Adams State College Alamosa, CO

Adams State to be Well Represented at Next Week's RMAC Hall of Fame

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- After a year hiatus to honor the best athletes and coaches in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's first century, the conference's annual hall of fame ceremony is back and once again Adams State College will be well represented as legendary coach Jack "Doc" Cotton, distance running great Amy Giblin and the 1980 NAIA National Championship Wrestling Team will all be inducted as a good chunk of the class of 2010, which includes four other individuals and another team.

The ceremony will be held here at the Colorado Springs Marriott on Saturday, June 26. A social hour begins at 5 p.m. with dinner to follow at 6 p.m. The ceremony will then begin at 7 p.m.

Cotton and Giblin will be the sixth and seventh individuals with Adams State ties to be inducted since the conference introduced the event in 2002. Adams State has also had 12 other national championship teams, including the 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1975 and 1976 wrestling squads inducted.

No other RMAC school has had more than two teams inducted.

Cotton, best known for his basketball coaching success, served in a variety of roles at Adams State during his tenure at Adams State which spanned nearly three decades (1960-87). A member of ASC's inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Class in 2000, Cotton coached the men's basketball team from 1960-78 before guiding the women from 1978-87, a time that saw the Indians win four RMAC titles in five years (1981, 1982, 1984, 1985) and five NAIA district championships.

Cotton, who guided RMAC Hall of Famers Lonnie Porter and Debra Gilbert and several other great athletes, also served as the athletic director and golf, tennis and football coaches at various times during his career. He also drove the athletic bus, all while maintaining a full teaching load.

Prior to arriving at Adams State, Cotton served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and in 1950, played for the original Denver Nuggets. He was also a part of the U.S. Olympic Committee, a role that helped him bring Olympic athletes to train in Alamosa in preparation for the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, held at high altitude. He also served as the President of the NAIA Coaches Association and was proud to help develop the legendary Top of the Nation Coaches' Clinic.

Now retired and residing in Alamosa, Cotton and his wife Mabel have been married for 63 years.

Giblin was an 18-time All-American and a member of three national championship cross country teams during her time at Adams State. One of just two Adams State athletes (Amber Klein) to achieve the "triple crown" by winning individual national titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in the same school year (1991-92), Giblin set the NAIA outdoor championship record in the 5,000 meters in 1992, a mark that stood until 2008.

The first recruit ever signed by legendary Adams State Coach Damon Martin, Giblin, who won four total individual national championships, also finished fourth at the World University Games. Following her 1993 graduation, Giblin went on to serve as a graduate assistant coach for Martin while training for the 1996 Olympic Marathon Trials that she competed in.

A native of Colorado Springs, Giblin was inducted into the ASC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003 and was recognized by the RMAC last summer as a member of the conference's all-time team in both cross country and track and field.

The 1980 wrestling team won the 10th national championship for the RMAC and was the seventh in Adams State's wrestling history. The squad was coached by Dr. Richard Ulrich, a 2001 ASC Hall of Famer and the 1980 NAIA Coach of the Year. The squad scored 86 team points at the national tournament, held in Hays, Kan.

The team, which also won the RMAC title that year, was led by 126-pound national champion Scott Ritzen, a 2004 Adams State Hall of Fame inductee and now the head coach at Chadron State, who won the first of his two national titles that year as a sophomore. ASC had four wrestlers in the national finals that year including heavyweight Herb Stanley, a 2-time national champion who was named to the RMAC Centennial Celebration's All-Time team. Lawrence MacErnie and John Sheridan were also finalists and All-Americans at 134 and 142 pounds, respectively.
Follow Adams State Grizzly Athletics on Twitter

ALAMOSA-Adams State College Sports Information Director Chris Day has announced that fans can now follow Grizzly Athletics on Twitter by clicking on the Twitter logo on the ASCGrizzlies.com website and clicking the 'follow' button on the page.

Twitter, one of the most popular social networks on the web, has been used by numerous Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference athletic departments and even the Conference headquarters to get news and updates out to media and fans.

The Adams State Sports Information Department will be tweeting scores periodically during sporting events and will update any schedule changes as well as any news that hits the ASCGrizzlies.com website.

For questions or more information on Adams State's athletics teams or the Twitter page, please contact sports information director Chris Day at clday@adams.edu.
Lopers Claim Narrow 24-21 Win Over Adams State Wrestlers

ASC now prepares for Feb. 27 super regional/RMAC Championships

ALAMOSA, Colo.- The ninth-ranked University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers received two first-minute wins by fall, a forfeit by top-ranked 174-pounder Marty Usman and a 3-2 win from heavyweight Ben Hohensee as they won a 24-21 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference back-and-forth dual meet over the host No. 16 Adams State College Grizzlies, Wednesday night in Plachy Hall.

The Lopers trailed 15-9 at the intermission but quickly took a 21-15 lead as Taylor May recorded a fall over Grizzly freshman Anthony Gomez (Albuquerque, N.M.) at 165 pounds before Usman, last year's national runner-up¬, received the forfeit win.

The Grizzlies then answered right back as Torben Walters (Olney Springs, Colo.) recorded a thrilling 9-8 win at 184 pounds before fifth-ranked Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.) tied the dual at 21 with his 7-1 decision at 197 pounds.

Hohensee then scored a quick takedown in the opening seconds of the decisive heavyweight battle and held on for a 3-2 win over Grizzly senior Jeff Schossow (Fort Morgan, Colo.) giving the Lopers the win, their fifth straight and second of the day.

The Lopers, who posted a 28-9 win over Colorado State-Pueblo earlier in the afternoon, are now 15-6 overall and a perfect 6-0 in RMAC duals. The Grizzlies end the dual meet portion of the season with 7-6 and 4-4 overall records.

Wednesday's match-up was close throughout as neither team would win more than two consecutive matches as the squad's split them evenly with each team winning five, including two by fall.

The Grizzlies drew first blood as Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.), one of four Grizzly seniors in the lineup wresting in their final career duals, scored a 7-1 decision over the Lopers' Danny Luttrell in the opening 125-pound match. Barksdale, the defending national champion at the weight class, is now 16-5 overall and 8-1 in dual meets this season.

However, the Lopers would jump right into a 6-3 lead as Joey Morrison pinned Grizzly sophomore Dominic Valencia in just 34 seconds. However, that lead would be short-lived as ASC's Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) completed a perfect dual-meet season with a pin over Tyler Baker at 141 pounds.

That victory, his second fall of the season, was Hensley's 13th straight and upped his record to 24-3 overall and to 13-0 in dual-meet action. Hensley, who has outscored his opponents 128-14 in that stretch, was leading 10-0 at the time of the fall.

Trailing 9-6, the Lopers then evened the score at 149 pounds as fourth-ranked T.J. Hepburn recorded his 34th win of the campaign by an 8-4 score over Grizzly freshman Daniel Kelly (Parker, Colo.).

However, the Grizzlies would go right back on top when senior Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.), ranked fifth in the country at 157 pounds, needed just 3:18 to take out the Lopers' Jordan Gienger giving the Grizzlies a 15-9 lead at the break. Deaguero, who now has a team-high nine falls, this season won for the 20th time this season and is now 8-1 in dual-meet action.

Although the Lopers did come back to take a 6-point lead of their own after Usman's forfeit, the Grizzlies remained in the contest as Walters hung on for his 1-point win over Derek Ross while improving to 15-8 on the year and to 10-3 in duals.

Sand, who went undefeated in home duals during the Grizzly portion of his collegiate career, started at North Idaho College, then dominated a defensive Justin McKain, who gave up two late stalling penalty points late in the third period of Sand's convincing win.

The Grizzlies will now turn their attention to the post-season and will host the NCAA Division II Super Regional Four/RMAC Championships on Saturday, Feb. 27. That tournament will include all 11 RMAC teams and will declare the RMAC champions while qualifying four wrestlers in each weight class for the Mar. 12 & 13 NCAA Division II National Championships in Omaha, Neb.
Adams State Grizzlies Open Big Lead, Win at Mesa 29-9

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- The Adams State College Grizzlies won the first five and eight of the 10 matches as they cruised to a comfortable 29-9 Rocky Mountain Athletic conference wrestling win over the Mesa State College Mavericks.

The Grizzlies, who led 19-0 half-way through the dual, snapped a 2-dual mini-slide while improving to 7-4 overall and to 4-3 in RMAC action. The Mavericks, who only got one win on the mat and another by virtue of forfeit fell to 3-5 overall and to 2-4 in conference action.

The Grizzlies, who came into the night ranked 16th in the latest NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association Poll, received wins from each of their four nationally-ranked individuals, three of which came by bonus-point margins. They also picked up a pair of sudden victory wins and a thrilling 4-3 victory from senior Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) over Chase Walker in a battle of nationally-ranked 157-pounders.

Deaguero, ranked fifth in the nation, improved to 19-8 on the season with that win over No. 6 rated Chase Walker, a returning All-American, as the Grizzlies went on top 19-0.

The Mavericks then got on the board as Cole Johnson bested Anthony Gomez 3-0 at 165 pounds before Andy Laiminger received a win by default pulling the Mavericks within 19-9.

However, the Grizzlies then sealed the deal in the heavier weight classes as Torben Walters (Olney Springs, Colo.) claimed a 4-0 shutout win over Chris Cielinski at 184 pounds before senior Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.), ranked fifth in the country at 197 pounds, claimed a 16-5 major decision win over Shane Miller putting the Grizzlies up 26-9.

