Air Force Rolls to 37-6 Victory Over South Dakota State
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Winning seven of nine contested bouts, the Air Force wrestling team earned a 37-6 conference dual victory over South Dakota State on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Falcons improve to 7-4 overall and 2-2 in Western Wrestling Conference action, while the Jackrabbits fall to 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the WWC.
South Dakota State earned the early advantage in the dual, winning the 165-pound match in a narrow 6-4 victory. However, the Falcons got on the scoreboard and took the lead as junior Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.) registered a 16-1 technical fall at 174 pounds.
Air Force went on to win the next three bouts, getting a 9-4 decision from Greg Isley (So., Toledo, Ohio) at 184 pounds, a 13-0 major decision from Josh Mohr (Jr., Pewaukee, Wis.) at 197 pounds and a close 3-2 decision from Jared Erickson (Jr., Newton, Utah) in the heavyweight bout.
The Jacks picked up their second victory of the day at 125 pounds, earning a close 4-2 victory, but the Falcons swept the remaining weight classes. Freshman Dylan Hyder (Yelm, Wash.) and Carter McElhany (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored back-to-back falls at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively, while third-ranked Cole VonOhlen (Jr., Jackson, Minn.) added six more team points with a forfeit victory at 149 pounds. Sophomore Josh Kreimier closed out the afternoon for the Falcons with a 12-4 major decision at 157 pounds, giving the Air Force the 37-6 victory.
The Falcons are back in action on Thursday, Feb. 2, when they host Wyoming in their final home dual of the season.
Air Force 37, South Dakota State 6
165 - Dillon Reid (SDSU) dec. Colby Kluesner, 6-4
174 - Clayton Gable (AF) tech fall Joe Rasmussen, 16-1 (6:24)
184 - Greg Isley (AF) dec. Tony Lisek, 9-4
197 - Josh Mohr (AF) maj. dec. Nick Mart, 13-0
HWT - Jared Erickson (AF) dec. Joe Skow, 3-2
125 - Aaron Pickrel (SDSU) dec. Greg Rinker, 4-2
133 - Dylan Hyder (AF) fall Nick Chavez, 2:55
141 - Carter McElhany (AF) fall Tyler Johnson, 4:06
149 - Cole VonOhlen (AF) win by forfeit
157 - Josh Kreimier (AF) maj. dec. Nick Flynn, 12-4
Airforce- Falcons Edged by North Dakota State, 21-18
FARGO, N.D. - In a dual which was decided in the last bout, the Air Force wrestling team came up short against conference foe North Dakota State, dropping a 21-18 decision Friday evening at the Bison Sports Arena.
North Dakota State (5-6, 2-0 WWC) got out to the early lead, as 20th-ranked Trent Sprenkle earned a fall at 125 pounds to open the match. Meanwhile, the Falcons (6-4, 1-2 WWC) were able to tie the score with wins in the next two bouts, as freshmen Dylan Hyder (Yelm, Wash.) and Carter McElhany (Colorado Springs, Colo.) posted decisions at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively.
Air Force took its first lead of the day when third-ranked Cole VonOhlen (Jr., Jackson, Minn.) recorded a 7-3 decision over Mark Erickson at 149 pounds, but the Bison regained the advantage after 10th-ranked Steven Monk notched a fall in the 157-pound bout. North Dakota State then increased its lead to 15-9 after winning a decision at 165 pounds.
At 174 pounds, junior Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.) came through with a big win for the Falcons, pinning Joe Garner in a time of 1:04 to tie the team score at 15-15. The Bison won the next bout, earning a decision at 184 pounds, while Josh Mohr (Jr., Pewaukee, Wis.) earned a 9-3 decision at 197 pounds, tying the score at 18-18 with just one match remaining.
The heavyweight match-up between the Falcons' Jared Erickson (Jr., Newton, Utah) and the Bison's Evan Knutson was scoreless after one period, while Knutson scored a second-period escape to take the lead. Erickson tied the score at 1-1 with an escape of his own to open the final period, but Knutson scored the winning points with an escape in the final minute. With the 3-1 decision by Knutson, North Dakota State came away with the three-point team victory.
The Falcons close out their conference road trip on Sunday, as they visit conference South Dakota State in a 1:00 p.m. (CT) contest.
North Dakota State 21, Air Force 18
125 - No. 20 Trent Sprenkle (NDSU) fall Greg Rinker, 1:58
133 - Dylan Hyder (AF) dec. Justin Solberg, 7-4
141 - Carter McElhany (AF) dec. Tyler Diamond, 9-5
149 - No. 3 Cole VonOhlen (AF) dec. Mark Erickson, 7-3
157 - No. 10 Steven Monk (NDSU) fall Josh Kreimier, 2:03
165 - Tyler Johnson (NDSU) dec. Colby Kluesner, 10-7
174 - Clayton Gable (AF) fall Joe Garner, 1:04
184 - Mac Stoll (NDSU) dec. Greg Isley, 5-2
197 - Josh Mohr (AF) dec. John Gusewelle, 9-3
Hwt - Evan Knutson (NDSU) dec. Jared Erickson, 3-1
Air Force Defeats Cal Poly, New Mexico Highlands in Dual Action
USAFA, Colo. - The Air Force wrestling team wrapped up a strong week of home competition on Saturday, winning a pair of duals versus Cal Poly and New Mexico Highlands. The Falcons won seven of 10 bouts against Cal Poly, which is ranked 19th by InterMatWrestle.com, to earn a 30-15 victory over the Mustangs. Meanwhile, Air Force swept New Mexico Highlands, rolling to a 44-0 victory over the Cowboys.
Air Force (6-3) got out to a strong start against Cal Poly, as Greg Rinker (So., Northampton, Pa.) and Dylan Hyder (Fr., Yelm, Wash.) each recorded a major decision at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively. The Mustangs earned their first win of the match at 141 pounds, as fourth-ranked Boris Novachkov earned a fall to bring the team score to 8-6.
A tech fall by third-ranked Cole VonOhlen (Jr., Jackson, Minn.) in the 149-pound match pushed the Falcons' lead to 13-6. Meanwhile, sophomores Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Colby Kluesner (Denver, Colo.) each posted major decisions in their respective weight classes, giving Air Force a 21-6 advantage.
One of the toughest matches of the dual came at 174 pounds, as the Falcons' Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.) took on fourth-ranked Ryan DesRoches. While DesRoches retained control for nearly two minutes in the opening period after an early takedown, Gable was able to score a reversal with just 10 seconds remaining and picked up three near fall points to take a 5-2 lead into the second period. After DesRoches came back to tie the score, Gable led again in the final period, 6-5, but DesRoches closed out the match with a takedown and an extra point for riding time in an 8-6 decision.
Sophomore Greg Isley (Toledo, Ohio) picked up another close win for the Falcons at 184 pounds, earning a 5-3 decision to put Air Force ahead 24-9, clinching the team victory. The Mustangs earned another victory at 197 pounds, as 18th-ranked Ryan Smith recorded a fall, while Jared Erickson (Jr., Newton, Utah) took a win by injury default in the heavyweight bout to close out the dual.
"We wrestled well today," said Air Force head coach Joel Sharratt. "Anytime we give up pins, it's obviously something we have to work on, but Cal Poly is a quality team, and this puts us in a good position with two conference duals coming up next week."
Following the win over Cal Poly, Air Force was right back on the mat to take on New Mexico Highlands. The Falcons were able to post their second shutout of the season, winning all 10 duals against the Cowboys. Rinker, VonOhlen and Kreimier all earned falls for Air Force, while Gable added a technical fall. Carter McElhany (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.), Kluesner and Erickson each scored extra team points by winning major decisions in their respective weight classes, while Hyder, Isley and Josh Mohr (Jr., Pewaukee, Wis.) each registered decisions.
VonOhlen, who registered his team-leading eighth fall of the season, also reached an historic milestone in his match against New Mexico Highlands, recording his 100th career victory. VonOhlen becomes the first Falcon to reach the 100-win plateau since the 2001-02 season.
Meanwhile, with their three dual victories this week, the Falcons are undefeated at home this season, with a match-up against nationally ranked conference rival Wyoming looming on Feb. 2.
"We're wrestling well in Clune right now," stated Sharratt. "It's a great wrestling venue, and it's awesome having the support from the Academy's senior leadership. It means a lot to our guys to have them in attendance."
At the conclusion of the Falcons' varsity duals on Saturday evening, the Air Force Silver Team took on New Mexico Highlands, earning a 34-10 victory. The Cowboys won the first two bouts, but the Falcons regrouped with eight straight wins, including a fall by Chris Morales (So., Rio Rancho, N.M.) at 174 pounds. Dan Barringer (So., Monument, Colo.) recorded a technical fall at 165 pounds, while Daniel Baucke (So., Memphis, Tenn.) and Alec Williams (Sr., Fultondale, Ala.) earned major decisions at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Also posting wins for the Silver team were Devin Hightower (So., Colorado Springs, Colo.), Evan Gros (So., Lake Orion, Mich.) and Brook Gosch (So., Orwigsburg, Pa.), who each recorded decisions for the Falcons, and Cody Hancock (Fr., Wrightwood, Calif.), who was awarded a forfeit victory at 141 pounds.
The Falcons are back in action next weekend, Jan. 27 and Jan. 29, as they visit conference foes North Dakota State and South Dakota State, respectively.
Air Force 30, Cal Poly 15
125 Greg Rinker (AF) maj. dec. Michael Clemmensen, 15-4
133 Dylan Hyder (AF) maj. dec. Chris Calcagno, 13-5
141 No. 4 Boris Novachkov (CP) fall Carter McElhany, 2:12
149 No. 3 Cole VonOhlen (AF) tech fall Kyle Chene, 17-2 (5:13)
157 Josh Kreimier (AF) maj. dec. Gianpier Yanez, 12-4
165 Colby Kluesner (AF) maj. dec. Paul Woodman, 13-1
174 No. 4 Ryan DesRoches (CP) dec. Clayton Gable, 8-6
184 Greg Isley (AF) dec. Sean Dougherty, 5-3
197 No. 18 Ryan Smith (CP) fall Josh Mohr, 0:47
285 Jared Erickson (AF) inj. def. Ian Daube
Air Force 44, New Mexico Highlands 0
125 Greg Rinker (AF) fall Tre Humphrey, 4:14
133 Dylan Hyder (AF) dec. Edward Zuckerman, 9-6
141 Carter McElhany (AF) maj. dec. Danny Perales, 9-0
149 No. 3 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Stephen Apodaca, 2:18
157 Josh Kreimier (AF) fall Travis Saxon, 2:32
165 Colby Kluesner (AF) maj. dec. Chris Apodaca, 16-6
174 Clayton Gable (AF) tech fall Easton Hargrave, 17-0 (7:00)
184 Greg Isley (AF) dec. Igor Gomzin, 9-2
197 Josh Mohr (AF) dec. Justin Rockhill, 14-7
285 Jared Erickson (AF) maj. dec. Louis Thornton, 8-0
Air Force- Falcons Defeat Utah Valley, 26-15
USAFA, Colo. - In its first home dual of the season, the Air Force wrestling team earned a 26-15 victory over Western Wrestling Conference foe Utah Valley. The Falcons, who improve to 4-3 on the season and 1-1 in the WWC, won seven of 10 bouts against the Wolverines (3-5, 0-1).
With the dual beginning at 133 pounds, senior Tyler Untrauer (Midwest City, Okla.) got the Falcons out to a solid start, posting a 7-2 decision over Blake Mangum. Air Force's lead in the team scoring increased to 6-0 after Carter McElhany (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) edged out Avery Garner in a 5-4 decision at 141 pounds.
In the 149-pound bout, third-ranked Cole VonOhlen (Jr., Jackson, Minn.) put forth a dominant performance, rolling to a 13-0 advantage over Sam Mecham after one period. With another takedown just 12 seconds into the second period, VonOhlen earned a 15-0 technical fall to give Air Force an 11-0 advantage.
The Falcons won their fourth-straight match as sophomore Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.) registered a 5-2 decision over Napoleon Aniciete at 157 pounds, before the Wolverines got on the board, recording a fall in the 165-pound match.
At 174 pounds, junior Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.) got out to a slow start against Monte Schmalhaus, giving up an early takedown and spending most of the first period in the bottom period. However, he scored a reversal and a takedown in the second period, while riding out his man in the final period to earn the 5-3 decision. Air Force then increased its team lead to 20-6, as sophomore Greg Isley (Toledo, Ohio) scored all of his points in the second period to earn a 3-0 decision over David Prieto at 184 pounds.
The high scorer of the day for the Falcons came in the 197-pound bout, as Josh Mohr (Jr., Pewaukee, Wis.) registered a fall over Brian Chamberlain. Mohr trailed 7-2 in the second period, but scored a key reversal with 38 seconds on the clock and followed with the pin 11 seconds later.
While the Wolverines came back to win the final two bouts, earning a fall in the heavyweight match and a decision at 125 pounds, the Falcons were able to secure their first conference win of the season in the 26-15 victory.
"The number one thing we wanted to do tonight was come out and compete with heart, and I think we did that," said head coach Joel Sharratt. "Utah Valley is a competitive team, and we fought through to score some points. Strategically, I think we made a couple of mistakes, choosing positions that helped them get back in a position to score versus us closing the door."
"We'd like to thank the cadet wing for their tremendous support tonight, especially our mission partners in Cadet Squadron 21," continued Sharratt. "We had a great crowd tonight, and the cadet representation was just awesome."
The Falcons return to the mat on Saturday, Jan. 21, when they host Cal Poly and New Mexico Highlands in a pair of non-conference duals. The action begins at 5:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
"I think this [win] gives us good momentum going into this weekend," said Sharratt. "We're going to face a tough Cal Poly team, along with some regional representation with Doug Moses and his squad at New Mexico Highlands. Tomorrow we're going to get back in the wrestling room and work hard to get our boys ready for Saturday."
Air Force 26, Utah Valley 15
133 Tyler Untrauer (AF) dec. Blake Mangum, 7-2
141 Carter McElhany (AF) dec. Avery Garner, 5-4
149 No. 3 Cole VonOhlen (AF) tech fall Sam Mecham, 15-0 (3:12)
157 Josh Kreimier (AF) dec. Napoleon Aniciete, 5-2
165 Ethan Smith (UVU) fall Colby Kluesner, 4:23
174 Clayton Gable (AF) dec. Monte Schmalhaus, 5-3
184 Greg Isley (AF) dec. David Prieto, 3-0
197 Josh Mohr (AF) fall Brian Chamberlain, 4:33
285 Dustin Dennison (UVU) fall Jared Erickson, 4:01
125 Colby Christensen (UVU) dec. Greg Rinker, 10-3
Air Force- Cole VonOhlen Named WWC Wrestler of the Week
OREM, Utah - Air Force junior Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week, as announced today by the league. It marks the second time this season and seventh time in his career that VonOhlen has been awarded the honor.
VonOhlen led the Falcons with a 4-0 record at the Lone Star Duals on Saturday, registering a fall, a technical fall and a pair of decisions. Among his wins was an 11-5 decision over Harvard's previously undefeated Corey Jantzen, currently ranked seventh in the nation by InterMatWrestle.com.
VonOhlen, who is currently ranked third in the nation at 149 pounds, now holds a 22-2 record on the season and needs just three more wins to reach 100 for his career.
The Falcons open their home slate this Thursday, Jan. 19, when they host conference foe Utah Valley in a 7:00 p.m. contest.
Air Force Wraps Up Competition at Lone Star Duals
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The Air Force wrestling team posted a 2-2 record at the Lone Star Duals on Saturday, defeating Brown and Central Baptist, while falling to Chattanooga and Harvard.
In its first match-up of the day, Air Force (3-3) won just two bouts against Chattanooga to drop a 28-7 decision to the Mocs. Greg Rinker (So., Northampton, Pa.) opened the dual with a win for Air Force, posting a 15-7 major decision at 125 pounds. Chattanooga gained the lead with back-to-back wins in the next two bouts before third-ranked Cole VonOhlen (Jr., Jackson, Minn.) put the Falcons back on the board with a 6-0 decision at 149 pounds. However, the Mocs closed out the match with six straight victories.
Air Force rebounded with a 33-16 victory over Brown in its second dual of the day. The Falcons posted four pins in the match, including the first fall of the season for senior Tyler Untrauer (Midwest City, Okla.). Also registering falls for Air Force were VonOhlen, Josh Kreimier (So., Fort Collins, Colo.) and Josh Mohr (Jr., Pewaukee, Wis.). Sophomore Greg Isley (Toledo, Ohio) added a decision at 184 pounds, while heavyweight Bentley Alsup (Fr., Missoula, Mont.) was granted a forfeit victory.
The Falcons faced a tough Harvard squad in their third dual of the day, dropping a 27-12 decision to the Crimson. Air Force scored just three wins, including a fall by Rinker to open the match. VonOhlen handed 12th-ranked Corey Jantzen his first loss of the season, taking an 11-5 decision, while Alsup also scored a decision in the heavyweight match-up.
In the final dual of the day, Air Force rolled to a 56-0 victory over Central Baptist, scoring four falls in seven contested bouts. Rinker earned his second fall of the day in the first match, while Dylan Hyder (Fr., Yelm, Wash.), Colby Kluesner (So., Denver, Colo.) and Alsup each registered falls as well. VonOhlen and Kreimier added tech falls at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively, while freshman Carter McElhany (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earned a major decision at 141 pounds. Meanwhile, Clayton Gable (Jr., Dallastown, Pa.), Isley and Mohr each picked up six team points with forfeit victories at 174, 184 and 197 pounds, respectively.
Also on Saturday, the Falcons sent another group of wrestlers to the Borah Duals, where they faced host Western State, Colorado Mesa and CSU-Pueblo. Air Force dropped all three duals, falling to host Western State, 37-3, Colorado Mesa, 27-18, and CSU-Pueblo, 29-12.
Sophomore Dan Barringer (Monument, Colo.) picked up the Falcons' lone win against the host Mountaineers, posting an 11-7 decision over Cody Frankum at 165 pounds. Against Colorado Mesa, freshman Jeremy Delzer (Fr., Altus, Okla.) notched a fall at 165 pounds to lead the Falcons, while Jack Carda (Fr., Kimball, S.D.) and Brook Gosch (So., Orwigsburg, Pa.) added decisions at 197 and 285 pounds, respectively. Also scoring points for the Falcons against the Mavericks was freshman Andy Jones (Grand Ledge, Mich.), who was awarded a forfeit at 141 pounds.
In the final dual of the day, freshman Cody Hancock (Wrightwood, Calif.) led Air Force against the Thunderwolves, registering a fall at 141 pounds. Also adding decisions against CSU-Pueblo were Brandon Mueller (Jr., Greenleaf, Wis.) at 157 pounds and Carda at 197 pounds.
Air Force is back in action on Thursday, Jan. 19, when it opens its dual slate against WWC foe Utah Valley.
LONE STAR DUALS
Chattanooga 28, Air Force 7
125 Greg Rinker (AF) maj. dec. Cole Gallagher, 15-7
133 No. 14 Nick Soto (UTC) dec. Tyler Untrauer, 4-2
141 Shawn Greevy (UTC) maj. dec. Carter McElhany, 13-3
149 No. 3 Cole VonOhlen (AF) dec. Kelly Felix, 6-0
157 Dan Waddell (UTC) dec. Josh Kreimier, 6-4
165 Brandon Wright (UTC) maj. dec. Colby Kluesner, 10-2
174 Levi Clemons (UTC) dec. Clayton Gable, 13-7
184 Robert Prigmore (UTC) tech fall Greg Isley, 17-1
197 Niko Brown (UTC) dec. Josh Mohr, 7-4
285 Kevin Malone (UTC) dec. Bentley Alsup, 9-6
Air Force 33, Brown 16
125 Billy Watterson (BU) maj. dec. Greg Rinker, 15-2
133 Tyler Untrauer (AF) fall Beau Martino. 2:03
141 Zach Tanenbaum (BU) dec. Carter McElhany, 3-1 (SV)
149 No. 3 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Ricky Bailey, 2:16
157 Josh Kreimier (AF) fall Giuseppi Lanzi, 6:13
165 Jeff Lemmer (BU) fall Colby Kluesner, 5:59
174 David Foxen (BU) dec. Clayton Gable, 4-3
184 Greg Isley (AF) dec. Brandon Vorrius, 7-2
197 Josh Mohr (AF) fall Ophir Bernstein, 5:13
285 Bentley Alsup (AF) win by forfeit
Harvard 27, Air Force 12
125 Greg Rinker (AF) fall Joe Barbato, 1:10
133 No. 13 Steven Keith (HC) maj. dec. Tyler Untrauer, 9-0
141 Patrick Hogan (HC) dec. Carter McElhany, 6-4
149 No. 3 Cole VonOhlen (AF) dec. No. 12 Corey Jantzen, 11-5
157 No. 5 Walter Peppelman (HC) fall Josh Kreimier, 0:29
165 Ian Roy (HC) dec. Colby Kluesner, 5-4
174 Josh Popple (HC) tech fall Clayton Gable, 21-5
184 Cameron Croy (HC) dec. Greg Isley, 11-8
197 James Fox (HC) dec. Josh Mohr, 5-2
285 Bentley Alsup (AF) dec. David Ng, 6-3
Air Force 56, Central Baptist 0
125 Greg Rinker (AF) fall Peter Acuna, 3:32
133 Dylan Hyder (AF) fall Antonio Rivera, 3:36
141 Carter McElhany (AF) maj. dec. David Overy, 11-1
149 No. 3 Cole VonOhlen (AF) tech fall Henry Reyes, 15-0
157 Josh Kreimier (AF) tech fall Joe Goolsby, 23-8
165 Colby Kluesner (AF) fall Jacob Jasper, 2:05
174 Clayton Gable (AF) win by forfeit
184 Greg Isley (AF) win by forfeit
197 Josh Mohr (AF) win by forfeit
285 Bentley Alsup (AF) fall Jared Pflasterer, 0:26
Air Force- Falcons Travel to Texas for Lone Star Duals (1.11.12)
The Air Force wrestling team is back in action this weekend, Jan. 14, at the annual Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Falcons will compete in four duals, taking on Chattanooga, Brown, Harvard and Central Baptist.
Meanwhile, a second group of Falcons will head to Gunnison, Colo., on Saturday, to take part in the Borah Duals, hosted by Western State. Air Force's 'B' team is slated to face the host Mountaineers at 9:00 a.m., followed by matches against Colorado Mesa (11:00 a.m.) and CSU-Pueblo (1:00 p.m.).
Last Time Out...
Air Force split a pair of dual meets last weekend to open its 2011-12 dual slate, earning a 19-18 non-conference victory over Coe, while dropping a 33-12 decision to WWC foe Northern Iowa.
The Falcons won six of 10 bouts against the Kohawks, with junior Josh Mohr registering a major decision at 197 pounds to lead the way. Posting decisions for Air Force were Dylan Hyder (133), Carter McElhany (141), Cole VonOhlen (149), Josh Kreimier (157) and Greg Isley (184).
Meanwhile, against the Panthers, Air Force earned just two victories, with VonOhlen and Clayton Gable (174) each recording pins. VonOhlen earned his team-leading sixth fall of the season, while Gable notched the fastest fall of his career, pinning his opponent in 29 seconds.
Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force enters this weekend's Lone Star Duals with a 1-1 overall record. The Falcons are led by junior co-captain Cole VonOhlen, who is ranked third in the nation at 149 pounds with an 18-2 overall record and 2-0 dual ledger. Freshman Carter McElhany is second on the team with 17 wins on the season, while sophomore Josh Kreimier has registered 11 victories on the year.
VonOhlen also leads the Falcons in total falls with six, while sophomore Greg Rinker is second on the team with four falls on the season. Meanwhile, junior Clayton Gable has recorded the fastest fall of the year for Air Force with a time of 29 seconds.
Scouting the Mocs...
Chattanooga enters this weekend's duals with a 4-3 overall record following a 37-3 victory over Cleveland State on Sunday. Among the leaders for the Mocs is freshman Nick Soto, who is ranked 14th in the nation at 133 pounds with a 14-4 overall record.
Scouting the Bears...
Brown enters the Lone Star Duals with a 2-2 record on the year following a pair of wins over Millersville and Franklin & Marshall this past weekend.
Leading the Bears is 184-pounder Ophir Bernstein with a 15-5 overall record, while Billy Watterson (125) is second on the team with 12 wins on the season.
Scouting the Crimson...
Harvard enters this weekend with a 3-1 dual record after defeating Millersville and Franklin & Marshall on Saturday. Three wrestlers for the Crimson are currently ranked in their respective weight classes by Intermat, led by fifth-ranked Walter Pepperman at 157 pounds.
Senior Corey Jantzen is ranked 12th in the nation at 149 pounds after going undefeated in his opening round of competition, including an upset of then-third-ranked Mario Mason from Rutgers, while junior Steven Keith is ranked 13th at 133 pounds with a team-high 20 wins on the year.
Scouting the Mustangs...
Central Baptist enters this weekend's match with an 0-5 dual record. The Mustangs are led by junior Joseph Goolsby, who has compiled a 12-5 overall record at 157 pounds this season.
In the National Rankings...
Junior co-captain Cole VonOhlen, a two-time NCAA qualifier at 141 pounds, is currently ranked in the top 10 in the nation in several wrestling publications at 149 pounds. VonOhlen is rated third in the nation by IntermatWrestle.com, W.I.N. Magazine, The Open Mat and DI College Wrestling, while ranked fifth by Amateur Wrestling News and sixth by WrestlingReport.com.
The Quest for 100...
Junior Cole VonOhlen enters this weekend with 93 career victories in his first three seasons and needs just seven more wins to reach 100. He would become the first Air Force wrestler since the 2001-02 season to reach the 100-win mark. That year, four different Falcons-Kevin Hoy, Scott Frohardt, Terry Parham and Andy Peters-surpassed 100 wins for their respective careers. Hoy, who currently holds the school record for career wins with 162, was the only Falcon to reach the mark as a junior.
Up Next...
The Falcons return to Colorado next week for their first home duals of the season, hosting WWC opponent Utah Valley on Thursday, Jan. 19, while taking on Cal Poly and New Mexico Highlands on Saturday, Jan. 21.
