Air Force

Air Force Wrestlers End Run at NCAA Championships

Air Force 26, South Dakota State 10
184 - Tyler Sorenson (SDSU) dec. Jacob Devlin, 11-4
197 - James Ciccone (AF) maj. dec. Jeremy Swier, 12-0
HWT - Anthony Stegeman (AF) win by forfeit
125 - Zach Valdez (AF) dec. Alan Marvin, 6-4
133 - Nick Kulseth (SDSU) maj. dec. Samuel Sheppard, 11-1
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) maj. dec. Adam Everson, 16-5
149 - Chris Szabolcs (AF) dec. Sean Flynn, 8-2
157 - Tony Dorward (AF) dec. Weston Blasius, 2-1
165 - Ryan Meyer (SDSU) dec. Stephen Crozier, 5-3
174 - Tyler French (AF) dec. Justin Retallic, 8-2
Air Force Fall to North Dakota State in WWC Action

Fargo, N.D. - In one of its closest matches of the season, the Air Force wrestling team dropped a 20-17 contest to conference foe North Dakota State Friday evening at Bison Sports Arena. The Falcons fall to 7-9 overall, 1-2 in the WWC, while the Bison improve to 10-8, 4-1 in the conference.

North Dakota State got out to an early 10-0 lead with a major decision and a fall in the first two bouts of the evening. Senior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) then registered the first win of the match for the Falcons, registering a 4-2 decision over Gabriel Mooney at 141 pounds. The Bison picked up another decision at 149 pounds to take a 13-3 lead in the match, but the Falcons climbed on top after winning the next three bouts.

Senior Tony Dorward (Seattle, Wash.) grabbed a 4-3 overtime decision over Adam Aho at 157 pounds, while junior Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) grabbed his team-leading 24th win of the season with a 17-6 major decision over Vince Salminen at 165 pounds. The Falcons then grabbed their first lead of the match following the 174-pound bout, when sophomore Tyler French (Malta, Mont.) secured a 19-8 major decision over Shannon Fettig.

The 184-pound bout featured a close contest, as NDSU's Kenny Moenkedick scored all six of his points in the final period en route to a 6-5 victory, while the Bison also won the 197 pound match in a major decision to take a 20-14 lead into the final bout.

Senior Anthony Stegeman (Cincinnati, Ohio) took a 7-4 decision over Tyler Hemmesch in the heavyweight match, but the Falcons were unable to get the win, dropping a close 20-17 contest to the Bison

The Falcons have another WWC contest tomorrow evening, as they face off against South Dakota State in a match slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. (CT).

North Dakota State 20, Air Force 17
125 -Eric Hoffman (NDSU) maj. dec. Zach Valdez, 9-0
133 - Eric Sanders (NDSU) fall Samuel Sheppard, 1:56
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Gabriel Mooney, 4-2
149 - Ryan Adams (NDSU) dec. Chris Szabolcs, 9-4
157 - Tony Dorward (AF) dec. Adam Aho, 4-3 (TB-2)
165 - Stephen Crozier (AF) maj. dec. Vince Salminen, 17-6
174 - Tyler French (AF) maj. dec. Shannon Fettig, 19-8
184 - Kenny Moenkedick (NDSU) dec. Jacob Devlin, 6-5
197 - Jacob Bryce (NDSU) maj. dec. James Ciccone, 19-9
HWT -  Anthony Stegeman (AF) dec. Tyler Hemmesch, 7-4
Air Force Drops WWC Dual to Northern Colorado

Greeley, Colo. - Missing its starters at a few key weight classes, the Air Force wrestling team dropped a tough 25-14 decision to Northern Colorado Sunday afternoon at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. With the loss, the Falcons fall to 7-8 overall, 1-1 in the WWC, while the Bears improve to 6-5, 4-1 in the conference.

The match opened at 141 pounds, where senior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) faced off against Richard Lohr. Kreigbaum dominated most of the match, before pinning Lohr with 58 seconds remaining in the second period. Kriegbaum's fall, his fourth of the season, put the Falcons up 6-0.

Northern Colorado tied the team score up with decisions at both 149 and 157 pounds, before taking the lead with a decision at 165 pounds. Sophomore Tyler French (Malta, Mont.) put the Falcons back on top with a 9-1 major decision over Ryan Johnson, while senior Jacob Devlin (Livingston, N.J.) extended Air Force's advantage with a win at 184 pounds, a 12-0 major decision over Ed Harris.

Unfortunately, the Falcons were unable to win any of the final four bouts in the eventual 25-14 loss. The closest match of the afternoon came at 133 pounds, where sophomore Samuel Sheppard (Ramstein AB, Germany) battled Blayze Bahe. With Bahe leading 4-2 in the final period, Sheppard was able to score a reversal late in the period to tie the score at 4-4. However, Bahe's riding time advantage gave him the extra point for the 5-4 decision.

The Falcons are back on the road next weekend, Feb. 15-16, for a pair of WWC matches, facing North Dakota State on Friday night, while visiting South Dakota State on Saturday.

Northern Colorado 25, Air Force 14
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) fall Richard Lohr, 4:02
149 - Daniel Prater (UNC) dec. Chris Szabolcs, 5-1
157 - Rocco Depaolo (UNC) dec. Tony Dorward, 5-3
165 - Devan Lewis (UNC) dec. Stephen Crozier, 7-4
174 - Tyler French (AF) maj. dec. Ryan Johnson, 9-1
184 - Jacob Devlin (AF) maj. dec. Ed Matthews, 12-0
197 - Patrick Carey (UNC) dec. A.J. Harris, 9-6
HWT - Reece Hopkin (UNC) fall Anthony Stegeman, 1:42
125 -Tony Mustari (UNC) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 17-3
133 - Blayze Bahe (UNC) dec. Samuel Sheppard, 5-4
Air Force Visits Northern Colorado for WWC Dual

The Air Force wrestling team is back in action this weekend, Feb. 10, when it travels to Greeley, Colo., for a WWC dual meet versus Northern Colorado. The match is slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.

Last Time Out...
The Falcons finished third at the All-Academy Championships last weekend, led by 165-pound champion Stephen Crozier. Jake Kriegbaum took second at 141 pounds, Tyler French (174) and Anthony Stegeman (HWT) finished third and Chris Szabolcs (149) and Jacob Devlin (184) each placed fourth.

Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force enters this weekend with a 7-7 overall dual record and 1-0 mark in the WWC. Leading the Falcons with 23 total wins on the season is junior Stephen Crozier. Close behind is senior Anthony Stegeman with 22 victories. Crozier also leads the team with a 9-3 dual mark, while senior Jake Kriegbaum is second with an 8-5 dual record.
Meanwhile, senior captain Chris Szabolcs lead the team with seven falls this year, while sophomore Kurt Spranger owns a fastest fall of 46 seconds.

Scouting the Bears...
Northern Colorado currently holds a 4-5 dual record and 2-1 mark in the WWC and will host Utah Valley State before facing the Falcons on Sunday. Sophomore Tony Mustari (125) leads the Bears with a 24-5 overall record and 5-2 dual mark, while heavyweight Reece Hopkin holds a 21-5 record on the season and 7-2 mark in dual action.

WWC Wrestler of the Week...
Junior Stephen Crozier was named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week on Feb. 6 following his performance at the All-Academy Championships. The second-seeded Crozier earned a title at 165 pounds, registering a pair of major decisions before pinning top-seed Vincent Renaut in a time of 4:41 in the championship bout.

Crozier also earned WWC Wrestler of the Week honors on Dec. 5 after capturing first place at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open. He was one of two champions for the Falcons at the FHSU Open. Wrestling at 165 pounds, the unseeded Crozier began the day with a pair of tech falls, before knocking off the top-seed, pinning Oklahoma State's Kyle Griffin in a time of 3:22. After registering a major decision in the next round, Crozier picked up an 8-6 decision in overtime over second-seed Taylor May of Nebraska-Kearney to take the championship.

Up Next...
The Falcons have a pair of conference dual meets next weekend, Feb. 15-16, when they travel to North Dakota State and South Dakota State.
Air Force's Crozier Named WWC Wrestler of the Week

Cedar Falls, Iowa - After a winning the 165-pound title at the All-Academy Championships last weekend, Air Force junior Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) was named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week, as announced today by league officials. This marks Crozier's second weekly honor this season.

Crozier led the Falcons to a third-place finish at this year's All-Academy Championships, hosted by Army. Seeded second in the tournament, Crozier went 3-0 on the day, registering a pair of major decisions before pinning top-seeded Vincent Renaut in a time of 4:14 in the championship bout. He became the first Falcon since 2005 to win an individual title at the All-Academy Championships. He now leads the Falcons with a 23-9 overall record, one more victory than in his first two seasons combined.

Crozier and the rest of the Falcons are back in action this weekend, Feb. 10, when they travel to Greeley, Colo., to face WWC foe Northern Colorado. The match is slated to take place at 2:00 p.m. at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.
Air Force Finishes Third at All-Academy Championships

USAFA, Colo. - Led by Stephen Crozier's title at 165 pounds, the Air Force wrestling team captured third place at the 14th-annual All-Academy Championships Saturday, hosted by Army. The host Black Knights won the team title with 111 points, breaking Navy's four-year win streak at the event. The Midshipmen finished second with 106 points, while the Falcons had 54.5 points. Coming in fourth was The Citadel, followed by the Merchant Marine Academy, VMI, the Coast Guard Academy and Norwich.

Crozier, a junior from Monona, Iowa, earned his championship with a victory over top-seeded Vincent Renaut of the Merchant Marines. While Renaut grabbed an early lead, Crozier, the second seed in the bracket, put Renaut on his back in the second period, recording a fall in a time of 4:14. Earlier in the day, Crozier registered a pair of major decisions on his way to the title match, defeating Army's Rudy Chelednik, 12-0, and VMI's Jayme Gordon, 18-8.

Senior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) also earned a spot in the finals at 141 pounds, following a first-round bye with a 12-2 major decision over VMI's David Metzler. Kriegbaum, seeded third in the tournament, faced off against top-seeded Matt Kyler of Army. However, Kriegbaum could not get past Kyler, ranked 20th in the nation, dropping a 10-3 decision to finish second.

Recording third-place finishes for Air Force were sophomore Tyler French (Malta, Mont.) and senior Anthony Stegeman (Cincinnati, Ohio). French, wrestling at 174 pounds, began the day with an 11-2 decision over The Citadel's Derek Sickel before dropping a major decision to top-seeded and eighth-ranked Matt Stolpinski of Navy. French, seeded fourth in the tournament, rebounded in the consolation bracket with a 13-5 major decision over the Merchant Marines' Justin Diesel. He then knocked off second-seed Dustin McCabe of VMI in the third-place bout, registering a 9-7 decision.
Meanwhile, Stegeman, seeded third, also opened the tournament with a major decision, defeating Jake Kirk-Elkin of Norwich by a 10-0 margin. After falling to Army's Nathan Thobaben, Stegeman registered a fall over VMI's Leon Barrow in a time of 3:50, while picking up a 5-1 decision over Aaron Brown of The Citadel in the third-place match.

Also finishing in the top four for the Falcons were seniors Chris Szabolcs (Westlake, Ohio) and Jacob Devlin (Livingston, N.J.). Szabolcs, unseeded at 149 pounds, dropped a major decision against second-seed Casey Thorne of Army in the opening round before rattling off a pair of falls in the consolation bracket. After pinning the Coast Guard's James Radar in a time of 2:23 and fourth-seeded Derek Royster of The Citadel in 3:15, Szabolcs boosted his team-leading fall total to seven pins on the season. However, Szabolcs could not pull out the win in the third-place contest, dropping a 7-3 decision to third-seed Dan Twito of the Merchant Marines.

Devlin, the fourth-seed at 184 pounds, also finished fourth in the tournament, opening with a 9-0 major decision over VMI's Curtis Moore. After dropping a 4-1 decision to Army's Scott Ferguson, the top-seed. Devlin then picked up a 9-5 decision over Troy McGuinness of the Merchant Marines before giving up a 6-3 decision to third-seed Casey Caldwell of Navy.
The Falcons return to action next weekend, Feb. 10, when they head to Northern Colorado for a Western Wrestling Conference dual meet.
Air Force Picks Up Three Wins at Borah Duals

USAFA, Colo. - Wrapping up a hectic schedule that included six matches in two days, the Air Force wrestling team went 3-1 at the Borah Duals, hosted by Western State, Saturday. After falling to the host Mountaineers, the Falcons, who switched their lineup throughout the day, rattled off victories over Grand Canyon, Mesa State and New Mexico Highlands. Air Force now holds a 7-7 overall record on the season.