That win was the 20th of Sand's season.

The Grizzlies then added a 3-1 sudden victory win by senior heavyweight Jeff Schossow (Fort Morgan, Colo.) for good measure.

Earlier in the night, Grizzly senior Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) posted a 16-1 technical fall win over Tyler Nelson in the opening 125-pound match. Barksdale, ranked third in the country, is now 15-5 this season.

Sophomore Dominic Valencia (Albuquerque, N.M.) then got a 4-2 sudden victory triumph over Chris Rubalcaba at 133 pounds before top-rated Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) scored another dominant 18-1 technical fall win over Trevor Donarski at 141 pounds.

Hensley, now 23-3 overall, has now outscored his last 11 opponents by a combined 118-14 margin and has posted nine technical falls and two major decisions, one of which came over No. 2 Andre Harrison of Fort Hays State, in that stretch that also includes a forfeit.

Leading 13-0 at the time, the Grizzlies then went for more as true freshman Daniel Kelly (Parker, Colo.) scored a 10-3 win over Tyler Juby at 149 pounds before Deaguero's win gave the Grizzlies the 19-point lead.

The Grizzlies, assured of their fourth straight winning season, will now return home to face Nebraska-Kearney, tied for ninth in the national poll, in their final dual of the season on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
Western State College Mountaineers Come Back to Beat Adams State

GUNNISON, Colo.- After taking a 15-3 lead by winning four of the first five matches, the Adams State College Grizzlies dropped each of the last five, including two by a single point, as the Western State College Mountaineers came back to claim a 24-15 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference wrestling win, Thursday night here in the Paul W. Wright Gymnasium. The Mountaineers, ranked 13th in the latest (Jan. 20) NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Poll, also got a pair of pins in the comeback effort as they improved to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in RMAC action. The No. 14 Grizzlies fell to 6-5 overall and to 3-3 in RMAC action.

The Grizzlies had the momentum in the early going as senior Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) claimed a decisive 12-2 major decision win at 125 pounds over Kyle O'Brien giving the visitors a 4-0 lead.

Barksdale, ranked third in the nation in the weight class, scored four takedowns and a late third-period near fall as he improved to 14-5 on the year.

The Mountaineers then got on the board at 133 pounds as Darren Hockett scored a 6-2 decision over Grizzly junior A.J. Alexander (Pueblo, Colo.) cutting the gap to 4-3.

However, ASC then got on a roll winning the next three matches, a streak started by an 18-0 technical fall win by Grizzly sophomore Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.), ranked first in the country at 141 pounds. Hensley, who is now 22-3 overall and a perfect 11-0 in dual meets this season, scored four 3-point near falls against the Mountaineers' Hollan Gravley and needed just 4:33 to claim the victory that extended his winning streak to 11 matches.

Scoring bonus-points for the 19th time this season, Hensley has now outscored his opponents by a combined 113-9 margin in his last seven matches, posting six technical falls and a 12-2 major decision win over second-rated Andre Harrison of Fort Hays State.

Leading 9-3 at the time, the Grizzlies then extended their lead at 149 pounds as freshman Daniel Kelly (Parker, Colo.) scored 9-5 decision over Justin Morris.

Senior Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) then rallied to post a 4-3 win over former Monte Vista High School standout Kyle Francis in the 157-pound match. Deaguero, who is now 18-8 on the year, scored a pair of reversals in the exciting third period breaking a scoreless deadlock with the first before falling behind 3-2 on a Francis escape and takedown.

However, Deaguero, ranked fourth in the country, then regained the top position with 24 seconds to go as he rallied for the win putting the Grizzlies up 15-3.

After the intermission, WSC's Cody Frankum delivered a big blow at 165 pounds pinning sophomore Brandon Johnson (Newcastle, Calif.), in the Grizzly lineup for the first time since Dec. 5. Frankum was leading 19-7 at the time scoring seven takedowns but got the pin moments after a tired Johnson had been called for a 2-point stalling call.

The pin gave the Mountaineers two big bonus-points as they went on to pull within 15-12 with a 7-3 decision by Zach Frasier over Grizzly freshman Anthony Gomez (Albuquerque, N.M.), who, with the addition of Johnson to the lineup, was moved up a weight class to avoid the forfeit that the Grizzlies had given up in each of their previous 10 duals at the weight class.

The Mountaineers then got a dual-tying win at 184 pounds as Charlie Pipher, ranked second in the country, scored a 6-5 win over ASC sophomore Torben Walters (Olney Springs, Colo.).

Walters led 3-2 after the second period thanks to a reversal late in the stanza but fell behind Pipher for good as the Mountaineer scored two takedowns in the first minute of the third period before holding off Walters the rest of the way.

The 197-pound match-up, predicted to be the best of the night, then lived up to its billing as No. 5 Donovan McMahill of WSC scored a winning takedown with just 10 seconds left in a 4-3 win over fourth-ranked Grizzly senior Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.), who saw a streak of six straight wins, all by bonus-points snapped.

Sand, who was looking for his 20th win of the campaign, led 2-1 after the first period thanks to a takedown of his own. After McMahill scored the second period's only point with an early escape to tie the score, the wrestlers remained standing for the rest of the period.

Sand then escaped early in the third period to take a 3-2 lead but could not escape McMahill's leg grasp near the end as the Mountaineers took their first lead, 18-15.

WSC then closed out the dual with a heavyweight pin by fourth-ranked Charlie Alexander who took out Grizzly redshirt freshman Taylor Stam (Parker, Colo.) at the 1:22 mark.

Many of the younger Grizzlies will be in action on Saturday competing unattached at the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open in Golden, Colo. although the starters will be off until Feb. 4 when the Grizzlies travel to Grand Junction to face Mesa State in a RMAC dual.
No. 17 Fort Hays State Post 24-Point Run in Mild Upset Over No. 14 Adams State

Hensley, Barksdale win key matches for ASC

ALAMOSA, Colo.- The 17th-ranked Fort Hays State University Tigers won five straight matches, including two by fall and another by forfeit as they turned a 7-3 deficit into a 27-7 lead en-route to a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference wrestling road win over the No. 14 Adams State College Grizzlies, Friday night here in Plachy Hall.

The Tigers have now won four straight duals while improving to 5-3 overall and to 3-0 in RMAC action, good for first place in the conference's dual meet standings. The Grizzlies, who had won four straight entering the night, fell to 6-4 overall and to 3-2 in RMAC duals.

The Grizzlies had momentum early as they won two of the first three matches, both of which were national championship caliber battles, to take the early lead but watched Tiger senior Levi Younkin come from behind to claim an 11-9 sudden victory win at 149 pounds sparking what amounted to a 24-point swing.

The Tigers then got a key pin from sixth-ranked Danny Grater over No. 4 rated Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) at 157 pounds and another from No. 8 Blake Malloy at 165 pounds before Shawn Kuhlman picked up six more points by default at 174 as the Tigers were well on their way to the victory.

Although the Grizzlies won just four of the nine wrestled and 10 overall matches, they did have some highlights as senior Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) claimed a 4-1 win over Tommy Edgmon in a rematch of last year's NCAA Division II National and RMAC/West Regional Championship bouts. Barksdale, who is ranked third in the country at 125 pounds this year, led 2-0 after the second period thanks to a locked hands violation on Edgmon, currently rated No. 1 in the country, and an escape.

Edgmon, who had entered the weekend 5-0 before dropping back-to-back matches, then got an escape to close to within 2-1 before Barksdale sealed the win with a late takedown.

Barksdale, who defeated Edgmon by a 3-1 score in a very similar match to win the national title in 2009, now has three career wins over Edgmon. Barksdale is now 13-5 overall this year.

The Grizzlies nearly went up 6-0 but instead found themselves tied at 3 after Tiger sophomore Travis Kuhn came from behind to post an 8-7 win over Grizzly junior A.J. Alexander in the 133-pound match. 

Alexander scored three takedowns and held a 7-2 lead in the second period but watched Kuhn, now 10-9 this season, come from behind with escapes and takedown combinations later in the second period and again in the third.

The Grizzlies then picked up another big win at 141 pounds as sophomore Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) continued his hot streak by blasting FHSU's Andre Harrison by a 12-2 major decision margin in a battle of the nation's top two ranked wrestlers. Hensley, rated first, was behind early 2-0 after some great action but came back to score the next 12 points including a pair of 3-point near falls in what was an 8-point second period to claim his 21st overall and 10th straight win.

Hensley now has 18 total bonus-point wins this season and has scored extra team points in each of his last 16 victories while outscoring opponents 95-9 in the last six wrestled matches. The second-ranked Harrison is now 15-4 on the year.

With a 7-3 team lead, the Grizzlies then watched true freshman Daniel Kelly (Parker, Colo.) take a 9-7 lead with a third period reversal that was countered by Younkin, who later won the back-and-forth 149-pound match with a takedown in the extra frame.

Kelly, who had won four straight matches since being pulled out of redshirt, is still a solid 17-6 overall this season while Younkin improved to 8-9.

Grater then caught Deaguero for an early takedown and scored the monstrous fall just 40 seconds into the 157-pound match that was a battle of 2-time All-Americans as the Tigers took a 12-7 lead into the intermission.

After the break, Malloy finished off Grizzly freshman Anthony Gomez (Albuquerque, N.M.) just 35.5 seconds from the final buzzer of the 165-pound match.

After Kuhlman's win, the Tigers continued their roll as an early third period reversal helped Chance Rencountre stop Torben Walters (Olney Springs, Colo.) 5-match winning streak by a 5-2 margin at 184 pounds.