Airforce- Falcons Drop Conference Opener to Northern Iowa
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Despite falls from juniors Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) and Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.), the Air Force wrestling team suffered a 33-12 loss to Western Wrestling Conference opponent Northern Iowa on Sunday afternoon.
Northern Iowa won the first four bouts of the afternoon to stake an 18-0 lead over Air Force before VonOhlen earned a fall in his match at 149 pounds to put the Falcons on the board. VonOhlen, ranked fifth in the nation, pinned Clay Welter in a time of 4:11 to improve to 18-2 on the season.
At 157 pounds, sophomore Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.) had an exciting bout against returning NCAA qualifier David Bonin, coming back from a 5-2 deficit to send the match into overtime. However, Bonin scored a takedown in the extra period to earn the 7-5 decision for the Panthers.
UNI increased its lead to 24-6 with a win at 165 pounds, while Air Force got back on the scoreboard with a win at 174 pounds as Gable posted the fastest fall of his career, pinning Onni Prestidge in just 29 seconds.
Unfortunately, Air Force was unable to earn wins in its final two matches of the dual, giving up a fall and a decision in the 33-12 loss.
The Falcons (1-1, 0-1) return to action next Saturday, Jan. 14, when they head to Grand Prairie, Texas, to take part in the annual Lone Star Duals.
Northern Iowa 33, Air Force 12
HWT Blayne Beale (UNI) maj. dec. Brook Gosch, 13-2
125 Cruse Aarhus (UNI) tech fall Mengyuan Qiu, 16-0133 No. 12 Joe Colon (UNI) dec. Tyler Untrauer, 5-4
141 Levi Wolfensperger (UNI) fall Carter McElhany, 2:16
149 No. 5 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Clay Welter, 4:11
157 David Bonin (UNI) dec. Josh Kreimier, 7-5 (OT)
165 Riley Banach (UNI) dec. Colby Kluesner, 13-8
174 Clayton Gable (AF) fall Onni Prestidge, 0:29
184 No. 6 Ryan Loder (UNI) fall Greg Isley, 5:22
197 Taylor Kettman (UNI) dec. Josh Mohr, 3-0
Air Force Edges Coe, 19-18, in Dual Opener
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - In its first dual meet of the 2011-12 season, the Air Force wrestling team picked up a 19-18 victory over Coe College Friday evening at Eby Fieldhouse. The Falcons won six of 10 bouts on the evening against the Kohawks, who are currently ranked fifth in Division III.
Jimmy Gotto, one of seven nationally ranked wrestlers for Coe, got out to a strong start, earning a technical fall at 125 pounds to give the Kohawks a 5-0 lead. Air Force responded by winning the next four matches, beginning with a 7-3 decision by freshman Dylan Hyder (Yelm, Wash.) at 133 pounds.
Carter McElhany (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) added a 7-1 decision over 10th-ranked Chris LeClere at 141 pounds to give Air Force its first lead of the dual, while Cole VonOhlen (Jr., Jackson, Minn.), ranked fifth in the nation at 149 pounds, posted an 8-5 decision over James Locke, ranked fourth in Division III.
Sophomore Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.) closed out the first half of the dual by edging out ninth-ranked Dale Handley in a 4-3 decision, as Air Force took a 12-5 lead. However, Coe got back on the scoreboard with a major decision from top-ranked Nick LeClere at 165 pounds, while a fall by sixth-ranked Scott King in the 174-pound bout gave the Kohawks a 15-12 advantage in the team scoring.
The Falcons were able to tie the score with a 9-3 decision by sophomore Greg Isley (Toledo, Ohio) at 184 pounds. Meanwhile, junior Josh Mohr (Pewaukee, Wis.) put Air Force back on top with a 13-5 major decision in the 197-pound bout.
In the final match of the evening, the Falcons' Brook Gosch (So., Orwigsburg, Pa.) wrestled up a weight class to face fifth-ranked Alex Burkle. While Burkle was able to take the 6-3 decision, it was not enough for Coe to overtake Air Force in the team scoring, as the Falcons held on for the one-point win.
The Falcons are back in action on Sunday, Jan. 8, when they visit WWC foe Northern Iowa in a 2:00 p.m. (CT) contest.
Air Force 19, Coe 18
125 Jimmy Gotto (Coe) tech fall Mengyuan Qiu, 16-1 (7:00)
133 Dylan Hyder (AF) dec. Jordan Westfall, 7-3
141 Carter McElhany (AF) dec. Chris LeClere, 7-1
149 No. 5 Cole VonOhlen (AF) dec. James Locke, 8-5
157 Josh Kreimier (AF) dec. Dale Handley, 4-3
165 Nick LeClere (Coe) maj. dec. Colby Kluesner, 12-4
174 Scott King (Coe) fall Clayton Gable, 6:33
184 Greg Isley (AF) dec. Ethan Ball, 9-3
197 Josh Mohr (AF) maj. dec. Donnie Horner, 13-5
HWT Alex Burkle (Coe) dec. Brook Gosch, 6-3
Air Force Falcons Conclude Competition at Reno Tournament of Champions
RENO, Nev. - Junior Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) and sophomore Greg Rinker (Northampton, Pa.) each placed in the top six to lead the Air Force wrestling team at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday. The Falcons captured ninth place in the team standings with 47.5 points.
VonOhlen, ranked fifth in the nation at 149 pounds, registered a 4-1 record in his bracket to take second place, while Rinker placed sixth in the 125 pound weight class with a 4-3 mark.
VonOhlen began the day with a pin against Adams State's Josh Henley, followed by a major decision and a decision to earn a spot in the semi-finals versus seventh-ranked Donnie Vinson of Binghamton. VonOhlen earned his biggest win of the early season, pinning Vinson in a time of 2:21 to advance to the finals against second-ranked Jamal Parks from Oklahoma State. Unfortunately, VonOhlen came up short in the championship bout, dropping a close 4-2 decision.
Meanwhile, at 125 pounds, Rinker suffered a loss in his first bout, but rebounded with four straight victories, including three wins by fall, all in less than two minutes. Rinker's pin over Boise State's Landon Hartley in just 35 seconds was the fastest fall of the season by an Air Force wrestler. Rinker fell to fourth-seeded Mitchell Lofstedt of Southern Oregon in the consolation semifinals before dropping the fifth-place contest to Wyoming's Kasey Garnhart.
Also posting a winning record on Sunday was freshman Carter McElhany (Colorado Springs, Colo.), who posted a 3-2 mark at 141 pounds, while junior Clayton Gable (Jr., Dallastown, Pa.) scored a victory over 19th-ranked Ty Vinson of Oregon State at 174 pounds.
The Falcons are off until Jan. 6, when they visit Coe College in their first dual meet of the season.
Air Force Wrestlers Head to Reno Tournament of Champions
The Air Force wrestling team closes out the 2011 calendar year this weekend, Dec. 18, as it travels to Reno, Nev., for the Reno Tournament Champions.
ABOUT the RENO Tournament of Champions...
The 17th-annual Reno Tournament of Champions will be held at the Reno Events Center on Dec.18, following a two-day high school tournament. Teams from 28 schools are scheduled to compete this year, including 20th-ranked WWC foe Wyoming, the champion of the 2010 RTOC. Other ranked teams slated to compete this weekend are No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 14 Oregon State.
The opening round of action begins Sunday at 9:00 a.m. (PT), with competition running all day. The finals matches (for first, third and fifth place) are slated to begin at 6:00 p.m.
This Weekend's Lineup...
This weekend, 14 Falcons are slated to compete at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Listed below is the tentative lineup for this weekend:
125 Greg Rinker, So.
133 Dylan Hyder, So.
141 Carter McElhany, Fr.
Tyler Untrauer, Sr.
149 #5 Cole VonOhlen, Jr.
157 Josh Kreimier, So.
Gabe Martinez, Jr.
Alec Williams, Sr.
165 Colby Kluesner, So.
174 Clayton Gable, Jr.
184 Devin Hightower, So.
Greg Isley, So.
197 Josh Mohr, Jr.
HWT Jared Erickson, Jr.
Last Time Out...
Junior Cole VonOhlen (149) notched a second-place finish to lead the Falcons to a 20th-place showing at the 2011 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 2-3. VonOhlen recorded a 4-1 record on the weekend to become the first Air Force wrestler to reach the finals at the event since 2002.
Meanwhile, freshman Carter McElhany led another group of Air Force wrestlers at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open on Dec. 3, taking fourth place at 141 pounds.
Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force is led by junior co-captain Cole VonOhlen, who is ranked fifth in the nation at 149 pounds with a 12-1 overall record. Meanwhile, freshman Carter McElhany, who has wrestled in four tournaments this season, has a team-best 13 wins on the season.
Meanwhile, 19 different Falcons have registered falls, led by VonOhlen and freshman Dylan Hyder with three falls each. Freshman Elijah Levee has the fastest fall of the early season, recording a fall in a time of 1:27.
In the National Rankings...
Junior co-captain Cole VonOhlen, a two-time NCAA qualifier at 141 pounds, is currently ranked in the top 10 nationally in several wrestling publications at 149 pounds. VonOhlen is rated fifth in the nation by Intermat, Amateur Wrestling News, The Open Mat and DI College Wrestling, and ranked sixth by WrestlingReport.com and W.I.N. Magazine.
Air Force Athlete of the Week...
Junior Cole VonOhlen became the first Air Force wrestler of the season to earn Air Force Athlete of the Week honors following his performance at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
VonOhlen posted a 4-1 record at the CKLV Invitational over the weekend to capture second place at 149 pounds. He won his first four matches of the tournament before dropping the championship bout to Michigan's Eric Grajales. VonOhlen, who placed seventh at the event in 2010, became the first Air Force wrestler to advance to the finals at the CKLV Invitational since Kevin Hoy won back-to-back titles in 2001-02.
Up Next...
The Falcons are back in action after the New Year, as they open their dual slate on the road with matches at Coe (Jan. 6) and at WWC opponent Northern Iowa (Jan. 8).
Air Force Wrestlers Conclude Competition at FHSU-Bob Smith Open
HAYS, Kan. - Taking fourth place at 141 pounds, freshman Carter McElhany (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was the top competitor for the Air Force wrestling team at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open, hosted by Fort Hays State.
McElhany, who entered the tournament as the sixth seed, posted a 3-2 record on Saturday to place fourth in his weight class. After an opening round bye, McElhany notched a fall in his first bout, followed by a decision in the third round. In the quarterfinals, McElhany scored a 10-0 major decision over Nebraska-Kearney's Brandon Rimpley, but was edged in the semifinals by FHSU's Dustin Dooley, 2-0.
Earning a 7-3 decision over second-seeded Jace Campbell in the consolation semifinals, McElhany advanced to the third-place contest, but dropped a 4-0 decision to Central Oklahoma's Casy Rowell.
Other top performers for the Falcons at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open included Dan Barringer (So., Monument, Colo.), Cody Davis (So., The Woodlands, Texas), Evan Gros (So., Lake Orion, Mich.), Greg Isley (So., Toledo, Ohio) and Chris Morales (So., Rio Rancho, N.M.). Gros, Isley and Morales each won four matches on Saturday, while Barringer and Davis each posted 3-2 records on the day.
The Air Force wrestling team is back in action on Dec. 18, when it heads to the Reno Tournament of Champions.
Airforce-VonOhlen Finishes as Runner-Up at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Air Force wrestler Cole VonOhlen (Jr., Jackson, Minn.) posted a 1-1 record on Saturday to place second at the 30th-annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. VonOhlen's finish at the CKLV Invitational was the best for an Air Force wrestler since Kevin Hoy won back-to-back titles in 2001-02.
VonOhlen, ranked fifth in the nation at 149 pounds, began the day with a 10-3 semifinal victory over Utah Valley's Josh Wilson to move into the championship bout versus Michigan's Eric Grajales. Grajales, ranked sixth at 149 pounds, took control early and never let up, earning a 9-1 major decision as VonOhlen suffered his first defeat of the season.
Also wrestling for the Falcons Saturday at the CKLV Invitational was sophomore Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.), competing in the consolation bracket at 157 pounds. Kreimier dropped his only bout of the day, a 7-3 decision to Wyoming's Dakota Friesth.
The Air Force wrestling team is back in action on Dec. 18, when it heads to the Reno Tournament of Champions.
Air Force Wraps Up Opening Day at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - With Cole VonOhlen (Jr., Jackson, Minn.) and Josh Kreimier (So., Fort Collins, Colo.) leading the way, the Air Force wrestling team concluded the first day of competition at the 30th-annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
VonOhlen, ranked fifth in the nation at 149 pounds, posted a 3-0 record on Friday and advances to the semifinals. Meanwhile, Kreimier registered a 2-1 mark and is still competing in the consolation bracket at 157 pounds.
VonOhlen, who entered the tournament as the second seed, earned a 13-4 major decision over West Virginia's George Scheffel in the opening round before posting a 10-6 win over Steve Hernandez of Boise State in the second round. In the quarterfinals, VonOhlen captured a 6-4 decision over seventh-seeded Cam Tessari of Ohio State to move into the semifinals against Utah Valley's Josh Wilson. With his 3-0 start to the tournament, VonOhlen is guaranteed at least a sixth-place showing, one spot ahead of his finish in 2010.
Meanwhile, Kreimier remains in action this weekend after winning his first two matches of the tournament. He began the day with a 4-2 decision over Arizona State's Victor DeJesus. He followed that win with a 6-1 victory over Mallie Shuster from Kent State. Kreimier's first loss of the weekend came in the quarterfinals, as he dropped a close 8-5 decision to seventh-seed James Green of Nebraska to move into the consolation bracket. On Saturday, Kreimier will face a conference foe, taking on Wyoming's Dakota Friesth, to vie for a spot as a placewinner.
Also competing for Air Force on Friday were Greg Rinker (So., Northampton, Pa.) at 125 pounds, Tyler Untrauer (Sr., Midwest City, Okla.) at 141 pounds, Clayton Gable (Jr., Dallastown, Pa.) at 174 pounds, Josh Mohr (Jr., Pewaukee, Wis.) at 197 pounds, and heavyweight Jared Erickson (Jr., Newton, Utah), with all five registering 1-2 records in the tournament.
Action continues for VonOhlen and Kreimier at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational tomorrow beginning at 9:00 a.m. (PT).
Air Force Wrestlers Head to CKLV Invite, FHSU-Bob Smith Open
The Air Force wrestling team will send a group of wrestlers to the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this weekend, Dec. 2-3. The Falcons will also compete at the annual FHSU-Bob Smith Open, hosted by Fort Hays State on Dec. 3.
ABOUT the CKLV Invitational...
The 30th-annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational is being held this year at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Teams from 34 schools are scheduled to participate in this year's competition. Included in this year's field are eight teams that are ranked in this week's NWCA/USA Today Coaches' Poll and five teams from the Western Wrestling Conference (Air Force, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming).
Action begins Friday at 9:00 a.m. (PT), while quarterfinals and consolation rounds 2 & 3 are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. Meanwhile, Saturday's action begins at 9:00 a.m., with the championship finals scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. For complete information on the tournament, visit cklvwrestle.com.
Last Year at the CKLV Invitational...
Six Falcons competed at the 2010 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, with sophomore Cole VonOhlen leading the way. VonOhlen posted a 5-2 record on the weekend to finish seventh, becoming the first Air Force wrestler to place at the CKLV Invitational since 2005. Each Falcon competing in the tournament registered at least one victory, including freshman Josh Kreimier (149), who notched a 2-2 ledger in the tournament.
About the FHSU-Bob Smith Open...
The annual FHSU-Bob Smith Open will be held at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The four wrestlers in each of 10 weight classes will be awarded during the day's competition. Action is slated to begin at 9:00 a.m. (CT) Saturday. Fans can check for updates on the event by visiting fhsuathletics.com.
Last Year at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open...
Air Force finished with six placewinners at the 2010 FHSU-Bob Smith Open, led by freshman Greg Rinker, who captured first place at 125 pounds, putting together a 5-0 record for the weekend.
This Week's Lineups...
This weekend, seven Falcons are slated to compete at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, while 20 other Air Force wrestlers will attend the FHSU-Bob Smith Open. Listed below are the tentative lineups for this weekend:
CKLV Invitational
125 Greg Rinker, So.
141 Tyler Untrauer, Sr.
149 #5 Cole VonOhlen, Jr.
157 Josh Kreimier, So.
174 Clayton Gable, Jr.
197 Josh Mohr, Jr.
HWT Jared Erickson, Jr.
FHSU-Bob Smith Open
133 Dylan Hyder, Fr.
Ty Jones, Fr.
141 Cody Hancock, Fr.
Carter McElhany, Fr.
149 Daniel Baucke, So.
157 Elijah Levee, Fr.
Garrett Manley, So.
Gabe Martinez, Jr.
Alec Williams, Sr.
165 Dan Barringer, So.
Colby Kluesner, So.
174 Vance Hawk, So.
Rafael Magana, Jr.
Chris Morales, So.
184 Devin Hightower, So.
Greg Isley, So.
197 Jack Carda, Fr.
Cody Davis, So.
Brook Gosch, So.
Evan Gros, So.
Last Time Out...
The Falcons finished with 12 placewinners at the UNK Holiday Inn Open on Nov. 19, with individual champions Cole VonOhlen, Jared Erickson and Dylan Hyder leading the way.
VonOhlen (149) and Erickson (HWT) each posted 3-0 records on the day to claim titles in the Elite Division, while Hyder registered a 5-0 ledger to take first place at 133 pounds in the Amateur Division.
Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force is led by undefeated junior co-captain Cole VonOhlen, who is ranked fifth in the nation at 149 pounds with a perfect 8-0 record. Meanwhile, freshman Carter McElhany, who has wrestled in three tournaments this season, has a team-best nine wins on the season.
Meanwhile, 14 different Falcons have registered falls, led by VonOhlen and freshman Dylan Hyder with three falls each. Freshman Elijah Levee has the fastest fall of the early season, recording a fall in a time of 1:27.
In the National Rankings...
Junior co-captain Cole VonOhlen, a two-time NCAA qualifier at 141 pounds, is currently ranked in the top 10 nationally in several wrestling publications at 149 pounds. VonOhlen is rated fifth in the nation by Intermat Amateur Wrestling News, WrestlingReport.com, W.I.N. Magazine and DI College Wrestling, and seventh by The Open Mat.
Up Next...
The Falcons return to action on Dec. 18, as they head to Nevada for the Reno Tournament of Champions.
Airforce- Falcons Finish With Twelve Placewinners at UNK Holiday Inn Open
KEARNEY, Neb. - Led by individual titles from juniors Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) and Jared Erickson (Newton, Utah) and freshman Dylan Hyder (Yelm, Wash.), the Air Force wrestling team wrapped up competition at the UNK Holiday Inn Open on Saturday. The Falcons finished with 12 placewinners, including nine in the Elite Division.
VonOhlen (149) and Erickson (HWT) each posted 3-0 records in their respective weight classes to earn titles in the Elite Division. After receiving a first-round bye, VonOhlen scored a 16-0 tech fall in his first bout and recorded a fall over Nebraska's John Svoboda in the semifinals. In his championship bout, VonOhlen earned a 12-9 decision over conference foe Chase Smith in Wyoming, improving his record to 8-0 on the season.
Erickson also registered a technical fall in his first match, winning 22-7 with 18 seconds remaining in the third period. He followed up the win with a 9-1 major decision in the semifinals and captured the heavyweight title with a medical forfeit by Nebraska's Tucker Lane.
Meanwhile, Hyder compiled a 5-0 record at 133 pounds in the Amateur Division. In his first four matches, Hyder notched a pair of falls, a technical fall and a major decision to earn his spot in the championship bout. Hyder then scored a 4-1 decision over Fort Hays State's Symon Seaton to win his first collegiate title.
Recording runner-up finishes for the Falcons were sophomore Greg Rinker (Northampton, Pa.) at 125 pounds in the Elite Division and freshman Carter McElhany (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at 133 pounds in the Amateur Division.
Rinker opened the day with a 17-12 decision over Wyoming's Tyler Cox, before dropping the championship bout against the Cowboys' Kasey Garnhart. McElhany posted a 3-1 record in his bracket, scoring a 12-1 major decision before winning a pair of 5-3 decisions in his next two matches. In the title match, McElhany fell to Labette CC's Jordan Bask in a 6-1 decision.
Two other Air Force wrestlers captured third-place finishes in the Elite Division, with sophomores Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Devin Hightower (Colorado Springs, Colo.) each posting 4-1 records on the day.
Kreimier scored a fall, two major decisions and a decision at 157 pounds, with his lone loss coming to individual champion James Green of Nebraska. At 184 pounds, Hightower dropped his first match by a narrow 3-2 margin, but rebounded in the consolation bracket with four straight wins by decision.
Also placing for the Falcons on Saturday were Tyler Untrauer (Sr., Midwest City, Okla.), Logan Burch (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.), Gabe Martinez (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.), Evan Gros (So., Lake Orion, Mich.) and Garrett Wells (Fr., Corvallis, Ore.). In the Elite Division, Untrauer placed fourth at 141 pounds, while Burch (141), Martinez (157) and Gros (197) each finished sixth. Meanwhile, Wells was the sixth-place finisher at 174 pounds in the Amateur Division.
The Falcons are back in action Dec. 2-3, when they head to the annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
Air Force Wrestlers Set to Compete in a Pair of Open Tournaments
The Air Force wrestling team returns to action this weekend, Saturday, Nov. 19, at the inaugural UNK Holiday Inn Open, hosted by Nebraska-Kearney, as well as the Northern Colorado Old Chicago Open in Greeley, Colo.
Last Time Out...
The Falcons finished with four placewinners to begin the season at the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech, on Nov. 6. Junior Cole VonOhlen led the way, capturing the individual title at 149 pounds. Meanwhile, Clayton Gable placed third at 174 pounds, Josh Mohr took fifth place at 197 pounds and Greg Rinker finished sixth at 125 pounds.
At the Cowboy Open...
Although Air Force was not officially in action last weekend, several Falcons headed up to Laramie, Wyo., for the annual Cowboy Open to compete unattached. Three Air Force wrestlers were placewinners in the Amateur Division, with freshmen Carter McElhany (141) and Garrett Wells (174) each finishing third in their respective weight classes, while Elijah Levee took fourth place at 157 pounds.
Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force is led by undefeated junior co-captain Cole VonOhlen, who recorded a perfect 5-0 mark in the opening week of competition. Meanwhile, freshman Carter McElhany, who wrestled unattached at last weekend's Cowboy Open, has a team-best six wins on the season.
Meanwhile, 12 different Falcons have registered falls, led by VonOhlen and classmate Josh Mohr with two falls each. Freshman Elijah Levee has the fastest fall of the early season, recording a fall in a time of 1:27.
WWC Wrestler of the Week...
For the second-straight season, junior Cole VonOhlen was named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week in the opening week of competition. The award marked the sixth of VonOhlen's career.
For the third-straight year, VonOhlen opened the season by winning an individual title, this time taking first place at the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech. Competing at 149 pounds for the first time in his career, VonOhlen put together a 5-0 record in the largest bracket of the tournament. His five wins included a technical fall, a pair of falls and two decisions. In the championship bout, VonOhlen battled back from an injury, coming from behind for an 8-7 victory over North Carolina's Jon Burns.
In the National Rankings...
Junior co-captain Cole VonOhlen, a two-time NCAA qualifier at 141 pounds, is currently ranked in the top 10 nationally in several wrestling publications at 149 pounds. VonOhlen is rated sixth in the nation by Intermat and DI College Wrestling, seventh by Amateur Wrestling News and WrestlingReport.com and eighth by The Open Mat. Meanwhile, he was rated 10th by W.I.N. Magazine at 141 pounds in their preseason rankings.
Up Next...
The Falcons are back in action Dec. 2-3, when they head to the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
Airforce- Cole VonOhlen Named WWC Wrestler of the Week
OREM, Utah - Air Force junior Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) has been named the first Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week for the 2011-12 season, as announced today by the league. It marks the sixth time in his career that VonOhlen has been awarded the honor.
For the third-straight year, VonOhlen opened the season by winning an individual title, this time taking first place at the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech. Competing at 149 pounds for the first time in his career, VonOhlen put together a 5-0 record in the largest bracket of the tournament. His five wins included a technical fall, a pair of falls and two decisions.
In the championship bout, VonOhlen battled back from an injury, coming from behind for an 8-7 victory over North Carolina's Jon Burns. Currently ranked seventh in the nation at 149 pounds in the latest Intermat poll, VonOhlen now has 80 victories in his career.
The Falcons return to action Nov. 19 at the Nebraska-Kearney Holiday Inn Open and the Old Chicago Open, hosted by Northern Colorado.
Air Force Wrestlers Begin Season at Hokie Open
SALEM, Va. - Led by an individual title from junior Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.), the Air Force wrestling team began the 2011-12 season with four placewinners at the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech.
For the third-straight season, VonOhlen began the year with a tournament title, this time taking first place at 149 pounds. Competing in the largest bracket, VonOhlen posted a 5-0 record on the day, including a tech fall and a pair of pins in his first two bouts. In the semifinals, VonOhlen earned a 6-0 decision over Newberry's Deral Brown to earn a spot in the championship match against North Carolina's Jon Burns.
VonOhlen's championship battle with Burns proved to be his toughest of the day after suffering an injury. However, he found a way to win, coming back from a 5-2 deficit, tying the score at 7-7 in the third period and earning a riding time point for the 8-7 decision and the 149-pound title.
Junior Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.) turned in a third-place finish at 174 pounds, posting a 4-1 record on the day. Gable recorded a fall in his first match of the day, followed by an 8-0 major decision over North Carolina State's Quinton Godley. After dropping a close 9-7 decision to Turtogtokh Luvsand from The Citadel, Gable rebounded in the consolation bracket. He recorded two more wins, including a 7-5 decision over North Carolina's Thomas Ferguson in the third-place match.
At 197 pounds, junior Josh Mohr (Pewaukee, Wis.) captured fifth place with a 4-2 record. Winning his first three matches of the day, including two falls, Mohr came up short in the semifinals, dropping a one-point decision. Following a loss in the consolation bracket, Mohr moved into the fifth-place match, where he won by injury default over New River Valley's Derrick Borlie.
