Stanford's Amuchastegui Secures All-America Honors At NCAA Championships

The sophomore will continue his run Saturday for a chance at a third-place finish.

OMAHA, Neb. – Sophomore Nick Amuchastegui remains alive at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. The Talent, Ore., native has already secured himself at least a top-six finish with an opportunity to place as high as third at 165 pounds on Saturday.

Amuchastegui dropped his quarterfinal match to sixth-seeded Dan Vallimont of Penn State, 5-2, Friday morning to drop into the consolation bracket. In the evening session, Amuchastegui defeated his second seeded opponent of the tournament with a 2-0 decision over No. 5 Colt Sponseller of Ohio State. The win guarantees him All-America honors.

Amuchastegui is now 33-5 on the season and will face the No. 7 seed, Iowa’s Ryan Morningstar, Saturday morning for a chance to advance to the third-place match.

Stanford’s other three NCAA qualifiers, freshman Ryan Mango and juniors Justin Paulsen and Zack Giesen, all fell out of the tournament on Friday.

Mango dropped his consolation match to second-seeded Troy Nickerson of Cornell at 125 pounds. Nickerson recorded a fall in 3:13 for the victory. Mango ends his rookie campaign with a 25-15 record, tying for the fifth-most wins by a freshman in Cardinal history.

In the consolation round at 133 pounds, Ohio State freshman Ian Paddock posted an 11-2 major decision to knock Paulsen out the of the tournament. He ends his junior season with a 24-15 record, including his first-career NCAA Championship victory.

Giesen began the day with a 10-4 decision over Wisconsin’s Travis Rutt at 184 pounds to advance in the consolation bracket. However, the junior was pinned by Cornell’s Steve Bosak in the next round to end his third appearance at the NCAA Championships with a 2-2 record.

Action at the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships continues Saturday, Mar. 20, with the finals at 10 a.m. CT on ESPNU.

Stanford Results
NCAA Championships
Omaha, NB

125 pounds
No. 5 Andrew Long (Iowa State) dec. Ryan Mango (0-1), 8-2
Ryan Mango (1-1) fall 3:56 Steven Keith (Harvard)
Troy Nickerson (Cornell) fall 3:13 Ryan Mango (1-2)

133 pounds
No. 6 Dan Mitcheff (Kent State) maj. dec. Justin Paulsen (0-1), 12-1
Justin Paulsen (1-1) tech. fall Cory VomBaur (Wyoming), 16-1
Ian Paddock (Ohio State) maj. dec. Justin Paulsen (1-2), 11-2

165 pounds
Nick Amuchastegui (1-0) dec. No. 3 Nick Marable (Missouri), 4-1
Nick Amuchastegui (2-0) dec. Josh Asper (Maryland), 4-2
No. 6 Dan Vallimont (Penn State) dec. Nick Amuchastegui (2-1), 5-2
Nick Amuchastegui (3-1) dec. No. 5 Colt Sponseller (Ohio State), 2-0

184 pounds
No. 6 Maxwell Askren (Missouri) fall 1:38 Zack Giesen (0-1)
Zack Giesen (1-1) dec. Erich Schmditke (Oklahoma), 4-3
Zack Giesen (2-1) dec. Travis Rutt (Wisconsin), 10-4
Steve Bosak (Cornell) fall 0:31 Zack Giesen (2-2)
Stanford Juniors Zack Giesen, Justin Paulsen Earn At-Large NCAA Berths

Stanford earns two of the 50 at-large spots announced today by the NCAA.

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford juniors Zack Giesen and Justin Paulsen are headed to the 2010 NCAA Championships in Omaha, Neb. The Stanford wrestlers were among the 50 at-large selections announced today by the NCAA.

The pair will join sophomore Nick Amuchastegui and freshman Ryan Mango as the Cardinal's four representatives at the NCAA Championships. Amuchastegui captured the Pac-10 Conference title at 165 pounds, while Mango placed third at 125 pounds to earn automatic berths to the postseason.

One of the career-wins leaders in school history, Giesen finished third at this year's Pac-10 Championships at 184 pounds. He is 30-5 this season, joining Amuchastegui as the only Cardinal wrestlers to reach the 30-win mark this season. The Grants Pass, Ore., native claimed titles at the Fullerton Open and the Reno Tournament of Champions earlier this year. He has pinned three opponents in 2009-10, with his fastest fall coming in 42 seconds at the Pac-10 Tournament.

Giesen is making his third appearance at the NCAA Championships. He earned an automatic trip to the postseason as a freshman in 2006-07, but went 0-2 at the tournament. As a sophomore in 2007-08, Giesen garnered an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships, posting a 2-2 record.

Paulsen is making his first trip to the NCAA Championships after turning in his best season to date. The junior is 23-13 overall after going 11-6 in dual competition. He finished fifth at the Pac-10 Championships at 133 pounds. At the Fullerton Open in late November, Paulsen placed third after posting a 5-1 record. He is one of four Stanford wresters to amass at least 20 wins this season and he led the team with four technical fall victories.

The at-large selections were made by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee using the selection criteria without priority order, which consists of head-to-head competition, qualifying event placement, quality wins, results against common opponents, winning percentage, rating percentage index, coaches ranking and number of matches contested at that weight class.