That victory put the Tigers up 27-7 and sealed the dual.

However, the Grizzlies did make the final tally much closer as senior Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.) posted a convincing 10-2 major decision win over Steven Kyler at 197 pounds before redshirt freshman Taylor Stam (Parker, Colo.) pinned FHSU's Justin Glenn at the 4:05 mark of the heavyweight match.

Sand, ranked fourth in the country this year, was last year's 184-pound national champion and is now 19-5 overall and 9-1 in dual meets. He has won six straight matches, all by bonus-point margins.

Stam is now 4-6 overall and recorded his first career win by fall.

The Grizzlies, who have wrestled four duals in the last nine days, have a relatively light schedule ahead as they will have single-dual weeks over the next three weeks, starting Jan. 28 when they take on arch-rival Western State, currently ranked 13th in the country.

That match will begin at 7 p.m. in Gunnison at the Mountaineers' Paul W. Wright Gymnasium.Ranked-wrestlers Key as Adams State Tops Central Oklahoma, 26-15
ASC wins fourth straight dual

ALAMOSA, Colo.- All four of Adams State College's nationally ranked wrestlers won while both of the nationally-ranked University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos fell as the nation's 14th-ranked Grizzlies posted a convincing 25-16 upset win over the No. 11 visitors, Thursday night here in Plachy Hall.

The Grizzlies, who have now won four straight duals while improving to 6-3 overall, took four of the five opening matches and won six overall, including two by fall and another by technical fall. UCO, which fell to 5-5 on the season, managed just three decisions and a forfeit at 174 pounds while being doubled-up 54-27 in total match points.

The Grizzlies never trailed and took the early 3-0 lead when senior Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) scored a 7-3 decision over the Bronchos' Casy Rowell in a battle of nationally-ranked wrestlers at 125 pounds. Barksdale, the defending NCAA Division II National Champion who moved down to No. 3 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Rankings released Wednesday, scored a takedown in each period while racking up nearly three minutes of riding time to improve to 12-5 overall and to 4-1 in duals with his 92nd career victory. Rowell, just a freshman, fell to 24-7 and 5-2.

The Bronchos would tie the score moments later as Trison Graham picked up a 4-1 133-pound decision over Grizzly sophomore Dominic Valencia (Rio Rancho, N.M.), wrestling for the first time this season. Graham, now 18-11 overall and 7-3 in duals, was unable to score in the first period but worked for a takedown and was awarded a penalty point for an illegal hold later in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. He then tallied an escape in the third to complete the scoring.

Grizzly sophomore Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) then continued his domination of opponents as he scored four near of the Grizzlies' nine near falls for 11 total points to go along with a takedown and a reversal in a 17-2 technical fall win over the Bronchos' Michael Walkup (2-6) in the 141-pound match. Hensley, who moved up to No. 1 in the national rankings earlier in the week, is now 20-3 overall and a perfect 9-0 in duals. He has now won 13 straight matches, all by bonus-point margins, and has 17 total bonus-point wins. In his last six matches, Hensley has received a forfeit and posted five technical fall wins while outscoring his opponents 83-7.

That victory gave the Grizzlies an 8-3 lead and was solidified at 149 pounds as true freshman Daniel Kelly (Parker, Colo.) upset sixth-ranked Colby Robinson at 149 pounds by a 10-5 score. Kelly, who is now 17-5 overall and a perfect 4-0 in duals after being pulled out of redshirt earlier this month, trailed 5-0 after the first period but came back to tie the match at 5 with a takedown and 2-point near fall at second-period buzzer.

Kelly, a 2-time Colorado High School State Champion while at Ponderosa High School, then got another takedown and near fall in the third period while receiving a penalty point for stalling as Robinson, a 2008 All-American, fell to 17-11 overall and to 3-3 in duals.

The Grizzlies then continued their momentum at 157 pounds as senior Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.). ranked fourth in the nation at the weight class, gave up a quick takedown only come back to claim an 8-1 lead over the Bronchos' Ed Jackson after three minutes.

Deaguero, who now has a team-high eight falls as part of his 17-7 overall record, then chose the top position to begin the second period and pinned Jackson (12-6) just 27 seconds into the frame putting the Grizzlies up 17-3 at the intermission.

The Bronchos' Derrick Adkins, now 23-11 overall, was able to get some of those points back at 165 pounds as he claimed a 6-1 decision over freshman Anthony Gomez (Albuquerque, N.M.), who was valiantly able to fight off several back-point efforts and thus preventing a major decision despite falling to 1-7.

Cody Rowell then picked up a forfeit at 174 pounds pulling the Bronchos back within 17-12.

However, Grizzly sophomore Torben Walters (Olney Springs, Colo.) won for the fifth straight time in a key 184-pound battle as he scored a second-period reversal to go up 2-0 against Tanner Keck in what would be the bout's only scoring move.

Walters, who is now 13-6 overall, sports an impressive 8-1 dual-meet mark while Keck fell to 9-7 overall and to 2-3 in dual-meet action.

Leading 20-12 at the time, the Grizzlies then sealed the team victory at 197 pounds as Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.), ranked fourth in the nation at the weight class, pinned Patrick Finn at the 2:54 mark. Sand, who has now scored first-period falls in each of his last four matches is now 18-5 overall with seven victories coming via the pin. Like Walters, he is now 8-1 in duals.

Finn, who weighed in at 184 pounds, fell to 4-6 on the season.

UCO sophomore, Jarrett Edison, who weighed in at 197 pounds, then came to the mat for the somewhat meaningless heavyweight match against Grizzly senior Jeff Schossow (Fort Morgan, Colo.). Edison, who is now 18-11 overall, trailed 1-0 after Schossow scored an escape mid-way through the second period but quickly took the lead for good with a reversal early in the third period of his eventual 4-1.victory that dropped Schossow to 4-8.

The Grizzlies also bested Bronchos at home in 2008 before tying them 20-20 last year in Edmond, Okla. The 2008 victory was the Grizzlies' first in 25 years of the non-conference rivalry that has been contested every year since 2003.

The Grizzlies will now look for a fifth straight dual victory when they host No. 17 Fort Hays State on Friday at 7 p.m. The Tigers, associate members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, entered a Thursday night encounter at New Mexico Highlands with 3-3 overall and 1-0 RMAC marks.
High School Half of Wrestling Doubleheader Cancelled; Adams State Still to Face Central Oklahoma at 7 p.m.

ALAMOSA, Colo.- The first half of Thursday night's high school and college wrestling dual doubleheader at Adams State College's Plachy Hall between Monte Vista and Pagosa Springs High Schools has been cancelled because of inclement weather and poor road conditions.

The college half of the doubleheader between the Adams State Grizzlies and the Central Oklahoma Bronchos will still take place as scheduled at 7 p.m.
Adams State Grizzlies Jump Out to Big Lead En-route to 29-15 Win Over New Mexico Highlands University

Three pins, Kelly's come-from-behind win propel ASC over Hall of Famer's squad

ALAMOSA, Colo.- The Adams State College wrestling team recorded three pins and four bonus-point decisions as they bounced back from Wednesday's heartbreaking loss to post a comfortable 29-15 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual meet win over visiting New Mexico Highlands University, Friday night here in Plachy Hall.

The nation's 10th-ranked Grizzlies, now 3-3 overall and 1-1 in RMAC duals, never trailed as they jumped out to a big 12-0 lead behind first-period falls by both Torben Walters (Olney Springs, Colo.) and Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.).

Later in the night, the Grizzlies won four straight matches from 133 to 157 pounds as sophomore Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) scored a 16-0 technical fall win over Daniel Perales at 141 pounds while Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) scored his team-best seventh fall of the campaign in the 157-pound match helping the Grizzlies build an insurmountable 29-6 lead.

The Grizzlies also picked up key wins from 133-pound junior A.J. Alexander (Pueblo, Colo.), his first dual-meet win of his career, and true freshman Daniel Kelly (Parker, Colo.), pulled out of redshirt in time to claim a come-from-behind 9-7 sudden victory win at 149 pounds.

The Cowboys, now 0-3 in both overall and RMAC duals, won four matches, most notably a 125-pound upset by Seth Wright who bested Grizzly senior Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.), the defending national champion.

Walters, who picked up his 10th win and third fall of the campaign, needed just two minutes and 23 seconds to best Adam Pacheco as he took the Cowboy junior down before pinning him moments later.
Sand, now 15-5 overall, did the same against Joe Zambrano, but needed just 40 seconds to claim his fourth fall of the year. Sand, ranked fifth in the country at 184 pounds, and Walters are now both 5-1 in duals this year.

The Cowboys then got on the board in the heavyweight match as Jesse Boggs scored first and second-period takedowns while getting a riding time point to claim a 5-0 decision over Grizzly redshirt freshman Taylor Stam (Parker, Colo.).

Wright, who improved to 5-1 on the year, then scored a big upset as a takedown and three ensuing back points near the edge of the mat in the waning moments of the second period helped him to a 9-4 decision over Barksdale, who had won 17 straight duals over the last three seasons. Barksdale, ranked first in the country in the weight class, had also been undefeated in 13 career home matches prior to Friday's setback that dropped his 2009-10 record to 9-5.

With their lead sliced to 12-6, the Grizzlies then responded as Alexander scored a quick reversal to begin the second period before tallying takedowns in both the second and third frames to claim a 7-3 win over the Cowboys' Donovan Troup.