Meanwhile, in the 125-pound weight class, sophomore Greg Rinker (Northampton, Pa.) posted a 2-3 record to earn a sixth-place finish to start the season. He won his first two bouts of the day, recording a fall in his first match, but fell into the consolation bracket with a loss to tournament champion Ty Mitch of Virginia Tech in the semifinals.
Another standout for the Falcons on Sunday was sophomore Colby Kluesner (Denver, Colo.), who registered a 4-2 record at 165 pounds, despite not finishing as a placewinner. While he dropped into the consolation bracket with a first-round loss to Virginia Tech's Pete Yates, Kluesner scored four straight victories, including a fall and a major decision, before ending the day in the consolation quarterfinals.
"The team showed some talent and capability," said Air Force head coach Joel Sharratt. "We showed some strength in areas but reverted to some old habits in a few tough situations. We will get back and break things down-every one of our guys is unquestionably capable of improving on today's performance."
"We had some great fans following us throughout the day and look forward to the continued support," added Sharratt.
The Falcons return to action Nov. 19, when they head to the Holiday Inn Open, hosted by Nebraska-Kearney, and the Old Chicago Open, hosted by Northern Colorado.
Blue Team Edges Silver in Falcons' Intrasquad Scrimmage
USAFA, Colo. - The Air Force wrestling team competed in front of its fans for the first time during the 2011-12 season on Wednesday evening, as it hosted the annual Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match in Clune Arena. In a decision that came down to the final bout, the Blue team took a narrow 19-16 victory over the Silver team.
The action began with the 125-pound match between junior Steven Joseph (Middleburg, Fla.) and sophomore Greg Rinker (Northampton, Pa.). After two scoreless periods, Rinker notched the first point of the match, notching an escape to open the third period. Neither wrestler scored again, as Rinker took the 1-0 decision to give the Silver team a 3-0 advantage in the team scoring.
At 133 pounds, freshman Dylan Hyder (Yelm, Wash.) earned a 5-0 decision over classmate Cody Hancock (Wrightwood, Calif.) to put the Blue team on the board. Hyder scored a first-period takedown to take the early lead and kept the advantage for the entire second period. Starting the third period on bottom, Hyder registered a reversal and added nearly four minutes of riding time for the win.
The match at 141 pounds was the closest of the evening, with senior Tyler Untrauer (Midwest City, Okla.) taking the mat for the Blue team, while newcomer Carter McElhany (Colorado Springs, Colo.) wrestled for the Silver team. Untrauer scored the first takedown of the match to grab the lead, while McElhany scored a quick escape. After a scoreless second period, McElhany recorded an escape to open the third, and took a 3-2 lead after Untrauer's second stall warning of the match. However, Untrauer was able to regain control with a takedown in the final 20 seconds of competition, earning the 4-3 decision.
With the Blue team leading, 6-3, junior captain Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) was ready to put more points on the board for his squad. Taking on sophomore Daniel Baucke (Memphis, Tenn.) in the 149-pound bout, VonOhlen scored a takedown to earn a 2-0 advantage after one period. After another takedown and a second stall warning call against Baucke, VonOhlen led 5-0 going into the final period. His lead grew to 7-0 with a third-period reversal, and with an extra point for riding time, VonOhlen won the 8-0 major decision to give the Blue team a 10-3 advantage.
The 157-pound match was a battle of two veterans, as returning starter and team captain Alec Williams (Sr., Fultondale, Ala.) faced off against sophomore Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.), the Falcons' starter at 149 last season. Kreimier, wrestling for the Silver team, took the early lead, scoring the first takedown of the match, while Williams tied the score at 2-2 with a reversal. However, Kreimier notched a reversal of his own to earn a 4-2 lead after one period. An escape by Williams to start the second period brought him back within a point, but he was unable to score again. Meanwhile, Kreimier scored a takedown and a third-period reversal, earning a 9-3 decision.
At 165 pounds, sophomore Colby Kluesner (Denver, Colo.) and senior Tanner Weltzin (Alexandria, Minn.) wrestled a close match, beginning with a first-period takedown by Weltzin. Kluesner responded with an escape and a takedown of his own to take the lead, while Weltzin scored an escape to tie the bout at 3-3. However, Kluesner scored another takedown to end the opening period, grabbing a 5-3 advantage. Weltzin scored the only point of the second period, earning an escape, but after a scoreless third period, Kluesner had the riding time advantage to win the 6-4 decision for the Blue team.
Trailing in the team scoring, 13-6, the Silver team was looking for a win from Clayton Gable (Jr., Dallastown, Pa.) in the 174-pound bout. The match against freshman Garrett Wells (Corvallis, Ore.) had a slow beginning, with neither wrestler scoring any points in the opening period. However, Gable responded with a pair of two-point near falls in the second period and added three takedowns and an escape in the final period. With over two minutes of riding time, Gable picked up a 12-2 major decision over Wells to bring the Silver team back within three points.
The match between Dalton Henderson (Fr., Owatonna, Minn.) and Greg Isley (So., Toledo, Ohio) at 184 pounds was another exciting bout to watch, with both wrestlers earning takedowns and near falls in the opening period. Isley scored the only takedown of the second period, but with a pair of escapes, Henderson still held the slight edge. After an Isley escape to open the third period, Henderson scored his third takedown of the match. The freshman added a three-point near fall in the waning seconds to earn a 15-10 decision, putting the Blue team ahead, 16-10.
At 197 pounds, sophomore Brook Gosch (Orwigsburg, Pa.), representing the Blue team, took on junior Josh Mohr (Pewaukee, Wis.), competing for the Silver team. Mohr took a 2-1 lead after one period, with a single takedown, and started the second period in the down position. However, with a quick move, Mohr was able to score a fall just 15 seconds into the period, helping the Silver team tie the score at 16-16.
With just one more bout remaining, the heavyweight match would prove to be the deciding factor in the team competition. Wrestling for the Blue team was returning starter Jared Erickson (Jr., Newton, Utah), while Cody Davis (So., The Woodlands, Texas) wrestled up a weight class for the Silver team. Erickson scored the first points of the match with a first-period takedown, and led 2-1 going into the second period. Davis recorded an escape for the only point of the second period, tying the score at 2-2. Erickson took control in the final period, scoring an escape and a takedown, and earned a 6-3 decision over Davis to give the Blue team a 19-16 victory.
The Falcons' season gets to an official start on Nov. 6, when the team travels to Salem, Va., for the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech.
Blue 19, Silver 16
125 Greg Rinker (Silver) dec. Steven Joseph, 1-0
133 Dylan Hyder (Blue) dec. Cody Hancock, 5-0
141 Tyler Untrauer (Blue) dec. Carter McElhany, 4-3
149 Cole VonOhlen (Blue) maj. dec. Daniel Baucke, 8-0
157 Josh Kreimier (Silver) dec. Alec Williams, 9-3
165 Colby Kluesner (Blue) dec. Tanner Weltzin, 6-4
174 Clayton Gable (Silver) maj. dec. Garrett Wells, 12-2
184 Dalton Henderson (Blue) dec. Greg Isley, 15-10
197 Josh Mohr (Silver) fall Brook Gosch, 3:45
HWT Jared Erickson (Blue) dec. Cody Davis, 6-3
Falcons Prepare to Host Annual Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match
USAFA, Colo. - The Air Force wrestling team previews the 2011-12 season on Wednesday, Oct. 26, as it hosts its annual Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match in Clune Arena at 6:30 p.m. The event, which is open to the public and will also be videostreamed at goairforcefalcons.com, will feature 10 bouts to determine the Falcons' starting lineup heading into the season.
Among the competitors in Thursday night's matches are three wrestlers who earned byes to the final round as returning starters in their respective weight classes-Greg Rinker (So., Northampton, Pa.) at 125 pounds, Alec Williams (Sr., Fultondale, Ala.) at 157 pounds and Jared Erickson (Jr., Newton, Utah) at heavyweight. Two-time NCAA qualifier Cole VonOhlen (Jr., Jackson, Minn.) will be moving up to 149 from 141, where he spent his first two seasons, while sophomore Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.), last year's starter at 149 pounds, will battle Williams for the spot at 157 pounds.
The lineup for the Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match is listed below:
Wt.
Blue Team
Silver Team
125
Steven Joseph (Jr., Middleburg, Fla.)
Greg Rinker (So., Northampton, Pa.)
133
Dylan Hyder (Fr., Yelm, Wash.)
Cody Hancock (Fr., Wrightwood, Calif.)
141
Tyler Untrauer (Sr., Midwest City, Okla.)
Carter McElhany (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.)
149
Cole VonOhlen (Jr., Jackson, Minn.)
Daniel Baucke (So., Memphis, Tenn.)
157
Alec Williams (Sr., Fultondale, Ala.)
Josh Kreimier (So., Fort Collins, Colo.)
165
Colby Kluesner (So., Denver, Colo.)
Tanner Weltzin (Sr., Alexandria, Minn.)
174
Garrett Wells (Fr., Corvallis, Ore.)
Clayton Gable (Jr., Dallastown, Pa.)
184
Dalton Henderson (Fr., Owatonna, Minn.)
Greg Isley (So., Toledo, Ohio)
197
Brook Gosch (So., Orwigsburg, Pa.)
Josh Mohr (Jr., Pewaukee, Wis.)
HWT
Jared Erickson (Jr., Newton, Utah)
Cody Davis (So., The Woodlands, Texas)
Coach: Sam Barber
Coach: Bart Horton
Air Force Wrestling Names Captains for 2011-12 Season
USAFA, Colo. - Senior Alec Williams and junior Cole VonOhlen have been named co-captains for the Air Force wrestling team, as announced by head coach Joel Sharratt. Williams, a native of Fultondale, Ala., and VonOhlen, from Jackson, Minn., were voted by their teammates to serve as captains for the 2011-12 season.
Williams has been a three-year starter for the Falcons and posted a career-best 26 victories in 2011-12, one of seven Air Force wrestlers to surpass the 20-win plateau last season. Meanwhile, VonOhlen, a two-time NCAA qualifier, becomes the first underclassman to hold the position of wrestling team captain at the Academy since Jack Black in the 1971-72 season. VonOhlen has recorded 75 career victories in just two seasons, including 44 wins during the 2010-11 campaign.
"The team and staff are encouraged by the signal this leadership duo brings to our program, and the support and leadership they will provide ot their fellow team members," said Sharratt. "The elected role of team captain at a service academy means a lot more than just being center mat for the coin flip; this is a true responsibility and others will be looking to these two great young men for a variety of inputs regarding development on and off the mat!"
Air Force Releases 2011-12 Wrestling Schedule
USAFA, Colo. - The Air Force wrestling team will host the All-Academy Championships for the first time since 2007, highlighting the 2011-12 schedule which also features appearances at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Reno Tournament of Champions and Lone Star Duals. In addition, the Falcons will host Western Wrestling Conference rival Wyoming in their Senior Night competition on Feb. 2.
"I am excited about our 2011-12 schedule," said Air Force head wrestling coach Joel Sharratt. "It gives our athletes the challenges they need to be prepared to reach their goals on a weekly basis and over the course of our season. Several top tournaments will give our guys the national exposure they need to be recognized in the RPI and national coaches' rankings, and that is a key for the Falcon program to increase our number of national qualifiers."
For the fourth straight year, all of the Falcons' home events, including the Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match on Oct. 26, will be held in Clune Arena. Air Force will host its first dual of the season on Jan. 19, when it welcomes WWC foe Utah Valley to the Academy. Just two days later, the Falcons will host a pair of non-conference opponents in Cal Poly and New Mexico Highlands.
Air Force's final home dual of the season is slated for Feb. 2, as it honors its senior class prior to facing WWC rival Wyoming. Meanwhile, the signature event of the Falcons' regular season will be the 18th-annual All-Academy Championships, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 5.
"The institution and staff are excited to be the hosts of the 2012 All-Academy Championships," said Sharratt. "The Air Force Academy will showcase our facilities and program when we host all seven other service academies. This event gives us the opportunity to compete for the All-Academy title and it is such a incredible competition to see these 80 young warriors battle! In this event, every point is earned and battled for-they do not come easy when you are competing in an event like this."
Meanwhile, the Falcons also have a slew of road events, including several open competitions to start the season. Air Force will begin the year at the Hokie Open in Salem, Va., on Nov. 6, followed by trips to the Holiday Inn Open in Kearney, Neb., and the Old Chicago Open in Greeley, Colo., on Nov. 19. Air Force also returns to the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Dec. 2-3, to face some of the top wrestlers in the nation, while heading to the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 18.
Air Force's road duals include visits to Coe College (Jan. 6) and WWC foes Northern Iowa (Jan. 8), North Dakota State (Jan. 27), South Dakota State (Jan. 29) and Northern Colorado (Feb. 19). On Jan. 14, the Falcons head to the Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas, to face some of the top teams in the nation.
Despite having few home matches this season, the coaching staff has minimized the amount of time the cadets spend away from the Academy by eliminating mid-week competitions. "Every year, I meet with my program's leadership, both athletes and coaches," said Sharratt. "I took a new direction with this year's schedule that will keep our guys on campus and in the classroom. It will ease the demands that travel can put on our athletes and allow us as a program to maintain our top 10% APR (Academic Progress Rating) as recognized by the NCAA."
Air Force caps off the season at the NCAA West Regional on March 3, hosted this year by Northern Iowa. The tournament, which doubles as the Western Wrestling Conference Championships, determines which athletes will qualify for the 2012 NCAA Championships, which will be held March 15-17 in St. Louis, Mo.
Air Force Wrestling Looks Ahead to the 2011-12 Season
USAFA, Colo. - On the heels of one of its most successful seasons in recent history, the Air Force wrestling team looks to push for greater improvements during the 2011-12 season. Last year, the Falcons finished third in the Western Wrestling Conference/NCAA West Regional as a team and have lost just three starters from the conference lineup to graduation. This season, Air Force welcomes back a strong group of returners, led by juniors Cole VonOhlen and Clayton Gable, along with sophomore Josh Kreimier.
VonOhlen, a two-time NCAA qualifier, ended his sophomore campaign with a 44-9 overall record, including a 16-1 dual mark, 14 falls and a 6-0 record in Western Wrestling Conference duals. Named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2011 NCAA West Regional, VonOhlen won 20 of 21 matches heading into the NCAA Championships, with none decided by less than eight points. Entering this season with a career ledger of 75-18, VonOhlen will look to be the next Air Force wrestler to reach the NCAA podium in March. As a junior, he is on track to push the Falcons' career win record of 162 matches set by Kevin Hoy from 1999-2003.
Last season, Gable finished second on the team with 27 victories, while earning third-team All-Western Wrestling Conference accolades at 165 pounds. He also earned a victory over a nationally ranked opponent. This year, he is expected to move back up to 174 pounds and should be the front-runner for the starting position there as he looks to earn a spot in St. Louis next March.
Meanwhile, Kreimier had a solid rookie campaign for the Falcons in 2011, staying entrenched in the starting lineup at 149 pounds throughout the season. Kreimier compiled a 25-19 mark on the year and placed in three tournaments during his freshman season, including a third-place finish at the All-Academy Championships in February. He also notched victories over a pair of nationally ranked opponents in his freshman campaign.
The projected starting lineup for the 2011-12 season follows:
125 - Greg Rinker, So., Northampton, Pa.: Posted a 19-7 record in freshman campaign ... earned the Falcons' starting spot at 125 pounds for the NCAA West Regional.
133 - Tyler Untrauer, Sr., Midwest City, Okla.: Compiled a 15-9 overall record at 133 pounds last season, including a 3-2 mark in dual action.
141 - Cole VonOhlen, Jr., Jackson, Minn.: Two-time NCAA qualifier ... notched a nation-leading 44 wins in 2010-11 ... NCAA West Regional champion at 141 pounds and recipient of tournament's Outstanding Wrestler Award.
149 - Josh Kreimier, So., Fort Collins, Colo.: Registered a 25-19 record as the Falcons' starter at 149 pounds during his rookie campaign.
157 - Alec Williams, Sr., Fultondale, Ala.: Compiled the best record of his career, finishing the season with a 26-18 mark as the Falcons' starter at 157 pounds.
165 - Carter Adams, So., Coon Rapids, Minn. - Posted a 13-9 overall record as a freshman, primarily in open competition.
174 - Clayton Gable, Jr., Dallastown, Pa.: Finished second on the team with 27 victories, including 20 wins as the Falcons' starter at 165 pounds ... third-team All-WWC honoree.
184 - Karl Oeser, Sr., Wichita, Kan.: Compiled a 4-3 record on the season, primarily in open competition.
197 - Josh Mohr, Jr., Pewaukee, Wis.: Posted a 14-10 record in 2010-11, primarily at 184 pounds ... registered a 5-1 dual mark as a starter at 184.
285 - Jared Erickson, Jr., Newton, Utah: Earned 23 wins as the starting heavyweight for the Falcons in 2010-11 ... third-team All-WWC honoree.
Other wrestlers expected to make an impact this season include newcomers Dylan Hyder (125) and Carter McElhany (133). Both Hyder and McElhany are two-time state champions and four-time state medalists, hailing from Yelm, Wash., and Colorado Springs, Colo., respectively. At 157 pounds, junior Gabe Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo.) will battle for the starting position, while sophomores Daniel Barringer (Monument, Colo.) and Devin Hightower (Colorado Springs, Colo.) will factor into the competition at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. Meanwhile, sophomore Greg Isley (Toledo, Ohio) returns after a year away from the Academy and will be a likely challenger at 184 pounds.
Four Air Force Wrestlers Named Mountain West Scholar-Athletes
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Four Air Force wrestlers have been named Mountain West Scholar-Athletes for the 2010-11 season, as announced by the league today. Earning the honor this year are rising juniors Jared Erickson and Brandon Mueller, who each earn their second MWC Scholar-Athlete accolades of their careers, and rising sophomores Max Piazza and Jesse Stafford.
Erickson, a native of Newton, Utah, currently holds a 3.60 GPA as a civil engineering major. The Falcons' starting heavyweight and third-team All-Western Wrestling Conference selection was also named to the WWC All-Academic team.
Mueller, a physics major from Greenleaf, Wis., owns the top GPA on the team, carrying a 3.73 grade point average. Piazza (St. Louis, Mo.) and Stafford (Loomis, Calif.), who both have undeclared majors, carry a 3.55 and 3.52 GPA, respectively. Mueller competed in 12 matches over the season, while Piazza saw action in two matches. Meanwhile, Stafford, the recipient of the Falcons' Commitment to Excellence Award for the 2010-11 season, posted 18 victories on the year and was a placewinner at both the Cowboy Open and Kaufman/Brand Open in November.
A total of 581 student-athletes were honored this season, shattering the previous league record of 549 honorees, set in 2008-09. The Mountain West Scholar-Athlete Award is one of the highest academic honors bestowed by the Conference. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least two academic terms at the member institution, while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better, and have participated in varsity competition in an NCAA-sponsored sport.
Air Force Wrestling Announces Incoming Class of 2015
USAFA, Colo. - Air Force wrestling head coach Joel Sharratt announced today the arrival of the Class of 2015. This year's incoming freshman class features 11 wrestlers, including four entries from the Academy Prep School. Featured in the group are four high school state champions and an NCWA All-American.
"We are excited to welcome all our incoming cadet wrestlers in the class of 2015," said Sharratt. "These guys bring in a wealth of talent and accolades that together combine for 27 state placing honors and nine athletes who have more than 100 high school victories in their prep career."
"I am very proud of the effort put forth by the Academy, my staff and these athletes to close out our 2015 recruiting class," continued Sharratt. "The Air Force Academy application process takes a lot of time and effort and so many people play a part of the successful completion of each cadet's application. It is exciting for me to see the way our admissions office worked hand in hand to close out the appointment offers for each of our young men, as well as the yeoman's effort by Trapper Carpenter and Sam Barber to get it done."
"In our effort to add depth at strategic weights we also focused on recruiting the right guys with the right work ethic in our 2015 class," said Sharratt. "In 2011-12 we are looking to raise the level of intensity in all aspects of the program and these young men will have to be ready to battle when we kick things off. They have the talent and we expect them to be ready to meet the challenges ahead of them in our training and competition."
Following is a listing of this year's newcomers, along with a brief summary of their previous athletic accomplishments:
Jack Carda, Pukwana, S.D. - Two-time state medalist, including a runner-up finish … career record of 108-30.
Daniel Cotton, Phoenix, Ariz. - Three-time state medalist, including two runner-up finishes … career record of 117-10.
Jeremy Delzer, Altus, Okla. - Three-time state medalist, including a runner-up finish.
Cody Hancock, Phelan, Calif. - Attended the Academy Prep School … finished in the top 12 in the state in 2010 … career record of 160-41.
Joshua Hastings, Pleasant Hill, Mo. - Three-time state medalist, including two runner-up finishes … career record of 148-33.
Dalton Henderson, Owatonna, Minn. - Attended the Academy Prep School … three-time state medalist … state champion … career record of 143-29 … All-American at NCWA Nationals in 2011, finishing as runner-up.
Dylan Hyder, Yelm, Wash. - Four-time state medalist … two-time state champion … fifth-place at NHSCA Junior Nationals in 2010 … career record of 124-11.
Roger Jones II, Brandon, Fla. - Attended the Academy Prep School … state qualifier at 135 pounds in 2010 … career record of 103-32.
Elijah Levee, Mandeville, La. - Four-time state champion … career record of 205-31 … 129 career falls.
Carter McElhany, Colorado Springs, Colo. - Four-time state medalist … two-time state champion … 2008 USA Wrestling All-American … career record of 157-8.
Garrett Wells, Corvallis, Ore. - Attended the Academy Prep School … placed fourth in state in 2010 … compiled a season record of 37-5 … two-time conference champion.
Air Force Wrestling Class of 2015
Name Hometown (High School)
Jack Carda Pukwana, S.D. (Kimball/White Lake HS)
Daniel Cotton Phoenix, Ariz. (Sandra Day O'Connor HS)
Jeremy Delzer Altus, Okla. (Altus HS)
Cody Hancock Phelan, Calif. (Martin Luther King HS/AFA Prep)
Joshua Hastings Pleasant Hill, Mo. (Pleasant Hills HS)
Dalton Henderson Owatonna, Minn. (Owatonna HS/AFA Prep)
Dylan Hyder Yelm, Wash. (Yelm HS)
Roger Jones II Brandon, Fla. (Brandon HS/AFA Prep)
Elijah Levee Mandeville, La. (Mandeville HS)
Carter McElhany Colorado Springs, Colo. (Coronado HS)
Garrett Wells Corvallis, Ore. (Crescent Valley HS/AFA Prep)
Sixteen Falcons Earn WWC Academic Honors
OREM, Utah - Three Air Force wrestlers have been named to the Western Wrestling Conference All-Academic Team, as announced by the league today. Meanwhile, 13 other Falcons were named to the Coaches' Honor Roll for the 2010-11 season.
This year's WWC academic awards will honor a total of 71 student-athletes from the seven conference schools. For the third-straight season, Air Force has the most academic honorees of any conference institution.
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 honors 18 student-athletes. Meanwhile, the Coaches' Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes who have maintained a 3.0 grade point average. This year's Coaches' Honor Roll is comprised of 53 WWC student-athletes.
Named to the WWC All-Academic Team for Air Force were seniors Neil Delaney (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Kazden Ikehara (Mililani, Hawaii) and sophomore Jared Erickson (Newton, Utah). Delaney, a two-year starter at 197 pounds, received the third WWC All-Academic nod of his career. The systems engineering management major graduated last week with a 3.42 GPA.
Ikehara, a starter at 184 pounds this season, earns his first WWC All-Academic honor after being named to the Coaches' Honor Roll for the past two seasons. Also a systems engineering management major, Ikehara graduated last week with a 3.23 GPA. Meanwhile, starting heavyweight Erickson, a Coaches' Honor Roll selection last season, currently holds a 3.60 GPA in civil engineering.
In addition, earning spots on the Coaches' Honor Roll for Air Force were Dan Barringer (Fr., Monument, Colo.), Daniel Baucke (Fr., Memphis, Tenn.), Caleb Egli (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.), Evan Gros (Fr., Lake Orion, Mich.), Vance Hawk (Fr., Ridgway, Colo.), Devin Hightower (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.), Josh Larson (Sr., Windsor, Colo.), Colby Kluesner (Fr., Denver, Colo.), Brandon Mueller (So., Greenleaf, Wis.), Daniel Nissen (So., Denver, Colo.), Max Piazza (Fr., St. Louis, Mo.), Mengyuan Qiu (Jr., Glendale, Ariz.) and Jesse Stafford (Fr., Loomis, Calif.).
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.