In the first match of the day, Air Force dropped a 25-11 decision to Western State, winning just three of the seven bouts. Heavyweight Anthony Stegeman (Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio) led the way with a tech fall over Andrew Skinner, while Jake Kriegbaum (Sr., Abilene, Kan.), wrestling at 141 pounds, and Stephen Crozier (Jr., Monona, Iowa), at 165 pounds, picked up decisions for the Falcons.

Against Grand Canyon, the Falcons won five weight classes by forfeit, while freshman Andrew Zwirlein (Nashotah, Wis.) and Tyler French (So., Malta, Mont.) added falls at 125 and 174 pounds,respectively, to give Air Force the 42-12 victory. The Falcons then rolled to a 37-6 victory over Mesa State, getting eight total wins, including two forfeits. Senior Zach Valdez (125, Parker, Colo.) and French each recorded tech falls against Mesa State, Stephen Makuka (So., 141, Columbus, N.J.), James Ciccone (So., 184, Mentor, Ohio) and Stegeman all added major decisions and Tony Dorward (Sr., Seattle, Wash.) captured an overtime victory at 157 pounds.

In its final match of the day, the Falcons again won eight bouts, including a forfeit at 125 pounds. Kriegbaum, Crozier and Jacob Devlin (Sr., 184, Livingston, N.J.) all notched falls for Air Force against New Mexico Highlands. Meanwhile, Valdez, wrestling up at 133 pounds, Dorward, French and Stegeman added decisions for the Falcons in the 36-6 victory.

"We put our guys in a tough situation, weighing in two consecutive days, with two matches yesterday and four matches today," said head coach Joel Sharratt. "We had a lot of guys get some matches in and we're looking forward to getting ready for the All-Academy Tournament next weekend, so we can see what the other academies are doing and see our progress in that."

"The guys wrestled better throughout the day," continued Sharratt. "I think the tournament format should be good for us. When you're advancing through the tournament, our guys are getting stronger as the competition is getting tougher."

The Falcons head to the All-Academy Championships, hosted by Army, next weekend, Feb. 2.

Western State 25, Air Force 11
125 -Eddie Lopez (WSC) dec. Zach Valdez, 7-6
133 - Jesse Cruz (WSC) fall Kurt Spranger, 1:02
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Kyle Francis, 8-4
149 - Camille DuPont (WSC) dec. Chris Szabolcs, 9-6
157 - Neil Samples (WSC) dec. Tony Dorward, 4-3
165 - Stephen Crozier (AF) dec. Zach Lee, 7-5
174 - Larry Wilbanks (WSC) dec. Tyler French, 11-7
184 - Lars Lueders (WSC) dec. Jacob Devlin, 5-4
197 - Donovan McMahill (WSC) maj. dec. James Ciccone, 13-4
HWT - Anthony Stegeman (AF) tech fall Andrew Skinner, 16-0 (5:56)

Air Force 42, Grand Canyon 12
125 - Andrew Zwirlein (AF) fall Tony Covert, 4:18
133 - Kurt Spranger (AF) win by forfeit
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) win by forfeit
149 - Chris Szabolcs (AF) win by forfeit
157 - Stephen Towne (GCU) dec. Michael Erickson, 7-4
165 - Dan Grayson (GCU) dec. Patrick Steppe, 7-5
174 - Tyler French (AF) fall Jack Porter, 4:45
184 - Jacob Devlin (AF) win by forfeit
197 - Jordan Tribble (AF) win by forfeit
HWT - Jed Jobe (GCU) fall Chris Thomas, 1:10

Air Force 37, Mesa State 6
125 - Zach Valdez (AF) tech fall Jason Blasdel, 20-5
133 - Kurt Spranger (AF) win by forfeit
141 - Stephen Makuka (AF) maj. dec. Keith Johnson, 13-5
149 - Chris Szabolcs (AF) win by forfeit
157 - Tony Dorward (AF) dec. Taylor Torisk, 6-4 (SV)
165 - Cole Johnson (MSC) dec. Michael Erickson, 8-2
174 - Tyler French (AF) tech fall Tyrel Stout, 21-3 (6:22)
184 - James Ciccone (AF) maj. dec. Andy Laiminger, 16-4
197 - Brandon Mohr (MSC) dec. Chris Thomas, 4-1
HWT - Anthony Stegeman (AF) maj. dec. B. Alexander, 9-1

Air Force 36, New Mexico Highlands 7
125 - Andrew Zwirlein (AF) win by forfeit
133 - Zach Valdez (AF) dec. Donovan Troup, 10-6
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) fall Ross Montour, 5:56
149 - Nick Sanchez (NMSU) maj. dec. Chris Szabolcs, 19-11
157 - Tony Dorward (AF) dec. Trey Saxon, 5-4
165 - Stephen Crozier (AF) fall Chris Riding, 2:51
174 - Tyler French (AF) dec. Jesse Feinsod, 15-10
184 - Jacob Devlin (AF) fall Adam Pacheco, 0:53
197 - Charles Saguil (NMSU) dec. Jordan Tribble, 4-3
HWT - Anthony Stegeman (AF) dec. Jesse Boggs, 7-6
Air Force Wrestlers Roll to Pair of Dual Victories

USAFA, Colo. - Losing just three bouts on the evening, the Air Force wrestling team won both of its dual meets Friday at Clune Arena, defeating Colorado School of Mines, 39-3, and conference foe Utah Valley State, 33-6. With the wins, the Falcons improve to 4-6 on the season.

Air Force began the day with a match against Colorado School of Mines. Senior Zach Valdez (Parker, Colo.) started the Falcons out with a victory, picking up an 11-4 decision over Chad Lousberg at 125 pounds. Freshman Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) battled with Kellen Costelow at 133 pounds, but came up short, dropping the 10-8 decision. However, it was the only match the Falcons would lose to the Orediggers, as Air Force rattled off the next eight victories.

The 141-pound bout was the closest of the match, with both wrestlers deadlocked throughout most of the match. CSM's Cody Weitzel, who held the advantage during the entire second period, was set to take a 1-0 victory with two minutes of riding time, but an illegal hold by Weitzel gave Jake Kriegbaum (Sr., Abilene, Kan.) a point, sending the bout into overtime. Kriegbaum then scored a takedown with 32 seconds remaining in the extra period to take the 3-1 decision.

The Falcons scored three falls down the stretch, with seniors Chris Szabolcs (149, Westlake, Ohio), Jacob Devlin (184, Livingston, N.J.) and Anthony Stegeman (HWT, Cincinnati, Ohio) all registering pins over their opponents. Junior Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) recorded a 17-0 tech fall over Nathan McClain at 165 pounds, while Tony Dorward (Sr., Seattle, Wash.) picked up a 16-5 major decision over Mike Brown at 157 pounds. Meanwhile, Tyler French (So., Malta, Mont.) and Jordan Tribble (Jr., Midwest City, Okla.) each recorded decisions at 174 and 197 pounds, respectively, to help Air Force to the 36-point win.

In its match against Utah Valley State, its first conference contest of the year, Air Force trailed after one bout with a Valdez loss to Ben Kjar. A forfeit at 133 pounds by the Wolverines put the Falcons up 6-3 and Air Force led the rest of the way. The Falcons scored three consecutive decisions by Kriegbaum, Szabolcs and Dorward, while receiving another forfeit victory at 165.
Marc Fenwick gave UVSC its second win of the night with an 8-1 decision over French, but the Falcons won the final three bouts. While Devlin and Stegeman each recorded decisions, sophomore James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio), wrestling at 197, registered a fall over Zach Williams with just 12 seconds remaining in the final period, as Air Force finished with a 33-6 win against Utah Valley.

The Falcons have a short turnaround, as they are back in action tomorrow at the Borah Duals in Gunnison, Colo. Air Force will take on host Western State, along with Grand Canyon, Mesa State and New Mexico Highlands.
Air Force 39, Colorado School of Mines 3
125 - Zach Valdez (AF) dec. Chad Lousberg, 11-4
133 - Kellen Costelow (CSM) dec. Derek Gillespie, 10-8
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Cody Weitzel, 3-1 (SV)
149 - Chris Szabolcs (AF) fall Ryan Sprackling, 5:51
157 - Tony Dorward (AF) maj. dec. Mike Brown, 16-5
165 - Stephen Crozier (AF) tech fall Nathan McClain, 17-0 (6:13)
174 - Tyler French (AF) dec. Zac Cornett, 3-2
184 - Jacob Devlin (AF) fall Bobby Strain, 1:54
197 - Jordan Tribble (AF) dec. Brennan Knerr, 2-0
HWT - Anthony Stegeman (AF) fall Bryan Stansbury, 4:48
Air Force 33, Utah Valley State 6
125 - Ben Kjar (UV) dec. Zach Valdez, 10-4
133 - Derek Gillespie (AF) win by forfeit
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Jeff Newby, 7-3
149 - Chris Szabolcs (AF) dec. Nathan Gardner, 8-1
157 - Tony Dorward (AF) dec. Nate Kearsley, 8-5
165 - Stephen Crozier (AF) win by forfeit
174 - Marc Fenwick (UV) dec. Tyler French, 8-1
184 - Jacob Devlin (AF) dec. Casen Eldredge, 10-8
197 - James Ciccone (AF) fall Zach Williams, 6:48
HWT - Anthony Stegeman (AF) dec. Billy Green, 2-1
Air Force Hosts Colorado School of Mines, Utah Valley State

The Air Force wrestling team has its first home matches of the season this weekend, Jan. 25, when it will host Colorado School of Mines and WWC foe Utah Valley State. The Falcons will take on the Orediggers at 3:00 p.m., followed by the contest with Wolverines. Both matches will take place in Clune Arena. Air Force will then wrap up the weekend on Saturday at the Borah Duals, hosted by Western State.

Last Time Out...
The Falcons went 1-3 in four dual meets last weekend, falling to Purdue, Indianapolis and No. 17 Indianapolis, while defeating Gardner-Webb, 36-6. James Ciccone went 2-1 on the weekend, wrestling at both 184 and 197 pounds, while Stephen Crozier and Jake Kriegbaum each picked up two wins as well.

Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force enters this weekend's match with a 2-6 dual record. Juniors Stephen Crozier and Jordan Tribble each have a team-best five dual wins, while Crozier shares the team lead for total wins with freshman Derek Gillespie at 16.

Meanwhile, Gillespie, Chris Szabolcs and Joseph Stafford lead the team with four falls each on the season, while sophomore Kurt Spranger owns a fastest fall of 46 seconds.

Scouting the Orediggers...
Colorado School of Mines enters this weekend with a 3-5 overall record and has not been in action since Jan. 12, when it competed at the Hastings Open.
The Orediggers are led by 197-pounder Brennan Knerr, who holds 13-5 overall record and 6-2 mark in dual action.

Scouting the Wolverines...
Utah Valley State enters this weekend with a 4-5 dual mark and 1-0 record in the Western Wrestling Conference. The Wolverines were last in action at their own Utah Valley Open on Jan. 12.

At the Utah Valley Open, Benjamin Kjar was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning the 125-pound title, while Brad Darrington won the 184-pound weight class.
About the Borah Duals...

The Borah Duals, hosted by Western State, feature eight schools, including Air Force. The Falcons will compete against the host Mountaineers, along with Grand Canyon, Mesa State and New Mexico Highlands. Also competing at the Borah Duals are Central Oklahoma, Findlay and Utah Valley State.

Up Next...
The Falcons head to the 14th-annual All-Academy Championships, hosted by Army, next weekend, Feb. 2.
Air Force Wraps Up Competition At Hoosier Quad

Bloomington, Ind. - Competing against No. 17 Indiana, Indianapolis and Gardner-Webb, the Air Force wrestling team went 1-2 at the Hoosier Quad Saturday, hosted by Indiana. Junior Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) and sophomore James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio) led the way for the Falcons with two wins each on the day. Air Force now moves to 2-6 on the season.

The Falcons, who wrestled four dual meets in the past two days, will have a bit of a preview of next week's action when the team hosts Utah Valley State and Colorado School of Mines on Friday before competing in four matches at the Borah Duals in Gunnison, Colo., on Saturday.

"The schedule was designed to challenge these guys, make them deal with a little bit of adversity in the sense of having to weigh in two consecutive days," said head coach Joel Sharratt. "At the national tournament, you'll have to weigh in three consecutive days if you want to be on the awards stand. The guys did not respond well to the adversity in the morning matches. It's a good thing in that the pain and suffering they're going through right now will prepare them better for March."