Hensley then dominated Perales scoring four 3-point near falls, a takedown and a reversal to claim the win in just 4:36. Hensley, now a team-best 17-3 on the year, now has 14 bonus-point wins scoring extra team points in each of his last 12 victories and all six of the Grizzlies' duals.

Kelly, who went an impressive 13-5 in open tournaments as an unattached wrestler earlier this fall, then fell behind 7-1 to Trey Saxon after the first period but cut the gap to 7-2 with an escape in the second period.

The Grizzly, who was a 2-time state champion while at Ponderosa High School then earned two back points to begin third period and got two more points on back-to-back stalling calls against Perales, who had been warned earlier in the period.

Kelly, who rode Saxon throughout the third period, also received a riding time point at the end of regulation to tie the score at 7 and then scored the winning takedown, his first of the bout, mid-way through the sudden victory period.

Deaguero, ranked fifth in the nation at 149 pounds, and Cowboy senior Nick Sanchez went scoreless through the opening three minutes before Deaguero came out of a defensive position to flip Sanchez to his back while scoring the pin-fall moments later at the 4:14 mark of the 157-pound match. Deaguero is now 14-7 this season.

Grizzly coach Jason Ramstetter, now 5-0 against his Cowboy counterpart Doug Moses, inducted into the ASC Athletics Hall of Fame in September, then strategically forfeited the 165-pound match to NMHU's Jarrod Purvis before sending true freshman Anthony Gomez (Albuquerque, N.M.), who had weighed in at 165 pounds, out to face the Cowboys' Andrew Roden for the 174-pound bout.

However, Roden would score five of the Cowboys' seven total takedowns as he claimed an 11-6 win over Gomez, who tallied six of the Grizzlies' eight escapes.

The Grizzlies will now go on the road for their next two duals facing Chadron State and Colorado Mines next Thursday and Friday, respectively, before returning home on Jan. 21 for a clash with Central Oklahoma, currently tied for third in the national rankings.
Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves Stun Adams State Grizzlies, 27-25

Five bonus-point wins not enough for No. 10 ASC

ALAMOSA, Colo.- The Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves recorded three pins and a forfeit in the final match as they rallied from as much as 21-9 down to claim a 27-25 upset wrestling win over the nation's 10th-ranked Adams State College Grizzlies in their home and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener Wednesday night here in Plachy Hall.

The ThunderWolves, who are now in just their second year back after a 7-year without a wrestling program, improved to 3-0 overall and to 2-0 in RMAC action while the Grizzlies slipped to 2-3 overall despite getting bonus-point wins in all five of their victories, including a dual-starting pin-fall by sophomore Torben Walters (Olney Springs, Colo.) and clutch major decision victories by nationally-ranked Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.) and Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.).

The Grizzlies also received a dominating 18-3 technical fall win from reigning RMAC Wrestler of the Week Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) at 141 pounds and a forfeit victory from top-ranked Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) at 125 pounds but could not overcome clutch pins from CSU-Pueblo's Patrick Carey, Benjamin Collins, a late addition to the lineup, and Justin Grant to claim the win, the Pack's first over a nationally-ranked team since defeating No. 10 Chadron State on Feb. 14, 2001.

The Grizzlies led the dual until the very end as a third-period fall by Grant over Adams State freshman Anthony Gomez (Albuquerque, N.M.), one of three new additions to the battered Grizzly lineup, in the 165-pound bout pulled the ThunderWolves' within 25-21 moments before Kellen Desmond received an uncontested forfeit victory at 174 pounds to seal the victory.

The Grizzlies had started the night with a 10-0 lead as Walters pinned ThunderWolf newcomer Adam Carey just 59 seconds into the second period of the 184-pound match before Sand, the last part of a major lineup shift, claimed a 9-1 major decision win over Tony Chavarria in a battle of nationally-ranked wrestlers at 197 pounds.

Sand, the defending NCAA Division II National Champion and the No. 5 man in the country this year at 184 pounds led throughout scoring a takedown as time expired to give the Grizzlies an extra team point with the 8-point win over Chavarria, who is ranked eighth in the 197-pound weight class.

However, the ThunderWolves came roaring back as Patrick Carey, also a newcomer to the coach Dax Charles' lineup, scored a sudden-victory period fall over Grizzly senior Jeff Schossow (Fort Morgan, Colo.) after the wrestlers traded escapes in regulation.

Barksdale then received the forfeit at 125 pounds to give the Grizzlies a 16-6 lead before sophomore Markus Portillos answered back for CSU-Pueblo with a 6-2 win over Grizzly junior A.J. Alexander (Pueblo, Colo.) in a battle of Steel City products. Portillos, a graduate of Pueblo East High School, was tied with Alexander, who matriculated from Central, at 2 through the second period but then used an escape, a third-period takedown and a riding time point to claim the win.

The Grizzlies still led 16-9 at that point and then went up 21-9 after the intermission as Hensley, who moved into the national rankings for the first time this season at the No. 4 spot on Tuesday, scored five of the Grizzlies' seven near falls throughout the night while dominating Nick Stahler. Hensley, now a team-best 16-3 on the season, has 13 total bonus-point wins, including one in each of his last 11 victories.

However, the Grizzly momentum would be short-lived as Collins scored a reversal and an ensuing fall just moments after trailing Grizzly junior Nick Dionisio (Greenwood Village, Colo.), who had led 2-0 early on in the 149-pound match.

That stunning victory gave the visitors life although they were still down 21-15 at the time and 25-15 after Deaguero, ranked fifth in the country at 149 pounds, benefited from four penalty points due to stalling, while racking up nearly four minutes of riding time in his decisive major decision win over Quinn Donnell, who had come into the night 5-2 overall and 2-0 in duals meets.

However, Grant would take a 4-1 through the first three minutes at 165 pounds and extended that lead to 6-1 after the second period in his match with Gomez. Grant, now 8-5 on the year, then scored a quick reversal in the third period before sticking Gomez at the 5:36 mark of what proved to be the decisive match.

The Grizzlies, who saw a 9-year-old streak of 24 consecutive dual meet wins over unranked Division II foes snapped, will try to bounce back when they host New Mexico Highlands, currently 0-1, on Friday night at 7 o'clock.
Barksdale, Hensley Win as Adams State Grizzlies Take Third at Midwest Classic

Grizzlies to begin RMAC duals by hosting CSU-Pueblo
1/3/2010

INDIANAPOLIS- Adams State College's Josh Hensley was named as the Michael Horton Most Outstanding Wrestler while senior Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) won his fourth straight Midwest Classic title at 125 pounds to lead the Grizzly wrestling team to a strong third place finish amongst 22 teams at the 2-day tournament hosted by the University of Indianapolis on Saturday and Sunday.

The Grizzlies, who finished with 110 team points, had been in fourth place after the first day and ended up with six placers as Hensley, competing at 141 pounds, and Barksdale led the way. Senior Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.), wrestling at 157 pounds, and senior heavyweight Jeff Schossow (Fort Morgan, Colo.) each placed fourth while 184-pound senior Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.) placed fifth.

Sophomore Torben Walters (Olney Springs, Colo.) earned a sixth place finish in the 174-pound bracket to round out the Grizzly contingent that advanced to the tournament's second day.

Hensley, who won a tournament title for the first time in his career, picked up two more bonus-point wins on Sunday as he pinned Jake Strausbaugh of Wabash (Ind.) at the 5:32 mark of the semifinal before scoring an impressive 17-2 technical fall win over Deral Brown of Newberry (S.C.) in the title. Hensley, who was seeded just fifth, also outscored his two Saturday opponents by a combined 34-4 margin and is now 15-3 on the season posting bonus-point victories 12 times, including in each of his last 10 triumphs.

Barksdale, who went a combined 17-0 in his four career Midwest Classic appearances while helping lead the Grizzlies to 2007 and 2008 team titles and a fifth place finish a year ago, was the top seed in his bracket and claimed a 8-0 major decision win over Brandon Davis of Ashland (Ohio), the fifth seed, in the semifinal round. He then defeated Cody Zimmerman of Wisconsin-Parkside, ranked eighth in the nation according to the latest (Dec. 16) NCAA Division II Wrestling Rankings, by a 7-5 score in the final.

Barksdale, a 3-time All-American and the reigning national champion, is now 8-4 overall this season with all of his losses coming against Division I opponents. He has been ranked No. 1 in the Division II rankings throughout the season.

Deaguero, ranked fifth in the country at 149 pounds, had a 1-2 day and is now 12-7 on the campaign spent at 157 pounds thus far. On Sunday, he dropped an 8-7 heartbreaker in the tiebreaker period to Michael Lybarger of Findlay (Ohio), who is currently ranked sixth in the country.

That semifinal loss dropped Deaguero to the consolation bracket where he defeated top-seeded and second-ranked Chase Walker of Mesa State by a 4-2 score. Deaguero then fell to Indianapolis' Bryce Givens by a 12-10 score in the third place match less than 24 hours after Deaguero had pinned Givens in 1:58 to reach the semifinals.

Schossow, who had placed eighth in the tournament in both 2007 and 2009, dropped his semifinal by a 5-1 score to Lynn Panko of Indianapolis, the top seed, but bounced back to defeat North Carolina-Pembroke's Erik Stancil by fall at the 4:16 mark. Schossow, seeded fourth and ranked eighth in the country, then fell by a 5-1 score to No. 5 seed Sean Jameson of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), the same man he had pinned at the 6:55 mark in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

The Grizzly is now 4-4 on the campaign.