2010-11 WWC All-Academic Team
Cole Dallaserra (UW), 149, Sr., 3.48 GPA, Rangeland Ecology
Neil Delaney (AF), 197, Sr., 3.42 GPA, Systems Engineering Management
Casen Eldredge (UVU), 184, Sr., 3.30 GPA, Business Management
Jared Erickson (AF), HWT, So., 3.60 GPA, Civil Engineering
Kazden Ikehara (AF), 184, Sr., 3.23 GPA, Systems Engineering Management
Tyler Johnson (NDSU), 165, Jr., 4.00 GPA, Biological Sciences
Tyler Johnson (SDSU), 141, So., 3.397 GPA, Manufacturing Engineering
Will Johnson (NDSU), HWT, So., 3.46 GPA, University Studies
Joe LeBlanc (UW), 184, Jr., 3.34 GPA, Kinesiology
David Michaud (SDSU), 184, Jr., 3.368 GPA, Journalism
Justin Morrill (UVU), 141, Sr., 3.57 GPA, Speech Communication
Joe O'Farrell (UW), HWT, Jr., 3.62 GPA, Finance
Aaron Pickrel (SDSU), 125, So., 3.856 GPA, Biology/Pre-Medicine
Flint Ray (UVU), 133, Sr., 3.69 GPA, Business Management
Vince Salminen (NDSU), 157, Sr., 3.21 GPA, Construction Management
Justin Solberg (NDSU), 133, Jr., 3.52 GPA, Business Administration
Trent Sprenkle (NDSU), 125, So., 3.72 GPA, Undecided
Josh Wilson (UVU), 149, So., 3.70 GPA, Accounting
2010-11 WWC Coaches' Honor Roll
Riley Banach (UNI); Dan Barringer (AF); Daniel Baucke (AF); Joe Brewster (SDSU); Christian Denny (UVU); Shane Doughman (UW); Bryce Drefke (SDSU); Jake Eitzen (UW); Caleb Egli (AF); Avery Garner (UVU); Evan Gros (AF); John Gusewelle (NDSU); Nash Hallfrisch (NDSU); Jimmy Hamilton (SDSU); Vance Hawk (AF); Alfonso Hernandez (UW); Devin Hightower (AF); Zac Jensen (UVU); Joe Johnson (UNI); Paul Johnson (NDSU); Brandon Kammerzell (UNC); Kevin Kelly (SDSU); Taylor Kettman (UNI); Ben Kjar (UVU); Josh Larson (AF); Colby Kluesner (AF); Ryan Loder (UNI); Rex Lyon (SDSU); Eric McAllister (UVU); Charlie McMartin (UNC); Sam Mecham (UVU); Seth Moe (SDSU); Kenny Moenkedick (NDSU); Brandon Mueller (AF); John Nething II (SDSU); Daniel Nissen (AF); Kevin O'Brien (UNC); Tyler Palmer (SDSU); Leland Pfeifer (UW); Max Piazza (AF); Michael Poulos (Wyoming); Mengyuan Qiu (AF); Joe Rasmussen (SDSU); Wyatt Ray (UVU); Brandon Richardson (UW); Monte Schmalhaus (UVU); Jesse Stafford (AF); Robert Stroh (UW); Glenn Terrano (UVU); Tony Vaske (SDSU); Tyler Wells (NDSU); Logan Wilson (UVU); Andrew Youngblom (SDSU)
Air Force's Cole VonOhlen Wraps Up Competition at NCAA Championships
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - On Friday, Air Force sophomore Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) saw his season come to an end in the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, being held at the Wells Fargo Center. VonOhlen split a pair of matches on the second day of competition to finish the tournament with a 2-2 mark.
VonOhlen began the day in a second-round consolation match versus Boise State's Levi Jones. Jones scored a pair of takedowns to take a 4-2 advantage after one period, but VonOhlen's second-period takedown tied the bout at 4-4. VonOhlen pulled away in the final period, earning a reversal, a pair of near falls and an extra point for riding time to grab the 12-4 major decision.
Advancing to the next round in the consolation bracket, VonOhlen found himself in a rematch versus Oregon State's Michael Mangrum. The two wrestlers split a pair of contests earlier this season, with Mangrum earning a dual win, while VonOhlen posted a tournament victory. After a scoreless opening period, Mangrum was first to get on the board, registering a reversal and a two-point near fall to take a 4-0 lead into the final period.
While VonOhlen escaped from the down position to open the third period, Mangrum scored another takedown, which would prove to be the match winner. VonOhlen was able to score a reversal and held on to earn the time advantage, but came up short in the 6-4 loss.
VonOhlen's performance this week capped off a stellar season, as the sophomore finished the year with a 44-9 overall record. His 44 wins rank first in Division I this season and are the most by an Air Force wrestler since the 2003 season when Kevin Hoy finished as the national runner-up at heavyweight.
Six Air Force Falcons Earn All-WWC Honors
OREM, Utah - Six Air Force wrestlers have been named to the 2010-11 Western Wrestling Conference all-conference team, as announced by the league Monday evening. Individuals earned their spots on the respective teams with their finish at the 2011 NCAA West Regional on March 6 at the Air Force Academy.
Earning first-team all-conference honors for the Falcons was sophomore Cole VonOhlen, while senior captain Joseph Stafford garned second-team all-conference honors. In addition, Derek Gillespie, Clayton Gable, Neil Delaney and Jared Erickson were each named All-WWC third-team selections.
VonOhlen, a second-team all-conference honoree as a freshman, earned first-team honors with a dominant performance at the NCAA West Regional, taking the title at 141 pounds. A native of Jackson, Minn., VonOhlen was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the regional tournament, recording a fall and a pair of technical falls without allowing his opponents to score a single point. VonOhlen, who holds a 42-7 overall record on the year, will be competing in this week's NCAA Championships as the ninth seed in the 141-pound bracket.
Stafford, a native of Loomis, Calif., earns the first all-conference honors of his career after claiming second place at 174 pounds at this year's West Regional. Stafford closed out the year with a career-best 22-14 overall record, one of seven Air Force wrestlers to post more than 20 wins this season.
Gillespie, a senior from Chesapeake, Va., received the second all-conference honors of his career, finishing third at 133 pounds for the second-straight season. With a 2-1 record at the West Regional, Gillespie ended the season with a 19-13 overall record.
Gable, the Falcons' third-place finisher at 165 pounds, put together a 3-1 record at the regional, recording a technical fall and a pair of falls. The sophomore from Dallastown, Pa., ended the season with a 27-14 overall record, ranking second on the team in total wins.
At 197 pounds, Delaney earned the first all-conference accolades of his career, taking third place in his weight class with a 3-1 record. A senior from Grand Rapids, Mich., Delaney also surpassed the 20-win threshold for the year, finishing the season with a 21-15 overall ledger
Finally, Erickson, a sophomore heavyweight from Newton, Utah, garnered all-conference accolades with his third-place regional finish. Erickson, who posted a 2-1 record during the tournament, finished the year with a 23-17 overall mark.
Wyoming and Northern Iowa led the conference with seven all-conference selections each, with the Cowboys boasting a league-best five first-team honorees. Northern Iowa added two first-team selections, while Air Force, North Dakota State and Utah Valley each had one spot on the first team. The Falcons' six all-league honorees ranked behind the top-two teams, while the Wolverines garnered four all-conference selections. Each WWC school had at least one individual on the all-conference squads.
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 and Wyoming.
2011 WWC All-Conference Team
125 - First Team: Michael Martinez (Wyoming); Second Team: Caleb Flores (UNI); Third Team: Ben Kjar (UVU)
133 - First Team: Flint Ray (Utah Valley); Second Team: Casey Cruz (UNC); Third Team: Derek Gillespie (Air Force)
141 - First Team: Cole VonOhlen (Air Force); Second Team: Justin Morrill (UVU); Third Team: Joey Lazor (UNI)
149 - First Team: Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming); Second Team: Brett Robbins (UNI); Third Team: Justin Gaethje (UNC)
157 - First Team: Vince Salminen (NDSU); Second Team: David Bonin (UNI); Third Team: Nick Flynn (SDSU)
165 - First Team: Shane Onufer (Wyoming); Second Team: Steven Monk (NDSU); Third Team: Clayton Gable (Air Force)
174 - First Team: Patrick Martinez (Wyoming); Second Team: Joseph Stafford (Air Force); Third Team: Brad Darrington (UVU)
184 - First Team: Ryan Loder (UNI); Second Team: Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming); Third Team: Kenny Moenkedick (SDSU)
197 - First Team: LJ Helbig (Wyoming); Second Team: Andy O'Loughlin (UNI); Third Team: Neil Delaney (Air Force)
285 - First Team: Christian Brantley (UNI); Second Team: Matthew McLaughlin (Wyoming); Third Team: Jared Erickson (Air Force)
Air Force Defeats Northern Colorado, 24-13, on Senior Night
USAFA, Colo. - In its final dual meet of the season, the Air Force wrestling team captured a 24-13 win over Western Wrestling Conference rival Northern Colorado Friday night at Clune Arena. With the victory, the Falcons close out the regular season with a 12-5 overall record and 3-3 mark in the WWC. Meanwhile, the Bears drop to 2-12 overall, 1-5 in the conference.
The Bears won the first two matches of the dual, earning decisions at 125 and 133 pounds to take a 6-0 advantage in the team scoring. A forfeit victory for 11th-ranked Cole VonOhlen (So., Jackson, Minn.) at 141 pounds put the Falcons on the board, but Northern Colorado's Justin Gaethje, ranked 19th in the country, won a 20-6 major decision at 149 pounds to push the Bears back ahead, 10-6.
At 157 pounds, junior Alec Williams (Fultondale, Ala.) trailed 6-2 after two periods, but took control in the final period, earning a 9-7 decision over Tanner Weiks. Sophomore Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.) made it two wins in a row for the Falcons, capturing a 6-2 win against Brandon Kammerzell in the 165-pound match, while senior captain Joseph Stafford (Loomis, Calif.) took the mat for the Falcons at 174 pounds, notching a 5-3 decision over Cody McAninch to give Air Force a 15-10 advantage.
While Northern Colorado scored a decision at 184 pounds to get back within two points in the team scoring, senior Neil Delaney (Grand Rapids, Mich.) followed up with a win over Nick Bayer at 197 pounds. The score was tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation before Delaney scored the only takedown of the match 39 seconds into the sudden victory period.
With Air Force leading by five points going into the final match, sophomore heavyweight Jared Erickson (Newton, Utah) helped the Falcons cement their Senior Night win. Leading 4-3 in the third period against Konner Knudtson, Erickson recorded his seventh fall of the season in a time of 6:30 to bring the final team score to 24-13.
The Falcons will now prepare to host the 2011 NCAA West Regional, which will be held March 6 in Clune Arena. Air Force and the six other schools in the Western Wrestling Conference will compete to earn bids to this year's NCAA Championships.
Air Force 24, Northern Colorado 13
125 Sam Bauer (UNC) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 7-5
133 Casey Cruz (UNC) dec. Derek Gillespie, 10-3
141 No. 11 Cole VonOhlen (AF) win by forfeit
149 No. 19 Justin Gaethje (UNC) maj. dec. Josh Kreimier, 20-6
157 Alec Williams (AF) dec. Tanner Weiks, 9-7
165 Clayton Gable (AF) dec. Brandon Kammerzell, 6-2
174 Joseph Stafford (AF) dec. Cody McAninch, 5-3
184 Eric Brennan (UNC) dec. Kazden Ikehara, 3-0
197 Neil Delaney (AF) dec. Nick Bayer, 3-1 (SV)
285 Jared Erickson (AF) fall Konner Knudtsen, 6:30
Air Force Wrestling Head Coach Joel Sharratt to Be Inducted Into MWCA Hall of Fame
BENSON, Minn. - Air Force wrestling head coach Joel Sharratt has been selected for induction into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Sharratt, who is being inducted as an athlete, is one of eight individuals to receive the honor for 2011.
The induction, which will be held April 9 in Benson, Minn., will also include John Barrett (Athlete), Jim Carrington (Contributor), Jim Dotseth (Coach), Jeff Gallagher (Coach), Ed Homan (Contributor), Stephen "Pete" Saxe (Athlete) and Bruce Thompson (Athlete).
A native of Bloomington, Minn., Sharratt wrestled for Bloomington-Kennedy High School, winning two state AA titles (1989-90) and earning a third-place finish (1990). He then went on to the University of Iowa, Sharratt was a three-time All-American, earning three trips to the NCAA Finals, winning the championship in 1994.
Training under the tutelage of legendary coach Dan Gable during his college career, Sharratt led his team to the 1995 Big Ten and NCAA titles, winning the Big Ten individual championship that season. Sharratt also competed as a member of the 1993 and 1994 Big Ten Championship teams, as well as the 1992 and 1994 NCAA Championship teams.
Following his college career, Sharratt was a two-time member of the U.S. National Team, earning the bronze medal at both the 1996 Olympic Trials and 1997 Pan American Championships.
Now in his fifth year at the helm of the Falcons' program, Sharratt was named the Western Wrestling Conference Coach of the Year during the 2007-08 season. This year, Sharratt has already guided Air Force to 11 wins, marking the Falcons' highest win total since the 2001-02 season.
Prior to arriving at Air Force, Sharratt spent six seasons as the head assistant wrestling coach Navy, while working as an assistant coach at Lehigh from 1996-98. He also served as a graduate assistant at the University of Minnesota, where he earned his master's degree in sports administration in 2000 and was a graduate assistant at his alma mater during the 1995-96 season.
Air Force Splits Pair of Home Duals
USAFA, Colo. - Competing in two home dual meets on Sunday afternoon, the Air Force wrestling team dropped a 25-12 decision to Western Wrestling Conference foe Northern Iowa before rolling to a 43-3 win over New Mexico Highlands. After Sunday's dual, the Falcons move to 11-5 overall on the season and 2-3 in the WWC.
Air Force got out to a strong start against Northern Iowa, winning the first two bouts of the dual. Senior Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) opened up the action at 133 pounds, earning an 8-5 decision over Ryan Jauch. Meanwhile, the Falcons increased the team margin to 8-0 following a 16-0 technical fall by 11th-ranked Cole VonOhlen (So., Jackson, Minn.) at 141 pounds.
The Panthers (11-9, 4-0) got on the board by winning a close 10-8 decision at 149 pounds, while 19th-ranked David Bonin brought UNI within a point in the team scoring with a major decision at 157 pounds. However, the Falcons were able to extend their advantage to 12-7 following an 18-4 major decision from sophomore Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.) in the 165-pound match.
Northern Iowa regained the team lead with wins in the next two weight classes, including a tech fall from No. 7 Ryan Loder at 184 pounds. With close losses in the 197-pound and heavyweight matches, Air Force was unable to regain its lead, eventually losing the 25-12 decision.
The Falcons were able to rebound from their loss with a dominant win over New Mexico Highlands, which entered the match looking for its first dual victory of the year. Gillespie earned his second win of the day with a major decision at 133 pounds, while VonOhlen, Josh Kreimier (Fr., Fort Collins, Colo.) and Alec Williams (Jr., Fultondale, Ala.) followed with consecutive falls. Gable scored a decision at 165 pounds, while team captain Joseph Stafford (Sr., Loomis, Calif.) registered the Falcons' fourth fall of the match.
Air Force also received a major decision from Kazden Ikehara (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii) at 184 pounds, a tech fall from Josh Mohr (So., Pewaukee, Wis.) at 197 pounds and a decision from Jared Erickson (So., Newton, Utah) before suffering their first and only loss of the evening in the 125-pound bout.
The Falcons close out the regular season on Friday, Feb. 18, when they host Northern Colorado in a Western Wrestling Conference dual. Prior to the match, which is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. in Clune Arena, Air Force will honor the eight members of its senior class.
Northern Iowa 25, Air Force 12
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) dec. Ryan Jauch, 8-5
141 No. 11 Cole VonOhlen (AF) tech fall Joey Lazor, 16-0 (3:54)
149 Brett Robbins (UNI) dec. Josh Kreimier, 10-8
157 No. 19 David Bonin (UNI) maj. dec. Alec Williams, 14-6
165 Clayton Gable (AF) maj. dec. Trevor Kittleson, 18-4
174 Brice Wolf (UNI) dec. Joseph Stafford, 7-2
184 No. 7 Ryan Loder (UNI) tech fall Kazden Ikehara, 15-0 (5:27)
197 Andy O'Loughlin (UNI) dec. Josh Mohr, 6-4
285 Blayne Beale (UNI) dec. Jared Erickson, 8-6
125 Caleb Flores (UNI) maj. dec. Tyler Spangler, 14-5
Air Force 43, New Mexico Highlands 3
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) maj. dec. Donovan Troup, 12-2
141 No. 11 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Daniel Perales, 0:39
149 Josh Kreimier (AF) fall Mariano Montoya, 0:58
157 Alec Williams (AF) fall Trey Saxon, 6:23
165 Clayton Gable (AF) dec. Travis Saxon, 5-0
174 Joseph Stafford (AF) fall Brad Morgan, 2:58
184 Kazden Ikehara (AF) maj. dec. Andrew Roden, 11-0
197 Josh Mohr (AF) tech fall Joseph Zambarano, 17-2 (3:20)
285 Jared Erickson (AF) dec. Louis Thornton, 3-1
125 Joshua Christopher (NMHU) dec. Tyler Spangler, 10-4
Air Force Edged by Utah Valley in WWC Action
OREM, Utah. - In a back-and-forth dual meet that came down to the last bout, the Air Force wrestling team fell to Utah Valley, 23-20, Friday evening. With the loss, the Falcons drop to 10-4 overall on the year and 2-2 in the Western Wrestling Conference, while the Wolverines improve to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the league.
With the dual starting at 133 pounds, Utah Valley got out to an early 6-0 lead with a first-period fall by 13th-ranked Flint Ray. However, Air Force tied the score in the next match, as 11th-ranked Cole VonOhlen (So., Jackson, Minn.) got a fall of his own, pinning Justin Morrill in a time of 2:48.
The Wolverines regained their lead by winning a decision at 149 pounds, while Air Force took its first advantage of the dual as junior Alec Williams (Fultondale, Ala.) recorded a 13-5 major decision in the 157-pound bout. However, Utah Valley earned a technical fall at 165 pounds to take a 14-10 advantage in the team scoring.
Back-to-back decisions at 174 and 184 pounds gave Air Force the lead once more, as seniors Joseph Stafford (Loomis, Calif.) and Kazden Ikehara (Mililani, Hawaii) earned 6-4 and 6-1 victories, respectively. The Wolverines responded with a 3-1 sudden victory at 197 pounds, earning a 17-16 advantage with just two matches remaining.
In the heavyweight matchup, sophomore Jared Erickson (Newton, Utah) gave the Falcons a boost, scoring a 10-2 major decision to give Air Force the 20-17 lead with just one bout left. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Utah Valley senior Ben Kjar, ranked 13th in the nation at 125 pounds, gave a clutch performance in his final home dual, recording a fall to give the Wolverines the three-point victory.
The Falcons now return home for their last three dual meets of the season, beginning with a double-header in Clune Arena on Sunday, Feb. 13. Air Force will host Northern Iowa in a WWC match-up at 2:00 p.m., followed by a dual versus New Mexico Highlands at 4:00 p.m. Admission for both duals is free.
Utah Valley 23, Air Force 20
133 No. 13 Flint Ray (UVU) fall Derek Gillespie, 2:51
141 No. 11 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Justin Morrill, 2:48
149 Josh Wilson (UVU) dec. Josh Kreimier, 5-2
157 Alec Williams (AF) maj. dec. Richard Winger, 13-5
165 Jeb Clark (UVU) tech fall Clayton Gable, 15-0 (6:59)
174 Joseph Stafford (AF) dec. Brad Darrington, 6-4
184 Kazden Ikehara (AF) dec. Casen Eldredge, 6-1
197 Trevor Rupp (UVU) dec. Neil Delaney, 3-1 (SV)
285 Jared Erickson (AF) maj. dec. Christian Denny, 10-2
125 No. 13 Ben Kjar (UVU) fall Tyler Spangler, 1:41
Air Force Defeats North Dakota State in WWC Opener
USAFA, Colo. - In a thrilling dual that came down to the last match, the Air Force wrestling team earned a 22-19 victory over North Dakota State Friday evening in Clune Arena. The Falcons, competing in their first Western Wrestling Conference dual of the season, improved to 9-2 overall on the year and 1-0 in the WWC, while the Bison fall to 7-3, 1-2 in the conference.
The Falcons, who have already posted nine dual victories for just the second time in the past eight seasons, have gotten out to their best start since the 1992-93 season, when Air Force compiled a 10-1 dual record.
Air Force trailed by three points in the team scoring with one bout remaining-the 141-pound match-up between the Falcons' Cole VonOhlen (So., Jackson, Minn.) and the Bison's Trevor Johnson. VonOhlen needed to score at least a decision to tie the match, while a win with bonus points would give the Falcons the team victory.
The first points of the bout went to Johnson, who scored an early takedown, but VonOhlen quickly turned things around. After an escape and a takedown of his own, VonOhlen was able to get the fall in a time of 1:48 to seal the dual win for Air Force. With the win, VonOhlen, ranked as eighth in some polls, earned his 30th victory of the season, moving to 10-1 in dual action.
North Dakota State held the early lead in the dual, winning a pair of close decisions at 149 and 157 pounds to start the match. Air Force's first individual win came at 165 pounds, as sophomore Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.) scored a 12-4 major decision over Tyler Johnson to bring the Falcons within two points. Meanwhile, senior captain Joseph Stafford (Loomis, Calif.) gave Air Force its first lead of the evening, earning a 16-0 technical fall over Mac Stoll at 174 pounds.
The Falcons' lead was short-lived, as the Bison won the next two matches, scoring a major decision at 184 pounds and a decision at 197 pounds. However, sophomore Jared Erickson (Newton, Utah) responded with a 2-0 decision in the heavyweight bout to bring Air Force back within one point in the team scoring.
The Bison stretched out their lead, as 17th-ranked Trent Sprenkle registered a fall in the 125-pound match to put NDSU ahead 19-12. Down by seven points with two weight classes remaining, Air Force needed wins in both of its last two matches. Senior Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) did his part to keep the Falcons alive in the team competition, controlling the action in his 133-pound match-up against Justin Solberg. Gillespie earned an 11-3 major decision over Solberg to ease the pressure going into the final bout.
The Falcons are back in action tomorrow with another WWC dual, hosting South Dakota State at 7:05 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Air Force 22, North Dakota State 19
149 Mark Erickson (NDSU) dec. Josh Kreimier, 7-5
157 Vince Salminen (NDSU) dec. Alec Williams, 5-4
165 Clayton Gable (AF) maj. dec. Tyler Johnson, 12-4
174 Joseph Stafford (AF) tech fall Mac Stoll, 16-1 (7:00)
184 Kenny Moenkedick (NDSU) maj. dec. Kazden Ikehara, 9-0
197 Drew Ross (NDSU) dec. Neil Delaney, 4-1
285 Jared Erickson (AF) dec. Will Johnson, 2-0
125 No. 17 Trent Sprenkle (NDSU) fall Tyler Spangler, 4:42
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) maj. dec. Justin Solberg, 11-3
141 No. 10 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Trevor Johnson, 1:48
Air Force Wins Two at Cal Baptist Duals
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Recording a combined 10 falls, the Air Force wrestling team rolled to a pair of team victories at the Cal Baptist Duals on Saturday. The Falcons opened the day with a 43-3 win over the host Lancers, while defeating Menlo, 43-9, to close out the afternoon.
Against the host Lancers, the Falcons (8-2) won nine of 10 bouts, including five wins by fall. Senior Andrew Zwirlein (Nashotah, Wis.) opened the dual with a pin in his 125-pound match, while Derek Gillespie (Sr., Chesapeake, Va.) earned a major decision at 133 pounds. Tenth-ranked Cole VonOhlen (So., Jackson, Minn.) and freshman Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.) added to Air Force's team score with pins at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively, before Cal Baptist earned its only win of the match with a decision at 157 pounds.
The Falcons recorded pins in their next two matches, with Clayton Gable (So., Dallastown, Pa.) and Joseph Stafford (Sr., Loomis, Calif.) notching falls at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. The last three weight classes were won by decision, with Kazden Ikehara (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii), Neil Delaney (Sr., Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Jared Erickson (So., Newton, Utah) earning wins.
In its match against Menlo, ranked 10th in the NAIA, Air Force again had several strong performances. While the Oaks took the early lead with a decision at 125 pounds, Gillespie tied the score with a 12-6 decision at 133 pounds. The Falcons earned their first team lead of the match with VonOhlen's second fall of the day and never looked back. Air Force won the next six bouts before Menlo closed out the dual with a pin in the heavyweight match.
Kreimier, Gable, Stafford and Delaney each notched a fall against Menlo, while sophomore Josh Mohr (Pewaukee, Wis.) added a major decision at 184 pounds. Also scoring for the Falcons in the match was junior Alec Williams (Fultondale, Ala.), who was awarded a forfeit victory at 157 pounds.
The Falcons open up their conference dual slate next weekend, Jan. 27, when they host North Dakota State at 7:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
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Air Force 43, Cal Baptist 3
125 Andrew Zwirlein (AF) fall Jimmy Martinez, 6:12
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) maj. dec. Landon Saldana, 16-5
141 No. 10 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Ethan Hall, 1:37
149 Josh Kreimier (AF) fall Dylan Cataline, 3:47
157 Chris Santana (CBU) dec. Alec Williams, 8-4
165 Clayton Gable (AF) fall Bronson Gerl, 6:35
174 Joseph Stafford (AF) fall Kenneth Tribble, 4:06
184 Kazden Ikehara (AF) dec. Bryce Wilson, 7-2
197 Neil Delaney (AF) dec. Anthony Meza, 10-4
285 Jared Erickson (AF) dec. Alex Evers, 10-4
Air Force 43, Menlo 9
125 Jason Moorhouse (MC) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 3-2
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) dec. Jake Medeiros, 12-6
141 No. 10 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Eric Garcia, 1:30
149 Josh Kreimier (AF) fall Mike Lopez, 0:56
157 Alec Williams (AF) win by forfeit
165 Clayton Gable (AF) fall Adam Obad, 1:28
174 Joseph Stafford (AF) fall Greg Alvarez, 4:48
184 Josh Mohr (AF) maj. dec. Hanna Malak, 16-4
197 Neil Delaney (AF) fall Ali Bannout, 6:22
285 Leonard Romero (MC) fall Jared Erickson, 6:44
Air Force Wraps Up Competition at Lone Star Duals
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The Air Force wrestling team posted a 3-1 record at the Lone Star Duals on Saturday, defeating Brown, Arizona State and Wayland Baptist, while falling to No. 19 American.
In its first match-up of the day, Air Force (5-2) won seven of nine contested bouts and picked up a forfeit win to earn a 36-6 victory over Brown. The Bears took an early 3-0 lead with a win at 125 pounds, but wins in the next three weight classes put Air Force ahead 10-3. After another Brown victory at 157 pounds, the Falcons closed out the match with five straight wins, including falls by Josh Mohr (So., Pewaukee, Wis.) and Jared Erickson (So., Newton, Utah) at 184 and 285 pounds, respectively.
Leading the other winners for Air Force were senior Joseph Stafford (Loomis, Calif.), who earned a 17-2 technical fall at 157 pounds, and 10th-ranked Cole VonOhlen (So., Jackson, Minn.), who picked up a 9-1 major decision at 141 pounds. In addition, Derek Gillespie (Sr., Chesapeake, Va.), Josh Kreimier (Fr., Fort Collins, Colo.) and Clayton Gable (So., Dallastown, Pa.) won decisions at 133, 149 and 165 pounds, respectively, while Neil Delaney (Sr., Grand Rapids, Mich.) was credited with a forfeit victory at 197 pounds.
