2007-08:Ranked No. 2 in the NWCA/Intermat poll ... Has been ranked No. 1, 2 or 3 all season by NWCA/Intermat ... Won the 157-pound Big Ten Championship, defeating No. 6 C.P. Schlatter (MINN) and No. 3 Dan Vallimont (PSU) along the way ... Has won his last eight matches and 10 of his last 11 ... Ranked No. 1 in the NWCA/Intermat poll for nine straight weeks from Dec. 4-Feb. 5 ... Started the season 22-0, his best start ever ... Leads the team with 32 wins ... Has scored bonus points in a team-high 17 matches ... Defeated then-No. 1 Gregor Gillespie (Edinboro) to win the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... Also won Midlands for the second-straight year with a victory over No. 6 Matt Kocher (Pittsburgh) ... Defeated No. 2 Dan Vallimont, 6-3, on Feb. 3 ... Leads the team and ranks 24th in the nation in technical falls (6). 2006-07: Finished the season ranked No. 5 ... Placed third at the NCAA Championships in his second appearance ... Went 5-1 at NCAAs ... Placed fourth at the 2007 Big Ten Championships ... Held the No. 1 spot in the nation for nine straight weeks before sustaining his first loss of the season to C.P. Schlatter (Minn.) in the semifinals of the first round at Big Tens ... Finished the regular season undefeated at 18-0 ... Downed No. 2 C.P. Schlatter of Minnesota in a 3-2 decision ... Handed two-time All-American Brandon Becker (IU) his first dual-meet loss of the season, when he took a 7-3 decision over the Hoosier to help the Illini to a 22-9 victory ... Recorded his first fall of the season against Mike McGill in 1:04, helping the Illini to a 26-10 victory over Maryland ... Claimed the title at the Midlands Championships ... Won the Missouri Open at 157 pounds for the third straight year. 2005-06: Full-time starter at 165 pounds ... Qualified for the NCAA Championships with a third-place finish at Big Ten Championships ... Finished season ranked No. 9 ... Went 7-1 in Big Ten action ... Only loss was to No. 1 Ryan Churella (Michigan) in sudden victory ... Won the Missouri Open at 157 pounds for the second straight year ... Placed fifth at the Las Vegas Invite ... Placed second at Midlands, where he lost to No. 8 Nick Baima (Iowa St.) ... Named to Amateur Wrestling News' All-Freshman Team. 2004-05: Redshirt season ... Went 9-1 in open tournaments ... Placed second at the UNI Open ... Won the Missouri Open at 157 pounds. HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time Illinois state champion ... Junior Freestyle national champion ... High School folkstyle national champion ... Competed with the USA Dream Team against Pennsylvania and California ... Rated the No. 1 recruit in the country by Intermat ... Two-time member of the Asics National first team. PERSONAL: Full given name is Michael Sidney Poeta ... Son of Domenic and Susan Poeta ... Born April 15, 1986 ... Biggest thrill in sports was being a member of the USA Dream Team ... Majoring in Community Health ... Favorite athlete is Lance Armstrong because he knows how to win ... Says his dad has most influenced his athletic career. POETA'S CAREER STATS Year W L F Big Ten NCAA 2005-06 28 7 1 3rd DNP 2006-07 25 3 2 4th 3rd 2007-08 32 2 4 1st TOTAL 85 12 7 |
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