Sand, who is now 13-5, was in the consolation bracket to begin the day and picked up an 11-7 win over Findlay's Jeff Halevka but then fell for the second time in as many days to Phil Witt of Central Missouri. However, Sand, the No. 1 seed and nation's top-ranked wrestler in the weight class, then posted an 11-2 major decision win over Nike Karus of Trine (Ind.) in the fifth place match.

Walters also got a win in his first match of the day defeating Ohio Northern's Kyle Kwiat by an 8-4 score but then dropped his next two matches to seeded wrestlers, including the nation's No. 7 man in Luke Rynish of Wisconsin-Parkside, in his fifth place bout. Walters is now 8-6 on the year.

The Grizzlies now begin Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual-meet action by hosting Colorado State-Pueblo on Wednesday in Plachy Hall. The dual will begin at 7 p.m. following a high school match-up between Alamosa and Pueblo West, also in Plachy Hall. The Mean Moose and Cyclone varsity match will begin at 5 p.m. while the junior varsity wrestlers will square off starting between 3:30 and 4 p.m. depending on the number of matches to be contested.
Adams State College Senior Deaguero Pins D-I National Qualifier at Midlands

Grizzlies tied for 38th after Session I

EVANSTON, Ill.- Adams State College senior Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) pinned nationally-ranked Bryan Deutsch of Division I Northern Illinois in the second period of a 157-pound consolation match, the lone victory that a group of three Adams State College wrestlers recorded in the 47th annual Midlands Championships that started Tuesday here at Northwestern University's Welsh-Ryan Arena.

That victory over the returning national qualifier, ranked 17th in the latest NCAA Division I Intermat Rankings, allowed Deaguero and the Grizzlies to score three team points, good for a 38th place positioning through the first session of the 2-day tournament that runs through Wednesday.

Iowa had a 46 ∏-42 ∏ cushion over in-state rival Iowa State after the first of two Tuesday sessions.

Deaguero, who is now 7-6 on the season, pinned the 12th seeded Deutsch just 53 seconds into the third period of his first consolation match.

Earlier in the day, Deaguero, wrestling up a weight class, fell by a 6-3 margin to No. 11 seed Daryl Cocozzo of Rutgers in the championship portion of the bracket. Deaguero, a 2-time NCAA Division II All-American who is currently ranked fifth in NCAA Division II at 149 pounds, was later defeated by Sean Bilodeau of Lehigh to fall out of the tournament.

Meanwhile, fellow Grizzly seniors Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) and Noomis Jones (Arvada, Colo.) each went 0-2 on the day against Division I foes. Barksdale, the defending NCAA Division II National Champion and current top-ranked wrestler at 125 pounds is now 4-4 on the year. Jones, ranked fourth in the nation at 157 pounds, was competing at 165 pounds and is now 3-2 this season.

Grizzly assistant coach Jared Deaguero also competed at 184 pounds and went 1-2.

The Grizzlies will next compete at the Midwest Classic on Saturday and Sunday in Indianapolis, Ind.
Adams State's Kelly Leads Unattached Contingent at FHSU-Bob Smith Open

HAYS, Kan.- While many of the team's starters were in South Carolina for the Newberry Duals, six members of the Adams State College wrestling team competed unattached at the Fort Hays State University-Bob Smith Open held here in the Tigers' Gross Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.

ASC freshman Daniel Kelly (Parker, Colo.) led the group as he continued a solid redshirt season with a strong 3-2 performance that left him just one round shy of a top four placing in the 149-pound bracket.

Kelly, who is now a solid 13-5 in three open tournaments this fall, received a bye in the round of 64 before beating 11th seed Mitch Arnold of Newman (Kan.) by a 4-1 score in the round of 32. He then got by Alec Williams of Division I Air Force by a 6-3 score to reach the quarterfinals, where he fell to No. 3 seed William Forrest of Central Missouri.

Kelly then came back to get a 6-4 win over Forrest's Mule teammate Brandon Russow, the seventh seed in the bracket, in the consolation before seeing his day end in the consolation quarterfinals.

AJ Alexander (Pueblo, Colo.) also tasted victory on the day winning his first match in the 133-pound bracket before going 0-2 the rest of the way.

The other four Grizzlies in the tournament, which included 353 total wrestlers, each went 0-2.
Depleted Adams State Go 2-2 at Newberry Duals

Hensley, Jones lead ASC to 18-8 combined record in wrestled matches

NEWBERRY, S.C.- Despite wrestling without three of their five individually ranked wrestlers and giving up at least three forfeits and thus 18 points in each dual, the nation's third-ranked Adams State College Grizzlies still managed to post a respectable 2-2 effort in the Newberry Duals, held Saturday here at Newberry College.

The Grizzlies, competing in duals for the first time this season, were led by 149-pound sophomore Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.), who outscored his opponents 57-4 en-route to four bonus-point wins- two technical falls and two major decisions . Senior Noomis Jones (Arvada, Colo.), ranked fourth in the nation at 157 pounds, also went 3-0 throughout the day as the seven Grizzlies in the lineup, many of which were wrestling up a weight class, posted a combined 18-8 record in the wrestled matches.

In the process, the Grizzlies dominated Belmont Abbey (N.C.) 32-18 before falling to host and second-ranked Newberry 42-7. Later in the day, the Grizzlies got a thrilling 3-2 heavyweight win from freshman Taylor Stam (Parker, Colo.) to claim a 23-21 win over No. 20 North Carolina-Pembroke before ending the day with a 35-14 setback to No. 19 Findlay (Ohio).

#3 Adams State 32, Belmont Abbey (N.C.) 18

The Grizzlies dominated the Crusaders, who fell to 0-3, winning all six wrestled matches by while picking up pinfalls from sophomore 141-pounder Kevin Schmitt (Arlington, Texas) and Jones while getting a forfeit win at 197 pounds when Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.) had his hand raised sealing the Grizzlies' win.

Schmitt helped erase the Grizzlies initial 12-0 deficit after forfeits at 125 and 133 pounds when he stuck Tashawn Takeall at the 2:31 mark. The Grizzlies then closed the deficit to 12-11 as Hensley dominated Trevor Steverson with a 16-0 technical fall win that took just 4:37.

Jones, who wrestled for the first time in the campaign, then pinned at Peter Petties 4:35 into the 157-pound match giving the Grizzlies a 17-12 lead.

Sophomore Brandon Johnson (Newcastle, Calif.) then blanked Ben Oeser 5-0 in the 165-pound match as the Grizzlies went up 20-12 before a 174-pound forfeit cut the Grizzlies' advantage to 20-18.

Ryan Gregory then scored a reversal, the Crusaders' only offensive points, but was not nearly enough as Grizzly sophomore Torben Walters (Olney Springs, Colo.) claimed an easy 9-2 win at 184 pounds putting the Grizzlies up 23-18 before Sand, ranked first in the country at 184 pounds, received six points for a forfeit at 197 pounds.

Stam then claimed a 5-1 win, his first as a Grizzly, over Kyle Spar in the heavyweight match to finish the dual that saw the Grizzlies score all 11 takedowns.

#2 Newberry (S.C.) 42, #3 Adams State 7

The host team was not nearly as kind to the Grizzlies as the three forfeits plus five other bonus-point wins, including pins from No. 2 Bryant Blanton at 184 pounds and Steven Butler in the heavyweight match after the dual had already been decided.

Leading 12-0 at the start, the scarlet and grey went up 16-0 after an 11-3 major decision win by Sheridan Moran over Schmitt at 141 pounds.
Hensley then answered right back with an 12-1 major decision triumph over Deral Brown before the Grizzlies got their second and final win out of Jones, who bested 3-time NCAA Division II National Tournament qualifier Latra Collick by a 5-1 margin in the 157-pound match-up.

With the lead trimmed to 16-7, Newberry received a 17-0 (5:58) technical fall win from returning national qualifier Josh Whitelock over Johnson at 165 pounds before clinching the dual with the 174-pound forfeit.

Blanton, who finished fourth at last year's NCAA Division II National Championships then pinned Walters at 4:50 of the 184-pound match although Walters was leading 6-3 with 1:59 worth of riding time at the time of the fall.

Keeno Griffin then claimed a 3-1 sudden victory over Sand in a battle of defending national champion and top-ranked wrestlers. Griffin, the defending champion at 197 pounds, stopped Sand's 12-match winning streak, highlighted by last year's 184-pound title, as the two wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods before Griffin claimed the victory in overtime.

Butler then finished the dual by sticking Stam 2:30 into the heavyweight match as Newberry improved to 3-1 on the season while the Grizzlies slipped to 1-1 on the day and the campaign.

#3 Adams State 23, #20 North Carolina-Pembroke 21

Stam avenged that loss in the Grizzlies' next dual, a 23-21 win over the Braves, who fell to 5-5 on the season. The redshirt freshman defeated Erick Stancil, 3-2 in the heavyweight match as the Grizzlies won the final three matches while rallying from a 21-11 deficit, mainly forced because of the three forfeits.

The Grizzlies, who never led until the end, lost just one wrestled match throughout the dual recording 12 takedowns compared the Braves' 2 but still needed the heroics from Stam and victories from Walters and Sand in the upper weight classes.

Down 10 points after the final forfeit at 174 pounds, Walters got a fall over John Sturrock just 2:03 into the 184-pound match before Sand shutout Shane Nolan, 3-0 to bring Stam and the Grizzlies within 21-20 into the decisive heavyweight match.