Against Arizona State, ranked eighth in the latest Intermat poll, the Falcons won three individual bouts and added a pair of forfeit victories to pull off the 26-23 win. Gillespie gave Air Force its first win of the dual meet, a 9-3 decision at 133 pounds, while VonOhlen scored a technical fall at 141 pounds. Kreimier added a fall in the 149-pound match, as the Falcons grabbed a 14-5 advantage in the team scoring. With forfeit victories at 157 and 197 pounds, Air Force was able to hold on for the team win, despite four more individual wins by the Sun Devils.
In its third dual of the day, Air Force rolled to a 55-0 victory over Wayland Baptist, scoring seven falls in nine contested bouts. Senior Andrew Zwirlein (Nashotah, Wis.) opened the match with a 14-6 major decision at 125 pounds, while Tyler Untrauer (Jr., Midwest City, Okla.), VonOhlen, Kreimier, Williams, Gable and Stafford followed with consecutive pins. Kazden Ikehara (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii) notched a 7-4 decision at 184 pounds, while Erickson closed out the match with a fall in the heavyweight bout, following a WBU forfeit at 197.
The Falcons closed out the day with a close 23-17 loss to 19th-ranked American. The Eagles, who are also ranked eighth in the nation by Intermat, won the first two weight classes before VonOhlen put Air Force on the board with a dominating 19-3 technical fall over No. 15 Matt Mariacher. Gable added a win at 165 pounds, pulling out a 6-5 decision, while Mohr registered a 13-8 decision at 184 pounds. In addition, Erickson picked up six team points with a forfeit victory at heavyweight.
Also on Saturday, the Falcons sent another group of wrestlers to the Borah Duals, where they faced CSU-Pueblo, Western State and Mesa State. Air Force picked up an 18-17 win over CSU-Pueblo, while falling to host Western State, 36-7, and Mesa State, 34-12.
In the dual between Air Force and CSU-Pueblo, both teams earned a technical fall and four decisions, but the Falcons were awarded a team penalty point to capture the team victory. Sophomore Tyler Spangler (Midlothian, Va.) led the way for Air Force, recording a technical fall in his first action of the season, while freshmen Greg Rinker (Northampton, Pa.), Daniel Baucke (Memphis, Tenn.), Jarret Hoeppner (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Carter Adams (Coon Rapids, Minn.) each added wins at 125, 149, 165 and 174 pounds, respectively.
Air Force won just two matches against the host Mountaineers, who are currently rated fourth in the Division II team rankings. Baucke recorded a 10-2 major decision over WSC's Justin Keys, while Adams added a 9-7 decision over Cody Frankum. The Falcons also picked up a pair of individual wins against Mesa State, with Rinker and Garrett Manley (Fr., Toledo, Ohio) recording falls at 125 and 149 pounds, respectively.
Air Force returns to action next weekend, Jan. 21-22, when they head to the West Coast for three dual meets. The Falcons will visit Cal State Fullerton on Friday night, then take part in the Cal Baptist Duals on Saturday versus Cal Baptist and Menlo.
LONE STAR DUALS
Air Force 36, Brown 6
125 Billy Watterson (BU) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 6-4
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) dec. Cort Choate, 5-3
141 No. 10 Cole VonOhlen (AF) maj. dec. C.J. Howard, 9-1
149 Josh Kreimier (AF) dec. Giuseppi Lanzi, 7-6
157 Pat Labuz dec. Alec Williams, 6-3
165 Clayton Gable (AF) dec. Jeff Lemmer, 3-0
174 Joseph Stafford (AF) tech fall Brandon Vorrius, 17-2
184 Josh Mohr (AF) fall Ziad Kharbush, 6:18
197 Neil Delaney (AF) win by forfeit
285 Jared Erickson (AF) fall Caleb Blaney, 3:46
Air Force 26, Arizona State 23
125 No. 3 Anthony Robles (ASU) tech fall Andrew Zwirlein, 16-0
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) dec. David Prado, 9-3
141 No. 10 Cole VonOhlen (AF) tech fall Kalin Goodsite, 16-0
149 Josh Kreimier (AF) fall Taihei Fukumoto, 2:08
157 Alec Williams (AF) win by forfeit
165 Tee Edwards (ASU) dec. Clayton Gable, 7-2
174 Joseph Stafford (AF) win by forfeit
184 Jake Meredith (ASU) dec. Kazden Ikehara, 10-3
197 Luke Macchiaroli (ASU) fall Cody Davis, 2:20
285 Levi Cooper (ASC) fall Jared Erickson, 6:57
Air Force 55, Wayland Baptist 0
125 Andrew Zwirlein (AF) maj. dec. Richard Leal, 14-6
133 Tyler Untrauer (AF) fall Shane Wilkinson, 4:15
141 No. 10 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Paz Acosta, 1:17
149 Josh Kreimier (AF) fall Michael Gerber, 1:44
157 Alec Williams (AF) fall Aaron Rios, 3:25
165 Clayton Gable (AF) fall Marc Backus, 2:11
174 Joseph Stafford (AF) fall William Sheppard, 0:45
184 Kazden Ikehara (AF) dec. Manuel Rocha, 7-4
197 Cody Davis (AF) win by forfeit
285 Jared Erickson (AF) fall Andrew Harmoney, 1:03
No. 19 American 23, Air Force 17
125 Naryman Arujau (AU) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 13-9
133 Kevin Tao (AU) dec. Tyler Untrauer, 8-6 (SV)
141 No. 10 Cole VonOhlen (AF) tech fall No. 15 Matt Mariacher, 19-3
149 Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU) dec. Josh Kreimier, 3-1
157 No.1 Steve Fittery (AU) tech fall Alec Williams, 17-2
165 Clayton Gable (AF) dec. Bubba Graham, 6-5
174 Tanner Shaffer (AU) dec. Joseph Stafford, 5-3
184 Josh Mohr (AF) dec. Tom Barreiro, 13-6
197 No. 20 Danny Mitchell (AU) fall Cody Davis, 1:37
285 Jared Erickson (AF) win by forfeit
Air Force Falcons Fall to 14th-Ranked Oregon State
USAFA, Colo. - Junior Alec Williams (Fultondale, Ala.) posted the lone victory for the Falcons, as the Air Force wrestling team dropped a 42-3 contest to No. 14 Oregon State Friday evening in Clune Arena. The Beavers (5-1-2) recorded five falls on the night as the Falcons (2-1) suffered its first dual loss of the season.
The dual began with the 125-pound bout, where freshman Greg Rinker (Northampton, Pa.) put up a tough fight against 13th-ranked Jason Lara before dropping an 11-5 decision. Following a fall by 15th-ranked Kelly Kubec in the 133-pound match, the marquee match-up of the evening came in the next bout with a battle between two nationally ranked wrestlers.
Air Force's Cole VonOhlen (So., Jackson, Minn.), ranked 11th in the nation, faced off against 12th-ranked Mike Mangrum in the 141-pound bout. The first period went scoreless, but Mangrum was able to put together a solid second period, taking a 5-1 advantage into the final period. While VonOhlen began to take control in the last two minutes, scoring a pair of takedowns and a reversal, time ran out as Mangrum escaped with the 11-8 decision.
The Falcons gave up another fall at 149 pounds, despite a strong start from freshman Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.). Meanwhile, Air Force finally got on the scoreboard with Williams' 4-2 decision at 157 pounds. Williams was able to score a pair of takedowns against Alex Elder, one late in the first period and one in the last minute of the final period, to take the win.
Unfortunately, the Falcons were unable to win another bout, giving up falls in three of the last five matches. Two of those pins came from Oregon State's nationally ranked wrestlers, with No. 6 Colby Covington scoring a fall at 174 pounds and 12th-ranked Clayton Jack notching a pin in the heavyweight match.
The Falcons return to action Dec. 29-30, when head to Greensboro, N.C., for the annual Southern Scuffle, hosted by UNC Greensboro.
No. 14 Oregon State 42, Air Force 3
125 No. 13 Jason Lara (OSU) dec. Greg Rinker, 11-5
133 No. 15 Kelly Kubec (OSU) fall Tyler Untrauer, 4:24
141 No. 12 Mike Mangrum (OSU) dec. No. 11 Cole VonOhlen, 11-8
149 Scott Sakaguchi (OSU) fall Josh Kreimier, 6:20
157 Alec Williams (AF) dec. Alex Elder, 4-2
165 Jonathan Brascetta (OSU) dec. Clayton Gable, 13-8
174 #6 Colby Covington (OSU) fall Joseph Stafford, 6:35
184 Brice Arand (OSU) fall Josh Mohr, 2:11
197 Charles Johnson (OSU) dec. Neil Delaney, 6-3
HWT #12 Clayton Jack (OSU) fall Jared Erickson, 1:56
Air Force Set to Host No. 14 Oregon State in Non-Conference Dual
This Week...
The Air Force wrestling team is back in action this weekend, Dec. 17, as it hosts 14th-ranked Oregon State in dual competition. The match is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Falcons on the Web...
Fans who are unable to make it to Clune Arena on Friday can still catch all of the action on the web. Live video streaming, as well as live stats, will be available free of charge on goairforcefalcons.com.
Last Time Out...
The Falcons opened their 2010-11 dual slate last Friday with a pair of home victories, defeating Coe, 21-13, and Western State, 26-12.
Four Air Force wrestlers won both of their matches, led by sophomore Cole VonOhlen (141), who posted a 4-0 decision in his first match, while registering an 18-2 technical fall in his bout versus Western State.
Also going 2-0 against Coe and Western State were Tyler Untrauer (133), Josh Kreimier (149) and Clayton Gable (165). Meanwhile, Alec Williams (157), Joseph Stafford (174), Kazden Ikehara (184), Josh Mohr (184), Neil Delaney (197) and Jared Erickson (HWT) each earned a win. Stafford scored the lone fall of the day for the Falcons, pinning Western State's Zach Frazier in a time of 1:55.
Air Force's win over Western State broke a five-match losing streak to the Mountaineers, which dated back to the 2005-06 season.
Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force enters this week's dual with a 2-0 overall record, following its wins over Coe and Western State last weekend.
Six Falcons are currently undefeated in dual action so far, with Tyler Untrauer (133), Cole VonOhlen (141), Josh Kreimier (149) and Clayton Gable (165) each holding 2-0 records. VonOhlen also leads the team in overall wins with 16, while two others°©°©°©-Jesse Stafford and Alec Williams-have each notched 15 wins on the year.
Scouting the Beavers...
Oregon State, ranked 14th in the latest NWCA Coaches Poll, currently holds a 3-1-2 dual mark and will face Wyoming on Thursday evening. The Beavers are coming off a narrow 17-16 loss to then-15th-ranked Nebraska.
Five Oregon State wrestlers are currently ranked in their respective weight classes by Intermat, led by No. 6 Colby Covington at 174 pounds. Also ranked for the Beavers are No. 12 Mike Mangrum (141), No. 12 Clayton Jack (HWT), No. 13 Jason Lara (125) and No. 15 Kelly Kubec (133).
A Key Match-Up...
Perhaps the most intriguing match-up in this weekend's dual will be at 141 pounds, where Air Force's 11th-ranked Cole VonOhlen will face off against 12th-ranked Mike Mangrum. VonOhlen posted the Falcons' only win in a 43-3 loss to Oregon State last season, earning an 8-5 decision over Mangrum.
WWC Wrestler of the Week...
Sophomore Cole VonOhlen was named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week on Dec. 14, following his performance in a pair of dual victories for the Falcons.
VonOhlen outscored his opponents 22-2 in his two bouts against Coe and Western State on Friday. After scoring a 4-0 decision over Coe's Chris LeClere (ranked sixth in Division III), VonOhlen posted an 18-2 technical fall over Western State's Jesse Cruz. His five team points against Western State helped Air Force break a five-match losing streak to the Mountaineers.
In the National Rankings...
Sophomore Cole VonOhlen, the Falcons' lone returning NCAA qualifier, is currently ranked 11th in the nation at 141 pounds in the latest Intermat poll. In addition, VonOhlen is rated 10th by Amateur Wrestling News, 14th by WrestlingReport.com, 15th by The Open Mat, 17th by D1 College Wrestling and 18th by WIN Magazine.
Up Next...
Following the holiday break, the Falcons return to action Dec. 29-30, as they travel to Greensboro, N.C., for the Southern Scuffle.
Air Force Sophomore Cole VonOhlen Named WWC Wrestler of the Week
OREM, Utah - Air Force sophomore Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week, as announced today by the league. It marks the fourth career weekly award for VonOhlen, and the second this season.
VonOhlen helped lead Air Force to a pair of dual victories on Friday, as Air Force defeated Coe, 21-13, and Western State, 26-12, to open their 2010-11 dual slate. VonOhlen, ranked 11th in the nation at 141 pounds, outscored his opponents 22-2 in his two bouts.
VonOhlen opened the day with a 4-0 decision over Coe's Chris LeClere, ranked sixth in Division III. Meanwhile, he posted an 18-2 technical fall over Western State's Jesse Cruz in his second match of the day. VonOhlen's five team points against Western State helped Air Force break a five-match losing streak to the Mountaineers, dating back to the 2005-06 season.
The Falcons will face a tough challenge this weekend, Dec. 17, as they host 14th-ranked Oregon State in dual action. The match is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Air Force Opens Dual Slate with Two Victories
USAFA, Colo. - In its first home action of the season, the Air Force wrestling team won a pair of non-conference duals Friday afternoon in Clune Arena. The Falcons opened the day with a 21-13 decision over Coe, while defeating Western State, 26-12.
Air Force (2-0) won seven bouts against Coe (5-2), which is currently ranked fourth at the Division III level. The Kohawks took the early lead, as Clayton Rush, ranked first at 125 pounds in Division III, earned a major decision. However, the Falcons gained the lead with consecutive decisions by Tyler Untrauer (Jr., Midwest City, Okla.), 11th-ranked Cole VonOhlen (So., Jackson, Minn.) and Josh Kreimier (Fr., Fort Collins, Colo.) at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively.
After a narrow loss at 157 pounds, the Falcons pushed their advantage to 12-7 with a decision by Clayton Gable (So., Dallastown, Pa.) at 165 pounds. However, Coe recorded a fall in the 174-pound bout to regain the team lead.
Trailing by a single point with three matches left, the Falcons were solid down the stretch, adding nine more team points with decisions by Kazden Ikehara (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii), Neil Delaney (Sr., Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Jared Erickson (So., Newton, Utah) to take the victory.
Air Force followed its win over Coe with a tough match-up against Western State, the fourth-ranked team at the Division II level. The Falcons have had a rough time against the Mountaineers of late, as Western State has won five straight in the series.
The Mountaineers took the lead after the opening match, winning a decision at 125 pounds, while the Falcons tied the team score with a close 7-6 victory by Untrauer at 133 pounds, starting a streak of seven straight individual wins for Air Force.
VonOhlen was dominant in his bout at 141 pounds, recording an 18-3 technical fall in a time of 6:40. Kreimier posted another decision at 149 pounds, while Alec Williams (Jr., Fultondale, Ala.) and Gable added decision wins at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively.
Senior captain Joseph Stafford (Loomis, Calif.) rebounded from an earlier loss at 174 pounds with the Falcons' first fall of the day, pinning Zach Frazier in a time of 1:55, while sophomore Josh Mohr (Pewaukee, Wis.) earned a decision at 184 pounds in his first action of the day.
The Falcons' winning streak ended with the 197-pound bout, as Delaney came up short to top-ranked Donovan McMahill in a 2-1 tiebreaker decision. Western State picked up its third win of the dual by recording a fall in the heavyweight match-up, but Air Force had already secured its first victory over the Mountaineers since the 2004-05 season.
Also on Friday, Coe and Western State faced off in a dual of their own, with the Kohawks rolling to a 32-7 victory.
Air Force is back in action next weekend, Dec. 17, when it hosts 12th-ranked Oregon State at 6:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Air Force 21, Coe 13
125 Clayton Rush (Coe) maj. dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 16-5
133 Tyler Untrauer (AF) dec. Drew Hinschberger, 10-4
141 No. 11 Cole VonOhlen (AF) dec. Chris LeClere, 4-0
149 Josh Kreimier (AF) dec. James Locke, 2-0
157 Dale Handley (Coe) dec. Alec Williams, 6-4
165 Clayton Gable (AF) dec. Nick LeClere, 8-5
174 Scott King (Coe) fall Joseph Stafford, 4:28
184 Kazden Ikehara (AF) dec. Seth Rehn, 7-3
197 Neil Delaney (AF) dec. Matt Ferlitsch, 8-2
285 Jared Erickson (AF) dec. Alex Burkle, 9-2
Air Force 26, Western State 12
125 Kyle O'Brien (WSC) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 5-3
133 Tyler Untrauer (AF) dec. Cody Cole, 7-6
141 No. 11 Cole VonOhlen (AF) tech fall Jesse Cruz, 18-2 (6:40)
149 Josh Kreimier (AF) dec. Justin Keys, 6-4
157 Alec Williams (AF) dec. Justin Morris, 4-3
165 Clayton Gable (AF) dec Cody Frankum,12-6
174 Joseph Stafford (AF) fall Zach Frazier, 1:55
184 Josh Mohr (AF) dec. Jorge Benitez, 5-1
197 Donovan McMahill (WSC) dec. Neil Delaney, 2-1 (TB1)
285 Kyle Graulus (WSC) fall Jared Erickson, 5:53
Air Force Hosts Coe, Western State to Open Dual Slate
The Air Force wrestling team opens up its 2010-11 dual slate with a pair of home matches on Friday, Dec. 10. The Falcons host Coe at 2:00 p.m., followed by a dual against Western State at 4:00 p.m. Meanwhile, Coe and Western State will face each other at 6:00 p.m.
Falcons on the Web...
Fans who are unable to make it to Clune Arena on Friday can still catch all of the action on the web. Live video streaming, as well as live stats, will be available free of charge on goairforcefalcons.com.
Last Time Out...
The Falcons competed in a pair of events last weekend, the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the FHSU-Bob Smith Open.
Sophomore Cole VonOhlen, ranked 17th in the nation during last week's tournament, was the Falcons' top performer at the CKLV Invitational, placing seventh at 141 pounds, with a 5-2 record on the weekend.
Meanwhile, six Air Force wrestlers placed at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open, led by freshman Greg Rinker, who earned the first tournament title of his career with a first-place showing at the 125-pound weight class. Also placing for the Falcons at the tournament were Tyler Untrauer (2nd, 133); Andrew Zwirlein (3rd, 125); Alec Williams (3rd, 157); Kazden Ikehara (3rd, 184); and Devin Hightower (4th, 174).
Scouting the Falcons...
This weekend will mark the first dual meets of the season for Air Force. Leading the Falcons in total wins through the first month of competition is freshman Jesse Stafford with 15, while three others°©°©°©-Devin Hightower, Cole VonOhlen and Alec Williams-have each notched 14 wins on the year.
In addition, 23 different Falcons have notched falls early in the season, led by Williams, who has recorded seven pins. Freshman Greg Rinker has the fastest fall of the season, registering a pin in just 31 seconds.
Scouting the Kohawks...
Coe, ranked fourth in the latest Division III poll, enters this weekend's duals with a 3-1 record. The Kohawks, whose lone loss of the season came against Iowa, finished second at the Simpson Invitational last weekend.
Six Coe wrestlers are ranked in the latest Brute-Adidas Division III rankings. Leading the way is top-ranked Clayton Rush (125), who enters this weekend with an 11-1 overall record.
Scouting the Mountaineers...
Western State, ranked fourth in the latest Division II poll, enters this weekend with a 1-0 dual record. The Mountaineers defeated Mesa State, 28-12, in their first dual of the season last week.
Four Western State wrestlers are currently ranked in their respective weight classes, led by No. 1 Donovan McMahill at 197 pounds. Also ranked for the Mountaineers are No. 3 Charlie Alexander (HWT), No. 6 Kyle O'Brien (125) and No. 7 Justin Morris (157).
In the National Rankings...
Sophomore Cole VonOhlen, the Falcons' returning NCAA qualifier, is currently ranked 11th in the nation at 141 pounds in the latest Intermat poll. In addition, VonOhlen is rated 10th by Amateur Wrestling News, 14th by WrestlingReport.com, 17th by D1 College Wrestling and 18th by WIN Magazine.
Up Next...
The Falcons face a formidable foe in their next dual match, as they host 12th-ranked Oregon State next Friday, Dec. 17. The dual is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Air Force Wrestlers Head to Kaufman-Brand Open
The Air Force wrestling team returns to action this weekend, Nov. 20, with a trip to Omaha, Neb., for the annual Kaufman-Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha.
Last Time Out...
The Falcons finished with 13 total placewinners, including two individual champions, at the Cowboy Open last weekend. Sophomore Cole VonOhlen (141) and senior captain Joseph Stafford (174) each won their respective weight classes in the Elite Division to lead Air Force.
Also placing in the Elite Division were runners-up Derek Gillespie (133), Josh Kreimier (149), Wade Stowe (157) and Clayton Gable (174), third-place finisher Jarret Hoeppner (165) and fourth-place finishers Tyler Untrauer (133) and Neil Delaney (197).
Meanwhile, in the Amateur Division, freshman Greg Rinker led the way for the Falcons, placing second at 125 pounds, followed by Devin Hightower (174) in third place and Jesse Stafford (157) and Cody Davis (197) in fourth place.
Scouting the Falcons...
After one week of competition, there are 16 Air Force wrestlers with at least three victories, led by freshmen Jesse Stafford and Cody Davis with six wins each. Meanwhile, sophomore Cole VonOhlen and senior Joseph Stafford are currently undefeated with records of 4-0 and 3-0, respectively.
In addition, 14 different Falcons notched falls in the opening weekend of competition, led by junior Alec Williams, who recorded three pins. The fastest fall of the early season belongs to senior Wade Stowe, who registered a fall in 41 seconds.
Last Year at the Kaufman-Brand Open...
Five Falcons finished as placewinners at the 2009 Kaufman-Brand Open, led by senior Tyler French, who finished as the runner-up at 174 pounds in the Elite Division. Also in the Elite Division, freshman Cole VonOhlen placed sixth at 141 pounds.
Meanwhile, in the Amateur Division, freshmen Clayton Gable and Greg Isley captured fourth-place finishes at 157 and 184 pounds, respectively, while Tyler Spangler placed fifth at 133 pounds.
The Lineup...
This weekend, 13 Falcons are slated to compete in the Elite Division, while 11 others are scheduled to compete in the Amateur Division. Listed below is the tentative lineup for this weekend's tournament:
Elite
125 Andrew Zwirlein, Sr.
133 Derek Gillespie, Sr.
Tyler Untrauer, Jr.
141 Cole VonOhlen, So.
149 Josh Kreimier, Fr.
157 Wade Stowe, Sr.
Alec Williams, Jr.
174 Clayton Gable, So.
Joseph Stafford, Sr.
184 Kazden Ikehara, Sr.
Josh Mohr, So.
197 Neil Delaney, Sr.
HWT Jared Erickson, So.
Amateur
125 Greg Rinker, Fr.
149 Daniel Baucke, Fr.
Garrett Manley, Fr.
157 Jesse Stafford, Fr.
165 Carter Adams, Fr.
Jarret Hoeppner, Fr.
174 Devin Hightower, Fr.
184 Brook Gosch, Fr.
Evan Gros, Fr.
197 Cody Davis, Fr.
HWT Caleb Egli, Jr.
WWC Wrestler of the Week...
Sophomore Cole VonOhlen was named the Western Wrestling Conference Co-Wrestler of the Week in the opening week of competition, following his first-place showing at the Cowboy Open.
VonOhlen posted a 4-0 record to take first place at 141 pounds in the Elite Division of the Cowboy Open for the second-straight season. His four wins included a pair of victories over conference foes.
Air Force Athlete of the Week...
Senior captain Joseph Stafford was named the Air Force Athlete of the Week on Nov. 15 for his performance at the Cowboy Open to start the season.
Stafford finished first at 174 pounds in the Elite Division with a 3-0 record, posting three decisions en route to his title. In the final match, he took on teammate Clayton Gable in the final match. Stafford earned a 5-2 decision over Gable to win the tournament title, the first of his career.
In the National Rankings...
Sophomore Cole VonOhlen, the Falcons' returning NCAA qualifier, is currently ranked 17th in the nation at 141 pounds in the latest Intermat poll. In addition, VonOhlen is rated 16th by D1 College Wrestling, Amateur Wrestling News and WrestlingReport.com.
Up Next...
The Falcons are back in action Dec. 3-4 at the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Meanwhile, another group of Air Force wrestlers will compete Dec. 4 at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open, hosted by Fort Hays State.
Air Force's Cole VonOhlen Named WWC Co-Wrestler of the Week
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Air Force sophomore Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Co-Wrestler of the Week, as announced today by the league. VonOhlen, who earns his third career weekly award, shares this week's honor with Wyoming senior Cole Dallaserra.
VonOhlen opened the 2010-11 this past weekend with an individual tournament title, taking first place at 141 pounds in the Elite Division of the Cowboy Open for the second-straight season. VonOhlen, ranked 17th in the latest Intermat poll, posted a 4-0 record on Saturday, including a pair of victories over conference foes.
In his first two bouts of the day, VonOhlen scored an 8-5 and a 2-0 decision, respectively, before recording a 9-1 major decision over Wyoming's Shane Doughman to move into the championship match. For the title, VonOhlen scored a 6-4 decision against Utah Valley's Wyatt Ray.
Dallaserra also won his bracket at the Cowboy Open on Saturday, taking first place at 149 pounds in the Elite Division. His four victories included a 6-1 decision over Air Force freshman Josh Kreimier in the final bout.
VonOhlen and the Falcons are back in action this weekend, Nov. 20, at the Kaufman-Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha
Air Force Wrestlers Begin Season at Cowboy Open with 13 Placewinners
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Led by individual titles from Cole VonOhlen (So., Jackson, Minn.) and Joseph Stafford (Sr., Loomis, Calif.), the Air Force wrestling team got the 2010-11 season off to a strong start, finishing with 13 placewinners at the Cowboy Open, hosted by Wyoming.
