Wrestling: Brenner and Rogers Place in Las Vegas

By Ira Green for MSNsportsNET.com
December 6, 2008

Cliff Keen Invitational
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nev.

Championship Bracket

Results

174

Brenner

Dec 6-1 >

Browne
(Nebraska)

Consolation Finals

Results

174

Brenner

Fall 0:45 >

Perry
(Indiana)

Consolations

Results

184

Bryson

Dec 3-1 (OT) >

Thomusseit
(Pitt)

HWT

Rogers

< Dec 9-4

Everhart
(Indiana)

HWT

Rogers

Dec 8-3 >

Massey
(Wisconsin)

174

Brenner

< Dec 3-2

Feinsad
(New Mexico)

HWT

Rogers

< Dec 5-3

Berhow
(Minnesota)

Top WVU Wrestlers


Kurt Brenner	Dustin Rogers

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Fifth-year seniors Dustin Rogers and Kurt Brenner of the West Virginia University wrestling team each placed at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev., at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Brenner, a No. 3 seed, took fourth place in the consolation bracket at 174 pounds, while Rogers, a No. 5 seed heavyweight, took seventh place in the consolation bracket.

Brenner started the day in the championship bracket, but fell to No. 2 seed Brandon Browne of Nebraska in his first match of the day. Brenner took Browne to the final period, but fell 5-1. A Freedom, Pa., native, Brenner bounced back with a 3-2 decision against New Mexico’s Jesse Feinsad. In the consolation finals, Brenner battled Indiana’s Trevor Perry, a No. 5 seed, but lost, ultimately earning the four-place finish.

Rogers earned a seventh place finish after defeating Minnesota’s Benjamin Berhow, a No. 6 seed. Rogers earned a takedown in the first period and registered another one in the second en route to a 5-3 decision.

In his first bout of the day, Rogers faced Indiana’s No. 11 seed, Nate Everhart. Rogers dominated the match, scoring seven of his nine points in the first period, courtesy of two takedowns and three near fall points. He later added two escape points in the third period for the 9-4 decision. His next match came against the No. 1 seed Kyle Massey of Wisconsin. After going scoreless in the first period, Massey earned an escape point, but Rogers retaliated with a takedown moments later. Massey, however, recorded three more points in the second period and three in the third for the 8-3 decision.

“We understood coming into this tournament that this is a valuable one from all different levels. We needed to feel it, we needed to see it and we need to compete with it,” Coach Craig Turnbull said. “We brought three experienced wrestlers into this tournament who we thought could take a run at the finals and we were a little bit unlucky with (David) Jauregui losing in the first round. The other two competed to get into the finals, Kurt and Dustin.

“The other six guys are relatively all beginning their careers. All of them are in their third varsity match ever and I think they had varied success. They all had a tremendous experience and I think they'll be better from it.”

Freshman Lance Bryson also competed in the second day of the tournament with a third round consolation match at 184 pounds against Pitt’s Zac Thomusseit. Bryson fell behind in the second period after Thomusseit earned an escape point, but tied the match in the third session with an escape point. In the first overtime, Bryson and Thomusseit battled, but Pitt’s Thomusseit gained a takedown with only six seconds left in the first overtime period for the 3-1 overtime decision.

“Lance, as a true freshman, just came in and battled really well,” Turnbull said. “He was probably about five seconds away from placing in this tournament as a true freshman.”

Another young Mountaineer who finished the tournament with tremendous success was redshirt-freshman Grant Lowther at 133 pounds. The Washington, Pa., native won three matches, two of which via 8-0 major decisions.

“Grant's experience was valuable because it was the first time Grant had wrestled a match in a year and a half, since he was in high school,” Turnbull commented. “He spent last year with shoulder surgery, so he hasn't really been on a match with an official since then. His first match was with one of the better athletes in the program. He has come back and is having very good success.”

The Mountaineers return to action on Dec. 14 with a dual meet at Penn State. The match is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

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