Earlier in the match-up, the Grizzlies got 8-6 and 6-4 wins from Schmitt and Jones surrounding a 15-0 technical fall destruction from Hensley against Brandon Bradley as the Grizzlies erased all but one point of the initial 12-0 deficit.

The Braves then built their lead back up to double-figures as Darving Rios picked up a 5-3 win over Johnson at 165 pounds before Shiheem Bryant received the forfeit at 174 pounds giving the Braves their 21-11 lead.

#19 Findlay (Ohio) 35, #3 Adams State 14

The Grizzlies outscored the Oilers (4-3) 14-11 in the six wrestled matches but could not overcome a total of four forfeits as the Oilers cruised to the win.

They lead 18-0 after Josh Falk pinned Schmitt at the 3:31 mark of the 141-pound match before Hensley delivered a 14-3 major decision win over Jeremy Espinosa while improving his season record to 9-1.

Still up 18-4 at the time, the Oilers then got a forfeit win from nationally-ranked Michael Lybarger as Jones did not wrestle at 157 pounds before a Ian Giachetti scored a 15-0 technical fall victory over Johnson as Giachetti used a riding time point to score the extra team point that put the Oilers up 29-4.

They extended that lead to 35-4 after the 174-pound forfeit but watched the Grizzlies do their best to close the gap as Walters claimed a 7-3 win over returning national qualifier Jeff Havelka in the 184-pound match-up.

Sand then improved to 3-1 on the day and to 7-1 on the season with a 9-0 major decision win over Daniel Stevenson.

Clum then ended the day with a 3-2 win over Matt Clum as the Grizzlies scored seven takedowns, one more than the Oilers.

The Grizzlies will now take two weeks off before returning to tournament action at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 20.
Adams State Wrestlers Move up to No. 3
Five seniors also invidiually ranked

EDMOND, Okla.- The Adams State College wrestling team has moved up two spots to a program record-matching third in the first regular season edition of the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association Top 20 poll released Wednesday. The Grizzlies, who had been tabbed fifth in the preseason rankings received 137 points in the polling of eight coaches from around the country.

They also have five individual wrestlers ranked amongst the top eight in their respective weight classes, a group that is led by defending NCAA Division II National Champions Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) and Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.), who continue to hold down the top spots in the 125 and 184-pound rankings, respectively.

Fellow seniors Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) and Noomis Jones (Arvada, Colo.) each moved up a spot in their respective weight classes. Deaguero is now ranked fifth at 149 pounds while Jones is now fourth at 157 pounds.

Senior heavyweight Jeff Schossow (Fort Morgan, Colo.) is now ranked eighth despite not wrestling yet this year as he just finished his senior season as the Grizzly football team's starting left guard. He was a qualifier for last year's national tournament. This national ranking is the first of his career.

Both Barksdale and Sand are off to quick starts this season as both won Elite Division titles at last month's Wyoming Cowboy Open despite wrestling up a weight class. Barksdale went 3-0 at 133 pounds and has now won 23 straight matches dating back to last year. He is gunning to become a 4-time NCAA Division II All-American after taking third at the national tournament as a redshirt freshman in 2006 and fourth as a sophomore in 2007. Sand, who defended his 197-pound title in Wyoming, is 4-0 this year and has won 11 straight matches overall. He was also NJCAA National Champion and 2-time all-American while at North Idaho College.

Deaguero, a 2-time all-American and 3-time national qualifier, took third in the 149-pound bracket of the Elite Division of the Wyoming Cowboy Open going 6-1 with three wins coming by fall. He was competing unattached.

Jones did not wrestle because of injury at the Wyoming Cowboy Open and is in search of his second career all-America honor this year.

The Grizzlies, who have finished fifth at each of the last NCAA Division II National Championship tournaments, have been ranked amongst the top 20 for 59 straight polls dating back to the end of the 2000-01 season.

The No. 3 ranking is the Grizzlies highest such ranking since they held down that same spot in the Feb. 7 and Feb. 20, 2008 polls.

Defending national champions Nebraska-Omaha continue to hold down the top spot as the Mavericks received all eight first place votes and while scoring a maximum 160 points.

Newberry (S.C.), one of four teams the Grizzlies wrestle in the Newberry Duals on Saturday, moved up a spot and now is ranked second with 152 points.

The Grizzlies will also face off with No. 19 Findlay (Ohio) and North Carolina-Pembroke, tied for 20th with Chadron State in the poll, on Saturday after beginning their day against un-ranked Belmont Abbey (N.C.).

The Grizzlies have a total of eight ranked opponents on their dual-meet schedule this season including home dates with No. 4 Central Oklahoma on Jan. 21, No. 13 Fort Hays State on Jan. 22 and No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney on Feb. 10. The Grizzlies will also host the NCAA Division II West Regional/RMAC Championships on Feb. 27, a tournament that will qualify four wrestlers in each weight class for the Mar. 12-13 NCAA Division II Championships in Omaha, Neb.
Adams State Grizzlies Lead Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Standings
CLEVELAND- After winning national championships in both men's and women's cross country, the Adams State College Grizzlies lead the first set of NCAA Division II Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings that were recently announced by National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics officials.

The Grizzlies, who have finished in the top 8 after each of the last three years, have 200 points and a 35-point lead over 6-time defending champion Grand Valley State (Mich.). The Lakers finished second behind the Grizzlies in the women's cross country and fifth in the men's championships and have 165 points.

Massachusetts-Lowell is in third place with 160 points after finishing second in women's field hockey, 16th in men's cross country and 23rd in women's cross country.

Western State, one of four Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schools in the top 17, is fourth with 153 points after the Mountaineers finished second behind the Grizzlies in men's cross country and ninth in the women's championship. The other RMAC representatives are Colorado Mines, 16th with 85 points, and Metro State, tied for 17th with 80 points.

Bloomsburg (Pa.), which won the women's field hockey national title, is in eighth place overall with 140 points.

The Learfield Sports Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 14 sports - seven women's and seven men's. National Championships teams earn 100 points for their institution while other national championship qualifying teams are awarded points on a sliding scale based on their finish and the size of the championship field.

The Grizzlies are the only school in the RMAC and the only school in Colorado (all divisions) to have ever won the all-sports competition doing so in 1998-99 when it was known as the Sears Directors' Cup. ASC has six total top 10 and 12 consecutive top 20 finishes, also the longest streak in the RMAC and in Colorado.

The next set of standings will be released on Thursday, Dec. 10 and will include national tournament results from three more fall sports- men's soccer, women's soccer and women's volleyball.
Adams State Wins Three National Division II Awards

NEW ORLEANS - Adams State's Damon Martin swept men's and women's Division II National Cross Country Coach of the Year honors while Adams State's Reuben Mwei and Seattle Pacific's Jessica Pixler were named National Cross Country Athletes of the Year Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Martin, in his 21st year at Adams State, led the Grizzlies to dual men's and women's NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship titles on Saturday. The feat marked the second-consecutive season in which his men's and women's squads won national titles and it was the seventh-straight crown for Adams State's women. The awards are Martin's 26th and 27th overall National Coach of the Year honors.

In addition, Martin's men easily defended their NCAA Central Region title with a score of 20 points, placing all seven runners in the top 15. The 20 points scored by the Grizzlies were the lowest point total at the Central Region meet since 2001, and the team's 27-point margin of victory was also the largest margin of victory in regional competition since 2006.

On the women's side, Martin led the Grizzlies to their third-straight NCAA Central Regional title. Adams State placed three runners in the top five en route to a 52-point win for their seventh regional title in the last eight years. The Grizzlies also won this year's RMAC Conference cross country title, extending their RMAC record of eight-straight conference titles. Martin was also named the 2009 RMAC Women's Coach of the Year.

Adams State senior Reuben Mwei is a first-time winner of the men's National Athlete of the Year award. Mwei clocked 30:27.8 at Saturday's 10-kilometer race to claim the NCAA Individual Championship, finishing just four tenths of a second ahead of Harding's Daniel Kirwa for the crown in becoming Adams State's first individual title holder since 2003.
Mwei also finished first at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships and finishing third at the NCAA Central Regional Championship this fall. Mwei, a senior from Kapsabet, Kenya, finished the Central Region course with a time of 30:57.3, helping lead the Grizzlies to their second-straight regional title.

Seattle Pacific's Jessica Pixler made NCAA history in becoming the first female Division II athlete to win three individual cross country championships, doing so with a seven-plus-second victory in the women's six-kilometer championship race (20:22.6). Pixler earns the National Cross Country Athlete of the Year honor for the third-straight year.

Pixler, a senior from Sammamish, Wash., went out from the start and ran to her fourth-straight NCAA Division II West Regional title. She cruised over the six-kilometer course in a record time of 20:08.09, breaking her previous course record of 20:36.4. Pixler also finished a four-year career sweep of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference meet when the senior ran to a ten-second victory.
Kelly, Samora Lead Unattached Adams State Group at Old Chicago NC Open

GREELEY, Colo.- A dozen members of the Adams State College wrestling team competed unattached at Sunday's Old Chicago Northern Colorado Open held here in the University of Northern Colorado's Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.

The group, which combined to win 19 matches, was led by true freshmen Daniel Kelly (Parker, Colo.) and Justin Samora (Cortez, Colo.), who each placed for the second week in a row.

Kelly finished fifth in the 149-pound bracket while Samora won each of his first three matches before medically forfeiting his next three while taking sixth place in the 157-pound competition. Both wrestlers, who are expected to redshirt this season, had also placed third at the Wyoming Cowboy Open on Nov. 14.