VonOhlen captured the title at 141 pounds in the Elite Division for the second-straight season, posting a 4-0 record on the day. Following a pair of decisions in his first two bouts, VonOhlen recorded a 9-1 major decision over Wyoming's Shane Doughman to move into the championship match. VonOhlen was able to secure a 6-4 decision over conference rival Flint Ray of Utah Valley in the final bout to take the title.
Meanwhile, Stafford recorded three straight victories to win the 174 weight class in the Elite Division. Stafford recorded decisions in his first two bouts to earn a trip to the title match against teammate Clayton Gable (So., Dallastown, Pa.). Aided by experience, the Falcons' team captain was able to earn the 5-2 decision to win the first tournament title of his collegiate career.
Four other wrestlers finished as runners-up in the Elite Division. Senior Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) claimed second place at 133 pounds, posting a 3-1 record, which included a technical fall in the semifinal round. Freshman Josh Kreimier (Fort Collins, Colo.) had a strong collegiate debut, taking second place at 149 pounds. Kreimier also registered a 3-1 record on the day, including a fall against Wyoming's Jimmy Belleville to move into the title match.
Wade Stowe (Sr., The Colony, Texas) also took second place, wrestling at 157 pounds in the Elite Division. Stowe recorded back-to-back falls in his first two bouts of the day, before finishing with a 3-1 record on the afternoon. Finally, Gable was the runner-up at 174 pounds following his loss to Stafford. Gable posted a pair of victories to earn a spot in the title match, including a win by fall.
Meanwhile, freshman Greg Rinker (Northampton, Pa.) was the runner-up at 125 pounds in the Amateur Division. Rinker posted two victories en route to the championship bout, recording a fall and a decision before coming up short in the title match.
A pair of freshmen earned third-place finishes on Saturday, with Jarret Hoeppner (Apple Valley, Minn.) taking third place at 165 pounds in the Elite Division, while Devin Hightower (Colorado Springs, Colo.) placed third at 174 pounds in the Amateur Division.
In addition, four other Air Force wrestlers finished fourth in their respective weight classes. In the Amateur Division, freshmen Jesse Stafford (Loomis, Calif.) and Cody Davis (The Woodlands, Texas) took fourth at 157 and 197 pounds, respectively. In the Elite Division, Untrauer took fourth place at 133 pounds, while Neil Delaney (Sr., Grand Rapids, Mich.) placed fourth at 197 pounds.
The Falcons are back in action next weekend, Nov. 20, at the Kaufman-Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha.
Air Force Wrestlers Begin Season at Cowboy Open
This Week...
The Air Force wrestling team opens the 2010-11 season this weekend, Nov. 13, as it travels to Laramie, Wyo., for the annual Cowboy Open, hosted by the University of Wyoming.
Scouting the Falcons...
This year, the Air Force wrestling team enters its fifth season under head coach Joel Sharratt. Last season, the Falcons finished the year with a 6-11 overall dual record and 1-5 mark in the Western Wrestling Conference.
The Falcons return 16 letterwinners from the 2009-10 season, including seven who competed at last year's NCAA West Regional. Leading the way is sophomore Cole VonOhlen, who earned an NCAA bid in his rookie campaign.
Last Year at the Cowboy Open...
At the 2009 Cowboy Open, seven Falcons finished as placewinners, three in the Elite Division and four in the Amateur Division. Rookie Cole VonOhlen was Air Force's top finisher in the Elite Division, winning the title at 141 pounds in his collegiate debut. Meanwhile, Andrew Zwirlein and Tyler French placed third at 125 and 174 pounds, respectively.
In the Amateur Division, Greg Isley was the Falcons' top performer, capturing the title at 184 pounds. Tyler Spangler added a second-place showing at 133 pounds, Josh Mohr finished third at 184 pounds and Dake Williams placed fourth in the heavyweight bracket.
The Lineup...
This weekend, 16 Falcons are slated to compete in the Elite Division, while seven others are scheduled to compete in the Amateur Division. Listed below is the tentative lineup for this weekend's tournament:
Elite
133 Derek Gillespie, Sr.
Tyler Untrauer, Jr.
141 Logan Burch, So.
Cole VonOhlen, So.
149 Josh Kreimier, Fr.
Gabe Martinez, So.
157 Alec Williams, Jr.
165 Carter Adams, Fr.
Clayton Gable, So.
Jarret Hoeppner, Fr.
174 Joseph Stafford, Sr.
184 Kazden Ikehara, Sr.
Josh Mohr, So.
197 Neil Delaney, Sr.
Caleb Egli, Jr.
HWT Jared Erickson, So.
Amateur
125 Greg Rinker, Fr.
149 Daniel Baucke, Fr.
Garrett Manley, Fr.
157 Jesse Stafford, Fr.
165 Dan Barringer, Fr.
174 Devin Hightower, Fr.
197 Cody Davis, Fr.
In the National Rankings...
Sophomore Cole VonOhlen, the Falcons' returning NCAA qualifier, is currently ranked 19th in the nation at 141 pounds in the latest Intermat poll. In addition, VonOhlen is rated 16th D1 College Wrestling, 17th by Amateur Wrestling News and 18th by WrestlingReport.com.
2010 Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match...
Air Force gave its fans a preview of the season to come with the annual Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match, held Oct. 28 in Clune Arena. Final bouts were contested in seven of the 10 weight classes, with exhibition matches in the remaining three weight classes.
Following are complete results from the Blue-Silver Match:
125* G. Rinker (B) fall R. Pence, 0:39
133 D. Gillespie (S) dec. T. Untrauer, 3-0
141* D. Baucke (B) dec. L. Burch, 12-7
149* J. Kreimier (S) fall K. Sober, 1:33
157 A. Williams (S) dec. Je. Stafford, 10-3
165 C. Adams (S) dec. J. Hoeppner, 4-2 (SV)
174 Jo. Stafford (B) dec. D. Hightower, 9-2
184 J. Mohr (S) dec. K. Ikehara, 2-1 (TB)
197 N. Delaney (B) fall C. Davis, 2:17
HWT J. Erickson (S) fall C. Egli, 3:54
*Exhibition
Up Next...
The Falcons return to action next weekend, Nov. 20, at the Kaufman-Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha.
Silver Team Wins Air Force Annual Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match
USAFA, Colo. - The Air Force wrestling team competed in Clune Arena for the first time during the 2010-11 season as it hosted the annual Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match Thursday evening in Clune Arena. The Silver team edged out the Blue team, 24-18, as the competitors battled for spots in the Falcons' starting lineup heading into the season.
The first bout of the night came at 133 pounds, as Tyler Untrauer (Jr., Midwest City, Okla.) faced off against returning starter Derek Gillespie (Sr., Chesapeake, Va.). Following a scoreless opening period, Gillespie began the second period with an escape, and after a second stalling call on Untrauer, he took a 2-0 lead into the final period. Neither wrestler scored in the third period, but with 1:46 of riding time, Gillespie earned the 3-0 victory for the Silver team.
At 157 pounds, newcomer Jesse Stafford (Loomis, Calif.) challenged returning starter Alec Williams (Fultondale, Ala.). Williams scored an early takedown and increased his advantage to 4-0 before Stafford scored a reversal near the end of the first period to cut the margin to two points. Williams scored another takedown in the second period, but an escape by Stafford brought the score to 6-3 going into the final period. Williams started the last period in the down position, and after a quick escape, scored his third takedown of the match. With 4:45 in riding time, Williams captured the 10-3 decision to give the Silver team a 6-0 lead.
The 165-pound bout was a competition between two freshmen, Jarrett Hoeppner (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Carter Adams (Coon Rapids, Minn.). Adams scored a quick takedown, but Hoeppner was able to get the escape as the first period ended with a 2-1 score. Following a scoreless second period, Hoeppner tied the match at 2-2 with an escape to start the third period. The score remained tied at the end of regulation, sending the bout into overtime, where Adams notched his second takedown to grab the 4-2 sudden victory decision.
With the Silver team leading the match 9-0, senior captain Joseph Stafford (Loomis, Calif.) aimed to put the Blue team on the board for the first time, as he matched up with freshman Devin Hightower (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Stafford put forth a strong performance in the opening period, scoring a pair of takedowns and a two-point near fall. He extended his lead to 7-1 after two period, and with a reversal to start the final period, captured the 9-2 decision.
The 184-pound bout was another tightly contested match, with senior Kazden Ikehara (Mililani, Hawaii) and sophomore Josh Mohr (Pewaukee, Wis.) wrestling to a 1-1 draw after three periods. There were no more points scored in the sudden victory overtime period, but Mohr was able to end the stalemate with an escape in the tiebreaker to put the Silver team back up by nine at 12-3.
The first fall of the evening came during the 197-pound match-up, where returning starter Neil Delaney (Sr., Grand Rapids, Mich.) faced newcomer Cody Davis (The Woodlands, Texas). Delaney took advantage of his experience, scoring a fall in a time of 2:17 to bring the Blue team back to within three points in the team scoring.
The Silver team was able to extend its lead once more, following a fall by Jared Erickson (So., Newton, Utah) in the heavyweight match-up. Erickson scored two takedowns in the opening period to take a 4-1 lead over the Blue team's Caleb Egli (Colorado Springs, Colo.) before pinning Egli with 1:06 remaining in the second period.
While the Silver team led, 18-9, after the heavyweight bout, there were still three more matches left on the slate. Due to the postponement of the originally scheduled finals matches at 125, 141 and 149 pounds, exhibitions were performed in those weight classes, with all three bouts contributing to the final team score.
At 125 pounds, freshman Greg Rinker (Northampton, Pa.) faced off against sophomore Randy Pence (Columbia Station, Ohio). Rinker put forth a strong effort in his Air Force debut, pinning Pence just 39 seconds into the opening period. With his win, Rinker cut the Blue team's deficit to three points once more.
In the next exhibition match, Daniel Baucke (Fr., Memphis, Tenn.) took on sophomore Logan Burch (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at 141 pounds. Baucke scored a takedown 13 seconds into the period and retained the advantage throughout, scoring a three-point near fall to take a 5-0 lead. Burch won the battle in the second period, but Baucke still retained a 7-3 lead going into the final period. The action went back-and-forth in the third period, with each wrestler scoring four points, but with Baucke's accumulated riding time, he scored the 12-7 decision for the Blue team.
With the team score tied at 18-18, the final exhibition of the evening would decide the winner of this year's intrasquad match. Sophomore Kevin Sober (Olney Springs, Colo.) took the mat for the Blue team, while Josh Kreimier (Fr., Fort Collins, Colo.) wrestled for the Silver team. Kreimier controlled the pace from the start, scoring a pair of takedowns and a three-point near fall before recording the pin just over a minute and a half into the bout. With his victory, the Silver team captured the team win by a final 24-18 margin.
The Falcons' season officially starts Nov. 13, when the team heads to Laramie, Wyo., for the annual Cowboy Open, hosted by Wyoming.
Silver 24, Blue 18
133 Derek Gillespie (Silver) dec. Tyler Untrauer, 3-0
157 Alec Williams (Silver) dec. Jesse Stafford, 10-3
165 Carter Adams (Silver) dec. Jarrett Hoeppner, 4-2 (SV)
174 Joseph Stafford (Blue) dec. Devin Hightower, 9-2
184 Josh Mohr (Silver) dec. Kazden Ikehara, 2-1 (TB)
197 Neil Delaney (Blue) fall Cody Davis, 2:17
HWT Jared Erickson (Silver) fall Caleb Egli, 3:54
Exhibitions
125 Greg Rinker (Blue) fall Randy Pence, 0:39
141 Daniel Baucke (Blue) dec. Logan Burch, 12-7
149 Josh Kreimier (Silver) fall Kevin Sober, 1:33
Air Force Wrestling Prepares for 2010-11 Season
USAFA, Colo. - With the entire team working hard to improve throughout the off-season, the Air Force wrestling program is looking forward to a successful season in 2010-11.
"We are excited about the off-season training opportunities our guys had this spring and summer," said head coach Joel Sharratt. "The post-season competition our upperclassmen took advantage of will help launch us into the 2010-11 competition season."
"The work our guys put in the weight room this summer is very evident in the power and strength gains made this year," continued Sharratt. "[Strength and conditioning coach] Drew Bodette did a great job putting together a developmental plan that challenged our guys every day this summer."
The Falcons will look to use their off-season training to tackle the challenges of the season ahead. Air Force will host the 2011 NCAA West Regional/Western Wrestling Conference Championships, to highlight a schedule which also features eight home duals and appearances at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Southern Scuffle, Lone Star Duals and All-Academy Championships.
For the third consecutive season, all of the Falcons' home events, including the Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match on Oct. 28, will be held in Clune Arena. The Blue-Silver Match will give fans a preview of the season to come, as the team's young wrestlers face off against seven returning conference starters and a pair of seniors who have shared the starting role in the past.
"The Blue-Silver will be a competitive battle screener for the team and staff," said Sharratt. "It will put our off-season preparation to its first test. We have several weight classes that are going to be exciting to follow, from the preliminary bouts to the finals on Thursday night. The Blue-Silver is a very good indicator of who will be in our starting lineup in March."
The frontrunner at 125 pounds is senior Andrew Zwirlein, who has held the starting spot for the past two seasons. He is likely to face off against sophomore Steven Joseph or freshman Greg Rinker in the Blue-Silver finals. Meanwhile, at 133 pounds, a pair of wrestlers who each started last season, senior Derek Gillespie and junior Tyler Untrauer, will challenge for the starting spot.
The 141-pound weight class features returning NCAA qualifier Cole VonOhlen, the unanimous pick for the 2010 WWC Freshman of the Year, who will be tough to beat out. However, newcomer Daniel Baucke, a nationally ranked prep standout from Tennessee, will look to challenge for honors.
Sophomore Gabe Martinez returns at 149 pounds, looking to retain his starting spot, while a talented group of young wrestlers, including Colorado standout Josh Kreimier, will battle for his place in the lineup. At 157 pounds, junior Alec Williams, who started at the conference meet and posted some big WWC dual victories last season, will be challenged by freshman Jesse Stafford, a two-time state placewinner in California and younger brother of team captain Joseph Stafford.
Sophomore Clayton Gable and senior Joseph Stafford both had great summers and are currently the frontrunners at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. Meanwhile, sophomore Josh Mohr, a Wisconsin state champion, placed at several events last season and looks to be the favorite at 184 pounds. Challenging Mohr for the starting spot will be junior Karl Oeser and former 197-pounder Kazden Ikehara.
Senior Neil Delaney returns as the starter at 197 pounds, and with Ikehara's drop to 184, Delaney will find a challenger in freshman Cody Davis, who held a national ranking last year as a prep standout in Texas. Meanwhile, at 285 pounds, junior Jared Erickson will face off against senior Josh Larson for the starting spot.
After the Blue-Silver Match determines the Falcons' likely starting lineup, Air Force officially opens the season Nov. 13 at the annual Cowboy Open, hosted by Wyoming, before heading to the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, Neb., Nov. 20. The Falcons also return to the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 3-4 to face some of the top wrestlers in the nation.
Air Force opens its home slate on Dec. 10, when it hosts Western State and Coe in a pair of dual meets. A week later, the Falcons will welcome nationally ranked Oregon State to Clune Arena for a non-conference dual on Dec. 17.
The Falcons close out the month of December by making their second trip to the annual Southern Scuffle, one of the nation's top tournaments, held in Greensboro, N.C., Dec. 28-29. Air Force then opens 2011 at the annual Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Jan. 15 with matches tentatively scheduled versus Brown, American, Arizona State and Wayland.
Next, the Falcons head to the West Coast, visiting Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 21 before facing Cal Baptist and Menlo at the Cal Baptist Duals on Jan. 22. The first league match-up of the season comes on Jan. 28, when the Falcons host WWC rival North Dakota State, followed by another home conference dual versus South Dakota State on Jan. 29.
In February, Air Force is on the road for a pair of conference duals against Wyoming (Feb. 3) and Utah Valley (Feb. 11), while heading to Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 6 for the annual All-Academy Championships, hosted this year by The Citadel. Air Force also hosts WWC foe Northern Iowa and non-conference opponent New Mexico Highlands on Feb. 13, before wrapping up its home schedule on Feb. 18 with a conference dual versus Northern Colorado.
Other competitions on the Falcons' schedule this season include the Fort Hays Open on Dec. 4, the Borah Duals on Jan. 15 and the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open on Jan. 29.
Air Force caps off the season by hosting the NCAA West Regional/Western Wrestling Conference Championships on March 6, with the top performers earning bids to the NCAA Championships, which will be held March 17-19 in Philadelphia, Pa.
Tony Black Joins Air Force Wrestling Staff as Volunteer Assistant
USAFA, Colo. - Air Force wrestling head coach Joel Sharratt has announced the addition of Tony Black to the Falcons' coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. Black, a 2003 NCAA All-American, currently serves as the Manager of State Services for USA Wrestling.
"I am very excited that Tony Black will be joining the Falcon wrestling staff this season," said Sharratt. "I have had the opportunity to work with Tony at several camps and clinics and he is an outstanding coach and educator who will help raise the bar in our program."
Black was a four-year starter at the University of Wisconsin from 1999-2003, earning All-America honors in 2003 by finishing fifth at 125 pounds. He served as an undergraduate assistant coach for the Badgers from 2003-05, while working as a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin from 2005-06.
A native of River Falls, Wis., Black was a two-time WIAA state champion (103 pounds in 1998, 112 pounds in 1999) at River Falls High School, while earning USA Wrestling Cadet All-America honors in 1996, placing fourth at 88 pounds.
"Tony will be a contributor in many ways, but will have a special focus early on in developing our lower weights," continued Sharratt. "As an NCAA All-American, Tony knows what it takes to be podium-ready and he is excited to share those winning character traits and skill sets with the men in our program."
Air Force Wrestling Announces Incoming Class of 2014
USAFA, Colo. - Air Force wrestling head coach Joel Sharratt announced today the arrival of the Class of 2014. This year's incoming freshman class features 24 wrestlers, including seven entries from the Academy Prep School. Featured in the group are 10 high school state champions and three NCWA All-Americans.
"The team and staff are excited about this year's class, and the talent and depth it will add to the program," said Sharratt. "Personally, I am proud of the effort the team and coaches gave to attract such a great group of young men to the Academy. These guys offer the Academy tremendous depth in all aspects of our mission and hold great promise as future leaders."
Following is a listing of this year's newcomers, along with a brief summary of their previous athletic accomplishments:
Carter Adams, Coon Rapids, Minn. - Attended the Academy Prep School … four-time state placer in high school … All-American at NCWA Nationals in 2010, finishing third … captured title at 2010 NWCA Southwest Regional … posted a 25-10 overall record at the Prep School.
Dan Barringer, Monument, Colo. - Third-place state finisher in 2009 … state champion in 2010 … compiled a perfect record (45-0) as a senior … academic all-state honoree.
Daniel Baucke, Bartlett, Tenn. - Three-time state champion … three-time state placer … Fargo Cadet All-American.
Jared Broussard, Maurice, La. - State champion in 2009.
Jonsen Crandall, Oakley, Utah - Two-time state champion … two-time state runner-up.
Cody Davis, The Woodlands, Texas - Two-time state champion … placed third in 2008 … fifth-place at 2008 Cadet Greco Nationals.
Brook Gosch, Orwigsburg, Pa. - Eighth place at NHSCA Junior Nationals … state qualifier in 2010.
Evan Gros, Lake Orion, Mich. - Attended the Academy Prep School … three-time state placer in high school … two-time state runner-up.
Devin Hightower, Colorado Springs, Colo. - Attended the Academy Prep School … finished sixth in the state in high school … NWCA Southwest Regional runner-up in 2010.
Jarret Hoeppner, Apple Valley, Minn. - Attended the Academy Prep School … three-time state placer in high school … All-American at NCWA Nationals in 2010, finishing seventh … finished first at 2010 NWCA Southwest Regional … posted a record of 22-9 at the Prep School, including 15 falls.
Colby Kluesner, Denver, Colo. - Placed fifth in state in 2009 … finished third in 2010.
Joshua Kreimier, Fort Collins, Colo. - Attended the Academy Prep School … academic all-state in 2008 … two-time state runner-up in high school … state champion in 2008 … ranked 13th nationally by W.I.N. Magazine in 2008 … Fila Cadet National Greco runner-up … four-time Cadet Asics All-American … All-American at NCWA Nationals in 2010, placing third … finished first at 2010 NWCA Southwest Regional, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors … compiled a 36-8 record at Prep School.
Garrett Manley, Holland, Ohio - Fourth place state finisher in 2008.
Blake Mabry, Mesa, Ariz. - Attended the Academy Prep School … state placewinner and state champion in high school … state freestyle champion … runner-up at NWCA Southwest Regional in 2010.
Justin Martinez, Henderson, Nev. - Attended the Academy Prep School … Prep School national champion and two-time Prep School All-American in high school … two-time state runner-up.
Chris Morales, Rio Rancho, N.M. - Third-place state finisher as a sophomore … state champion in junior year … member of New Mexico Dream Team in 2009.
Michael Osborne, Union, Ky. - Finished fourth in state in 2009 … state champion in 2010.
Greg Rinker, Bath, Pa. - State qualifier … two-time NHSCA All-American.
Jared Tonder, Parachute, Colo. - Four-time state placewinner … state champion in 2010.
Jesse Stafford, Loomis, Calif. - Placed fourth in state in 2009 … state runner-up in 2010.
Also joining the Falcons this season are Patrick Conley from Wakefield, R.I., Jared Dorsey from Bonney Lake, Wash., Vance Hawk from Ridgway, Colo., and Tyler Heck from Warner Robins, Ga.
Air Force Wrestling Class of 2014
Name Hometown (High School)
Carter Adams Coon Rapids, Minn. (Coon Rapids HS/AFA Prep)
Dan Barringer Monument, Colo. (Lewis-Palmer HS)
Daniel Baucke Bartlett, Tenn. (Christian Brothers HS)
Jared Broussard Maurice, La. (North Vermilion HS)
Patrick Conley Wakefield, R.I. (South Kingstown HS)
Jonsen Crandall Oakley, Utah (South Summit HS)
Cody Davis The Woodlands, Texas (The Woodlands HS)
Jared Dorsey Bonney Lake, Wash. (Bonney Lake HS)
Brook Gosch Orwigsburg, Pa. (Blue Mountain HS)
Evan Gros Lake Orion, Mich. (International Academy/AFA Prep)
Vance Hawk Ridgway, Colo. (Montrose HS)
Tyler Heck Warner Robins, Ga. (Houston County HS)
Devin Hightower Colorado Springs, Colo. (Widefield HS/AFA Prep)
Jarret Hoeppner Apple Valley, Minn. (Apple Valley HS/AFA Prep)
Colby Kluesner Denver, Colo. (Conifer HS)
Joshua Kreimier Fort Collins, Colo. (Loveland HS/AFA Prep)
Blake Mabry Mesa, Ariz. (Highland HS/AFA Prep)
Garrett Manley Holland, Ohio (Springfield HS)
Justin Martinez Henderson, Nev. (Wyoming Seminary HS [Pa.]/AFA Prep)
Chris Morales Rio Rancho, N.M. (Rio Rancho HS)
Michael Osborne Union, Ky. (Ryle HS)
Greg Rinker Bath, Pa. (Northampton HS)
Jared Tonder Parachute, Colo. (Grand Valley HS)
Jesse Stafford Loomis, Calif. (Del Oro HS)
Air Force's Cole VonOhlen Named WWC Freshman of the Year
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Air Force rookie Cole VonOhlen was honored by the Western Wrestling Conference, as it announced its 2009-10 postseason award winners on Thursday. VonOhlen was the unanimous pick as the Freshman of the Year, while Wyoming's Joe LeBlanc and Northern Iowa's Brad Penrith were named WWC Wrestler of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively.
The Wrestler of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards were voted on by the league's head coaches this past week, while the Coach of the Year balloting was determined after the NCAA West Regional.
VonOhlen, a native of Jackson, Minn., was the Falcons' standout performer during the 2009-10 season, finishing as the West Regional runner-up at 141 pounds to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. He concluded the season with a 31-9 overall record (.775 winning percentage), including a 13-2 dual mark and 5-1 record in WWC duals.
He recorded a team-best 12 falls on the year, along with six major decisions and a technical fall. VonOhlen posted six wins over NCAA qualifiers, including a 17-2 technical fall over Cal State Fullerton's Adin Duenas (ranked 11th at the end of the regular season) and a 10-0 decision against Cal State Bakersfield's Elijah Nacita (ranked 13th). Meanwhile, eight of his nine losses came by decision, and all came against NCAA qualifiers (including one to NCAA Division II runner-up Mario Morgan of UNO). His lone major decision loss was a 12-4 victory by All-American Mike Thorn of Minnesota.
VonOhlen began his freshman campaign with an individual title in the Elite Division of the Cowboy Open and placed sixth at the Kaufman-Brand Open after suffering an injury during the meet. He also secured a fifth-place finish at the prestigious Southern Scuffle, while winning the 141-lb. title at the All-Academy Championships, recording three falls in as many matches.
A two-time WWC Wrestler of the Week, VonOhlen became the first Air Force freshman to qualify for the national tournament since 2005, as well as the first Falcon to reach 30 wins in a single season since 2005. He was recently named the 2009-10 DICollegeWrestling.net West Region Freshman of the Year.
LeBlanc, the WWC Freshman of the Year in 2009, earned WWC Wrestler of the Year honors after earning All-America distinction at 184 pounds for the second-straight year. A two-time West Regional champion, LeBlanc placed fourth at the 2010 NCAA Championships and finished his season with a 39-6 overall record. Meanwhile, Penrith was named WWC Coach of the Year for the second time in four years after guiding the Panthers to a second-place finish at the NCAA West Regional.
Four Air Force Falcons Earn All-WWC Accolades
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Four Air Force wrestlers have been named to the 2009-10 Western Wrestling Conference all-conference team, as announced by the league this evening. Individuals earned their spots on the respective teams with their finish at the 2010 NCAA West Regional on March 6 in Brookings, S.D.
Earning second-team all-conference honors for the Falcons were freshman Cole VonOhlen and seniors Tyler French and Stephen Larson. Meanwhile, junior Derek Gillespie was named an All-WWC third-team selection.
