March 19, 2009

Herbert Ousted From NCAA Bracket

ST. LOUIS -- Justin Herbert's storied career at F&M came to a close with a 6-2 loss to Michigan State's Ian Hinton in the consolation bracket of the NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championships. Hinton (20-18) combined two first period takedowns with and escape point and a riding point to oust Herbert from the 174-pound competition.

"Justin wrestled a tough match tonight," said coach, Pete Schuyler. "He didn't get it done, but he has re-opened the door for the program and others on the team to follow. I am proud of how he wrestled today and throughout his career."

Herbert (23-13) was the Diplomats first NCAA qualifier in 11-years. He finishes with a career record of 82-39 and a school record of 35 pins. He ranks fifth on the F&M career wins list, one victory ahead of Mike Parziale '06 and one behind Hall of Famer, Vic Bernardino '94.

Herbert was handed a tough draw, falling 11-0 to the nation's top-ranked 174-pound grappler, Michigan's Steve Luke. The number one seed improved to 28-0 on the year on the strength of a first period takedown. Herbert was in danger of being stuck off of the takedown. He was able to work free from peril, but not before yielding three back points to go into the second period trailing 5-0.

Luke started the second on the bottom, from where he managed an escape and takedown in the two-minute segment. Michigan's senior recorded a third period takedown and a riding point for the 11-0 win that bumped Herbert to the consolation portion of the bracket.