Kelly, who now sports a 10-3 record this season, went 5-2 on the day defeating Dylan Granard, an unattached wrestler from Mesa State in both his first match and later in the consolation bracket. Kelly, who was a 2-time state champion while at Ponderosa high School, claimed a 9-7 sudden victory over Sieji Hashimoto, an unattached wrestler from the host Bear squad, in the championship quarterfinals before falling 8-3 to eventual runner-up Tyler Juby (Mesa State-Unattached) in the semifinals.

However, Kelly bounced back with a 5-2 win over Telbe Storbeck, also an unattached Mesa State wrestler, before beating Granard for the second time. He then fell to fourth-seeded Justin Gonzales, another Northern Colorado unattached wrestler, before claiming fifth place with a medical forfeit win over Trey Saxon of New Mexico Highlands.

Samora, who now has eight wins, posted a 10-6 win over Brandon Montoya (Western State-Unattached) in the round of 32 and then posted a 14-7 win over sixth-seeded Blake Mabry, an unattached wrestler from Air Force Prep in the round of 16.

Samora, who was the state runner-up in each of the past two springs while at Montezuma-Cortez High School, then bested unattached grappler Daniel Barringer in the quarterfinals by a 10-8 sudden victory margin. He was one of four men on the ASC roster competing in that weight class.

Grizzly freshman Corey Johnson (Newcastle, Calif.) fared the best of the rest as he went 3-2 while falling just one match short of a top 6 placing in the 133-pound bracket.
Adam State's Barksdale, Sand Begin Title Defenses with Cowboy Open Wins

Four other Grizzlies place third

LARAMIE, Wyo.- Defending NCAA Division II National Champions Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) and Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.) each won Elite Division titles while four other Adams State College wrestlers, three of which competed unattached, place third in their respective brackets as the Grizzlies won each of their six combined championship and consolation final matches during the closing hours of a successful 37th annual Cowboy Open, contested all day Saturday here in the University of Wyoming's War Memorial Fieldhouse.

Barksdale, the defending national champion at 125 pounds, wrestled up a weight class but still defeated three Division I wrestlers en-route to his first career title. Barksdale, who finished second at last year's tournament, also at 133 pounds, has now won 24 straight matches dating back to last year.

Sand, the reigning national champion at 184 pounds, also wrestled up a weight class at 197, yet posted a perfect 4-0 record for the second straight year at the tournament, split up into Amateur and Elite Divisions, the first of which is reserved for wrestlers.

Sand, who also wrestled at 197 pounds at the 2008 Cowboy Open defeated a pair of Division I wrestlers in his opening two matches before taking out Alex Calvi of Great Falls (Mont.), ranked fifth in the 197-pound division of the NAIA Preseason Rankings before grabbing a 3-1 championship match win over fellow Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Team selection Donovan McMahill of Western State. McMahill has been tabbed fifth in the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association Preseason Rankings at 197 pounds.

Both Barksdale and Sand are ranked first in those rankings at their regular weight classes.

The Grizzlies also got a third place finish at 149 pounds in the Elite Division from sophomore Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.), who redshirted a year ago. Hensley, also wrestling up a weight class, went 5-1 on the day.

2-time Grizzly All-American Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.), ranked sixth in the nation at 149 pounds coming in, competed unattached in the 157-pound bracket of the Elite Division and finished third with a solid 6-1 record. The senior had three pins in his run through the consolation bracket.

Two Grizzly newcomers also had solid starts to their collegiate careers as Daniel Kelly (Parker, Colo.) and Justin Samora (Cortez, Colo.) each finished third in the Amateur Division. Both ASC freshmen competed unattached.

Kelly went 5-1 at 149 pounds while Samora posted a 4-1 record in the 157-pound bracket.
Adam State's Black Comes from Behind for 17-12 Win
National Champs both win while Kelly shutout sparks comeback
11/11/2009

ALAMOSA, Colo.- A convincing shutout win by freshman Daniel Kelly (Parker, Colo.) in the second of two 149-pound matches triggered a run of four straight wins for the Black team as that squad went on to claim a 17-12 win over the Green squad in Adams State College's annual intra-squad wrestling dual, Wednesday night in Plachy Hall.

Kelly's 11-0 win over sophomore Jesse Long (Albuquerque, N.M.) cut what was a 12-4 deficit in half before Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.), Dominic DeMarco (Shingle Springs, Calif.) and Taylor Stam (Parker, Colo.) each claimed convincing wins, all with riding time advantages, later in the night as the Black team, guided by assistant coach Evan Copeland, came from as many as nine points behind to claim the victory.

The Green team, guided by assistant coach Jared Deaguero, got off to a great start as Dominic Madril (Westminster, Colo.) claimed an 8-5 win over Jeremy Robledo (Denver, Colo.) in the 125-pound match before reigning NCAA Division II National Champion Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.), wrestling up a weight class at 133 pounds, pinned Grizzly newcomer Corey Johnson (Newcastle, Calif.) in the second period giving the Green team an early 9-0 lead. Barksdale, who will be gunning to become ASC's first-ever 4-time NCAA Division II All-American and just the fifth overall in the program's illustrious history, led Johnson 7-1 after the first period and was up 9-2 at the time of the fall with 27 seconds left in the second period.

The Black team, which won five of the eight matches overall, while out-pointing the Green 56-28, then got on the scoreboard at 141 pounds as sophomore Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) made his return to the mat with an 11-1 major decision win over redshirt freshman Bradley Spence (Moriarty, N.M.). Hensley, a national qualifier in 2008 who redshirted last season, led 7-1 through two periods and racked up 2 minutes, 29 seconds of riding time in the victory.

Still leading 9-4 at that point, the Green team then got a crucial win in the first of two 149-pound matches as 2-time All-American Joey Deaguero (Commerce, Colo.), part of an overall senior-laden Grizzly squad, came from behind to claim a 4-3 win over redshirt freshman Nick Jones (Arvada, Colo.), wrestling for the Black team.

Jones scored the first takedown of the night in the first period and held Deaguero at bay throughout the neutral-starting second period before an early third period escape by Deaguero tied the match at 2. Deaguero then scored his takedown before surrendering a meaningless escape late in the match while holding on to the win.

Kelly, a former 2-time state champion while at Ponderosa High School then smashed Long in the third period as the freshman scored five back points and nine overall in the final two minutes blowing open what was a tight 2-0 match through five minutes.

Still down 12-8 at that point, Sand then brought his Black squad even closer with a 10-3 decision over Torben Walters (Olney Springs, Colo.) in a battle of returning starters. Sand, the reigning NCAA Division II National Champion at 184 pounds, led 2-1 through one period and 5-1 through two before scoring two more takedowns in the third period in his victory over Walters, the Grizzlies' starting 197-pounder a year ago. Walters, like Sand, a 4-time state champion while in high school, is expected to wrestle at 174 pounds this year.

DeMarco, who joins the Grizzly program after a stint at Marion (Ala.) Military Institute, where he was a National Collegiate Wrestling Association All-American last spring, then scored a 3-point near fall from after starting on top in the second period of his eventual 9-3 win over Grizzly freshman Rico Garcia (Canon City, Colo.). That victory gave the Black team its first lead of the night at 14-12 before redshirt freshman heavyweight Taylor Stam (Parker, Colo.) claimed a dual-clinching 5-0 win over the Green team's Three Amigos.

Stam wrestled Chris Ellis (Fountain, Colo.), Tyler Haney (Beloit, Wisc.) and Tyler Yates (Pueblo West, Colo.) for one period each and scored a takedown on Ellis in the first and another on Haney in the second before Yates and Stam battled to a scoreless draw in the third. However, Stam had racked up more than a minute of riding time earning an extra point.

The Grizzlies, who come into the campaign, the 11th under head coach Jason Ramstetter, have been picked to win their first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title since 1996 and are ranked fifth in the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association Poll.

They begin their season Saturday at the University of Wyoming's Cowboy Open. Action is slated to begin at 9 a.m. Fans can follow the progression of the tournament throughout the day on TrackWrestling.com.
Hall of Fame tickets on sale through Wednesday


ALAMOSA, Colo.- Tickets for Friday's 10th annual Adams State College Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet are on sale through Wednesday.  The tickets are $35 per person and must be reserved through the ASC Athletic Office by Wednesday at 2 p.m. by calling administrative assistant Dianne Lee at (719) 587-7401 or by emailing her at diannelee@adams.edu.

The early deadline is necessary so event organizers can give the caterers an accurate count of attendees.

Friday's banquet begins at 6:30 p.m. in the banquet rooms of the Student Union Building.  A social hour, only open to those attending the banquet, will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Dr. Joe I. Vigil Hall of Fame room in Plachy Hall.  The inductees will also be honored at halftime of Saturday's football game against Nebraska-Kearney.

A total of six individuals and the 1968 and 1969 NAIA National Championship Wrestling Teams are being inducted this year and join 67 other individuals and the 1992 "Perfect Score" NCAA Division II National Championship Men's Cross Country team, which have been enshrined since the annual ceremonies began in 2000.

This year's group of inductees includes 6-time NCAA Division II National Champion and 2-time World Championship marathon qualifier Zoila Gomez, football player and 100-meter school record holder Ivory Joe Hunt, 1972 NAIA National Championship wrestler Doug Moses, 1968 and 1969 NAIA All-America wide receiver Jim Paul, NAIA Marathon National Champion Tim Terrill and basketball legend Mel Yates.