Air Force opened the day with a contest against Indianapolis. The Falcons dropped the first five bouts of the match by decision before Crozier picked up a 10-0 major decision over Brandon Garner at 165 pounds. A major decision by senior Jacob Devlin (Livingston, N.J.) at 184 pounds and an Indianapolis forfeit at 197 pounds had the Falcons trailing by just four going into the final bout. However, Anthony Stegeman (Cincinnati, Ohio) came up short in the heavyweight bout, dropping a 3-2 decision as the Greyhounds won the match, 21-14.

The 17th-ranked Hoosiers dominated in their match against the Falcons, rattling off eight straight victories, including a pair of falls and a tech fall. Air Force picked up its first and only victory at 197 pounds, as Ciccone, wrestling in the weight class for the first time this season, recorded a 9-2 decision over Joe Fagiano. Indiana, which now holds an 11-2 overall record, won the contest, 39-3.

Air Force turned the tables in its match versus Gardner-Webb, winning eight of 10 bouts in a 36-6 victory. Zach Valdez (Sr., Parker, Colo.) and Stegeman each notched falls, while Derek Gillespie (Fr., Chesapeake, Va.), wrestling at 133 pounds, and Crozier both recorded tech falls. Registering major decisions for the Falcons were seniors Chris Szabolcs (Westlake, Ohio) at 149 pounds and Tony Dorward (Seattle, Wash.), as Jake Kriegbaum (Sr., Abilene, Kan.) and Ciccone picked up decisions at 141 and 197 pounds, respectively.

"By the later match today with Gardner-Webb, [the team] competed very well," said Sharratt. "They worked hard, they kept scoring points, they kept building a lead. They wrestled in their positions, where they are strongest."

Air Force's home matches against Utah Valley State and Colorado School of Mines on Jan. 15 are slated to begin at 3:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.

Indianapolis 21, Air Force 14
125 - Jimmy Nichols (UI) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 6-2
133 - Shane Perkey (UI) dec. Derek Gillespie, 14-12
141 - Matt Irwin (UI) dec. Jake Kriegbaum, 1-0
149 - Chad Woods (UI) dec. Chris Szabolcs, 10-8
157 - Mike Horton (UI) dec. Tony Dorward, 4-2 (TB)
165 - Stephen Crozier (AF) maj. dec. Brandon Garner, 10-0
174 - Kevin Flinn (UI) dec. Duane Miller, 5-0
184 - Jacob Devlin (AF) maj. dec. Kevin Smith, 13-3
197 - Jordan Tribble (AF) win by forfeit
HWT - Lynn Panko (UI) dec. Anthony Stegeman, 3-2

No. 17 Indiana 39, Air Force 3
125 - No. 2 Angel Escobedo (IU) fall Zach Valdez, 2:24
133 - No. 10 Andrae Hernandez (IU) dec. Derek Gillespie, 12-6
141 - Scott Kelly (IU) dec. Jake Kriegbaum, 4-2
149 - Kurt Kinser (IU) tech fall Chris Szabolcs, 25-5
157 - No. 9 Brandon Becker (IU) maj. dec. Tony Dorward, 9-0
165 - No. 7 Matt Coughlin (IU) dec. Stephen Crozier, 12-6
174 - Trevor Perry (IU) fall Duane Miller, 1:54
184 - Eric Cameron (IU) dec. Jacob Devlin, 7-1
197 - James Ciccone (AF) dec. Joe Fagiano, 9-2
HWT - John Sandberg (IU) fall Anthony Stegeman, 1:07

Air Force 36, Gardner-Webb 6
125 - Zach Valdez (AF) fall Tommy Bennett, 4:04
133 - Derek Gillespie (AF) tech fall Matthew Featherston, 18-3
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Jimmy Ballantyne, 7-2
149 - Chris Szabolcs (AF) maj. dec. Josh Lowe, 11-0
157 - Tony Dorward (AF) maj. dec. Austin Reece, 14-6
165 - Stephen Crozier (AF) tech fall Brendan Couture, 15-0
174 - Chad Davis (GW) dec. Duane Miller, 6-4
184 - Matthias Piasecki (GW) dec. Jacob Devlin, 7-2
197 - James Ciccone (AF) dec. Dustin Porter, 6-3
HWT - Anthony Stegeman (AF) fall Evan Rhodes, 4:41
Air Force Drops 35-6 Decision to Purdue

West Lafayette, Ind. - With just one individual victory, the Air Force wrestling team opened its Midwest trip with a 35-6 loss to Purdue, Friday evening at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility. The Falcons fall to 1-4 on the season, while the Boilermakers improve to 5-2 overall.

Purdue opened the match with a pair of decisions, including a 5-4 overtime victory at 125 pounds. Senior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) was able to tie the score for the Falcons at 141 pounds, registering a fall over Matt Redmond in a time of 2:17. Unfortunately, Air Force was unable to notch another win in the match. The Boilermakers scored three major decisions, two decisions, a tech fall and a fall down the stretch to cruise to the 35-6 decision.

The Falcons' best opportunity for a second win came in the final bout of the evening, the heavyweight match. Senior Anthony Stegeman (Cincinnati, Ohio) held a 2-1 advantage over Chris Kasten in the waning moments of the third period, but a stalling call gave his opponent another point, tying the score at 2-2. A takedown by Kasten 34 seconds into the overtime period gave Purdue the final individual victory of the evening.

The Falcons are back in action tomorrow as they head to the Hoosier Quad, hosted by 17th-ranked Indiana. In addition to a dual versus the host Hoosiers, Air Force will take on Indianapolis and Gardner-Webb.

Purdue 35, Air Force 6
125 - Akif Eren (PU) dec. Zach Valdez, 5-4 (TB)
133 - Sean Schmaltz (PU) dec. Derek Gillespie, 5-3
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) fall Matt Redmond, 2:17
149 - No. 19 Jake Patacsil (PU) tech fall Chris Szabolcs, 17-0
157 - Sam Patacsil (PU) maj. dec. Tony Dorward, 15-3
165 - Luke Manuel (PU) dec. Stephen Crozier, 3-1
174 - Nick Corpe (PU) maj. dec. Duane Miller, 19-7
184 - A.J. Kissel (PU) fall James Ciccone, 6:24
197 - Logan Brown (PU) maj. dec. Jordan Tribble, 12-3
HWT - Chris Kasten (PU) dec. Anthony Stegeman, 4-2 (SV)
Air Force Squeezes Out a 22-21 Victory Over Adams State

Alamosa, Colo. - Despite winning just one contested bout, the Air Force wrestling team escaped with a 22-21 victory over Adams State Saturday afternoon at Plachy Hall. The Grizzlies were forced to forfeit three different weight classes, giving the Falcons an automatic 18-point advantage. The win moves Air Force to 1-3 on the season, while Adams State, ranked fifth at the Division II level, fall to 1-1.
The Falcons opened the match with a 6-0 lead with a forfeit by ASC at 165 pounds. The Grizzlies were able to tie the score at 6-6 with a pair of decisions at the next two weight classes, before another forfeit by the Grizzlies at 197 pounds put Air Force up 12-6.

The Falcons extended their lead with a victory in the heavyweight match. After a scoreless opening period against Jeff Schossow, senior Anthony Stegeman (Cincinnati, Ohio) notched a pair of three-point near falls in the second period and continued the scoring in the final period, en route to the 11-1 major decision. Stegeman's win proved to be critical for the Falcons, whose only win for the rest of the match was a forfeit at 133 pounds.
The Air Force wrestlers are back in action next weekend, Jan. 18-19. On Friday evening, the Falcons will face Purdue in a dual matchup. Then on Saturday, Air Force will take part in the Hoosier Quad, along with Gardner-Webb, Indianapolis and host Indiana.
Air Force 22, Adams State 21
165 - Stephen Crozier (AF) win by forfeit
174 - Evan Copeland (ASC) dec. Justin Shadrix, 7-2
184 - Jared Deaguero (ASC) dec. Jacob Devlin, 6-0
197 - Jordan Tribble (AF) win by forfeit
HWT - Anthony Stegeman (AF) maj. dec. Jeff Schossow, 11-1
125 - Arsenia Barksdale (ASC) dec. Zach Valdez, 9-3
133 - Derek Gillespie (AF) win by forfeit
141 - Josh Hensley (ASC) dec. Jake Kriegbaum, 2-0
149 - Joey Deaguero (ASC) fall Chris Szabolcs, 2:01
157 - Noomis Jones (ASC) dec. Tony Dorward, 8-2
Air Force Wraps Up Competition At Lone Star Duals

Grand Prairie, Texas - Getting its dual slate off to a start, the Air Force wrestling team went 0-3 at the Lone Star Duals Saturday. The Falcons fell to Eastern Michigan, 20-12, Appalachian State, 25-9, and Brown, 19-15.

Picking up wins for the Falcons against Eastern Michigan were seniors Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) and Anthony Stegeman (Cincinnati, Ohio) and juniors Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) and Jordan Tribble (Midwest City, Okla.). Kriegbaum registered a 5-0 decision at 141 pounds, Crozier won a 9-4 decision at 165 pounds, Tribble picked up a 7-1 decision at 197 pounds and heavyweight Stegeman recorded a 6-2 decision.

Tribble and Stegeman also recorded decisions in the Falcons’ 25-9 loss to Appalachian State. Tribble won his match with a 3-1 decision, while Stegeman outscored his opponent 3-0. Also scoring for Air Force was sophomore Justin Shadrix (Bremen, Ga.), who notched an 11-6 decision at 174 pounds.

In its closest match of the day, the Falcons registered five decisions against Brown. Seniors Zach Valdez (Parker, Colo.), Tony Dorward (Seattle, Wash.) and Jacob Devlin (Livingston, N.J.) each picked up their first wins of the day versus the Bears. Valdez notched an 8-4 win at 125 pounds, Dorward scored a 4-3 victory at 157 pounds and Devlin won a 7-4 decision at 184 pounds. Crozier won for the second time on the day, registering a 6-4 decision in his bout, while Tribble remained undefeated in the three matches, picking up a 7-5 decision.

The Falcons return to action next weekend, Jan. 12, when they travel to Alamosa, Colo., for a dual meet versus Adams State.

Eastern Michigan 20, Air Force 12
125 - Andrew Novak (EMU) dec. Zach Valdez, 9-7 (OT)
133 - Sean Clair (EMU) maj. dec. Derek Gillespie, 13-3
141 - Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. David Pienaar, 5-0
149 - Drew Lesko (EMU) dec. Chris Szabolcs, 4-2 (OT)
157 - Cory Mancuso (EMU) dec. Tony Dorward, 2-1
165 - Stephen Crozier (AF) dec.Justin Brandel, 9-4
174 - Derek Foore (EMU) dec. Duane Miller, 8-5
184 - Charlie Pienaar (EMU) maj. dec. Jacob Devlin, 13-2
197 - Jordan Tribble (AF) dec. John McClure, 7-1
HWT - Anthony Stegeman (AF) dec. David Wade, 6-2

Appalachian State 25, Air Force 9
125 - Frank Celorrio (ASU) dec. Zach Valdez, 9-3
133 - Terreyl Williams (ASU) dec. Derek Gillespie, 7-5
141 - Marcus Cox (ASU) dec. Jake Kriegbaum, 11-10
149 - Scott Ervin (ASU) maj. dec. Chris Szabolcs, 14-3
157 - Eddie Hutchin (ASU) dec. Tony Dorward, 4-1
165 - Tommy Hutchinson (ASU) fall Stephen Crozier, 1:47
174 - Justin Shadrix (AF) dec. Brett Houghton, 11-6
184 - Austin Trotman (ASU) dec. Jacob Devlin, 9-2
197 - Jordan Tribble (AF) dec. John Allen Griswold, 3-1
HWT - Anthony Stegeman (AF) dec. Jared Campbell, 3-0

Brown 19, Air Force 15
125 - Zach Valdez (AF) dec.Mike Piccirillo, 8-4
133 - Jeff Schell (BU) maj. dec. Derek Gillespie, 10-1
141 - Mark Savino (BU) dec. Jake Kriegbaum, 3-1
149 - Mark Bloom (BU) dec. Chris Szabolcs, 7-6
157 - Tony Dorward (AF) dec. Tom Fazio, 4-3
165 - Stephen Crozier (AF) dec. Chris Musser, 6-4
174 - Bran Crudden (BU) dec. Justin Shadrix, 11-4
184 - Jacob Devlin (AF) dec. Matt Gevelinger, 7-4
197 - Jordan Tribble (AF) dec. Branden Stearns, 7-5
HWT - Levon Mock (BU) fall Anthony Stegeman, 4:19

Air Force Wrestlers Finish Competition at Midlands Invitational

Evanston, Ill. - With six Falcons picking up victories Saturday, the Air Force wrestling team wrapped up competition at the Midlands Invitational, hosted by Northwestern. After two sessions, the Falcons sit in a tie for 23rd in a 52-team field.