The 50 at-large qualifiers will join the 280 student-athletes that qualified automatically through their conference and regional qualifying tournaments in Omaha next week, March 18-20. In each weight class, 33 wrestlers will compete for national titles, with the top eight finishers being named All-Americans.
Amuchastegui Wins Title, Stanford Finishes Sixth At Pac-10 Championships

Three Cardinal wrestlers finished in the top-three.

DAVIS, Calif. - The Stanford wrestling team completed the 2010 Pac-10 Championships, Saturday, finishing in sixth place with 87.0 points. Sophomore Nick Amuchastegui won the 165-pound title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Championships.
Oregon State took home the 2010 Pac-10 Championship with 127.0 points. Last year's champion, Boise State, came in third with 125.0 points.

Amuchastegui used a 2-1 decision over Oregon State's Daniel Brascetta to win the title. The Talent, Ore., native improves to 29-4 and will compete at the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row.

Freshman Ryan Mango won two matches Saturday to place third at 125 pounds. The St. Louis, Mo., native also earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Mango defeated Boise State's Allen Bartelli, 8-5, in the consolation round and Cal State Fullerton's Andre Gonzalez, 8-5, in the third-place match.

Stanford's other automatic qualifier was junior Justin Paulsen at 133 pounds. He placed fifth after falling to Oregon State's Kelly Kubec, 7-3, in the consolation final. He defeated Cal State's Bakersfield's Justin Durham, 3-0.

Junior Zack Giesen, ranked No. 12 nationally, finished third at 184 pounds. He pinned Oregon State's Ty Vinson in 42 seconds to advance to the third-place match. He will now wait to see if he will earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships.

Junior Lucas Espericueta and freshman Richard Kessler both finished fifth at 157 pounds and 197 pounds, respectively. Senior Jake Johnson placed sixth at 174 pounds, while senior Tyler Parker took seventh place at 149 pounds.

The Cardinal will now prepare for the NCAA Championships, held at the Qwest Center March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb.
Stanford Wrestling Falls At Arizona State, 24-13

The Cardinal won just four of the 10 bouts in its regular season finale.

TEMPE, Ariz. - The Cardinal wrestling team dropped a 24-13 decision at Arizona State, Sunday, in Wells Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils improve to 9-7-0 on the year and 4-2 in the Pac-10, while Stanford drops to 10-8-1 overall and 2-3-1 in the conference.

Stanford started the dual on fire, winning its first four matches. The dual started at 165 pounds, where redshirt sophomore Nick Amuchastegui gave the Cardinal a 4-0 lead with a 10-0 major decision over Kyle DeBerry. Amuchastegui improves to 27-4 on the season and 17-1 in dual matches.

Senior Jake Johnson won his third consecutive match, earning a 5-2 decision over Eric Starks at 174 pounds. Johnson needs just two wins to move into the top-10 in career wins in program history.

The Cardinal kept its momentum as 13th-ranked Zack Giesen shut out his opponent, Jake Meredith, with a 5-0 decision at 184 pounds. Giesen is tied with Amuchastegui for the most wins on the team this season (27).

Freshman Richard Kessler gave Stanford an earl 13-0 lead, posting an 8-2 decision over Michael Hawkins at 197 pounds. However, the lead wouldn't last for long, as Arizona State won the next six matches to defeat the Cardinal in the team competition.

Stanford now has two weeks to prepare for the Pac-10 championships, hosted by UC Davis, Feb. 26-27, in Davis, Calif.

Arizona State 24, Stanford 13
165: No. 16 Nick Amuchastegui (S) maj. dec. Kyle DeBerry (A), 10-0
174: Jake Johnson (S) dec. Eric Starks (A), 5-2
184: No. 13 Zack Giesen (S) dec. Jake Meredith (A), 5-0
197: Richard Kessler (S) dec. Michael Hawkins (A), 8-2
HWT: No.15 Erik Nye (A) fall Kyler Hasson (S), 2:32
125: No. 3 Anthony Robles (A) maj. dec. Ryan Mango (S), 11-2
133: Ben Ashmore (A) dec. Justin Paulsen (S), 7-6
141: No. 17 Chris Drouin (A) maj. dec. Bret Baumbach (S), 13-3
149: Vicente Varela (A) dec. Tyler Parker (S), 6-5
157: Te Edwards (A) maj. dec. Mike Kent (S), 11-3
Stanford Wrestling Takes Care of Bakersfield On Senior Night

Cardinal seniors Jake Johnson and Tyler Parker were both victorious in their final matches at Burnham Pavilion.

STANFORD, Calif. - The Cardinal wrestling team won its second straight Pac-10 dual, defeating Cal State Bakersfield 23-14 on Senior Night at Burnham Pavilion. Winning seven of the 10 bouts, Stanford improves to 10-7-1 overall and 2-2-1 in the Pac-10. Both Stanford seniors, Jake Johnson and Tyler Parker, won their respective bouts in their final matches of their career at home.

The dual started at heavyweight where Stanford was forced to forfeit, giving Bakersfield a 6-0 advantage. However, the Cardinal would quickly erase the deficit as freshman Ryan Mango came-from-behind to defeat Frank Lomas with a 7-6 decision at 125 pounds, and redshirt junior Justin Paulsen posted a 15-3 major decision over Justin Durham at 133 pounds.