VonOhlen, the runner-up at 141 pounds, garnered all-conference honors in his first season with the Falcons. A native of Jackson, Minn., VonOhlen is currently ranked 18th in the nation in his weight class and will be competing at this week's NCAA Championships. He holds a 31-7 record on the season, becoming the first Air Force wrestler since 2005 to total more than 30 wins in a single season.
French, a native of Malta, Mont., earns the second all-conference honors of his career after placing second at 174 pounds at this year's West Regional. French closed out the season with a 23-17 overall record, finishing second on the team in total wins.
Larson placed second at heavyweight to earn the first all-conference accolades of his career. A native of Lakeville, Minn., Larson's only loss at the West Regional came to defending regional champion Christian Brantley of Northern Iowa.
Finally, Gillespie, a native of Chesapeake, Va., also picked up the first all-conference honors of his career, finishing third at 133 pounds. Gillespie posted a 2-1 record at the West Regional meet to earn his best-ever regional placing, ending his season with a 20-11 overall ledger.
West Regional champion Wyoming led the conference with seven all-conference selections, including three first-team honorees, while Northern Iowa earned six All-WWC selections, also with three first-team picks. North Dakota State finished with two first-team honorees, while South Dakota State and Utah Valley each earned one first-team selection. Each WWC school had at least one individual on the all-conference squads.
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 and Wyoming.
2010 WWC All-Conference Team
125 - First Team: Michael Martinez (Wyoming); Second Team: Ben Kjar (UVU); Third Team: Tony Mustari (UNC)
133 - First Team: Flint Ray (Utah Valley); Second Team: Cory VomBaur (Wyoming); Third Team: Derek Gillespie (Air Force)
141 - First Team: Ryan Adams (NDSU); Second Team: Cole VonOhlen (Air Force); Third Team: Kenny Hashimoto (UNC)
149 - First Team: Trent Washington (UNI); Second Team: Andrey Patselov (NDSU); Third Team: Justin Morrill (UVU)
157 - First Team: Vince Salminen (NDSU); Second Team: Tyson Reiner (UNI); Third Team: Jimmy Belleville (Wyoming)
165 - First Team: Shane Onufer (Wyoming); Second Team: David Bonin (UNI); Third Team: Jeb Clark (UVU)
174 - First Team: Jarion Beets (UNI); Second Team: Tyler French (Air Force); Third Team: Brad Darrington (UVU)
184 - First Team: Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming); Second Team: Andy O'Loughlin (UNI); Third Team: David Michaud (SDSU)
197 - First Team: Tyler Sorenson (SDSU); Second Team: Drew Ross (NDSU); Third Team: Alfonso Hernandez (Wyoming)
285 - First Team: Christian Brantley (UNI); Second Team: Stephen Larson (Air Force); Third Team: L.J. Helbig (Wyoming)
Air Force Places Fifth at NCAA West Regional
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Led by a trio of second-place finishers, the Air Force wrestling team placed fifth Saturday at the 2010 NCAA West Regional. The Falcons scored 37.5 points to finish ahead of host South Dakota State and Northern Colorado.
Wyoming captured its first regional championship, scoring 75.0 points to finish just 0.5 ahead of second-place Northern Iowa, which has won the last 24 West Regional titles. North Dakota State took third place with 44.5 points, while Utah Valley, in its first regional competition, placed fourth with 43.5 points.
Freshman Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.), ranked 19th in the nation, placed second at 141 pounds. Entering as the top seed, VonOhlen scored an 8-2 decision over Utah Valley's Wyatt Ray in the opening round to move on to the semifinals. With a 9-0 major decision over SDSU's Dustin Walraven, the fourth seed, VonOhlen earned a trip to the championship bout against NDSU's Ryan Adams. The two wrestlers met for the third time this season, and for the third time this season, the match was decided by a single point. This time, the advantage went to Adams, who grabbed a 5-4 victory to win the regional title.
At 174 pounds, senior Tyler French (Malta, Mont.), the 2008 regional champion, entered as the fourth seed. After earning a 9-1 major decision over Northern Colorado's Brandon Kammerzell, French moved on to a semifinal match-up with top-seed Brock Smith from Wyoming. French scored a 5-2 decision over Smith to advance to the title match for the second time in his career. Unfortunately, he was unable to come away with the victory against Northern Iowa's Jarion Beets, dropping a 17-6 major decision to finish second.
Also earning a second-place finish for the Falcons was senior heavyweight Stephen Larson (Lakeville, Minn.). Larson, seeded third in the tournament, opened the day with a 7-2 decision over NDSU's Joe Arthur, before winning a 5-2 decision over second-seed Justin Tuell of Northern Colorado. In the title match, Larson faced off against defending regional champion Christian Brantley, but came up short of an NCAA bid, dropping a 10-6 decision.
Meanwhile, junior Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) claimed third place at 133 pounds for the second-straight season. After a tough 13-12 loss to fourth-seed Ryan Jauch of Northern Iowa in the opening round, the unseeded Gillespie posted a pair of victories in the consolation bracket. First, Gillespie registered an 8-5 decision over Northern Colorado's Brett Bahe, seeded second. In the third-place match, Gillespie had a rematch with Jauch, this time earning an 8-3 victory.
Also earning points for the Falcons on Saturday was freshman Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.), who placed fourth at 165 pounds.
The West Regional was awarded fourteen automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, based on finish in the tournament. The winners at 133, 149, 157, 165, 184, 197 and 285 all received automatic bids, along with the top two finishers at 125 and 174 pounds, as well as the top three placewinners at 141 pounds.
With his second-place finish at 141 pounds, VonOhlen, who carries a 31-7 record on the season, was guaranteed a spot in the national tournament. French, the runner-up at 174 pounds, competed in a true second-place match to earn an automatic bid. Going up against Utah Valley Brad Darrington, French lost a tough battle, dropping a 3-1 sudden victory decision.
Next up for VonOhlen is a trip to the NCAA Championships, being held March 18-20, in Omaha, Neb.
Air Force Drops Regular Season Finale to Northern Iowa
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - In its final dual meet of the season, the Air Force wrestling team fell to Western Wrestling Conference rival Northern Iowa Sunday afternoon at UNI's West Gym. With the loss, the Falcons end the year with a 6-11 overall record and 1-5 mark in the WWC, while the Panthers move to 10-12 overall and 4-2 in the league.
Sunday's action started with the 141-pound match, where the Falcons' Cole VonOhlen (Fr., Jackson, Minn.) faced off against the Panthers' Charlie Ettelson. VonOhlen led 6-0 before Ettelson scored a third-period escape and takedown. However, VonOhlen scored a reversal with less than 30 seconds remaining and, with an extra point for riding time, earned the 9-3 decision. VonOhlen's win was his 29th of the season, while he finished his rookie campaign with a 13-2 dual ledger.
Air Force's early 3-0 lead would prove to be its only advantage of the dual, as Northern Iowa won decisions in the next three weight classes before earning a fall at 174 pounds to take a 15-3 lead. Senior James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio) stopped the Panthers' run with a strong performance at 184 pounds. Ciccone pinned Scott Hazen just 41 seconds into his match for his fourth fall of the season and the fastest of his career.
While Ciccone's win brought the Falcons back within six points in the team scoring, Northern Iowa halted any chances of an Air Force comeback, winning the next three weight classes by decision, including a sudden victory win at heavyweight.
With the team result already determined, junior Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) came out strong at 133 pounds, the final match of the dual meet. Gillespie held an 8-4 lead over Joey Lazor before earning the fall at the 4:36 mark. It was Gillespie fifth fall of the season and 18th win of the season.
Air Force will now focus its attentions on the NCAA West Regional, which is being held March 6 in Brookings, S.D. The regional, which acts as a qualifying tournament for the NCAA Championship, also doubles as the Western Wrestling Conference Championships.
Northern Iowa 24, Air Force 15
141 Cole VonOhlen (AF) dec. Charlie Ettelson, 9-3
149 Brett Robbins (UNI) dec. Gabe Martinez, 13-6
157 Tyson Reiner (UNI) dec. Alec Williams, 8-3
165 David Bonin (UNI) dec. Joseph Stafford, 9-4
174 Jarion Beets (UNI) fall Tyler French, 4:55
184 James Ciccone (AF) fall Scott Hazen, 0:41
197 Dustin Bauman (UNI) dec. Neil Delaney, 3-2
HWT Christian Brantley (UNI) dec., Stephen Larson, 3-1 (SV)
125 Caleb Flores (UNI) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 6-1
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) fall Joey Lazor, 4:36
Air Force Falls to WWC Rival Wyoming
USAFA, Colo. - Despite getting out to a strong start in its home season finale, the Air Force wrestling team dropped a 22-13 decision to Western Wrestling Conference rival Wyoming Thursday evening in Clune Arena. The Falcons fall to 6-10 overall and 1-4 in the WWC, while the Cowboys conclude their dual slate with a 12-3 overall record and perfect 6-0 conference ledger.
The dual started at 133 pounds, where Wyoming was able to come up with a 2-0 decision to take the early lead in the match. Air Force took the team lead in the next bout, as freshman 141-pounder Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) rolled to a 9-1 major decision over Chase Smith. VonOhlen allowed just one escape and scored a pair of takedowns and a reversal, while amassing nearly five minutes of riding time. With the win, VonOhlen improves to 28-6 on the year and 12-2 in dual action.
At 149 pounds, Gabe Martinez (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) trailed Cole Dallaserra, 3-1, in the third period before recording a takedown and three-point near fall. Although Dallaserra had nearly four minutes of riding time and scored an escape before the end of the match, the high-scoring move by Martinez was enough to grant him the 6-5 decision.
The Falcons reached their largest lead of the match after the 157-pound bout, as Alec Williams (So., Fultondale, Ala.) picked up a 16-11 decision over Jimmy Belleville. Williams put together a strong opening period, rolling to an 8-2 advantage with a pair of takedowns and a three-point near fall. The final two periods were a back-and-forth battle, ending with a takedown by Belleville just as time expired, but Williams was still able to come out on top.
Air Force's advantage was short-lived as Wyoming won five of the last six bouts. The Cowboys' ninth-ranked Shane Onufer picked up a major decision at 165 pounds, while No. 9 Joe LeBlanc won by fall in the 184-pound bout. Sandwiched in between was a hard-fought match between the Falcons' Tyler French (Sr., Malta, Mont.) and the Cowboys' Brock Smith. Smith held a 2-1 lead and had the advantage as the bout neared an end, but French scored an escape with just one second remaining to force overtime. However, Smith scored a takedown, the first of the match, 11 seconds into the extra period to earn the 4-2 sudden victory decision.
After another win by Wyoming at 197 pounds, Air Force senior heavyweight Stephen Larson (Lakeville, Minn.) took the mat versus L.J. Helbig. Following a scoreless opening period, Larson notched a pair of takedowns and an escape over the final two periods to take the 5-3 victory, earning a win in the final home meet of his career.
Wyoming scored the final decision of the meet, a 6-2 win by 12th-ranked Michael Martinez at 125 pounds, to take a 22-13 dual victory, capturing its first outright regular-season conference title.
The Falcons will close out their dual slate on Sunday, Feb. 21, when they visit conference rival Northern Iowa. The match is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. (CT).
Wyoming 22, Air Force 13
133 Cory VomBaur (UW) dec. Derek Gillespie, 2-0
141 Cole VonOhlen (AF) maj. dec. Chase Smith, 9-1
149 Gabe Martinez (AF) dec. Cole Dallaserra, 6-5
157 Alec Williams (AF) dec. Jimmy Belleville, 16-11
165 No. 9 Shane Onufer (UW) maj. dec. Clayton Gable, 12-4
174 Brock Smith (UW) dec. Tyler French, 4-2 (SV)
184 No. 9 Joe LeBlanc (UW) fall Josh Mohr, 4:18
197 Alfonso Hernandez (UW) dec. Neil Delaney, 3-1
HWT Stephen Larson (AF) dec. L.J. Helbig, 5-3
125 No. 12 Michael Martinez (UW) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 6-2
Air Force Defeats Cal State Fullerton, 22-19
USAFA, Colo. - Despite both teams winning five bouts each, the Air Force wrestling team was able to earn a 22-19 victory over Cal State Fullerton Sunday afternoon at Clune Arena. The win moves the Falcons to 6-9 overall on the season, while the Titans fall to 2-9-1 on the year.
Cal State Fullerton jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the team scoring with a technical fall at 125 pounds, while Air Force junior Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) put the Falcons on the board at 133 pounds with a 16-3 major decision over Aaron Navarrete.
Freshman Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.), ranked 15th in the nation at 141 pounds, gave Air Force its first lead of the match, after rolling to a 17-2 technical fall over Adin Duenas. Though Duenas scored the first takedown of the bout, VonOhlen grabbed a 6-2 lead after one period and was up 11-2 at the end of the second period. After scoring a reversal to open the final period, VonOhlen was awarded a four-point near fall with just six seconds left on the clock to stop the match.
The Falcons' lead was short-lived, as the Titans earned back-to-back decisions at 149 and 157 pounds. Air Force regained the advantage after a strong performance from Joseph Stafford (Jr., Loomis, Calif.) at 165 pounds. Stafford held a 10-2 second period advantage before pinning Clayton Schuelke with just 25 seconds remaining in the period.
The fall by Stafford gave Air Force a 15-11 lead in the team scoring, but Cal State Fullerton responded with a pin of their own in the 174-pound match-up to take a two-point lead. Senior James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio) took the mat for the Falcons at 184 pounds and recorded his second major decision of the weekend. Leading 7-2 in the final period with over a minute of riding time, Ciccone was able to score a takedown of Matt Savalle with 15 seconds on the clock to earn the major and put Air Force back up by two points.
With the Falcons needing at least one win in the final two bouts for a chance at the team victory, the 197-pound match-up proved to be one of the most crucial of the night. Neil Delaney (Jr., Grand Rapids, Mich.), who faced off against CSF's Ethan Weisrock, opened with an early deficit, trailing 4-2 after one period of action. Early in the second period, an unsportsmanlike call against the Titans' bench resulted in a loss of a team point for Cal State Fullerton, while Delaney scored another escape to cut his deficit to 4-3.
The remainder of the second period and much of the final period went scoreless before Delaney notched a takedown, his first of the match, with just 20 seconds to go. Delaney held on for the 5-4 decision to put the Falcons ahead, 22-16.
The final bout of the evening was a challenge for Air Force's heavyweight Stephen Larson (Sr., Lakeville, Minn.), who faced Kurt Klimek, ranked 17th in the nation. With the only points of the match scored on a third-period escape, Klimek took the 1-0 victory, but the Falcons were able to hold on for the 22-19 team victory.
The Falcons close out their home slate on Thursday, Feb. 18, when they host Western Wrestling Conference rival Wyoming. The dual is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Air Force 22, Cal State Fullerton 19**
125 Andre Gonzalez (CSF) tech fall Andrew Zwirlein, 21-6 (7:00)
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) maj. dec. Aaron Navarrete, 16-3
141 No. 15 Cole VonOhlen (AF) tech fall Adin Duenas, 17-2 (6:54)
149 Nick Jordan (CSF) dec. Gabe Martinez, 4-3
157 Steven DeLaFuente (CSF) dec. Alec Williams, 9-5
165 Joseph Stafford (AF) fall Clayton Schuelke, 4:35
174 Todd Noel (CSF) fall Tyler French, 6:05
184 James Ciccone (AF) maj. dec. Mark Savalle, 10-2
197 Neil Delaney (AF) dec. Ethan Weisrock, 5-4
HWT No. 17 Kurt Klimek (CSF) dec. Stephen Larson, 1-0
**Cal State Fullerton was deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct by the bench during the 197-lb. match
Air Force Falls to Northern Colorado, 24-13
GREELEY, Colo. - Competing in a road conference dual, the Air Force wrestling team dropped a 24-13 contest to Northern Colorado Friday evening. With the loss, the Falcons fall to 5-9 on the season and 1-3 in the Western Wrestling Conference. Meanwhile, the Bears, move to 2-13 overall, 1-3 in the WWC.
The Bears took an 8-0 advantage to start the match with back-to-back wins at 157 and 165 pounds. Senior Tyler French (Malta, Mont.) was first to put the Falcons on the board, taking an early lead against Brandon Kammerzell before holding on for a 4-2 decision in the 174-pound bout.
Allowing just one third-period escape, James Ciccone (Sr., Mentor, Ohio) rolled to a 10-1 major decision over Patrick Prentice at 184 pounds, while the Falcons took a 13-8 lead in the match following a forfeit by Northern Colorado at 197 pounds. However, it would the Falcons' last advantage of the dual, as the Bears won the five bouts to close out the evening.
The Falcons are back in action Sunday when they host Cal State Fullerton in a non-conference dual meet. The match is slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Northern Colorado 24, Air Force 13
157 Justin Gaethje (UNC) tech fall Alec Williams, 19-3 (4:19)
165 Kevin O'Brien (UNC) dec. Joseph Stafford, 5-3
174 Tyler French (AF) dec. Brandon Kammerzell, 4-2
184 James Ciccone (AF) maj. dec. Patrick Prentice, 10-1
197 Neil Delaney (AF) win by forfeit
HWT Justin Tuell (UNC) dec. Stephen Larson, 3-2
125 Tony Mustari (UNC) dec. Samuel Sheppard, 10-5
133 Brett Bahe (UNC) maj. dec. Derek Gillespie, 13-5
141 Kenny Hashimoto (UNC) dec. No. 15 Cole VonOhlen, 10-5
149 Justin Gonzales (UNC) dec. Gabe Martinez, 8-2
Air Force Finishes Second at All-Academy Championships
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Led by a pair of individual champions, the Air Force wrestling team placed second at the 16th-annual All-Academy Championships Saturday, hosted by Navy. The Falcons finished with 74.5 points to place behind Navy, which notched 123.5 points to claim its sixth team title in the last seven years.
The Citadel came in third in the team standings with 70 points, followed by the Merchant Marine Academy (51), VMI (47.5), Coast Guard Academy (10) and Norwich (0.5). Army did not compete in this year's event, due to travel issues caused by inclement weather on the East Coast.
Freshman Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.), ranked 16th in the nation at 141 pounds, earned an All-Academy title in his first appearance at the event, recording falls in all three of his matches. VonOhlen, the top seed in the tournament, opened the day by pining Norwich's Nick Monaco in a time of 1:20, followed by a fall over fourth-seed David Yost of VMI in a time of 1:42.
In the title match between VonOhlen and second-seed Matt Pagan of Navy, VonOhlen held the lead as the bout neared its end, then pinned Pagan with just one second remaining on the clock. VonOhlen now has a team-best 12 falls on the year, and improves his record to 26-5 overall.
Also winning a title for the Falcons was junior Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) at 133 pounds. Granted a bye in the opening round, Gillespie, who entered as the second seed, won a 14-4 major decision over third-seed Jordan Dix from The Citadel. In the championship bout, Gillespie faced off against Navy's Pat McCaffrey, earning a 6-3 decision over the top-seeded wrestler.
Air Force finished with seven other placewinners, including a pair of runner-up finishers. Senior Samuel Sheppard (Ramstein AB, Germany) captured second place at 125 pounds after entering as an unseeded wrestler. He began the day with a 9-5 decision over third-seed Richard Alarcon of The Citadel before scoring an 8-0 major decision over second-seed Jordan Alfaro of the Merchant Marine Academy. In the championship contest, Sheppard faced top-seeded Aaron Kalil of Navy, but came up short in an 11-8 decision.
At 184 pounds, senior James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio) also turned in a second-place showing. The second-seeded wrestler had an opening round bye before facing MMA's Erik Schott, seeded third. Ciccone pinned Schott in a time of 1:16 to earn a spot in the title match, but he fell to top-seed Andrew Buck of Navy in the contest.
Also for the Falcons, senior Tyler French (Malta, Mont.) and junior Neil Delaney (Grand Rapids, Mich.) earned third-place finishes at 174 and 197 pounds, respectively. Meanwhile, freshman Gabe Martinez (149, Colorado Springs, Colo.), senior Justin Shadrix (165, Bremen, Ga.) and senior Stephen Larson (HWT, Lakeville, Minn.) each added fourth-place showings at their respective weight classes.
The Falcons return to dual action next weekend, Feb. 12, when they travel to Greeley, Colo., to take on Western Wrestling Conference opponent Northern Colorado. Air Force will also host Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 14 at 2:00 p.m.
Air Force Wins Two at Tracy Borah Duals
GUNNISON, Colo. - Led by Cole VonOhlen (Fr., Jackson, Minn.), Tyler French (Sr., Malta, Mont.) and Stephen Larson (Sr., Lakeville, Minn.), the Air Force wrestling team went 2-1 at the Tracy Borah Duals Saturday, hosted by Western State. The Falcons (4-6) defeated CSU-Pueblo, 29-6, and Mesa State, 37-15, but fell to the host Mountaineers, 23-16.
Air Force started its dual meet against CSU-Pueblo (7-4) with four straight victories, beginning with a decision by Andrew Zwirlein (Jr., Nashotah, Wis.) at 125 pounds. Tyler Spangler (Fr., Midlothian, Va.) and VonOhlen added major decisions at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively, while Gabe Martinez (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) pinned Ben Collins in the 149-pound bout to give the Falcons a 17-0 lead.
Following a win by the Thunderwolves at 157 pounds, the Falcons rolled off three more straight individual victories, with decisions from Justin Shadrix (Sr., Bremen, Ga.), French and James Ciccone (Sr., Mentor, Ohio). CSU-Pueblo was able to take an overtime victory at 197 pounds, but Larson wrapped up the dual with an overtime win of his own, registering a 3-1 decision against Patrick Carey in the heavyweight bout.
The Falcons picked up seven individual victories in their 37-15 win over Mesa State (2-3), including four falls. Zwirlein started strong, pinning Tyler Nelson in a time of 6:01, while Martinez posted his second fall of the day, pinning Jon Gappmaier to the mat with 23 seconds remaining in the opening period. Also pinning their opponents in the match were French, who scored a fall over Justin Grosse, and 197-pounder Kazden Ikehara (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii), who pinned Shane Miller in overtime.
Other wins for Air Force against the Mavericks came for VonOhlen, who scored six points in a forfeit win, Joseph Stafford (Jr., Loomis, Calif.), who picked up a 16-9 decision over Matthew Chavez at 165 pounds, and Ciccone, who scored a 9-1 major decision over Chris Cielinski.
The toughest test of the day was ahead for the Falcons, as they took on the host Mountaineers, who are currently ranked 13th in the Division II ranks. Western State (4-3) grabbed an early 3-0 lead with a decision at 125 pounds before Derek Gillespie (Jr., Chesapeake, Va.) evened the score, registering a 7-4 decision over Daren Hockett.
VonOhlen, ranked 16th at 141 pounds on the Division I level, pinned Hollan Gravley just over two minutes into his bout to put Air Force on top, but the Mountaineers responded with three straight wins. French stopped the run by Western State, posting a 9-1 major decision over Zach Frazier to bring the Falcons back within a single point in the team scoring.
Unfortunately, Western State's two nationally-ranked wrestlers picked up wins in the next two bouts, including a fall at 184 pounds, to secure the team victory. With the match already decided, Larson added another entry into the win column for the Falcons, registering a 5-2 decision over Kyle Graulus.
The Falcons have a busy week of competition ahead, starting with a home dual meet on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. versus conference rival Utah Valley. Air Force then hits the road for two more conference duals, visiting South Dakota State on Jan. 30, followed by a meet at North Dakota State on Jan. 31. Also on Saturday, another group of Air Force wrestlers will head to the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open, hosted by Colorado School of Mines.
Air Force 29, CSU-Pueblo 6
125 Andrew Zwirlein (AF) dec. Treven Delaune, 13-8
133 Tyler Spangler (AF) maj. dec. Kenny Porter, 10-2
141 #16 Cole VonOhlen (AF) maj. dec. Nick Stahler, 11-1
149 Gabe Martinez (AF) fall Ben Collins, 5:53
157 Quinn Donnell (CSUP) dec. Wade Stowe, 6-4
165 Justin Shadrix (AF) dec. Justin Grant, 7-4
174 Tyler French (AF) dec. Kellen Desmond, 5-2
184 James Ciccone (AF) dec. Adam Carey, 3-2
197 Tony Chavarria (CSUP) dec. Neil Delaney, 4-2 (OT)
HWT Stephen Larson (AF) dec. Patrick Carey, 3-1 (OT)
Air Force 37, Mesa State 15
125 Andrew Zwirlein (AF) fall Tyler Nelson, 6:01
133 Chris Rubalcaba (MSC) fall Derek Gillespie, 4:50
141 #16 Cole VonOhlen (AF) win by forfeit
149 Gabe Martinez (AF) fall Jon Gappmaier, 2:37
157 Chase Walker (MSC) dec. Alec Williams, 3-1
165 Joseph Stafford (AF) dec. Matthew Chavez, 16-9
174 Tyler French (AF) fall Justin Grosse, 3:43
184 James Ciccone (AF) maj. dec. Chris Cielinski, 9-1
197 Kazden Ikehara (AF) fall Shane Miller, 7:28 (OT)
HWT Trevor Stapp (MSC) fall Jared Erickson, 5:30
Western State 23, Air Force 16
125 Kyle O'Brien (WSC) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 7-5
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) dec. Daren Hockett, 7-4
141 #16 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Hollan Gravley, 2:04
149 Justin Morris (WSC) dec. Gabe Martinez, 9-4
157 Kyle Francis (WSC) tech fall Wade Stowe, 15-0 (6:36)
165 Cody Frankum (WSC) dec. Justin Shadrix, 11-7
174 Tyler French (AF) maj. dec. Zach Frazier, 9-1
184 Charlie Pipher (WSC) fall James Ciccone, 5:12
197 Donovan McMahill (WSC) dec. Neil Delaney, 2-1
HWT Stephen Larson (AF) dec. Kyle Graulus, 5-2
Air Force Concludes Action at Lone Star Duals
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Competing in the annual Lone Star Duals on Saturday, the Air Force wrestling team posted a 1-2 record on the day. The Falcons (2-5) defeated Brown, 18-15, but fell to Northwestern, 26-15, and No. 23 Arizona State, 38-6.