Seniors Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) and Jacob Devlin (Livingston, N.J.) led the Falcons with three victories each on the opening day. Kriegbaum, wrestling at 141 pounds, won three straight in the consolation bracket, picking up a pair of decisions, while also registering a pin in a time of 56 seconds. Meanwhile, 184-pounder Devlin registered a fall in 5:39 in his first match of the consolation bracket, followed by a pair of decisions, including a 7-4 tiebreak victory.

Junior Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) won his first two bouts in the 165-pound consolation bracket. Crozier followed a 4-2 decision with a 12-3 major decision before dropping a close 7-6 decision to fourth-seed Matt Coughlin.

Zach Valdez (Sr., Parker, Colo.) picked up a decision in his opening consolation bracket match at 125 pounds, registering a 6-1 decision over Bobby Joyce. Wrestling at 133 pounds, freshman Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) also won his first match in the consolation bracket, pinning Nick Kilstein in a time of 4:56. Junior Jordan Tribble (Midwest City, Okla.) picked up a victory at 197 pounds, registering a 12-4 major decision in his first consolation match.

The Falcons are back in action next weekend, Jan. 5, when they head to the Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas. Air Force will take on Eastern Michigan, Appalachian State and Brown in their first duals of the season. Meanwhile, another group of Falcons will head to the Tournament of Champions, hosted by Colby CC, Jan. 4-5.
Air Force's Crozier Named WWC Wrestler of the Week
Cedar Falls, Iowa - After a first-place finish at last weekend's FHSU-Bob Smith Open, Air Force junior Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) was named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week, as announced today by league officials. This marks the first weekly honor for an Air Force wrestler this season and the first of Crozier's career.

Crozier was one of two champions for the Falcons last weekend. Wrestling at 165 pounds, the unseeded Crozier began the day with a pair of tech falls, defeating Pima's Lance Roe, 18-2, and Hastings' Drew Sorenson, 15-0. He then knocked off the top-seed, pinning Oklahoma State's Kyle Griffin in a time of 3:22. After registering a 21-12 major decision over Colby CC's Delanno Palmore, Crozier met up with second-seed Taylor May of Nebraska-Kearney in the championship contest. Crozier pulled off the upset, picking up an 8-6 decision in overtime, to take the championship.

Crozier and the rest of the Falcons open up their 2007-08 dual slate this weekend, Dec. 8, when they host Western State. The match is slated to take place at 2:00 p.m. in Cadet West Gym.

Pair of Air Force Falcons Win Titles at FHSU-Bob Smith Open
Hays, Kan. - With a pair of champions and a pair of second-place finishers, the Air Force wrestling team concluded competition at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open Saturday, hosted by Fort Hays State.

Senior Zach Valdez (Parker, Colo.) captured the first tournament title of his career, taking first at 125 pounds. Valdez, who entered the tournament as the fourth seed, opened with an 18-3 tech fall over Western State's Victor Sanchez before pinning Hastings' Josh Wilson in a time of 0:53. Valdez then registered a 10-0 major decision over Newman's John Hagan, followed by a forfeit victory over top-seeded Tyler Zukerman of Central Oklahoma. In the championship bout, Valdez took on second-seed Issac Wall of Newman, where he held on for a 2-1 decision to take the win.

"I felt like I wrestled a lot better than I have all year," said Valdez. "I went out there and I was a lot more relaxed, I didn't feel as much pressure. I think I was a lot more confident as well."

Also finishing first for the Falcons was junior Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa), who captured his first career tournament title, wrestling at 165 pounds. The unseeded Crozier began the day with a pair of tech falls, defeating Pima's Lance Roe, 18-2, and Hastings' Drew Sorenson, 15-0. He then knocked off the top-seed, pinning Oklahoma State's Kyle Griffin in a time of 3:22. After registering a 21-12 major decision over Colby CC's Delanno Palmore, Crozier met up with second-seed Taylor May of Nebraska-Kearney in the championship contest. Crozier pulled off the upset, picking up an 8-6 decision in overtime, to take the championship.

At 133 pounds, freshman Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) finished as a placewinner for the third time in as many events this season, taking second place in the weight class. Following a pair of decisions over Northern Colorado's Brett Bahe and Danny Mainus of Colby CC, Gillespie picked up a 14-4 major decision over Elui Vigil of Labette CC. The third-seeded Gillespie then pinned second-seed Blake Fisher of Fort Hays State in a time of 1:36 to move into the championship bout. However, Gillespie dropped a 4-1 decision to Northern Colorado's Casey Cruz to finish second overall.

Meanwhile, unseeded heavyweight Anthony Stegeman (Cincinnati, Ohio) also brought home a second place finish for the Falcons. Stegeman registered a fall in 3:55 against Gabe Walz of Colby CC before picking up a 6-4 decision over second-seed Dustin Finn of Central Oklahoma. Following a 5-1 decision over sixth seed Lyndon Wagner of Fort Hays State, Stegeman met up with the top seed, Nebraska's Tucker Lane, in the championship bout. However, Stegeman dropped a 10-3 decision to Lane in the final contest to finish second.

"As a team, we did some things well," said Air Force head coach Joel Sharratt. "There's certainly still a lot of room for improvement, but as a whole, we raised the bar. The guys got a lot of competitive opportunities and I think the program moves forward today. We'll continue to work on moving forward throughout the remainder of the season and keep pushing these guys until they achieve their goals."
The Falcons open up their 2007-08 dual slate next weekend, Dec. 8, when they host Western State. The match is slated to take place at 2:00 p.m. in Cadet West Gym.
Air Force Releases 2007-08 Wrestling Schedule

USAFA, Colo. - Trips to the 45th-annual Midlands Invitational and Lone Star Duals and visits to Big Ten opponents Purdue and Indiana highlight the 2007-08 Air Force wrestling schedule, released by head coach Joel Sharratt. "We are excited about the opportunities and challenges this year's schedule brings to our program," said Sharratt. "The combined support of the Academy and the athletic department has allowed us to build a schedule that we feel has a good balance of conference competition and high profile events."

"The schedule we have this year is going to be great," said senior Jake Kriegbaum, a two-time NCAA qualifier. "It allows us to see a lot more competition from around the country. We've got quite a few top notch tournaments in there, and with eight returning starters, should fare well in them. I'm looking forward mostly to conference and nationals, the two tournaments that we work for all year."

The Falcons, who compiled a 6-10 overall record and 3-1 WWC mark last season, host the Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match to open up the year on Oct. 26. After traveling to the Cowboy Open (Nov. 10), Kaufman-Brand Open (Nov. 17) and Fort Hays Open (Dec. 1), Air Force gets its dual slate out to a start on Dec. 8, hosting Western State. The end of December marks a trip to the prestigious Midlands Invitational, while the team heads to the Lone Star Duals on Jan. 5, where it will face Brown, Appalachian State and Eastern Michigan.

Air Force travels to Adams State (Jan. 12) and Purdue (Jan. 18) before competing in the Hoosier Quad on Jan. 19 with Gardner-Webb, Indianapolis and host Indiana. The 2008 WWC slate begins on Jan. 25 when Air Force hosts Utah Valley State, while the Falcons also host a dual versus Colorado School of Mines. The January schedule also includes three second-team competitions, with a group of athletes heading to the Colby CC Tournament of Champions (Jan. 4-5), the Glen Brand Open (Jan. 19) and the Borah Duals (Jan. 25).

The annual All-Academy Championships will be held on Feb. 2 in West Point, N.Y., before the Falcons return to action with four more WWC matches. Air Force travels to Northern Colorado, North Dakota State and South Dakota State, then wraps up the regular season by hosting Wyoming on Feb. 23. On March 8, the Falcons head to the NCAA West Regional, where they will compete for slots at the NCAA Championships, being held March 20-22 in St. Louis, Mo.

"The team really has the potential to excel in both conference matches and out of conference, as long as everyone stays healthy throughout the year," said senior Chris Szabolcs. "Looking at this year's schedule, I am very anxious to get into the conference competition. I think our team is greatly underestimated in the WWC. Tournaments with big-name teams present, like the Kaufman-Brand Open, Midlands Invitational and the Lone Star Duals, should help to get the team in shape and give us the competition experience that we are going to need to compete later in the season."

"We are excited that this year's projected starting lineup features wrestlers from across the nation, and that many of our away events will give our athletes the feel of being at home," continued Sharratt. "The Academy parents and alumni continue to support and follow our athletes across the country as we work to achieve our program goals. The schedule this year will take us from Colorado to New York and will provide competitive opportunities against many of the athletes who will stand across the mat from us in March."

Bart Horton Named Assistant Wrestling Coach at Air Force

USAFA, Colo. - Air Force head wrestling coach Joel Sharratt announced today that Bart Horton will join his staff as an assistant coach. Horton comes to the Academy after spending nine years as the first assistant at the University of Missouri. "Air Force Wrestling is about building leaders of character and champions of wrestling," said Sharratt. "Bart's background combined with his character made him an excellent fit to imbue our cadets with the institutional mission while relentlessly pursuing program goals."

"We are tremendously excited to welcome Bart, his wife, Lorna, and their young son, Max, into the Falcon Family," stated Col. Billy Walker, Deputy Director of Athletics. "Bart is unquestionably one of the premier assistant coaches in the country, having helped build Missouri into a national power, and we feel extremely fortunate to be able to add him to our staff. Bart's experience, technical knowledge and intensity will be a perfect match for our wrestling room. I know he's excited about getting started on building leaders of character and we're just as excited about getting him engaged."

In his nine seasons at Missouri, Horton has helped the Tigers continuously improve, culminating in a banner year in 2007. In addition to taking home the team trophy at the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Missouri, led by two-time national champion Ben Askren, finished third at the NCAA Championship. The Tigers' showing in 2007 marked the program's highest-ever placing at the national tournament.

Horton has also proven his value as a recruiter, helping Missouri land a pair of top-10 recruiting classes and an additional four top-15 recruiting classes in the past six years.

A 1997 graduate of Iowa State University, Horton was an All-American at 167-pounds in his senior campaign. He was also a four-year letterwinner and a two-time freestyle All-American for the Cyclones under head coach Bobby Douglas. Horton was also named a High School All-American in 1992, while wrestling at Wahlert High School in Dubuque, Iowa.

Air Force's Crozier Named To WWC All-Academic Team

Cedar Falls, Iowa - The Western Wrestling Conference has announced its inaugural All-Academic Team and Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2006-07 season. This year's academic awards will honor 31 student-athletes from the seven conference schools. Leading the way for Air Force is sophomore Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa), an honoree on the All-Academic Team, while three other Falcons were named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll.

The Falcons' lone All-Academic Team selection, Crozier, an economics major with a 3.44 GPA, has been Air Force's starter at 174 pounds for the past two seasons. Meanwhile, representing Air Force on the Commissioner's Honor Roll are senior Andrew Teigeler (Yorktown, Va.) and freshmen Samuel Sheppard (Ramstein AB, Germany) and Kurt Spranger (Tampa, Fla.). Teigeler, a 149-pounder, holds a 3.63 GPA in aeronautical engineering. Sheppard, a wrestler at 125 pounds, has a 3.06 GPA, while 133-pounder Spranger, majoring in astronautical engineering, holds a 3.51 GPA.

To qualify for the All-Academic team, student-athletes had to secure a minimum 3.20 grade point average, be a starter or key reserve and be a sophomore or higher in academic standing. This year's WWC All-Academic squad is comprised of 11 student-athletes, including Crozier. Meanwhile, the Commissioner's Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes who have maintained a 3.0 grade point average. This year's Commissioner's Honor Roll will honor 23 additional WWC student-athletes.

The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. The conference formed in April 2006.