Down 6-4 in the third period, Mango scored an escape, takedown, and rode for the last 45 seconds for his third straight victory. The win was also number 21 for Mango, placing him in a tie for 10th place on Stanford's freshman wins list with Scott Loescher. Paulsen dominated his match, scoring two takedowns and three sets of near falls for the major decision.

The Roadrunners regained the lead as 12th-ranked Elijah Nacita recorded a 15-0 technical fall over Stanford freshman Bret Baumbach at 141 pounds. Stanford answered by winning the next five match-ups to seal its 10th dual win of the season.

Parker earned his first win of the season by recording a 9-5 decision over John Cardenas at 149 pounds. He scored with three takedowns, a reversal and riding time in his final home appearance of his career.

Redshirt freshman Mike Kent picked up his first win at 157 pounds this season with an exciting 2-1 decision over Andrew Balch to put the Cardinal ahead in the dual, 13-11. Then, at 165 pounds, Nick Amuchastegui tallied his fourth major decision of the season with a 12-2 win over Joey Granata. He was ahead 8-2 and then scored a reversal and two back points in the last four seconds of the match to win by major decision, putting the Cardinal ahead 17-11.

Up next was Johnson at 174 pounds. Wrestling against Trevor Hall who is listed just ahead of Johnson in the Pac-10 rankings, the senior pulled out an 8-6 decision to improve to 17-14 on the season. With 82 career wins, he is now just three wins away from moving into the top-10 in career wins in program history.

Redshirt junior Zack Giesen, ranked 13th nationally, concluded the scoring for Stanford with a 4-2 decision against Mike Larson at 184 pounds. With the victory, Giesen extends his current winning streak to three matches.

Looking ahead, Stanford travels to Tempe, Ariz., Sunday, Feb. 14, for its final Pac-10 dual of the season against the Arizona State Sun Devils at 2 p.m. MT. The Cardinal will then have two weeks to prepare for the conference championships in Davis, Calif., Feb. 26-27.

Stanford 23, Cal State Bakersfield 14
285: No. 12 Mitch Monteiro (B) won by forfeit
125: Ryan Mango (S) dec. Frank Lomas (B), 7-6
133: Justin Paulsen (S) maj. dec. Justin Durham (B), 15-3
141: No. 12 Elijah Nacita (B) tech. fall Bret Baumbach (S), 15-0
149: Tyler Parker (S) dec. John Cardenas (B), 9-5
157: Mike Kent (S) dec. Andrew Balch (B), 2-1
165: Nick Amuchastegui (S) maj. dec. Joey Granata (B), 12-2
174: Jake Johnson (S) dec. Trevor Hall (B), 8-6
184: No. 13 Zack Giesen (S) dec. Mike Larson (B), 4-2
197: Riley Orozco (B) dec. Richard Kessler (S), 8-3
Boise State Defeats Stanford Wrestling 29-15

STANFORD, Calif. - The Stanford wrestling team drops to 8-7 (0-3 Pac-10) with a 29-15 loss to eighth-ranked Boise State, Friday, at the San Diego Sports Hall in the Ford Center. Winning seven of the 10 bouts, the Broncos improve to 12-2 overall and 5-0 in the conference.

The dual started at 125 pounds as Stanford freshman Ryan Mango faced Boise State junior Alan Bartelli. No points were scored in the first period, however, Bartelli scored his first point with an escape to start the second period. He then scored a takedown in the second and earned a final point for riding time to defeat Mango, 4-0.

The Cardinal took a 6-3 lead in the dual as the Broncos were forced to forfeit at 133 pounds. Stanford junior Justin Paulsen picked up the win.

Stanford freshman Bret Baumbach wrestled sixth-ranked Levi Jones at 141 pounds. Jones pulled out the fall with just two seconds left in the match, regaining the lead for the Broncos, 9-6.

The Broncos added to their lead as No. 6 Jason Chamberlain posted a 21-8 major deceision over redshirt senior Tyler Parker. Chamberlain scored nine takedowns and a reversal to defeat Parker, who scored all of his points with escapes. Wrestling at 157 pounds, redshirt freshman Mike Kent dropped a 16-8 major decision to No. 2 Adam Hall to increase the Boise State's lead to 17-6.

Redshirt sophomore Nick Amuchastegui (23-4) earned a 4-0 decision over the Broncos' Michael Cuthbertson at 165 pounds. Amuchastegui scored a takedown and held a 2-0 lead after the first period. From the bottom position, Amuchastegui added to his lead with an escape to start the second period. He earned his final point for riding time and improved his dual record to 13-1 this season.

Boise State increased its lead to 20-9 as No. 11 Nate Lee tallied an 8-3 decision over Stanford senior Jake Johnson at 174 pounds. Lee scored with three takedowns, an escape and riding time as Johnson dropped to 15-13 on the season.

