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.