2007 WESTERN WRESTLING CONFERENCE ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Andrew Anderson (UNI), So., 197 lbs., Sioux City, Iowa - 3.23 GPA, Technical Management
Nick Baima (UNI), Sr., 165 lbs., Glen Ellyn, Ill. - 3.65 GPA, Philosophy & Humanities
Jacob Bryce (NDSU), So., 197 lbs., Glenwood, Minn. - 3.933 GPA, Business Administration
Jeff Cooley (SDSU), So., 133 lbs., Westbrook, Minn. - 3.376 GPA, Civil Engineering
Stephen Crozier (Air Force), So., 174 lbs., Monona, Iowa - 3.44 GPA, Economics
Marc Fenwick (UVSC), Sr., 174 lbs., Centerville, Utah - 3.2 GPA, Business Management
Chris Moran (SDSU), R-Fr., 174 lbs., Rapid City, S.D. - 3.408 GPA, Biology
Justin Rawle (UVSC), Sr., 149/157 lbs., Springville, Utah - 3.49 GPA, Information Technology
Jason Stripling (SDSU), Jr., 285 lbs., Minneota, Minn. - 3.56 GPA, Civil Engineering
Matt Wetterling (NDSU), Jr., 184 lbs., Willmar, Minn. - 3.425 GPA, History Education
Clayton Wolf (UVSC), Sr., 149/157 lbs., The Dalles, Ore. - 3.47 GPA, Business Management

2007 WESTERN WRESTLING CONFERENCE COMMISSIONER'S HONOR ROLL
Kyle Anson (UNI); Blayze Bahe (UNC); Dustin Bauman (UNI); Jarion Beets (UNI); Clinton Eakins (UNI); Charlie Ettelson (UNI); C.J. Ettelson (UNI); Colby Goetsch (UNI); Brad Gregory (SDSU); Matt Hermann (NDSU); Reece Hopkin (UNC); Ryan Johnson (UNC); Eric McAllister (UVSC); Gabe Mooney (NDSU); Justin Morrill (UVSC); Ryan Osgood (UNI); Nick Ramirez (Wyoming); Grant Ruge (UNI); Eric Sanders (NDSU); Samuel Sheppard (Air Force);Kurt Spranger (Air Force); Andrew Tiegeler (Air Force); Cory VomBaur (Wyoming)

Air Force Finish Sixth At NCAA West Regional

Cedar Falls, Iowa - With eight fourth-place finishers, the Air Force wrestling team scored 32.5 points to take sixth place at the NCAA West Regional, hosted by Northern Iowa, on Saturday. The host Panthers secured their 22nd-straight regional title with 96 points, while Northern Colorado and Wyoming rounded out the top three.

Finishing fourth at 125 pounds was junior Zach Valdez (Parker, Colo.), who dropped his first match to Wyoming's Nick Ramirez before posting a 10-5 decision over Northern Iowa's Grant Ruge in the wrestlebacks. Valdez then came up short against UNC's Tony Mustari, dropping a 1-0 decision in the third-place match.

At 141 pounds, junior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) dropped a 5-2 decision to top-seeded Kenny Hashimoto to begin the day, but came back with a 9-0 major decision over South Dakota State's Derek Pirner. In the third-place match, Kriegbaum battled with Wyoming's Garrett Desmond, but came up short, losing a 5-3 sudden victory decision.

Senior Bridger Lord (Missoula, Mont.), wrestling at 149 pounds, also finished fourth, opening the day by pinning SDSU's Brad Gregory in a time of 4:08. He then dropped a 4-2 decision to UNI's Ryan Osgood to move into the wrestlebacks, where he registered a 14-2 major decision over Northern Colorado's Richard Lohr. Lord's day ended in the third-place match where he dropped a 6-4 decision to North Dakota State's Ryan Adams.

Wrestling at 157 pounds for the Falcons was senior Zach Lord (Missoula, Mont.), who dropped his first round matchup to Northern Colorado's Luke Salazar. Lord responded in the wrestlebacks with a 6-1 decision over Wyoming's Dane Fuhrman, followed by a 17-3 major decision over NDSU's Adam Aho. However, Lord met up with Salazar again in the third-place match, dropping the 13-8 decision to finish fourth.

At 174 pounds, sophomore Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) fell to Eastern Illinois' Kenny Robertson in the first round, but came back with a 9-2 decision over NDSU's Matt Hermann. However, a 9-3 loss to SDSU's Nate Althoff in the third-place bout gave Crozier the fourth-place finish.

Junior Jacob Devlin (Livingston, N.J.), recorded an upset in the first round at 184 pounds, pinning third-seeded Matt Wetterling of South Dakota State in a time of 1:39. Facing second-seeded Shawn Vincent of Northern Colorado in the next round, Devlin was unable to pull off the win, dropping the 3-2 decision. Devlin next picked up a 2-0 decision over Wyoming's Dan Barrone before losing a 10-3 decision to UNI's Danny Dunning in the third place match.

Sophomore Jordan Tribble (Midwest City, Okla.) dropped a 4-1 decision to second-seeded Jacob Bryce of North Dakota State at 197 pounds, but came back with a 7-1 win over SDSU's Travis Gottschalk. Tribble met Bryce again in the third-place match, this time losing the 10-2 major decision.

Finally, heavyweight Anthony Stegeman (Cincinnati, Ohio) opened the day with a 14-5 major decision over Eastern Illinois' Joe Trinka, but dropped an 8-0 major decision to SDSU's Jason Stripling in the next round. Stegeman recovered with a 3-1 decision against Jason Still of Wyoming, before coming up short in the third-place match, losing a 3-2 decision to UNI's Tyler Rhodes.

Qualifying wrestlers from the NCAA West Regional will head to Auburn Hills, Mich., for the NCAA Championships, March 15-17.

Air Force Senior Zach Lord Named WWC Wrestler of the Week
 
Cedar Falls, Iowa - Air Force senior Zach Lord has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials Tuesday afternoon. Lord, a 157-pounder, is the third Air Force wrestler to earn conference accolades this season, joining junior Anthony Stegeman and brother Bridger Lord.
 
The Missoula, Mont., native helped lead the Falcons to a 25-20 victory over Northern Colorado last week, as Air Force improved to 3-1 in the WWC with its fourth-straight dual win. Lord, wrestling on Senior Day, pinned the Bears' Luke Salazar in a time of 5:36 to lead Air Force in its first win over UNC since 2004. With the win, Lord improved to 16-21 on the season and 5-10 in dual action, while notching his third fall of the year.
 
The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming.
 Air Force Registers 25-20 Victory Over Northern Colorado
 
USAFA, Colo. - Led by a pair of falls at 141 and 157 pounds, the Air Force wrestling team picked up a 25-20 victory over Western Wrestling Conference foe Northern Colorado Tuesday evening in Clune Arena. The Falcons wrap up their dual slate with a 6-10 overall record and 3-1 mark in the WWC, while the Bears fall to 5-10, 2-3 in the conference.
 
Northern Colorado jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the match after picking up wins at 125 and 133 pounds. Air Force junior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) put the Falcons on the board with a win at 141 pounds, getting out to a 10-0 lead before pinning the Bears' Kyle Kaiser in a time of 6:22.
 
Senior captain Bridger Lord (Missoula, Mont.), wrestling in his final home match as a Falcon, gave Air Force its first lead of the night after registering a 7-2 decision over Richard Lohr at 149 pounds. Fellow captain Zach Lord (Sr., Missoula, Mont.) extended the Falcons' advantage to 15-7 with a pin of his own, getting the fall over Luke Salazar in a time of 5:26.
 
The Bears came back in the next two bouts, picking up a 5-1 decision at 165 pounds and a fall at 174 pounds to regain the advantage at 16-15. However, Air Force again went on top following the 184-pound bout, when junior Jacob Devlin (Livingston, N.J.) won by injury default with just 46 seconds remaining in the first period.
 
Sophomore Jordan Tribble (Midwest City, Okla.) helped guarantee the Falcons' victory with a win at 197 pounds, registering an 11-0 major decision over Calen Nicholl. However, the Bears were not finished, getting the 10-0 major decision in the heavyweight bout to make the final score 25-20.
 
With its dual season complete, the Falcons get the next week and a half to prepare for the NCAA West Regional, slated for March 3, in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
 
 
Air Force 25, Northern Colorado 20
125       Tony Mustari (UNC) dec. Zach Valdez, 5-0
133       Blayze Bahe (UNC) maj. dec. Stephen Makuka, 15-1
141       Jake Kriegbaum (AF) fall Kyle Kaiser, 6:22
149       Bridger Lord (AF) dec. Richard Lohr, 7-2
157       Zach Lord (AF) fall Luke Salazar, 5:26
165       Devan Lewis (UNC) dec. Tony Dorward, 5-1
174       Chase Walker (UNC) fall Stephen Crozier, 6:06
184       Jacob Devlin (AF) win by inj. def. Shawn Vincent
197       Jordan Tribble (AF) maj. dec. Calen Nicholl, 11-9
HWT     Reece Hopkin (UNC) maj. dec. Anthony Stegeman, 10-0

Air Force Defeat Utah Valley State, 38-6
 
Orem, Utah - A day after turbulent weather and road closures caused the cancellation of its match against Wyoming, the Air Force wrestling team recorded a solid 38-6 victory over Utah Valley State. With the win, the Falcons improve to 5-10 on the season, 2-1 in the Western Wrestling Conference, while the Wolverines fall to 6-12, 0-5 in the WWC.
 
The match began at 141 pounds, where Air Force junior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) registered a 17-0 technical fall over Justin Morrill. "Kriegbaum wrestled well tonight," said Falcons' head coach Joel Sharratt. "He's been struggling lately with putting points on the board, but he did a good job of scoring tonight. This should send a strong message going into our regional tournament. He'll have a challenge ahead of him on Tuesday when he squares off against Northern Colorado's nationally ranked 141-pounder."
 
The Falcons' lead grew to 8-0 when senior captain Bridger Lord (Missoula, Mont.) picked up a 10-4 decision over Justin Rawle, while Zach Lord (Sr., Missoula, Mont.) added a 14-0 major decision over Clayton Wolf at 157 pounds.
 
Air Force suffered its first loss at 165 pounds, when junior Duane Miller (Bellevue, Idaho) dropped an 8-4 decision to Dustin Olsen. However, the Falcons rebounded at 174 pounds, where sophomore Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) pinned Marc Fenwick in a time of 4:24 to give Air Force the 18-3 advantage.
 
After battling UVSC's Brock Jardine to a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation, 184-pounder Jacob Devlin (Jr., Livingston, N.J.) scored a takedown 20 seconds into overtime to record a 4-2 decision. "Jake turned the corner today," said Sharratt. "He fought through some battles and came out on top in overtime. He was able to score when he needed to score."
 
Following Devlin's overtime victory, the Falcons then suffered their second loss of the day, as sophomore Jordan Tribble (Midwest City , Okla.) dropped a 10-6 decision to Eric McAllister in the 197-pound bout.
 
With forfeits by the Wolverines at the 125 and 133 weight classes, the final contested match of the day came at heavyweight, where Anthony Stegeman (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio) met up with Mark Dennis. Stegeman dominated the bout, registering four near falls en route to a 15-0 technical fall at the 4:36 mark. "Stegeman continues to wrestle well," said Sharratt. "He's been able to score a lot of points at heavyweight, and I think he's making a legitimate case to be considered as the top seed at the West Regional."
 
The Falcons wrap up their dual slate this Tuesday, Feb. 20, when they host Northern Colorado in a WWC showdown. The match is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m. in Clune Arena. Air Force will also salute its six seniors, including captains Bridger and Zach Lord.
 
Air Force 38, Utah Valley State 6
141       Jake Kriegbaum (AF) tech. fall Justin Morrill, 17-0 (7:00)
149       Bridger Lord (AF) dec. Justin Rawle, 10-4
157       Zach Lord (AF) maj. dec. Clayton Wolf, 14-0
165       Dustin Olsen (UVSC) dec. Duane Miller, 8-4
174       Stephen Crozier (AF) fall Marc Fenwick, 4:20
184       Jacob Devlin (AF) dec. Brock Jardine, 4-2 (SV)
197       Eric McAllister (UVSC) dec. Jordan Tribble, 10-6
HWT     Anthony Stegeman (AF) tech. fall Mark Dennis, 15-0 (4:36)
125       Zach Valdez (AF) win by forfeit
133       Stephen Makuka (AF) win by forfeir

Air Force Senior Bridger Lord Named WWC Wrestler of the Week
 
Cedar Falls, Iowa - Air Force senior Bridger Lord has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials Wednesday afternoon. Lord, a 149-pounder, is the second Air Force wrestler to earn conference accolades this season.
 
The Missoula, Mont., native registered his first fall of the year on Saturday, pinning South Dakota State's Sean Flynn in a time of 1:33.
Lord's win helped Air Force secure its first WWC victory, a 25-21 decision over SDSU. Lord improves his dual mark to 8-4 on the season.
 
The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming.
 Air Force's Stegeman Named WWC Wrestler of the Week
 
Cedar Falls, Iowa - Air Force junior heavyweight Anthony Stegeman has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials Wednesday afternoon. Stegeman becomes the first Air Force wrestler to earn conference accolades.
 
Stegeman led the Falcons in three dual meets last weekend, going undefeated. Stegeman opened with a fall, his fourth of the year, over North Dakota State's Justin LaGosh, registering a pin in a time of 4:34. He then notched an 8-3 decision over Adams State's Jeff Schossow and closed out the weekend with a tech fall over Portland State's Zack Smith. With the victories, Stegeman snapped his eight-match losing streak and improves his dual mark to 5-8.
 