At 184 pounds, Boise State's Kirk Smith entered the match ranked No. 1 in the nation. He posted a 4-1 decision over Stanford's Zack Giesen, currently No. 12 nationally. Smith scored first with a takedown, but Giesen used an escape to pull within one at the end of the first period. Neither wrestlers was able to pick up any points in the second period. Smith scored his remaining points with an escape in the final period and the last for riding time. Giesen falls to 23-4 on the season and 12-2 in dual matches.

Both teams traded forfeits to end the dual at 29-15. Stanford freshman Richard Kessler picked up the win at 197 pounds, while Boise State senior Sam Zylstra earned the win at heavyweight.

Stanford returns to the mat Sunday, Jan 31 at 1 p.m. for a Pac-10 dual with Cal State Fullerton. The Cardinal will face the Titans in the San Diego Sports Hall in the Ford Center.

Boise State 29, Stanford 15
125: Alan Bartelli (B) dec. Ryan Mango (S), 4-0
133: Justin Paulsen (S) won by forfeit
141: No. 6 Levi Jones (B) fall 6:58 Bret Baumbach (S)
149: No. 6 Jason Chamberlain (B) maj. dec. Tyler Parker (S), 21-8
157: No. 2 Adam Hall (B) maj. dec. Mike Kent (S), 16-8
165: Nick Amuchastegui (S) dec. Michael Cuthbertson (B), 4-0
174: No. 11 Nate Lee (B) dec. Jake Johnson (S), 8-3
184: No. 1 Kirk Smith (B) dec. No. 12 Zack Giesen (S), 4-1
197: Richard Kessler (S) won by forfeit
HWT: Sam Zylstra (B) won by forfeit
Stanford Wrestling Wins Two-Of-Three at Spartan Duals

The Cardinal (8-4) matches its win total from last season.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Cardinal wrestling team finished 2-1 at the Spartan Duals, Saturday, at Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Mich. Stanford dropped its first dual to host Michigan State, 25-10, but rebounded with a 22-18 win over Northern Illinois and a 26-15 victory against Eastern Michigan. Stanford is now 8-4 on the season and 0-1 in the Pac-10 Conference.

Freshman Ryan Mango, sophomore Nick Amuchastegui and junior Zack Giesen combined to score 38 of Stanford's 58 points Saturday. The trio was 9-0 on the day as the Cardinal has already matched its win total from last season. Amuchastegui remains undefeated in dual matches at 11-0 on the year, while Giesen boasts a 10-1 dual record and Mango has posted an 8-4 record so far in his rookie season.

The Cardinal opened the day against host Michigan State. Mango gave Stanford the early 4-0 advantage with a 19-6 major decision over Brennan Lyon at 125 pounds, but the Spartans won the next four bouts to put the Cardinal in a 16-4 hole. Amuchastegui added three points with a 6-0 decision against MSU's Kyle Bounds at 165 pounds. Eleventh-ranked Giesen concluded the scoring for Stanford with a 4-2 decision over Nick Palmieri at 184 pounds.

Stanford regrouped and came back to post a 22-18 win over Northern Illinois in its second dual of the day. The Cardinal received six points for a forfeit at 125 pounds and added six more with a pin by junior Justin Paulsen at 133 pounds. The Huskies cut the lead to 12-9 after claiming decisions over the Cardinal at 141, 149 and 157 pounds. However, the combo of Amuchastegui and Giesen sealed the victory for Stanford, earning three points for the 9-6 decision at 165 pounds and four points for a 13-3 major decision at 184 pounds.

The Cardinal concluded the day with a 26-15 victory over Eastern Michigan. Mango (17-9 overall) earned his first collegiate pin at 6:03 over the Eagles' Chris Jenkins to start the scoring for the Cardinal. At 141 pounds, freshman Bret Baumbach tallied his lone win of the day with a 15-6 major decision against EMU's Corey Phillips to give Stanford a 10-3 lead. The Eagles pulled within one at 10-9, but the Cardinal won the next four bouts to capture the win. Amuchastegui brought his overall record to 21-3 with a 5-1 decision over Alex Ortman, while Giesen (21-3) recorded his fastest fall of the season, pinning Nick Kendrick in 46 seconds. Redshirt freshman Spence Patrick won his second dual match of the season at 174 pounds with a 12-4 major decision against Phillip Joseph, and true freshman Richard Kessler tallied his only win of the day, a 3-0 decision over Travis Steinbeck at 197 pounds.

Redshirt senior Tyler Parker saw his first action of the year, competing at 149 pounds for the Cardinal. Returning NCAA qualifier Lucas Espericueta, Stanford's regular starter at 157 pounds, did not compete Saturday. Redshirt freshman Mike Kent wrestled at 157 pounds for the first time this season.

The Cardinal will compete in its fourth dual in less than 24 hours, Sunday, as they travel to Mt. Pleasant, Mich., for a dual at eighth-ranked Central Michigan at 2 p.m. Head coach Jason Borrelli will return to his alma mater and coach against his father, Tom Borrelli, for the first time in his career.

