie through three periods. In the overtime, Mielnik got in a double leg attempt and after taking Wechter to the mat converted the shot for a 7-5 sudden victory decision. The fifth place finish earned Mielnik, who went 4-2 in the tournament, his second-straight NCAA Tournament bid despite battling numerous injuries over the course of the last month. Wachter captured his third-straight NCAA tournament bid and third seventh place finish at the Big Ten Tournament with a dominating 8-2 victory over unseeded Dan Jankowksi. Wachter, the No. 7 seed, defeated Jankowski in the first round 7-3 and this time used three takedowns and escape and riding time to improve his record to 2-2 in the tournament and 23-12 on the year. Cummins grabbed his first NCAA Tournament bid and a seventh place finish in the tournament with an 8-3 victory over No. 8 seeded Justin Staebler of Wisconsin. Staebler got the first takedown in the bout, but Cummins stormed back dominating the second and third periods for the victory. The No. 7 seed, Cummins went 3-2 in the tournament. 2002 Big Ten Wrestling Tournament 125 - Adam Smith (Fr.) 133 - (5) Marat Tomaev (So.) (6th) - NCAA Qualified 141 - (1) Scott Moore (So.) (4th) - NCAA Qualified 149 - (7) Nate Wachter (Jr.) (7th) - NCAA Qualified 157 - (7) James Woodall (Fr.) 165 - (3) Doc Vecchio (Jr.) (3rd) - NCAA Qualified 174 - Todd Brennan (Fr.) 184 - (7) Mark Becks (Jr.) (6th) - NCAA Qualified 197 - (7) Pete Mielnik (Sr.) (5th) - NCAA Qualified Hwt. - (7) Pat Cummins (So.) (7th) - NCAA Qualified
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