The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming.

Air Force Drop Pair Of Dual Meets At Home
 
USAFA, Colo. - Despite a pair of victories for heavyweight Anthony Stegeman (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio), the Air Force wrestling team fell to conference foe North Dakota State, 24-15, and Adams State, 23-15, Saturday evening at Cadet East Gym. Air Force falls to 2-10 on the season, 1-0 in the Western Wrestling Conference, North Dakota State improves to 5-3, 2-1 in the WWC and Adams State moves to 5-1 overall.
 
Against North Dakota State, Air Force dropped three straight bouts before senior Bridger Lord (Missoula, Mont.) eked out a 5-4 decision over Ryan Adams at 149 pounds. The Bison responded with decisions in the next three weight classes, but forfeited at 184 pounds to give Air Force six points on the scoreboard. After a lost decision at 184 pounds,the Falcons wrapped up the match with a big win at heavyweight, as Stegeman pinned Justin LaGosh in a time of 4:34. However, it was not enough to give the Falcons the team victory, as NDSU took the 24-15 win.
 
In the second match of the day, Adams State and Air Force traded technical falls in the first two bouts, while freshman Stephen Makuka  (Columbus, N.J.) getting the 17-1 tech fall over Kevin Schmitt. The Falcons took the lead after the match at 141 pounds as junior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) registered a 7-6 decision over Joey Deaguero. While the Grizzlies tied it up with a decision at 149 pounds, senior Zach Lord (Missoula, Mont.) put the Falcons back ahead with a 16-2 major decision over Jacob Sheridan at 157 pounds. However, Adams State won the next four bouts, getting out to a 23-12 lead on the scoreboard. Though Stegeman notched his second win of the day, an 8-3 decision over Jeff Schossow in the heavyweight match, Air Force fell, 23-15.
 
The Falcons are back in action tomorrow, when they head to Greeley, Colo., to face Portland State on a neutral mat.
 
North Dakota State 24, Air Force 15
125       Eric Hoffman (NDSU) maj. dec. Zach Valdez, 11-0
133       Eric Sanders (NDSU) tech. fall Stephen Makuka, 15-0 (7:00)
141       Gabe Mooney (NDSU) dec. Jake Kriegbaum, 6-3
149       Bridger Lord (AF) dec. Ryan Adams, 5-4
157       Adam Aho (NDSU) dec. Zach Lord, 12-10
165       Mike Quamme (NDSU) dec. Tony Dorward, 7-6
174       Matt Hermann (NDSU) dec. Stephen Crozier, 14-9
184       Jacob Devlin (AF) win by forfeit
197       Jacob Bryce (NDSU) dec. Jordan Tribble, 9-5
HWT     Anthony Stegeman (AF) win by fall Justin LaGosh, 4:34
 
Adams State 23, Air Force 15
125       Arsenia Barksdale (ASC) tech. fall Samuel Sheppard, 17-1 (5:12)
133       Stephen Makuka (AF) tech. fall Kevin Schmitt, 17-1 (6:48)
141       Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Joey Deaguero, 7-6
149       Noomis Jones (ASC) dec. Bridger Lord, 6-3
157       Zach Lord (AF) maj. dec. Jacob Sheridan, 16-2
165       Evan Copeland (ASC) maj. dec. Duane Miller, 14-4
174       James Reynolds (ASC) dec. Stephen Crozier, 9-8
184       Jared Deaguero (ASC) maj. dec. Jacob Devlin, 11-2
197       Casey Woodall (ASC) maj. dec. Jordan Tribble, 14-5
HWT     Anthony Stegeman (AF) dec. Jeff Schossow, 8-3

Air Force Goes 0-3 At Wendy's Duals
 
Ashland, Ohio - Taking part in the 18th annual Wendy's Big Classic Duals, hosted by Ashland University, the Air Force wrestling team went 0-3 on the day, falling to Cleveland State, host Ashland and Kent State. The Falcons fall to 2-8 overall on the season.
 
Jake Kriegbaum (Jr., Abilene, Kan.), Stephen Crozier (So., Monona, Iowa) and Jacob Devlin (Jr., Livingston, N.J.) each picked up victories for the Falcons against Cleveland State. Kriegbaum registered a 1-0 decision over Antonio Nicholson at 141 pounds, while Crozier notched a 13-3 major decision over Nate Kmetz at 174. Devlin grabbed the last win for Air Force, recording a 10-5 decision over David Gilkey at 184 pounds, as the Falcons dropped the 23-10 contest.
 
The Falcons started out against Ashland with victories in three of the first four bouts, beginning with Zach Valdez (Jr., Parker, Colo.) who notched a 4-0 decision over Ryan Belcher at 125 pounds. Kriegbaum recorded his second victory of the day with a 2-0 decision over Tony Iovine, while Bridger Lord (Sr., Missoula, Mont.) defeated Marcus Gordon at 149 pounds with a 4-3 decision. However, Air Force was unable to pick up another win in the match, falling 24-9.
 
In the last match of the day, the Falcons were only able to pick up one victory against 21st-ranked Kent State, as Lord notched a 16-8 major decision over Patrick Lanham. Air Force finished the contest with a 33-4 defeat against the Flashes.
 
The Falcons are back in action next weekend, Jan. 27-28, hosting conference foe North Dakota State and Adams State, while heading to Greeley, Colo., to face Portland State in a neutral gym.
 
Cleveland State 23, Air Force 10
125       Ryan Riggs (CSU) dec. Zach Valdez, 2-1
133       David Armstrong (CSU) maj. dec. Stephen Makuka, 15-5
141       Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Antonio Nicholson, 1-0
149       Ryan Hurley (CSU) dec. Bridger Lord, 5-3
157       Victer Crenshaw (CSU) dec. Zach Lord, 9-3
165       Marcus Effner (CSU) dec. Tony Dorward, 7-0
174       Stephen Crozier (AF) maj. dec. Nate Kmetz, 13-3
184       Jacob Devlin (AF) dec. David Gilkey, 10-5
197       Chris Hahn (CSU) dec. Peter Bozynski, 14-4
HWT     Rashard Goff (CSU) dec. Anthony Stegeman, 6-1
 
Ashland 24, Air Force 9
125       Zach Valdez (AF) dec. Ryan Belcher, 4-0
133       Kyle Kanaga (AU) maj. dec. Stephen Makuka, 17-6
141       Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Tony Iovine, 2-0
149       Bridger Lord (AF) dec. Marcus Gordon, 4-3
157       Tony Bradberry (AU) tech. fall Tony Dorward, 16-1
165       David Bowman (AU) dec. Duane Miller, 11-7
174       Jordan Job (AU) dec. Stephen Crozier, 3-2
184       Matt Allen (AU) dec. Jacob Devlin, 4-3
197       David Crowley (AU) dec. Peter Bozynski, 10-5
HWT     Josh Ohl (AU) dec. Anthony Stegeman, 12-5
 
#21 Kent State 33, Air Force 4
125       Chad Sportelli (KSU) dec. Zach Valdez, 6-0
133       Danny Mitcheff (KSU) dec. Stephen Makuka, 14-7
141       Clint Sponseller (KSU) dec. Jake Kriegbaum, 4-2
149       Bridger Lord (AF) maj. dec. Patrick Lanham, 16-8
157       Kurt Gross (KSU) dec. Zach Lord, 4-2
165       Sli Bostelman (KSU) dec. Duane Miller, 6-4
174       Aaron Miller (KSU) fall Stephen Crozier, 3:20
184       Eric Chine (KSU) dec. Jacob Devlin, 6-5
197       Ardian Ramadani (KSU) fall Peter Bozynski, 3:40
HWT     Jermail Porter (KSU) dec. Anthony Stegeman, 12-7

Air Force Wrap Up Competition At Lone Star Duals

Grand Prairie, Texas - The Air Force wrestling team went 1-3 at the Lone Star Duals on Saturday, defeating Brown, 18-13, while falling to No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 1 (Division II) Central Oklahoma and No. 19 Wisconsin. The Falcons are now 2-4 on the season.

Air Force began the day against fourth-ranked Oklahoma State. Notching the lone win for the Falcons in the 40-5 loss was junior Zach Valdez (Parker, Colo.), who recorded a tech fall over Chad Ravannack. In its second match of the day, Air Force was shut out, 38-0, by Central Oklahoma, the top-ranked Division II team in the country.

The Falcons grabbed their first team victory of the day against Brown, winning 18-13. Freshman Stephen Makuka (Tampa, Fla.) picked up an 11-10 decision at 133 pounds, while junior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) followed with a 6-4 decision at 141. Senior Bridger Lord (Missoula, Mont.) gave the Falcons another decision at 149 pounds, winning 8-6. Air Force picked up three more decisions in the win, with sophomore Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) winning 7-2 at 174, Jacob Devlin (Jr., Livingston, N.J.) getting an 8-2 decision at 184 pounds and sophomore Jordan Tribble (Midwest City, Okla.) picking up the 5-2 win at 197.

The day ended for Air Force against 19th-ranked Wisconsin. Getting the victories for the Falcons were Lord and junior Duane Miller (Bellevue, Idaho). Lord notched a 16-10 decision at 149 pounds, while Miller picked up the 11-10 win at 165 pounds.

The Falcons return to action in two weeks, when they visit Pittsburgh on Jan. 20, followed by the Wendy's Duals on Jan. 21.


Oklahoma State 40, Air Force 5
133 #3 Coleman Scott (OSU) win by fall Stephen Makuka, 1:46
141 Ethan Kyle (OSU) dec. Jake Kriegbaum, 6-3
149 Bobby Jackson (OSU) dec. Bridger Lord, 7-5
157 Newly McSpadden (OSU) maj. dec. Zach Lord, 12-2
165 Kevin Wainscott (OSU) maj. dec. Duane Miller, 16-3
174 #17 Brandon Mason (OSU) tech fall Stephen Crozier, 17-0
184 Jack Jensen (OSU) maj. dec. Jacob Devlin, 14-4
197 Jared Shelton (OSU) tech fall Peter Bozynski, 20-4
HWT #11 Jared Rosholt (OSU) win by fall Anthony Stegeman, 2:43
125 Zach Valdez (AF) tech fall Chad Ravannack, 15-0

Central Oklahoma 38, Air Force 0
133 Jared Henning (OCU) tech fall Stephen Makuka, 15-0
141 Kyle Evans (OCU) dec. Jake Kriegbaum, 4-0
149 Shea Timothy (OCU) dec. Chris Szabolcs, 5-0
157 Jason Leavitt (OCU) dec. Zach Lord, 8-5
165 Justin Wood (OCU) win by fall Duane Miller, 4:03
174 Daniel Morrison (OCU) maj. dec. Stephen Crozier, 13-5
184 Jared Hess (OCU) dec. Jacob Devlin, 5-2
197 Heath Jolley (OCU) dec. Jordan Tribble, 7-0
HWT Josh Leadingfox (OCU) dec. Anthony Stegeman, 4-3
125 Shane Carruthers (OCU) tech fall Samuel Sheppard, 16-0

Air Force 18, Brown 13
133 Stephen Makuka (AF) dec. John Triggas, 11-10
141 Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Mark Savino, 6-4
149 Bridger Lord (AF) dec. Jordan LaFollette, 8-6
157 Thomas Fazio (BU) dec. Zach Lord, 8-6
165 Shawn Kitchner (BU) maj. dec. Duane Miller, 12-3
174 Stephen Crozier (AF) dec. Christopher Musser, 7-2
184 Jacob Devlin (AF) dec. Matthew Gevelinger, 8-2
197 Jordan Tribble (AF) dec. Larry Otsuka, 5-2
HWT Levon Mock (BU) dec. Anthony Stegeman, 7-2
125 Greg Einfrank (BU) dec. Zach Valdez, 8-4

Wisconsin 37, Air Force 6
133 Zach Tanelli (UW) tech fall Stephen Makuka, 18-0
141 Kyle Ruschell (UW) dec. Jake Kriegbaum, 8-2
149 Bridger Lord (AF) dec. Jordan Crass, 16-10
157 Craig Henning (UW) win by fall Zach Lord, 1:32
165 Duane Miller (AF) dec. Mike Metzger, 11-10
174 Jake Donar (UW) dec. Stephen Crozier, 8-4
184 Trevor Brandvold (UW) maj. dec. Jacob Devlin, 13-2
197 Dallas Herbst (UW) win by fall Peter Bozynski, 0:34
HWT Kyle Massey (UW) win by fall Anthony Stegeman,2:29
125 Colin Cudd (UW) maj. dec. Zach Valdez, 9-0

Air Force Concludes Competition At Midlands Championships

Evanston, Ill. - The Air Force wrestling team was back in action this week, taking part in the 44th-annual Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern. Six Falcons competed in the tournament, with senior captain Bridger Lord (Missoula, Mont.) picking up the lone Air Force victory.