Spartan Duals
East Lansing, Mich.
January 16, 2010

Michigan State 25, Stanford 10
125- Ryan Mango (S) maj. dec. Brennan Lyon (M), 19-6
133- No. 1 Franklin Gomez (M) maj. dec. Justin Paulsen (S), 13-2
141- Dan Osterman (M) dec. Bret Baumbach (S), 10-3
149- No. 13 David Cheza (M) dec. Tyler Parker (S), 6-1
157- Anthony Jones Jr. (M) Fall 5:27 Mike Kent (S)
165- Nick Amuchastegui (S) dec. Kyle Bounds (M), 6-0
174- Ian Hinton (M) dec. Spence Patrick (S), 6-3
184- No. 11 Zack Giesen (S) dec. Nick Palmieri (M), 4-2
197- Tyler Dickenson (M) dec. Richard Kessler (S), 6-1
HWT- Alan O'Donnell (M) dec. Dylan Rush (S), 7-3

Stanford 22, Northern Illinois 18
125- Ryan Mango (S) won by forfeit
133- Justin Paulsen (S) Fall 4:03 Zach Taylor (N)
141- Vince Castillo (N) dec. Bret Baumbach (S), 4-0
149- Daniel Ruettiger (N) dec. Tyler Parker (S), 4-3
157- Bryan Deutsch (N) dec. Mike Kent (S), 6-0
165- Nick Amuchastegui (S) dec. John Odeen (N), 9-6
174-Mason True (N) dec. Spence Patrick (S), 5-3
184- Zack Giesen (S) maj. dec. Zach Benzio (N), 13-3
197- Scott Penny (N) dec. Richard Kessler (S), 4-3
HWT- Dakota Greenlaw won by inj. def. Dylan Rush (S)

Stanford 26, Eastern Michigan 15
125- Ryan Mango (S) Fall 6:03 Chris Jenkins (E)
133- Sean Clair (E) dec. Justin Paulsen (S), 1-0
141- Bret Baumbach (S) maj. dec. Corey Phillips (E), 15-6
149- David Piencar (E) dec. Tyler Parker (S), 4-3
157- Aaron Sultzer(E) dec. Mike Kent (S), 3-1
165- Nick Amuchastegui (S) dec. Alex Ortman (E), 5-1
174- Spence Patrick (S) maj. dec. Phillip Joseph (E), 12-4
184- Zack Giesen (S) Fall 0:46 Nick Kendrick (E)
197- Richard Kessler (S) dec. Travis Steinbeck (E), 3-0
HWT- David Wade (E) won by forfeit
Amuchastegui, Giesen Lead Stanford Wrestlers At The Stanford Duals

Stanford defeats Northern Colorado, 34-5, Saturday.

STANFORD, Calif. - The Cardinal wrestling team finished 1-1 at the Stanford Duals, Saturday, at Burnham Pavilion. Stanford downed Northern Colorado, 34-5, before falling to Oregon State, 31-7. The Beavers finished the afternoon 3-0, while the Bears were 1-2 and Menlo College was 0-2. Stanford is now 6-3 on the season and 0-1 in the Pac-10 Conference.

Nick Amuchastegui improved his dual record to 8-0 this season at 165 pounds as he pinned Northern Colorado's Rocco DePaolo in 1:45, his fastest fall of the season. The sophomore then defeated Oregon State's Dan Brascetta, 12-3, to score four of the Cardinal's seven points. He scored first against Brascetta with a takedown. After Brascetta got on the board with an escape, Amuchastegui scored two more takedowns for a 6-1 lead. He increased his lead to 7-1 with an escape to start the second period followed by another takedown. Brascetta was able to cut into the lead with an escape, but Amuchastegui scored two takedowns for the major decision.

Zack Gisen joined Amuchastegui as the only two Cardinal wrestlers to post 2-0 records Saturday. The junior earned a 14-2 major decision over Northern Colorado's Eric Brennan. He scored first with a takedown and added three more points with a near fall in the first period. Giesen then scored two more points with a takedown near the end of the second period. He finished the match scoring seven straight points for the win. The Grant Pass, Ore., native then edged Oregon State's Brice Arand, 7-6, to push his overall record to 18-3 this season and 7-1 in dual competition.

Redshirt freshman Spence Patrick (174 pounds) won his first collegiate dual match. Patrick won a 9-3 decision over Northern Colorado's Patrick Prentice. He scored first with a takedown before Prentice countered with an escape. Patrick then added to his score with an escape early in the second period followed by another takedown. Prentice countered once again with another escape early in the third period. Patrick was awarded one point for stalling by Prentice and then concluded the scoring with a final takedown and earned one point for riding time.

Five other Cardinal wrestlers were 1-1 on the day, led by junior Porfirio Madrigal at 133 pounds. The Healdsburg, Calif., native pinned Northern Colorado's Brett Bahe in 5:11 to score six points for Stanford. True freshmen Ryan Mango (125 pounds), Bret Baumbach (141 pounds) and Richard Kessler (197 pounds) as well as 157-pounder Lucas Espericueta all won matches for the Cardinal versus Northern Colorado.

Up next, Stanford will travel to East Lansing, Mich., for the Spartan Duals, Saturday, Jan. 16. Stanford will face host Michigan State, Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan. The team will also compete in a dual at Central Michigan on Jan. 17.

