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krikya18.com | February 10, 2015

Epic Eight NCAA Wrestling Finals Matches

Fans on social media will determine the most epic NCAA Wrestling finals match in history.

In Round 1, it's “The Comeback” versus “Time on the Clock”. Fans chose #HahnTrenge03 as the winner.

 

Round 1: The Comeback vs. Time on the Clock

1993: 
 McIlravy (Iowa) defeats Abas (Fresno State), 16-15

 

Fresno State's Gerry Abas was heavily favored to win the 142-pound national title in 1993, but he needed to get by Iowa's Lincoln McIlravy first to secure it.
 

Abas, a junior, got off to a hot start as those favoring him would have expected, with a dominating performance securing four straight takedowns in the first period to build an 8-3 lead.

McIlravy closed the gap in the second with an escape and a takedown, but Abas would go ahead 12-8 after a third-period escape and takedown.

McIlravy would earn and escape, a stall point and three third-period takedowns, with the match-winning score coming with just six seconds remaining to pull out an improbable 16-15 victory to become just the second true freshman in NCAA Division I history to win an NCAA title.

2003:
Hahn (Minnesota) defeats Trenge (Lehigh), 5-4

 

"If there's time on the clock, there's time to wrestle."


Those words uttered by Minnesota 197-pounder Damion Hahn after his dramatic 5-4 victory over Lehigh's Jon Trenge in 2003 have become a mantra for last-second comebacks.


Trenge, who battled vision problems associated with a detached retina, sported protective goggles during the last three years of his career, but it didn't stop him from reaching the finals and leading Hahn 4-3 with 11 seconds remaining.


On the restart, Hahn attempted a lateral drop, then popped behind Trenge and brought him down to the mat for the winning takedown with only three ticks left.