Lord, competing at 149 pounds, opened the day with a 4-0 loss to Purdue's Mark Powell, but came back with a 2-1 decision over Northern Iowa's Charlie Ettelson. His afternoon then ended after dropping a 9-3 decision to Brad Stockton of Waldorf.

Also competing for Air Force at the Midlands Championships were Jake Kriegbaum (Jr., Abilene, Kan.), Zach Lord (Sr., Missoula, Mont.), Duane Miller (Jr., Bellevue, Idaho), Stephen Crozier (So., Monona, Iowa) and Jacob Devlin (Jr., Livingston, N.J.).

The Falcons return to action next week, Jan. 6, at the Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Falcons Fall To Western State, 19-12

Gunnison, Colo. - Despite capturing an early lead, the Air Force wrestling team was unable to hold on for the victory against host Western State Friday evening, falling 19-12. The Falcons, in their first dual meet of the year, open at 0-1, while the Mountaineers, ranked sixth in the Division II ranks, improve to 4-1.

Junior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.) gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead with a 9-4 decision over Chris Freiji at 141 pounds, but Western State came back with a victory at 149 pounds to tie the score at 3-3. Zach Lord (Sr., Missoula, Mont.) then registered a 4-3 decision at 157 pounds, followed by a 4-1 decision from junior Duane Miller (Bellevue, Idaho) at 165 pounds to put the Falcons back on top.

A major decision by Larry Willbanks at 174 pounds brought the Mountaineers back within two points, and Western State regained the lead with back-to-back decisions at 184 and 197 pounds. Junior heavyweight Anthony Stegeman (Cincinnati, Ohio) responded with a 3-0 decision to cut the Falcons' deficit to a single point, but Air Force was unable to get a win in the final two weight classes, dropping decisions at 125 and 133 pounds.

Air Force will be back in action tomorrow evening, when it hosts Colorado School of Mines at 7:00 p.m. The Falcons will also host a Kid Force wrestling clinic prior to the start of the match against the Orediggers.


Western State 19, Air Force 12

141 Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Chris Freiji, 9-4
149 Camille DuPont (WSC) dec. Bridger Lord, 6-1
157 Zach Lord (AF) dec. Nick Ross, 4-3
165 Duane Miller (AF) dec. Nate Wiggins, 4-1
174 Larry Wilbanks (WSC) maj. dec. Stephen Crozier, 15-5
184 Charlie Pipher (WSC) dec. Jacob Devlin, 20-13
197 Lars Lueders (WSC) dec. Peter Bozynski, 8-4
HWT Anthony Stegeman (AF) dec. Andrew Skinner, 3-0
125 Daren Hockett (WSC) dec. Zach Valdez, 5-3
133 Marques Bravo (WSC) dec. Stephen Makuka, 7-0

Falcons Wrap Up Competition At FHSU-Bob Smith Open

Hays, Kan. - Five different Falcons notched two victories each to lead the Air Force wrestling team Saturday at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open, hosted by Fort Hays State.

Senior Andrew Teigeler (Yorktown, Va.), wrestling at 149 pounds, dropped his first round match-up to PCC's Lorenzo Mundy, 14-4, but picked up a 9-6 decision over Pima's Josh Corona in the consolation bracket. Teigeler followed that win up with another 9-6 decision, this time over fourth-seeded Cale Farber, but ended the day with an 8-1 loss to Jimmy Miller of Chadron State.

Freshman Thomas Gorry (Stuttgart, Germany) also picked up a pair of wins at 157 pounds, falling to second-seeded Danny Grater of Fort Hays State in the opening round. Gorry responded by recording a fall over teammate Michael Erickson in the consolation bracket, followed by a 5-4 sudden victory over another fellow Falcon, Randall Mitchner. However, Gorry's afternoon ended with a loss to Newman University's Andrew Nash.

Picking up a pair of victories at 165 pounds was freshman Akira Nervik (Bellflower, Calif.). After dropping an 8-3 decision to fourth-seed Chris Riding of New Mexico Highlands in the opening round, Nervik recorded a fall over NMHU's Anthony Gonzales in a time of 54 seconds. He then notched his second fall of the day, pinning Nebraska-Kearney's Ross McMullen in a time of 3:25 before losing a 7-1 decision to Central Oklahoma's Alvin Metcalf.

Junior A.J. Harris (Boise, Idaho) got his day off to a solid start, escaping with a 5-4 decision over Jason Bahmer before dropping an 8-0 decision to Neosho's Jason Green. Harris picked up another win in the consolation bracket, defeating teammate Tyler French, 9-4, but lost a 5-1 decision to Colorado School of Mines' Zac Cornett.

After sophomore Jordan Tribble (Midwest City, Okla.) began his day with an 11-2 loss to third-seeded Matt Farrell of Nebraska-Kearney,åÊ he picked up his first win in the consolation bracket, pinning Jessie Gallagher in a time of 1:55. Tribble then edged out Alex Monegro with a 3-1 decision, before dropping a 9-6 decision to Lars Leuders.

The Falcons begin their dual slate later this week, when they travel to Western State on Dec. 8, before hosting Colorado School of Mines Dec. 9. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.

Falcons Wrap Up Competition At Kaufman-Brand Open

Omaha, Neb. - The Air Force wrestling team continued its 2006-07 season Saturday at the Kaufman-Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha. Freshman Tyler French (Malta, Mont.) led the Falcons with a fifth-place finish at 174 pounds in the Amateur Division.

French opened the day with a 9-2 decision over Dominick Oliver of Minnesota West CC. He then pinned Labette's Dusty Hart in a time of 36 seconds before suffered his first loss of the afternoon, a fall by Nebraska-Omaha's Aaron Denson. French picked up two more victories in the wrestlebacks, registering a 7-1 decision over Josh Ghobadpoor from Dana College before defeating Northern Iowa's Andy O'Loughlin, 6-2. After falling to North Dakota State's Kenny Moenkedick, French moved into the fifth place match where he registered a 4-0 decision over Minnesota-Mankato's Ben Becker.

The Falcons return to action next weekend, Nov. 25, at the Oklahoma Open.

Air Force Gets Season Started At Cowboy Open

USAFA, Colo. - With twenty-two Falcons competing, the Air Force wrestling team got the 2006-07 season off to an official start Saturday at the Cowboy Open, hosted by Wyoming. Sophomore Jordan Tribble (Midwest City, Okla.) was the lone placewinner for the Falcons, taking second place at 184 pounds in the Amateur (20 & Under) Division.

Tribble began the day with a pin against Montana Tech's Vinnie Spaulding, getting the fall in a time of 1:51. He followed that up with a close 6-5 decision over Robert Hazenburg of the University of Great Falls. With a 10-4 decision over Northern Colorado's Patric Carey in the semifinals, Tribble moved on to the first-place match. There he suffered his first loss of the day, dropping a 10-4 decision to Western State's Donovan McMahill.

While no other Air Force wrestlers were placewinners, three others also picked up three wins each. Freshman Justin Shadrix (Bremen, Ga.) competing at 165 pounds in the Amateur Division, dropped a 15-7 decision to Adams State's Mike Gallegos to begin the day, but rebounded with a pin in 1:54 against Brett Melman of the CU Wrestling Club. Shadrix then picked up a 9-1 major decision over James Lucero of Adams State, followed by his second pin of the day, defeating New Mexico Highlands' Ray Carreon in a time of 4:31. However, Shadrix's day ended with an 8-1 loss to Northwest's Eric Coxbill.

In the Elite Division, senior Zach Lord (Missoula, Mont.) and sophomore Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) each picked up three wins. Lord, competing at 165 pounds, picked up a 17-2 tech fall victory over Kirby Beegles of the CU Wrestling Club, before dropping a 5-3 decision in the next round. Lord followed up his loss with an 8-2 victory over Nebraska-Kearney's Keenan McCurdy and then knocked out teammate Duane Miller with a 5-1 decision. Lord's day ended after dropping a close 2-1 decision to Boise State's Luke Smith.

Meanwhile, Crozier dropped his first match, losing a 9-4 decision to Western State's Larry Wilbanks. Crozier came back to win his next bout, pinning Chadron State's Tim Flick in a time of 1:34, followed by a 8-2 decision over Marc Fenwick of Utah Valley State. After defeating Adams State's Evan Copeland by injury default, Crozier dropped his final match, a 7-1 decision against Mike Kummer of the University of Great Falls.

The Falcons are back in action next weekend, Nov. 18, at the Kaufman-Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha

Falcons Open Season With Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match

USAFA, Colo. - With the official start to the 2006-07 season just around the corner, the Air Force wrestling team kicked things off Friday evening with the Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match. Twelve Falcons competed in the wrestle-offs for the chance to earn a spot in Air Forces varsity lineup at the season-opening Cowboy Open.

The match began with the 125-pound bout, featuring junior Zach Valdez (Parker, Colo.) and freshman Noah Sheppard (Ramstein, Germany). With three takedowns in the opening period, Valdez shot out to a 6-3 lead, and increased his advantage to 8-3 with a reversal early in the second period. After scoring a two-point near fall, Valdez gained his largest lead, 10-3, going into the final period. While Sheppard opened with an escape and scored his first takedown in the last minute, it was not enough for the win. With an extra point for riding time, Valdez grabbed the 11-6 decision.

At 133 pounds, a pair of newcomers faced off, with Stephen Makuka (Columbus, N.J.) taking on Kurt Spranger (Tampa, Fla.). Makuka scored a takedown midway through the opening period, and held onto his advantage to take a 2-0 lead going into the second period. Makukas advantage grew to 4-0 after a reversal in the second period before Spranger was able to score his first takedown of the match early in the third period. However, Makuka notched another reversal, and despite giving Spranger a point with an illegal hold, Makuka was able to record the fall at the 6:53 mark.

The 141-pound bout featured one of the Falcons returning NCAA qualifiers, junior Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.), up against senior Andrew Teigeler (Yorktown, Va.). Kriegbaum grabbed the 2-0 advantage with a takedown in the first minute, and followed that up with a two-point near fall midway through the period. After scoring three more back points at the end of the opening period, Kriegbaum was out to a 7-0 lead. With an escape to open the second period, Kriegbaum notched another takedown and three-point near fall to take the 13-0 advantage going into the final period. Starting out the third period in the neutral position, neither wrestler was able to score a takedown, and each was awarded a point for stalling. After adding a point for riding time, Kriegbaum walked away with the 15-1 major decision.

Senior tri-captain and 2004 NCAA qualifier Chris Nissen (Denver, Colo.) was featured in the 149-pound bout, along with junior Chris Szabolcs (Westlake, Ohio). Nissen scored the first points of the match before Szabolcs was able to get the escape. After another Nissen-takedown and ensuing three-point near fall, Szabolcs scored an escape to bring the score to 7-2 at the end of the first period. Nissens third takedown of the match came in the second period, followed by a pair of three-point near falls, as he gained a 15-2 advantage entering the final period. After getting an escape to open the third period, Nissen scored yet another takedown, getting the technical fall at the 5:16 mark with an 18-2 score.

The 157-pound match featured another senior captain in Bridger Lord (Missoula, Mont.), who faced off against Tony Dorward (Jr., Seattle, Wash.). After a scoreless opening period, Lord was first to score, getting an escape to open the second period, followed by his first takedown. While the final period was also evenly battled throughout, Lord managed another escape just before time expired, en route to the 5-0 decision.

The Falcons final captain, senior Zach Lord (Missoula, Mont.) competed in the 165-pound bout, along with junior Duane Miller (Bellevue, Idaho). Although Lord was first to score, getting a takedown in the first minute, Miller was able to counter with a reversal to tie the score at 2-2. The bout would not last much longer, as Miller was able to get the fall, pinning Lord in a time of 2:10.

Sophomore Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) met up with newcomer Tyler French (Malta, Mont.) in the 174-pound bout. A Crozier takedown and French escape gave Crozier the 2-1 advantage after one period. Crozier then began the second period with an escape and followed it up with his second takedown of the match. While French was able to get the lone point in the final period, scoring on an escape in the final minute, it was not enough for the win, as Crozier took the 6-2 decision, adding an extra point for riding time.

At 184 pounds, junior Jacob Devlin (Livingston, N.J.) faced off against sophomore Jordan Tribble (Midwest City, Okla.). A takedown in the first period gave Devlin the 2-0 lead, and after starting the second period in the down position, Devlin scored a reversal to gain the 4-0 advantage. With a point awarded for a stalling call against Tribble and another point for riding time, Devlin grabbed the 6-0 decision.