Stanford Duals
Stanford, Calif.
January 9, 2010

Stanford 34, Northern Colorado 5 (UNC lost one point for unsportsman like conduct)
125- Ryan Mango (Stan) dec. Tony Mustari (UNC), 3-2
133- Porfirio Madrigal (Stan) Fall 5:11 Brett Bahe (UNC)
141- Bret Baumbach (Stan) dec. Casey Cruz (UNC), 7-3
149- Justin Gonzales (UNC) dec. Mike Kent (Stan), 10-6
157- Lucas Espericueta (Stan) dec. Justin Gaethje (UNC), 10-8
165- Nick Amuchastegui (Stan) Fall 1:45 Rocco DePaolo (UNC)
174- Spence Patrick (Stan) dec. Patrick Prentice (UNC), 9-3
184- Zack Giesen (Stan) maj. dec. Eric Brennan (UNC), 14-2
197- Richard Kessler (Stan) won by forfeit
HWT- Justin Tuell (UNC) dec. Dylan Rush (Stan), 5-4

Oregon State 31, Stanford 7
125 - Jason Lara (OSU) dec. Ryan Mango (Stanford), 6-5
133 - Kelly Kubec (OSU) dec. Porfirio Madrigal (Stanford), 8-2
141 - Mike Mangrum (OSU) dec. Bret Baumbach (Stanford), 12-5
149 - RJ Pena (OSU) won by forfeit
157 - Keegan Davis (OSU) dec. Lucas Espericueta (Stanford), 7-3
165 - Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) maj. dec. Dan Brascetta (OSU), 12-3
174 - Colby Covington (OSU) dec. Jake Johnson (Stanford), 8-3
184 - Zack Giesen (Stanford) dec. Brice Arand (OSU), 7-6
197 - Chad Hanke (OSU) maj dec. Richard Kessler (Stanford), 17-4
HWT - Clayton Jack (OSU) Fall 1:47 Dylan Rush (Stanford)

Oregon State 48, Northern Colorado 0
125 - Jason Lara (OSU) dec. Tony Mustari (UNC), 7-3
133 - Kelly Kubec (OSU) tech fall Brett Bahe (UNC), 16-1
141- Mike Mangrum (OSU) dec. Casey Cruz (UNC), 11-4
149 - RJ Pena (OSU) tech fall Justin Gonzales (UNC), 17-2
157- Keegan Davis (OSU) dec. Justin Gathje (UNC), 12-6
165 - Dan Brascetta (OSU) tech fall Rocco DePaolo (UNC), 17-1
174 - Colby Covington (OSU) Fall 1:32 Patrick Prentice (UNC)
184 - Brice Arand (OSU) Fall 1:40 Eric Brennan (UNC)
197 - Chad Hanke (OSU) won by forfeit
HWT - Clayton Jack (OSU) Fall 2:14 Justin Tuell (UNC)

Oregon State 54, Menlo College 0
125 - Jason Lara (OSU) tech fall Jason Moorehouse (Menlo), 27-9
133 - Kelly Kubec (OSU) Fall 3:45 Drake Medeiros (Menlo)
141 - Mike Mangrum (OSU) won by forfeit
149 - RJ Pena (OSU) Fall 1:36 Cody Gibson (Menlo)
157 - Keegan Davis (OSU) won by forfeit
165 - Anthony Peressini (OSU) dec. Adrian Gonzalez (Menlo), 7-6
174 - Colby Covington (OSU) Fall 1:48 Allen LaGrange (Menlo)
184 - Ty Vinson (OSU) tech fall Sean Weeks (Menlo), 21-4
197 - Chad Hanke (OSU) tech fall Hanna Malak (Menlo), 17-1
HWT- Clayton Jack (OSU) won by forfeit

Northern Colorado 35, Menlo College 3
125 - Tony Mustari (UNC) dec. Jason Moorehouse (Menlo), 10-4
133 - Brett Bahe (UNC) maj. dec. Drake Medeiros (Menlo), 12-1
141 - Casey Cruz (UNC) won by forfeit
149 - Justin Gonzales (UNC) maj. dec. Cody Gibson (Menlo), 13-3
157 - Rocco DePaolo (UNC) won by forfeit
165 - Justin Gaethje (UNC) dec. Adrian Gonzalez (Menlo), 10-4
174 - Allen LaGrange (Menlo) dec. Patrick Prentice (UNC), 10-8
184 - Eric Brennan (UNC) dec. Sean Weeks (Menlo), 10-3
*double forfeit at 197 pounds and heavyweight (no points scored for forfeits)
Justin Tuell (UNC) Fall 1:31 Hanna Malak (Menlo)
Stanford Finishes 16th At 47th Annual Midlands Championships

Junior Zack Giesen placed eighth at 184 pounds.

EVANSTON, Ill. – Junior Zack Giesen placed eighth at 184 pounds as the Stanford wrestling team finished 16th with 28.5 points in the 47th annual Midlands Championships. The two-day 54-team tournament was held at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill.

Giesen was 4-3 at the two-day tournament to place for the third time this season. He began the tournament with a 6-2 decision over Northern Iowa’s Andy O’Loughlin. The junior then suffered a 5-3 setback to Jerome Ward of Iowa State before posting decisions against Oregon State’s Ty Vinson (8-2) and Jason McCroskey of Tennessee-Chattanooga (5-3). He tallied an 11-3 major decision over Boaz Beard of Iowa State, but lost to Iowa’s Grant Gambrall, 5-4.

