By Mike Walsh
Correspondent
One reason the Michigan wrestling team has been successful this season is freshman Sergio Lemley.
At the Big Ten tournament, Lemley won three of his five matches to finish fourth at 141 pounds. The Wolverines placed second with 123.5 points behind conference champion Penn State (170.5).
In the consolation semifinals, Lemley, a Mount Carmel graduate, defeated Mitch Moore of Rutgers, 10-6. He subsequently lost the third-place match, 11-8, to Iowa’s Real Woods.
On the season, Lemley – who was a three-time state champ for the Caravan – is 18-7 with one pin, seven technical falls and one major decision.
Lemley earned the Big Ten and the NCAA Wrestler of the Week awards for the week ending February 6. He beat Woods 14-2 that week at a dual between the Wolverines and Hawkeyes. Woods, a three-time IHSA state champion while at Montini, was the top-ranked wrestler at 141 pounds at the time.