The 197-pound bout featured sophomore Casey Butikofer (Rigby, Idaho) against freshman James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio). Ciccone opened the match with a takedown, followed by a two-point near fall to take the 4-0 lead after one period. Another takedown in the second period put Ciccone ahead 6-0. After managing an escape to begin the final period, Ciccone scored a takedown with just over a minute remaining. While Butikofer was able to get the escape, Ciccone closed out the bout with yet another takedown, and with an extra point for riding time, Ciccone grabbed the 12-1 major decision.

The evening ended with the heavyweight bout between junior Tony Stegeman (Cincinnati, Ohio) and senior Peter Bozynski (Birmingham, Mich.). After a scoreless opening period, Stegeman was first to score, getting an escape to start the second period before adding another point with a stall warning against Bozynski. Beginning the final period in the down position, Bozynski was able to tie the score at 2-2 with a reversal, but an escape gave Stegeman the advantage and the final 3-2 decision.

The Falcons officially begin the 2006-07 season on Nov. 11 at the Cowboy Open, hosted by Western Wrestling Conference foe Wyoming.

Blue-Silver Results
125 Valdez dec. Sheppard, 11-6
133 Makuka fall Spranger, 6:53
141 Kriegbaum maj. dec. Teigeler, 15-1
149 Nissen tech. fall Szabolcs, 5:16 (18-2)
157 B. Lord dec. Dorward, 5-0
165 Miller fall Z. Lord, 2:10
174 Crozier dec. French, 6-2
184 Devlin dec. Tribble, 6-0
197 Ciccone maj. dec. Butikofer, 12-1
hwt Stegeman dec. Bozynski, 3-2

Melissa McKeown
U.S. Air Force Academy
Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director
719.333.9025 (office)
719.333.3798 (fax)
719.331.8321 (cell)

Joel Sharratt Named Falcons' Head Wrestling Coach

USAFA, Colo. - Former national team member and three-time All-American Joel Sharratt was named the new head wrestling coach at the Air Force Academy, as released by athletic administrators this morning. Sharratt replaces Wayne Baughman, who retires after 27 years at the helm of the Falcons' wrestling program.

"Air Force has a great program, a great staff and I'm looking forward to the chance to get it going," said Sharratt. "My goals for the Air Force wrestling program are for every athlete to graduate and be commissioned as an officer, for our wrestlers to be leaders in the Cadet Wing, and for each individual to reach his full potential on the mat. This team has a good nucleus to move forward, such as the Lord brothers (Bridger and Zach), who have a great work ethic, and athletic kids such as Chris Nissen. I look forward to helping them improve."

"Following Baughman, who is a legend, is a great opportunity for me," said Sharratt. "I'm fired up about the opportunity to work for the direct chain of command. Hopefully, I will be able to continue to get our alumni involved and everyone moving in one common direction--and that's forward."

Sharratt comes to the Academy after spending the last six seasons as the head assistant wrestling coach at the United States Naval Academy. This past season, Sharratt helped lead the Midshipmen to a 13-2 dual record, its best win total since the 1990-91 season, while also sending five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Sharratt is also a tenured assistant professor at the Naval Academy, teaching physical education courses in wrestling, martial arts, judo and hand-to-hand combat, while also serving as the faculty chair of the USNA combative courses.

A 1995 graduate of the University of Iowa, Sharratt was a three-time All-American, a two-year team captain and a four-year letterwinner for the Hawkeyes, training under the tutelage of legendary coach Dan Gable. During his college career, Sharratt competed for the NCAA title in three-straight seasons, winning the individual crown in 1994 and was a member of NCAA National Championship teams in 1993 and 1995.

Following his college career, Sharratt was a two-time member of the U.S. National Team, and has also coached multiple national team members, including world team members and national champions.

Prior to his stint at Navy, Sharratt served as a graduate assistant at the University of Minnesota, where he earned his masters degree in sports administration in 2000. While there, Sharratt also served as the Developmental Freestyle Coach for the state of Minnesota. Sharratt also worked as an assistant coach at Lehigh from 1996-98 after serving as a graduate assistant at his alma mater during the 1995-96 season.

"We're tremendously excited about welcoming Joel Sharratt, his wife, Jamie, and their two little girls to the Air Force Academy athletic department family," said deputy director of athletics Col. Billy Walker. "Joel rose to the top as our choice in an extremely competitive pool of candidates. He comes with tremendous credentials not only as a competitor, but as an assistant coach in four of the most successful programs in the country. Joel brings a level of enthusiasm, excitement and intensity to our program that will translate perfectly into our wrestling room. We anticipate Air Force wrestling to be very competitive nationally under Joel's leadership." 

"Coach Baughman will be missed after 27 years at the helm of our program," continued Walker. "I can say personally, as I've known him since I began wrestling for him as an 18-year-old, that there has been no better role model and mentor for our cadets. Coach Baughman leaves an impressive legacy indeed."

Sharratt is slated to begin his tenure at the Academy following Baughman's retirement on July 31, 2006.

Baughman Honored By Colorado Chapter Of National Wrestling Hall of Fame

USAFA, Colo. - Air Force wrestling coach Wayne Baughman was one of five national awardwinners at the eighth-annual Hall of Fame Honors Banquet, held Sunday night at the United States Air Force Academy Officers' Club. Baughman was honored with the state's Distinguished American Award, while four others were given the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award.

Baughman, who will retire as the Falcons' head coach this year, has been coaching at the Academy for 27 years and has compiled a 183-134-4 dual meet record. Baughman, who obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma and master's degrees from both the University of Denver and the University of Colorado, first served as head coach from 1975-1984 while he was on active duty in the Air Force. He took over the program as a civilian in 1988 and overall, has had 17 winning seasons. He coached 13 of the Academy's 16 WAC champions and has sent numerous qualifiers to the NCAA Championships, including a trio of All-Americans in 2002.

An NCAA champion and two-time runner-up while a wrestler at the University of Oklahoma, Baughman has been a member of three Olympic teams, eight World Championship teams and one Pan American Games team. In addition, he coached in both the 1976 and 1980 Olympics, as well as five World Championship teams and a Pan American Games team. An avid ultra-runner, triathlete and mountain climber, Baughman has finished the Ironman Triathlon, the Pikes Peak Marathon, the Leadville Trail 100-mile Run and the Hardscramble Pass 100-mile Bike Race, while also climbing all 54 mountain over 14,000 feet.

Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Awards were Lester Maddox of Abraham Lincoln, Pete Gomez of John Mall, long-time club coach Serafin 'Pino' Bachicha of Fort Lupton and the late Albert L. 'Bo' Place. 

Gomez, who coached at John Mall for 17 seasons and was the school's athletic director from 1985-2002, was a member of the Colorado High School Activities Association Board of Control (1999-2002) and was the Pikes Peak League wrestling coach of the year in 1989 and 1990. But it is officiating where he has earned international acclaim. Gomez began his career as an official in 1975 and by 1985 had obtained his International License. He has since officiated at least one championship match in every International Tournament in Freestyle/Greco. He was the head official and director for the International Sports Specialists, which is based in Sydney, Australia. Gomez was named the Outstanding Official at the Cadet Nationals in 1998 and at the Junior Nationals in 2001.

Maddox began coaching in 1967 as an assistant at Platte Valley in Kersey. He was the head coach at Denver South from 1970-1975; assisted Hall of Fame coach Joe Klune at Lincoln (1976-1980) then became the head coach for his high school alma mater in 1981. While at Lincoln, Maddox has won five DPL championships, was a league runner-up eight times and has been named the DPL Coach of the Year three times (1986, 2001 and 2002). His teams also won nine District championships. Maddox, who also was the girls golf coach at Lincoln, was president of the Colorado Wrestling Coaches Association from 1999-2001, coached in the All-state Games in 2000 and 2004, and was selected as the Colorado Wrestling Man of the Year in 2000. A total of 83 of his wrestlers have qualified for the state tournaments.

Bachicha, who has been active in wrestling for 36 years, was one of the state's finest high school wrestlers at Fort Lupton. He was a three-time district champion, a state runner-up in 1957 then won back-to-back titles in 1958-1959 for the Blue Devils. Bachicha founded the Fort Lupton Metro Wrestling Club in 1970 and it has become one of the premier clubs for youth in the state. Thousands of the
state's youth have been introduced to the sport through his club. Through the years, Bachicha, who has also coached Little League Baseball and softball, has been accorded many honors for his work in the Fort Lupton community. He has been named Fort Lupton's Outstanding Citizen and was presented with the Channel 9 TV 'Those Who Care Award' in 1989.

Place, who passed away in 1969 from kidney disease at 57, coached and taught in the Denver Public School system for 33-years. He was a graduate of Denver South High School and the University of Denver. A three-time Rocky Mountain Conference Champion at Denver, he became Denver West's coach in 1933 and won the school's first state title. In 1943, he enlisted in the Navy. While in the service, he coached the 10-man naval base team at Corpus Christi to second place in the National AAU Tournament. He returned to DPS in 1946 as an administrator and official. Through his career, Place officiated many high school and college tournaments as well as the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1948 as well as hold official's clinics throughout the state. In 1966 he received the National American Educator Award from the National Freedom Foundation of Valley Forge, Pa.

Several state awards were also handed out at Sunday's banquet. The college coach and wrestler of the year went to Jack Maughan od Northern Colorado, and Brian Pitts of Adams State, respectively. Gary Ramstetter of Alamosa High School was named high school coach of the year and Valley High School's Curtis Salazar was named high school wrestler of the year. The youth coach of the year was awarded to Gene Silva of the Westminster Warriors, while Jerry Huff, of the Broomfield Golden Eagles, was named youth wrestler of the year.

In addition, Brooke Sauer of Golden High School and Marcus Hernandez of Pueblo South High School, were given special merit awards, along with Ben Cherrington of Boise State and Tom Clum of the University of Wisconsin.
Tresemer Named To 2005-06 NWCA All-Academic Team

USAFA, Colo. - Air Force senior co-captain Beau Tresemer (Norman, Okla.) was one of 68 wrestlers named to the NWCA's 2005-06 All-Academic Team, released Tuesday morning. A 2006 NCAA qualifier at 165 pounds, Tresemer has compiled a 3.210 cumulative GPA while majoring in legal studies at the Academy.

To qualify for selection on the All-Academic team, wrestlers must A) have a 3.2 GPA and been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule and must have competed in 60 percent of team schedule or B) have a 3.0 and earned NCAA All-American honors.

This season, Tresemer finished the year with an 18-12 overall record after missing nearly two months of action due to injury. After finishing third at the 2006 West Regional, Tresemer, who placed eighth at the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational in November, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. For his career, Tresemer compiled an impressive 82-42 record, including a team-best 32 wins in 2005.

In addition to Tresemer's selection to the individual All-Academic team, the rest of the Falcons' squad was honored as having one of the top-30 team GPA's. Air Force ranked tied with Rider for 18th place on the list with a combined GPA of 2.925. Brown finished with the top team GPA for the second-straight year, coming in at 3.352, just ahead of second-place Duke at 3.327. Team rankings are selected by taking the average GPA of each team's starting ten wrestlers along with two backups that wrestled in at least one varsity match.

Falcons Wrap Up Season At NCAA Championships

Oklahoma City, Okla. - Four Air Force wrestlers competing at this year's
national meet finished their respective seasons Thursday on the first day of
action at the 2006 NCAA Championships being held at the Ford Center.

In the first round at 133 pounds, senior co-captain and three-time NCAA
qualifier Brandon Strong (Albuquerque, N.M.) went up against sixth-seeded
Matthew Valenti of Penn, falling in a time of 5:45. From there, it was on to the
first round of wrestlebacks, where Strong was pitted against Mike Ciotti of
Pittsburgh. Again, Strong was unable to get the victory, dropping a 6-3
decision, bringing an end to his season and career with the Falcons.

At 141, sophomore Jake Kriegbaum (Abilene, Kan.), in his second NCAA appearance,
also had a tough match-up in the first round, going up against fifth-seed Joshua
Churella of Michigan. After losing a 6-0 decision, it was on to t he
wrestlebacks, where he dropped a17-9 major decision to Northern Illinois' Josh
Wooton, the 11th-seed in the bracket. With his losses, Kriegbaum's season also
was brought to an end.

Senior co-captain Beau Tresemer (Norman, Okla.), wrestling in his first NCAA
meet, also did not fare well, losing both of his matches on the opening day of
competition. Tresemer, competing at 165 pounds, faced North Carolina's Garrett
Atkinson in the first round,