Giesen now stands at 16-4 overall this season and 76-34 in his Stanford career.

True freshman Ryan Mango (125 pounds) and junior Justin Paulsen (133 pounds) both finished 3-2, while junior Lucas Espericueta (157 pounds) and senior Jake Johnson (174 pounds) both posted 2-2 records. Espericueta was the only Stanford wrestler to record a pin at the tournament, over Iowa’s Jake Kerr (2:15).

Iowa finished first with 168.5 points, placing nine wrestlers in the top-8, while Iowa State (144.5), Central Michigan (118.0), Missouri (103.0) and Wisconsin (90.5) rounded out the top-5.

Stanford returns to The Farm to host the Stanford Duals, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010. The Cardinal will compete against Northern Colorado at 12:30 p.m. before wrestling in its first Pac-10 dual of the season versus Oregon State at 2 p.m. in Burnham Pavilion.

Stanford Results
Midlands Championships
Evanston, Ill.
December 30, 2009

125 pounds
Ryan Mango (3-2): lost to Matt McDonough (Iowa) 12-4; Demetrius Johnson (Tennessee-Chattanooga) forfeit; maj. dec. Samuel Fragoza (Cal Baptist) 16-6; dec. John McDonald (Lehigh) 10-4; lost to Eric Olanowski (Michigan State) 7-6.

133 pounds
Justin Paulsen (3-2): Naveed Bagheri (San Francisco State) forfeit; lost to Nick Fanthorpe (Iowa State) 14-3; tech fall Daryl Thomas (Illinois) 17-1; dec. tristen Deshazer (Northern Illinois) 6-5; forfeit (def.) Akif Eren (Purdue).

141 pounds
Bret Baumbach (0-2): lost to Seth Ciasulli (Lehigh) Fall 3:02; lost to Kevin Bokoski (Luther College) 14-4.

157 pounds
Lucas Espericueta (2-2): dec. Conrad Polz (Illinois) 8-5; fall 2:15 Jake Kerr (Iowa); lost to Jake Patacsil (Boiler Elite) 16-0; lost to Derek St. John (Iowa) 9-6.

165 pounds
Nick Amuchastegui (1-2): dec. Adam Counterman (Pittsburgh) 4-0; lost to Tyler Grayson (Central Michigan) 3-1; lost to Josh Shields (Mercyhurst College) Fall 3:31.

174 pounds
Jake Johnson (2-2): lost to Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) 3-2; forfeit Mike Letts (Maryland); dec. Shamus O’Grady (St. Cloud) 4-2; lost to Luke Manuel (Purdue) 10-4.

Spence Patrick (0-2): lost to Shane Riccio (Bucknell) 8-0; lost to Sam Engelland (Wisconsin-Oshkosh) Fall 5:14.

184 pounds
Zack Giesen (4-3): dec. Andy O’Loughlin (Northern Iowa) 6-2; lost to Jerome Ward (Iowa State) 5-3; dec. Ty Vinson (Oregon State) 8-2; dec. Jason McCroskey (Tennessee-Chattanooga) 5-3; maj. dec. Boaz Beard (Iowa State) 11-3; lost to Grant Gambrall (Iowa) 5-4; lost to Jerome Ward (Iowa State) forfeit.

197 pounds
Richard Kessler (0-2): lost to Jackson Hein (Wisconsin) 8-3; lost to Lucas Munkelwitz (St. Cloud) 5-2.
Amuchastegui Remains Undefeated As Stanford Wrestling Falls To Wyoming

The Cardinal return to action Sunday in the Reno Tournament of Champions.

STANFORD, Calif. - Sophomore Nick Amuchastegui improved to 10-0 on the season, including 6-0 in dual competition, as the Stanford wrestling team fell to the Wyoming Cowboys, 25-9, Friday at Burnham Pavilion. The Cardinal drop to 5-2 overall, while the Cowboys improve to 3-1.

The Cowboys came out strong, winning the first two bouts against the Cardinal for a 7-0 lead. Freshman Bret Baumbach fell to Wyoming sophomore Chase Smith, 12-2, at 141 pounds before Stanford's Mike Kent was edged by Cole Dallaserra, 6-3, at 149 pounds. Dallaserra scored all six points on takedowns, while Kent's three points came by escapes.

At 157 pounds, junior Lucas Espericueta scored the first points for the Cardinal with a 7-2 decision over Wyoming's Mikah Kadera. Espericueta jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage with a takedown and built on his lead in the second period with a reversal on Kadera. He scored two more points with another takedown and earned the final point for riding time. Espericueta is now 10-2 overall and 4-2 in dual matches this season.

Sophomore Nick Amuchastegui, ranked No. 16 nationall, cut the Wyoming lead to 7-6 with an 8-6 decision against 12th-ranked Alex Rieder at 165 pounds. He started out with a takedown, before Rieder countered with two points for a reversal and three points for a near fall to take a 5-2 lead. Amuchastegui cut the lead to 5-4 with a reversal to end the first period. He then tied the score at 5-5 with an escape to start the second period, before finally capturing the lead with a takedown halfway through the second period.