Air Force opened the day with a dual meet versus Northwestern, and claimed an early 6-0 advantage after the first bout with a forfeit victory at 125 pounds before a major decision by the Wildcats at 133 pounds cut the margin to 6-4. Freshman Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.), ranked 14th in the nation at 141 pounds, extended Air Force's lead to 12-4 after pinning Bobby Joyce in a time of 2:17.
However, Northwestern rattled off victories in the next six bouts to take a commanding 26-12 lead. Earning the final points of the match for the Falcons was senior heavyweight Stephen Larson (Lakeville, Minn.), who captured a 9-4 decision over Marcus Shrewsbury to bring the final score to 26-15.
The Falcons' dual versus Brown was close throughout, with each team winning five of the 10 bouts. The Bears claimed a decision at 125 pounds, but Air Force picked up decisions from Derek Gillespie (Jr., Chesapeake, Va.) and VonOhlen at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively, to take the advantage. The two teams alternated winning decisions through the next three weight classes, with Alec Williams (So., Fultondale, Ala.) claiming a 6-4 victory at 157 pounds for Air Force.
The team score was tied at 9-9 entering the 174-pound bout, where senior Tyler French (Malta, Mont.) registered a fall over Ziad Kharbush in a time of 3:34, putting the Falcons back on top. Still, Brown managed decisions in the next two weight classes to knot the score at 15-15 going into the final match.
With the heavyweight bout proving to be the deciding match in the team scoring, Larson secured an 8-2 decision over Larry Otsuka to give Air Force the 18-15 dual victory over Brown.
Unfortunately, the Falcons did not have much success against No. 23 Arizona State in the final dual meet of the afternoon, despite some close contests. VonOhlen dropped a close 6-4 decision to 16th-ranked Chris Drouin, while the Sun Devils' 16th-ranked heavyweight, Eric Nye, needed an overtime period to defeat Larson, 2-1. The only points for Air Force in the 38-6 loss to ASU came in a forfeit victory at 197 pounds.
The Falcons are back in action next weekend, Jan. 23, when they head to Gunnison, Colo., for the Borah Duals, hosted by Western State. There, Air Force will face CSU-Pueblo, Mesa State and the host Mountaineers.
"It is always great to have an opportunity to wrestler the other schools in Colorado," said Air Force head coach Joel Sharratt. "The people of Colorado and the local wrestlers have some great collegiate opportunities right here at home. We are glad to be a part of this event held annually in Gunnison."
Northwestern 26, Air Force 15
125 Andrew Zwirlein (AF) win by forfeit
133 Eric Melzler (NU) maj. dec. Tyler Untrauer, 9-1
141 #14 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Bobby Joyce, 2:17
149 #15 Andrew Nadhir (NU) maj. dec. Gabe Martinez, 19-5
157 Kevin Bialka (NU) dec. Wade Stowe, 13-7
165 Robert Kellogg (NU) maj. dec. Justin Shadrix,10-2
174 Brian Roddy (NU) tech. fall Tyler French, 20-3
184 Aaron Jones (NU) dec. Josh Mohr, 12-6
197 John Schoen (NU) dec. Neil Delaney, 6-2
HWT Stephen Larson (AF) dec. Marcus Shrewsbury, 9-4
Air Force 18, Brown 15
125 Greg Einfrank (BU) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 5-2
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) dec. Teodora Popolizio, 9-2
141 #14 Cole VonOhlen (AF) dec. Stephen DeLorenzo, 5-2
149 Philip Marano (BU) dec. Gabe Martinez, 3-2
157 Alec Williams (AF) dec. Gabriel Brotzman, 6-4
165 Jeffrey Lemmer (BU) dec. Clayton Gable, 10-5
174 Tyler French (AF) fall Ziad Kharbush, 3:34
184 Bran Crudden (BU) dec. Josh Mohr, 4-3
197 Branden Stearns (BU) dec.Neil Delaney, 2-1 (SV)
HWT Stephen Larson (AF) dec. Larry Otsuka, 8-2
No. 23 Arizona State 38, Air Force 6
125 #3 Anthony Robles (ASU) fall Andrew Zwirlein, 2:00
133 Ben Ashmore (ASU) maj. dec. Tyler Untrauer, 9-1
141 #16 Chris Drouin (ASU) dec. #14 Cole VonOhlen, 6-4
149 Vicente Varela (ASU) tech. fall Gabe Martinez, 20-5
157 Michael Swigart (ASU) fall Wade Stowe, 1:03
165 Kyle DeBerry (ASU) maj. dec. Justin Shadrix, 16-3
174 Eric Starks (ASU) dec. Tyler French, 6-5
184 Jake Meredith (ASU) maj. dec. Josh Mohr, 10-2
197 Neil Delaney (AF) win by forfeit
HWT #16 Eric Nye (ASU) dec. Stephen Larson, 2-1 (SV)
Air Force Falcons Wrap Up Competition at Glen Brand Open
OMAHA, Neb. - Led a pair of runner-up finishes, the Air Force wrestling team finished with nine placewinners Saturday at the annual Glen Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha. Placing second in their respective weight classes were Samuel Sheppard (Sr., Ramstein AB, Germany) at 125 pounds and Joseph Stafford (Jr., Loomis, Calif.) at 165 pounds.
In his first bout of the day, Sheppard pinned opponent Cody Tyler of Nebraska-Omaha with just two seconds remaining in the match. He then picked up an 8-5 decision over Iowa State's Dallas Collier. Sheppard's lone loss of the day came in the championship bout, where he dropped a close 3-2 decision to conference rival Cruse Aarhus of Northern Iowa.
Meanwhile, Stafford picked up a 16-8 major decision against Lindenwood's John Murray in his first match of the day. After pinning Dana's Kyle Conley in a time of 6:50, Stafford moved into the championship bout versus Nebraska's Jerad Gubbels, but came up short in a 9-4 decision.
Freshman Brandon Mueller (Greenleaf, Wis.) posted a 2-1 record on Saturday to claim third place at 141 pounds. After dropping a close 8-6 decision in the first round, Mueller posted two wins in the consolation bracket, including a fall in a time of 4:45.
Tyler Spangler (Fr., Midlothian, Va.) placed fourth at 133 pounds with a 3-2 record on Saturday. After recording wins in his first two matches, Spangler fell to eventual champion Cody Garcia of Nebraska-Omaha to move into the championship bracket. Following a win by major decision, his second of the day, Spangler dropped the third-place match to Nebraska's Ridge Kiley.
Junior Kazden Ikehara (Mililani, Hawaii) registered a team-high four wins on Saturday before placing fourth at 197 pounds. Ikehara shut out his first opponent, 6-0, but dropped into the consolation bracket with a loss to Grant Haschak of Cal Poly. Following three straight wins, including a major decision, Ikehara faced Haschak in the third-place contest, but dropped a close 1-0 contest.
Also placing for the Falcons were Steven Joseph (Fr., Middleburg, Fla.), Tanner Weltzin (So., Alexandria, Minn.) and Jared Erickson (Fr., Newton, Utah), who finished fifth at 125, 149 and 285 pounds, respectively, while senior James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio), took sixth place at 184 pounds.
The Falcons are back in action next weekend, Jan. 23, when they head to Gunnison, Colo., for the Borah Duals, hosted by Western State.
Air Force Opens Dual Slate With 1-1 Record
USAFA, Colo. - In its first home action of the season, the Air Force wrestling team split a pair of non-conference duals Friday afternoon in Clune Arena. After dropping a 35-3 contest to Ohio, the Falcons scored a 33-13 victory over Colorado School of Mines.
Against Ohio, Air Force (1-1) got out to a solid start at 125 pounds, as junior Andrew Zwirlein (Nashotah, Wis.) put the Falcons on the board with a 10-5 decision over Kyle Ciccarello. While the score was tied, 3-3, at the end of the first period, Zwirlein controlled the action in the final two periods, accumulating nearly three and a half minutes of riding time throughout the match.
Unfortunately, the Falcons' first win against the Bobcats was also their last, as undefeated Ohio (6-0) captured victories in the final nine bouts, including a pair of falls and a technical fall.
The story was different as Air Force took on in-state rival Colorado School of Mines. The Falcons opened the match with a forfeit victory to take a six-point lead, but the Orediggers responded with a fall in the 133-pound bout to tie the team score at 6-6. Air Force regained the lead when 141-pounder Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) recorded a fall over Dylan Lewis as time expired in the first period, but CSM won the next two bouts, scoring a major decision and a decision to take a 13-12 advantage.
Junior Joseph Stafford (Loomis, Calif.), in his first action of the day, came up big for Air Force in the 165-pound bout, pinning Mines' Jacob Guynes in a time of 4:54. His victory swung the momentum back in the Falcons' direction, as Air Force won each of its last five bouts.
Senior Tyler French (Malta, Mont.) controlled the tempo at 174 pounds, racking up 3:44 of riding time in an 11-4 decision over Ryan Swanson. James Ciccone (Sr., Mentor, Ohio), wrestling at 184 pounds, added yet another fall for the Falcons, pinning Brandon Sheldon with 17 seconds remaining in the second period.
The 197-pound bout between Air Force's Neil Delaney (Jr., Grand Rapids, Mich.) and CSM's Brennen Knerr was tightly contested, tied at 1-1 in the final minute of the final period. However, Delaney scored the first takedown of the match with 23 seconds remaining to capture a 3-1 decision.
Meanwhile, the final match of the contest was also a close battle. Senior Stephen Larson (Lakeville, Minn.) was tied with Bryan Stansbury, 4-4, in the last minute of action, with each wrestler scoring a takedown and a pair of escapes in the bout. However, a second stalling call on Stansbury with 38 seconds remaining gave Larson what proved to be the deciding point in the 5-4 decision, as the Falcons captured the 33-13 team victory.
Air Force returns to action next weekend, Dec. 18, when they travel to Corvallis, Ore., to take on 24th-ranked Oregon State, along with Southern Oregon.
Ohio 35, Air Force 3
125 Andrew Zwirlein (AF) dec. Kyle Ciccarello, 10-5
133 Quentin Keyes (OU) tech fall Tyler Spangler, 16-0 (3:15)
141 Germane Lindsey (OU) dec. Derek Gillespie, 8-3
149 Seth Morton (OU) dec. Alec Williams, 5-2
157 Clay Tucker (OU) fall Wade Stowe, 6:01
165 Kevin Christensen (OU) dec. Justin Shadrix, 7-4
174 Jacob Ison (OU) fall Tyler French, 6:09
184 Nick Purdue (OU) dec. James Ciccone, 9-5
197 Erik Schuth (OU) dec. Neil Delaney, 4-0
HWT Andy Hartshorn (OU) dec. Stephen Larson, 7-4
Air Force 33, Colorado School of Mines 13
125 Andrew Zwirlein (AF) win by forfeit
133 Chad Lousberg (CSM) fall Tyler Spangler, 4:27
141 Derek Gillespie (AF) fall Dylan Lewis, 3:00
149 Jesse Snider (CSM) maj. dec. Alec Williams, 16-3
157 Jamie Sheets (CSM) dec. Wade Stowe, 7-3
165 Joseph Stafford (AF) fall Jacob Guynes, 4:54
174 Tyler French (AF) dec. Ryan Swanson, 11-4
184 James Ciccone (AF) fall Brandon Sheldon, 4:43
197 Neil Delaney (AF) dec. Brennen Knerr, 3-1
HWT Stephen Larson (AF) dec. Bryan Stansbury, 5-4
Air Force Wraps Up Competition at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
PRIMM, Nev. - Five members of the Air Force wrestling team completed action Friday at the annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, being held at the Star of the Desert Arena. Leading the way for the Falcons was senior James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio), who compiled a 3-2 record in the tournament.
Ciccone dropped a 7-4 decision to Western State's Charlie Pipher in the pigtail rounds at 184 pounds, but started off strong in the consolation bracket by pinning Robert Cooney of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in a time of 1:21. He then picked up two more victories, registering a 13-3 major decision against Cal Poly's Tyler Holt and a 7-6 decision over Zach Jimenez of San Francisco State. However, his run at the tournament ended with a loss to Nebraska's Josh Ihnen by major decision.
Junior Joseph Stafford (Loomis, Calif.), wrestling at 165 pounds, finished his weekend with an even record. In the opening round, Stafford lost to Ohio State's Colt Sponseller, seeded third in the tournament and ranked eighth in the nation, by technical fall. He responded by pinning Jarrod Purvis of New Mexico Highlands in a time of 4:04, followed by a 10-1 major decision over Western Wyoming's Jared Hammond to advance in the consolation bracket. Stafford ended his tournament with a loss, as he was pinned by Rider's Rob Morrison.
Meanwhile, senior Tyler French (Malta, Mont.) posted one of the biggest upsets of the day, defeating third-seed Nate Lee of Boise State in the opening round at 174 pounds. French was able to score a 4-3 victory over Lee, who is currently ranked seventh in the nation. However, French could not register a victory, dropping a 2-0 decision to Michigan's Justin Zeerip before being pinned by Cal Poly's Ryan DesRoches in the consolation bracket.
Also competing for Air Force at the Las Vegas Invitational were junior Andrew Zwirlein (Nashotah, Wis.) at 125 pounds and senior heavyweight Stephen Larson (Lakeville, Minn.).
The Falcons, who have another group in action today at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open in Hays, Kan., will open their home slate on Friday, Dec. 11, as they host Ohio and Colorado School of Mines in a pair of dual meets, scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Air Force's Gillespie Places Third at FHSU-Bob Smith Open
HAYS, Kan. - Junior Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) was the lone placewinner for the Falcons, as the Air Force wrestling team competed at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open on Saturday. Gillespie finished third at 141 pounds, compiling a 6-1 record on the day.
Gillespie opened competition on Saturday with back-to-back falls, pinning Zachary Young from Colorado School of Mines in a time of 2:05, while registering a fall against CSU-Pueblo's Shawn Gregory in a time of 2:39. Gillespie went on to knock off the fifth-seeded wrestler in the weight class, earning an 11-10 decision over Central Oklahoma's Tim Elliott. He then won his fourth-straight contest, a 12-10 sudden victory decision against Aldon Isenberg from host Fort Hays State.
Needing just one more victory to move into the championship bout, Gillespie came up short, dropping a 7-4 decision to top-seeded Mario Morgan of Central Oklahoma. However, he earned his spot in the third-place contest with a 9-8 decision over Labette CC's Cameron Jesseph. Gillespie followed that win with a 9-5 victory against sixth-seeded Anthony Varnell from Nebraska-Kearney to claim third place in his weight class.
Meanwhile, five other Falcons posted winning records on Saturday. Senior Joshua Smith (Orem, Utah) was just one victory shy of finishing as a placewinner at 174 pounds, putting together a 5-2 ledger for the tournament, including a pair of falls. Freshman Clayton Gable (Dallastown, Pa.) went 4-2 on Saturday, wrestling at 157 pounds, while Tyler Spangler (Fr., Midlothian, Va.), Alec Williams (So., Fultondale, Ala.) and Neil Delaney (Jr., Grand Rapids, Mich.) each earned 3-2 records at the 133-, 149- and 197-pound weight classes, respectively.
The Falcons will open their home slate on Friday, Dec. 11, as they host Ohio and Colorado School of Mines in a pair of dual meets, scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Air Force Wrestlers Start Season Strong at Cowboy Open
LARAMIE, Wyo. - With a total of seven placewinners, including a pair of tournament champions, the Air Force wrestling team began the 2009-10 season Saturday at the annual Cowboy Open, hosted by Western Wrestling Conference rival Wyoming.
Capturing individual titles were freshmen Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.), wrestling in the 141-pound weight class of the Elite Division, and Robert Isley (Toledo, Ohio), competing at 184 pounds in the Amateur Division.
VonOhlen recorded falls in each of his first two bouts, pinning Dylan Lewis of Colorado School of Mines in a time of 2:04, while notching a fall against Wyoming's Chase Smith in a time of 4:16. He faced a tougher challenge in his next match, taking an 8-6 decision in overtime against 2009 WWC runner-up Kenny Hashimoto of Northern Colorado. VonOhlen faced another close contest in the championship bout, winning a 6-5 decision over Chadron State's Jimmy Savala to take the title and begin his collegiate career with a 4-0 record.
Isley also began his Air Force career on a strong note, going 4-0 on the day. He posted a 12-0 major decision over Mark Martinez of New Mexico Highlands in his first bout before pinning Adam Carey in a time of 5:59. With an 11-3 major decision over Colorado School of Mines' Brandon Sheldon in his next match, Isley earned a trip to the championship bout, where he posted a 5-3 decision against Mitch Steed to capture the title.
In the Elite Division, Andrew Zwirlein (Jr., Nashotah, Wis.) and Tyler French (Sr., Malta, Mont.) placed third at 125 and 174 pounds, respectively. Meanwhile in the Amateur Division, freshman Tyler Spangler (Midlothian, Va.) added a second-place showing at 133 pounds, Josh Mohr (Fr., Pewaukee, Wis.) finished third at 184 pounds, and Dake Williams (Fr., Gaithersburg, Md.) took fourth-place in the heavyweight bracket.
Zwirlein opened the day with a 9-5 decision over Chase Dirden of Montana State-Northern, but lost to Utah Valley's Ben Kjar by technical fall in the next round. In the wrestlebacks, Zwirlein faced teammate Samuel Sheppard (Sr., Ramstein AB, Germany) and came away with a 7-3 decision to earn a spot in the third-place match. He won the bout against Western State's Kyle O'Brien, recording a fall in a time of 5:25 to capture third-place.
In his first bout of the day, French captured a 10-1 major decision over Mesa State's Kyle Brightman, before dropping an 8-4 decision to Brad Darrington of Utah Valley. He rebounded with a 6-3 decision over Alex Rieder of Wyoming in the wrestlebacks, while capturing a 9-3 decision over Wyoming's Brock Smith to win third-place.
Spangler rolled to three straight victories to earn his way into the championship bout. Following an 8-1 decision over Chris Davey, Spangler posted a 4-0 decision against Stephen Weimer of Nebraska-Kearney and a 13-3 major decision over Western Wyoming's Jacob Bassett. However, his run ended with a 5-2 loss to Chadron State's Ryan Fillingame in the title match.
Mohr dropped his first bout, 4-2, to eventual runner-up Mitch Steed, but rattled off five straight victories in the wrestlebacks to take third place in his weight class. He began with a 8-5 decision over Sam Kenagy, before pinning Adam Carey in a time of 6:15. He then recorded a 14-5 major decision over Aaron Phillips of Northwest Wyoming CC, while posting a forfeit victory against Kipp Holman. In the third-place match, Mohr registered his second fall of the day, pinning Brandon Sheldon in a time of 1:13.
Finally, Williams dropped an 8-5 decision to Fabian Guerrero in his first match of the day, but recovered by registering falls in his next four bouts. He pinned Weber State's William Moulding in a time of 2:03, followed by falls over Taylor Stam of Adams State (3:58), Dylan Stadel of Utah Valley (6:15) and Rusty Farnsworth of Western Wyoming (4:02). Williams' next bout was much closer, as he won a 12-10 overtime decision against Montana State-Northern's Jim Eavenson to move into the third-place match, but he was unable to continue his winning streak, dropping a 5-0 decision to Alcala.
The Falcons return to action next weekend, Nov. 21, at the Kaufman/Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha.
Blue Team Wins Air Force's Annual Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match
USAFA, Colo. - The Air Force wrestling team gave fans a preview of the 2009-10 season with its annual Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match, held Thursday evening in Clune Arena. The Blue team prevailed, 18-13, as the competitors battled for spots in the Falcons' starting lineup heading into the season.
The first bout of the night came at 125 pounds, where returning starter Andrew Zwirlein (Jr., Nashotah, Wis.) faced off against senior Samuel Sheppard (Ramstein AB, Germany). While Zwirlein's only points of the match came from a pair of takedowns in the opening period, it proved to be enough, as he was able to hold on for the 4-3 decision, giving the Blue team a 3-0 lead in the match.
At 133 pounds, returning letterwinner Tyler Untrauer (So., Midwest City, Okla.) battled rookie Ethan Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo.) to an 8-7 decision. Untrauer rolled to a 7-1 advantage after one period, but Martinez climbed back into the match, scoring an escape and a takedown in the second period, and earning penalty points after stall warning and cautions against Untrauer. Despite adding just over a minute of riding time, Martinez could not overcome his early deficit, as Untrauer picked up the decision for the Blue team.
Freshman Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) made it three wins in a row for the Blue team, picking up a decision over Derek Gillespie (Jr., Chesapeake, Va.). After a scoreless opening period, Gillespie notched the first point of the match with an escape near the end of the second period. VonOhlen tied the score with an escape of his own early in the third period and added a takedown to take the lead. With over two minutes of riding time, VonOhlen took the 4-2 victory.
The Silver team captured its first victory of the night at 149 pounds, as sophomore Alec Williams (Birmingham, Ala.) scored a 9-1 major decision over classmate Tanner Weltzin (Alexandria, Minn.). After registering a takedown in the opening period, Williams rode out Weltzin for the duration of the second period. He then scored seven points in the final period, including a three-point near fall.
Freshman Taylor Hollister (Colorado Springs, Colo.) put the Blue team back in the win column with a 10-3 decision over sophomore Samuel Mitchel (Peru, Ind.) at 157 pounds. Hollister scored four takedowns and accumulated nearly three minutes of riding time as he helped the Blue team extend its advantage to 12-4.
In the next match, Joseph Stafford (Jr., Loomis, Calif.) went up against senior captain Justin Shadrix (Bremen, Ga.) at 165 pounds. It was a close battle, as Shadrix used a takedown and a reversal to score a 4-3 decision over Stafford. With his victory, Shadrix got the Silver team back within five points in the team scoring at 12-7.
The 174-pound bout saw the return of senior Tyler French (Malta, Mont.), a 2008 NCAA qualifier who missed the latter half of the 2008-09 season due to injury. French went head-to-head with fellow senior Joshua Smith (Orem, Utah). Through the first two periods of action, the only point came on an escape by Smith. However, French opened the third period with a reversal and stayed in control for most of the period before Smith scored another escape. While the score was tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation, French was awarded an extra point with nearly two minutes of riding time, earning a 3-2 win for the Blue team.
Next up was a match-up between freshman Josh Mohr (Pewaukee, Wis.) and senior James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio) at 184 pounds. Ciccone took a 6-4 lead after the first period, scoring two takedowns and a reversal, while adding an escape in the second period. While Mohr was able to start out strong in the final period, tying the score at 9-9, Ciccone registered the last four points, including a point for riding time, to take the 13-9 decision for the Silver team.
Juniors Neil Delaney (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Josh Larson (Windsor, Colo.) met in the 197-pound match, with Delaney winning a 3-1 decision. Delaney scored a takedown and an escape during the bout, while Larson's lone point came from accumulating 1:16 of riding time. With the win, Delaney helped ice the Blue team's victory, giving it an insurmountable 18-10 advantage.
In the final match, rookie Jared Erickson (Newton, Utah) faced off against senior Stephen Larson (Lakeville, Minn.). After a scoreless opening period, Larson got on the board with an escape and a takedown. While Erickson opened the final period with an escape, Larson added a takedown and an extra point for riding time in a 6-2 decision, as the Silver team cut the final margin to 18-13.
The Falcons' season officially starts next weekend, Nov. 14, when the team heads to Laramie, Wyo., for the annual Cowboy Open, hosted by Wyoming.
Four Air Force Wrestlers Named MWC Scholar-Athletes
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Four Air Force wrestlers were named Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athletes, as announced by the league Wednesday afternoon. Earning the honors for the 2008-09 season were Stephen Crozier, Joshua Smith, Brett Boyce and Mengyuan Qiu.
Crozier, a native of Monona, Iowa, earns MWC Scholar-Athlete honors for the third time in his career after graduating from the Academy last month with a degree in economics. The Falcons' team captain and MVP for the 2008-09 season, Crozier was a three-time All-Western Wrestling Conference performer and two-time NCAA West Regional runner-up. Leading Air Force in total wins in each of the past two seasons, Crozier was named a first-team Academic All-District selection in 2009 and ended his career with a 3.61 GPA in economics.
Meanwhile, Smith, Boyce and Qiu each receive the first MWC Scholar-Athlete accolades of their respective careers. Smith is a rising senior from Ogden, Utah, who carries a 3.61 GPA in aeronautical engineering. Boyce, a rising junior from Brigham City, Utah, turned in the Falcons' highest grades during the 2008-09 season, holding a 3.73 GPA in biochemistry, while Qiu, a native of Glendale, Ariz., is a rising sophomore with a 3.53 GPA in aeronautical engineering.
A total of 506 student-athletes were named Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athletes. The MWC Scholar-Athlete Award is the highest academic honor bestowed by the Conference. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least two academic terms at the member institution, while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better, and have participated in varsity competition in an NCAA-sponsored sport.
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Melissa McKeown
U.S. Air Force Academy
Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director
719.333.9025 (office)
719.333.3798 (fax)
719.331.8321 (cell)
Air Force Wrestlers Receive Academic Awards from NWCA
MANHEIM, Pa. - The Air Force wrestling team was named to the Division I All-Academic Top 30 Team by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), while recent Academy graduate Stephen Crozier was named to the NWCA Individual All-Academic wrestling team, as announced today by the organization.
As a team, the Falcons ranked 22nd on the list with a combined GPA of 2.975. It marks the first time since the 2005-06 season that Air Force has been named an NWCA All-Academic Team. In determining eligibility for team all-academic status, the team GPA is comprised of 12 student athletes, including the 10 wrestlers that were the entries in the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. If teams had less than 10 entries for their respective qualifier, they may fill those spots with wrestlers that competed in at least one varsity dual during the season.
Meanwhile, Crozier earns individual all-academic accolades for the second consecutive season. This year, Crozier is one of just 73 wrestlers to receive the honor. To qualify for selection on the NWCA Individual 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 GPA and earned NCAA All-American honors.
Crozier, a native of Monona, Iowa, carried a 3.59 GPA and graduated last month with a degree in economics. Also an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection, Crozier compiled a 25-16 record (.610) during the 2008-09 season to lead the Falcons in total wins for the second-straight year. An NCAA qualifier in 2008 and three-time All-Western Wrestling Conference honoree, Crozier is a two-time NCAA West Regional runner-up, wrestling at 165 pounds in 2008 and at 174 pounds in 2009.