The 1968 and 1969 wrestling teams were the first two teams in ASC history to win national championships.  Each squad had eight NAIA All-Americans.

Visit ascgrizzlies.com for the latest news and info on Adams State College Athletics.

Adams State College Wrestling: MMA Event Set for Apr. 4

ALAMOSA, Colo.- Nemesis Promotions will be hosting the High Altitude Face-Off, a mixed martial arts extravaganza, at Adams State College's Plachy Hall on Saturday, Apr. 4.

The doors will open at 6 p.m. with the fight card to begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now in the main athletic office in Plachy Hall and also at City Market and St. Ives and GWI Investigations in Alamosa and at Alibis in Monte Vista. Remaining tickets will also be on sale at the door on the evening of the fights.

General admission tickets will be sold for $25 at all three ticket distribution locations.

Reserved seating tickets, which are priced between $35 and $55 depending on location, are also available but only at Plachy Hall. ASC students can also purchase discounted tickets for $15 at Plachy Hall with a valid I.D.

The event will be highlighted by the main event match-up between professionals Dave Heredia and James Mead. Well-known professionals Cameron Dollar and Tait Fletcher will also be making an appearance to sign autographs and mingle with fans.

Heredia, a native of Center, now resides in Alamosa and is the head trainer for Alamosa Mixed Martial Arts.

Numerous other amateur-level fights are on the fight card and will include some current and former ASC student-athletes from the Grizzly football and wrestling teams.

Scheduled to fight are current Grizzly wrestlers Jesse Long (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Omar Gonzalez (Monte Vista, Colo.), ASC's starting 165-pounder this past season. Former Grizzly football players Stuart Johnson and Dominic DeGeorge are also on the fight card as is former 2006 ASC wrestling All-American Scott Cleve.
Adams State College Wrestling: Double GoldDouble gold

Barksdale, Sand win titles as Grizzlies take fifth for 3rd straight year

HOUSTON-- Adams State College juniors Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) and Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.) each won thrilling NCAA Division II National Championships as the Grizzlies finished fifth in the team standings for the third straight year, Saturday night here in the University of Houston's Campus Wellness & Recreation Center.

Barksdale started the night's championship session with a 3-1 win over Fort Hays State's Tommy Edgmon scoring the bout's only and winning takedown with 11 seconds left.

Sand then posted a 6-4 win over Nebraska-Omaha's Brent Pankoke in the second sudden victory period.

This was the first time in ASC's NCAA Division II history (1992-93/Present) that the Grizzlies have crowned two champions on the same night. They now have six Division II champions, all under coach Jason Ramstetter, who has guided the Grizzlies to a top 10 finish in each of the last seven years.

Grizzly senior Raymond Dunning (Nashville, Tenn.) fell in the 141-pound championship match by a 5-3 margin to West Liberty State's (W. Va.) Doug Surra.

A complete recap and online photo gallery will be posted later.

125 Pounds
Arsenia Barksdale (Adams State) dec. Tommy Edgmon, 3-1

1st Period
No Score

2nd Period
Barksdale chooses down
0:03- Barksdale Escape (Barksdale 1, Edgmon 0)

3rd Period
Edgmon chooses down
0:02- Edgmon Escape (Barksdale 1, Edgmon 1)
1:49- Barksdale Takedown (Barksdale 3, Edgmon 1)

141 Pounds
Doug Surra (West Liberty State) dec. Raymond Dunning, 5-3

1st Period
1:34- Surra Takedown (Surra 2, Dunning 0)
1:40- Dunning Escape (Surra 2, Dunning 1)
3:00- Surra Takedown at buzzer (Surra 4, Dunning 1)

2nd Period
Dunning defers. Surra chooses neutral.
No score.

3rd Period
Dunning chooses top.
1:30- Surra stalling warning.
1:46- Surra Escape (Surra 5, Dunning 2)
1:55- Surra Stalling. Dunning Penalty Point.
Dunning-Riding Time (1:41) (Surra 5, Dunning 3).

184 Pounds
Kyle Sand (Adams State) dec. Brent Pankoke (Nebraska-Omaha), 6-4 (SV-2)

1st Period
1:26- Sand Takedown. (Sand 2, Pankoke 0)
1:38- Sand called for locked hands. (Sand 2, Pankoke 1)
1:40- Pankoke Escape (Sand 2, Pankoke 2)

2nd Period
Pankoke Defers. Sand chooses down.
0:10- Sand Escape (Sand 3, Pankoke 2)

3rd Period
Pankoke choosed down.
0:24- Pankoke Escape (Sand 3, Pankoke 3)

Sudden Victory
No Score

Tiebreaker
Sand goes down.
0:20- Sand Escape (Sand 4, Pankoke 3)
Pankoke goes down
0:28- Pankoke Escape (Sand 4, Pankoke 4)

Sudden Victory-2
0:41- Sand Takedown (Sand 6, Pankoke 4)
Pins Help Adams State to Third Place After Session I

HOUSTON- Back-to-back pin-falls by 141-pound senior Raymond Dunning (Nashville, Tenn.) and 149-pound junior Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) on mat No. 3 helped the Adams State College Grizzlies to a 4-2 combined record and third place in the team standings after the first round of the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championships that started Friday here at the University of Houston's Campus Wellness & Recreation Center.

The Grizzlies also received 7-2 and 4-1 decision wins by Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) and Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.) at 125 and 184 pounds, respectively, as they advanced four men in to the evening's championship quarterfinals.

157-pound junior Noomis Jones (Arvada, Colo.) and junior heavyweight Jeff Schossow (Fort Morgan, Colo.) dropped their opening matches and will wrestle in the consolations in the second session that begins at 6 p.m. CST.

The seventh-ranked Grizzlies, who got four total bonus points from Dunning and Deaguero, have eight overall and trail only No. 1 Nebraska-Omaha and No. 2 Minnesota State-Mankato in the team standings. Both of those squads have full 10-man contingents at the tournament.

Six other teams are within two points of the Grizzlies in the early standings.

Nebraska-Omaha's group went 8-2 in the opening round and has 15 points. Minnesota State-Mankato's contingent went 5-5 and is second with nine points.

Dunning, the nation's top-ranked wrestler according to the Mar. 2 edition of the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association Rankings, needed just two minutes and 47 seconds to take out John Putman of Minnesota State-Mankato, ranked seventh. In the process, Dunning improved to a team-best 30-7 on the year with his 18th straight win.

Now just one win away from a third career All-America honor, Dunning will face Limestone's (S.C.) Jeremy Parker in the quarterfinals. Parker upset fourth-ranked University of Indianapolis Greyhound junior Matt Irwin 6-2 in his opening match.

Deaguero then pulled one of the biggest upsets of the session as he stuck Nebraska-Omaha redshirt freshman Esai Dominguez at the 4:14 mark after trailing 4-2 during the first period.

Deaguero, who missed more than a month before claiming third at the NCAA West Regional/RMAC Championships on Feb. 28, is not currently nationally ranked but did finish fourth at the 2008 version of the tournament.

Dominguez, who took second in his regional behind top-ranked and undefeated Craig Becker of Wisconsin-Parkside at his regional, was ranked third in the country.

Deaguero, who is now 12-7 on the season, is a 2-time All-American. He will next face No. 2 Tommy Abbott of Minnesota State-Mankato.

Barksdale, also a 2-time All-American, scored the final five points of his victory over Ashland's (Ohio) Daniel Mandara. The wrestlers were tied at 2 early in the period before a takedown and ensuing 3-point near fall lifted Barksdale to the victory, his 22nd of the year.

Now 22-5 overall and a winner of 17 straight matches, Barksdale will face North Carolina-Pembroke's Russell Weakley, a 12-4 major decision winner of Upper Iowa's Kyle Pedretti. Weakley is not nationally ranked but now sports an impressive 21-2 record.

Sand, the Grizzlies' other winner, is now 18-10 on the year, after he took a 3-0 lead through the second period en-route to his win over Newberry's (S.C.) Bryant Blanton. Ranked fifth in the country, Sand will next face Central Oklahoma's Nicholis Henning, who pulled a slight 7-2 upset over No. 7 Travis Barbarick of Central Missouri.

Jones, ranked second in the country, will now have two win two matches to repeat his All-America performance from a year ago after he suffered an 8-2 setback to West Liberty State (W. Va.) junior Mitch Smith in his opening match. Now 25-7, Jones will face Michael Lybarger of Findlay (Ohio) in the consolations.

Schossow, a first time national qualifier, was defeated 9-2 by No. 4 ranked Tony Lewis of Nebraska-Omaha. Now 10-11 overall, Schossow will face West Liberty State's Cody Tominak, who was pinned just 72 seconds into his match with No. 2 ranked Brady Wilson of Minnesota State-Mankato.

Adams State's Session I Results

125- #2 Arsenia Barksdale (Adams State) dec. Daniel Mandara (Ashland), 7-2
141-#1 Raymond Dunning (Adams State) def. #7 John Putman (Minnesota State-Mankato), Fall (2:47)
149-Joey Deaguero (Adams State) dec. #3 Esai Dominguez (Nebraska-Omaha), Fall (4:14)
157- Mitch Smith (West Liberty State (W. Va.)) dec. #2 Noomis Jones (Adams State), 8-2
184- #5 Kyle Sand (Adams State) dec. Bryant Blanton (Newberry (S.C.)), 4-1
HWT- #4 Anthony Lewis (Nebraska-Omaha) dec. Jeff Schossow (Adams State), 9-2