The Cowboys added to their lead as sophomore Brock Smith edged senior Jake Johnson, 6-5, at 174 pounds. Johnson drops to 8-4 on the season for the Cardinal.

At 184 pounds, junior Zack Giesen suffered his first loss of the season to Wyoming sophomore All-American Joe LeBlanc. Giesen, ranked No. 13, fell 8-1 to the fifth-ranked Cowboy. Giesen fell behind in the first period, 2-0, as LeBlanc posted a takedown and then increased the lead with an escape to start the second period. LeBlanc added to that lead with two more takedowns before Giesen fought off the major decision with an escape in the final seconds of the third period. Giesen falls to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in dual matches.

Wyoming won the next three bouts to pull out to a 25-6 lead over Stanford. Alfonso Hernandez picked up a 7-1 decision over Stanford freshman Richard Kessler at 197 pounds. The Cowboys earned six points at heavyweight as Matthew McLaughlin earned a default (inj.) win over Cardinal junior Dylan Rush. Sophomore Michael Martinez concluded the scoring for the Cowboys with a hard fought 8-4 decision over Stanford freshman Ryan Mango at 125 pounds.

In the final bout of the dual, Stanford 133-pounder Justin Paulsen picked up his 12th win of the season with a 10-3 decision over Wyoming's Kasey Garnhart. Paulsen is now 12-1 overall and still undefeated in dual matches with a 7-0 record.

Up next, Stanford will travel to Reno, Nev., to compete in the Reno Tournament of Champions, Sunday, Dec. 20. Seven of the eight Pac-10 teams will be represented in the tournament.

The following is a complete list of results from Friday's dual:

Wyoming 25, Stanford 9
141 - Chase Smith (W) maj. dec. Bret Baumbach (S), 12-2
149 - Cole Dallaserra (W) dec. Mike Kent (S), 6-3
157 - Lucas Espericueta (S) dec. Mikah Kadera (W), 7-2
165 - Nick Amuchastegui (S) dec. Alex Rieder (W), 8-6
174 - Brock Smith (W) dec. Jake Johnson (S), 6-5
184 - Joe LeBlanc (W) dec. Zack Giesen (S), 8-1
197 - Alfonso Hernandez (W) dec. Richard Kessler (S), 7-1
HWT - Matthew McLaughlin (W) default (injury) Dylan Rush (S)
125 - Michael Martinez (W) dec. Ryan Mango (S), 8-4
133 - Justin Paulsen (S) dec. Kasey Garnhart (W), 10-3
Stanford Wrestling Improves To 5-1 With Two Wins Wednesday

The Cardinal shut out Menlo College in a dual in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO - The Stanford wrestling team downed its competition in San Francisco Wednesday night, blanking Menlo College 46-0 and taking out San Francisco State, 27-12 at Main Gymnasium on the campus of SFSU. The Cardinal have closed out the month of November with a 5-1 dual record.

Freshman Bret Baumbach, redshirt sophomore Nick Amuchastegui and redshirt junior Zack Giesen all pinned their Menlo College opponents, while redshirt freshman Mike Kent and redshirt junior Lucas Espericueta both earned victories by major decisions. Stanford won all 10 bouts versus the Oaks as it cruised to its fourth win of the season for head coach Jason Borrelli.

The Cardinal continued its strong showing, Wednesday, versus host San Francisco State. In front of a great crowd, which consisted of both Cardinal and Gator fans, Stanford won seven of the 10 bouts to pick up its fifth dual win of the season. The Cardinal posted four major decisions and a technical fall to secure the victory over the Gators.

Amuchastegui and Giesen remain undefeated on the season at 9-0 and 8-0, respectively. Redshirt junior Justin Paulsen, who earned two wins Wednesday, leads the team with 11 wins on the season.

Stanford will enjoy a short break for finals before hosting Wyoming on Friday, Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. for its home opener at Burnham Pavilion. The Cardinal will also participate in the Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nev., on Sunday, Dec. 20.

The following is a complete list of results from Wednesday's duals:

Stanford 46, Menlo 0
285 - Dylan Rush (S) received forfeit
125 - Ryan Mango (S) dec. Drake Medeiros (M), 12-5
133 - Justin Paulsen (S) tech. fall Jason Moorehouse (M), 18-2
141 - Bret Baumbach (S) pinned Kiyoshi Kawano (M), 5:39
149 - Mike Kent (S) maj. dec. Christian Martinez (M), 14-2
157 - Lucas Espericueta (S) maj. dec. Josh Emmett (M), 14-0
165 - Nick Amuchastegui (S) pinned Sean Weeks (M), 2:38
174 - Jake Johnson (S) dec. Adrian Gonzalez (M), 3-2
184 - Zack Giesen (S) pinned Travis Olson (M), 2:34
197 - Richard Kessler (S) dec. Hanna Malak (M), 8-2

Stanford 27, SF State 12
285 - Steve Franklin (SF State) dec. Dylan Rush (Stanford), 5-1
125 - Ryan Mango (Stanford) dec. Ricky Bernal (SF State), 6-5
133 - Justin Paulsen (Stanford) dec. Naveed Bagheri (SF State), 6-3
141 - Ben Lockett (SF State) pinned Bret Baumbach (Stanford), 2:32
149 - