Gillespie Wins National Championship!
Sophomore Defeats Michigan’s Churella 3-1 in Overtime as Edinboro Finishes Ninth
March 17, 2007

Previous Recaps
Day One »» Session 1   Session 2
Day Two »» Session 1   Session 2
Day Three »» Session 1

AUBURN HILLS, MI – And then there were three! Thanks to a takedown late in overtime, Gregor Gillespie became the third Division I national champion at Edinboro, posting a 3-1 decision over Michigan’s Josh Churella in the 149 lb. finals at the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championships. The Nationals were held at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI.

Gregor Gillespie became the third Division I national champion at Edinboro when he won his final match Saturday at the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championships.

Gillespie joins Sean O’Day, who won the 134 lb. title in 1989, and Josh Koscheck, the 174 lb. champion in 2001, as Edinboro’s lone Division I titlists.

“It’s huge,” exclaimed the sophomore afterwards. “I finally got on the last wall in our room. To be up there with Sean O’Day and Josh Koscheck, that’s just awesome. I’ve had a chance to meet Josh the last couple years. It’s an honor.”

Gillespie’s win also boosted Edinboro into another top ten finish. After placing eighth a year ago, the Fighting Scots finished ninth this year with 56 points. That included three All-Americans for the second straight year, as Alex Clemsen (fourth place at 184 lbs.) and Deonte Penn (seventh place at 165 lbs.) also earned trips to the awards stand. The point total was the same as last year. It also marked the first time since 1988 and 1989 that Edinboro finished in the top ten in back-to-back years. They actually did it three straight years then, from 1987-89.

The victory certainly didn’t come easy. Gillespie took an early shot at a single leg, but couldn’t finish it. After that, the first period featured a number of shots by each wrestler, but no scoring. Churella, who entered the match with a 31-4 record, chose down to begin the second period and escaped at the 1:37 mark for a 1-0 lead. That would be the only scoring in the period.

The third period began with Gillespie in the down position, and he came up with the tying escape at 1:27. Neither wrestler came close to a takedown, although Gillespie took several meaningful shots, as the match headed into overtime.

The overtime period saw Churella get in deep with a low single, with Gillespie scrambling into a sitting position. After fighting off the takedown attempt, he scrambled behind the junior for the winning takedown.

The victory set off a wild celebration for Gillespie, who jumped into head coach Tim Flynn’s arms, and a small but boisterous group of Edinboro supporters, who were far outnumbered by the Michigan home crowd but were heard throughout the match.

“It wasn’t a comfortable situation at first,” admitted Gillespie in regards to the deep shot in overtime by Churella. “But I’m pretty comfortable in a sit-down position. That’s how I won the seventh place match last year. I work on that every day in practice with Matt Hill.”

Gillespie also credited the official with being patient and not calling the quick takedown.

“The referee gave me the time. If he had given the quick two it would’ve been all over. Obviously, I’m thankful he did give us the time because I ended up working my way out of that.”

Gillespie entered Nationals as the number five seed. While defeating all five of his opponents on his way to the title, he upset top-seeded Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota, third-seeded Churella, and Jordan Leen of Cornell, the fourth seed, along with a win over 12th-seed Dan Vallimont of Penn State.

He disagreed with those who thought he was the underdog or an unknown, however, as was inferred at the post-match press conference.

“Not really an unknown,” he pointed out. “I placed in the same weight last year. I had a few rough matches this year but I wasn’t an unknown. Maybe an underdog, especially behind Schlatter. I think overlooked would be more correct. It doesn’t bother me at all. That’s more other people’s views. I believe in myself. Being from Edinboro, it’s great helping us put Edinboro on the map.”

Flynn noted that Gillespie persevered to earn the crown.

“A lot of talented kids don’t win,” stressed the veteran coach. “This year he showed the mental maturity to win. He dealt with a lot of adversity during the year, but he never lost confidence in himself. He had some ups and downs.

“That’s my goal, to coach kids that have a chance to win national championships. That’s what we sell the kids. It builds some tradition. You’re selling something real.” Flynn then paused and joked that with assistant coach Cliff Moore a former national champion, along with athletic director Bruce Baumgartner, “I’m the only one not a national champion.”

Gillespie, meanwhile, concludes his sophomore year as a two-time All-American after finishing seventh a year ago. The national championship victory gave him a 34-2 record and 74-6 for his career. A year ago he became Edinboro’s first true freshman to earn All-American honors. Now he is one of only three Boro grapplers to stand at the top of the awards stand at the end of Nationals.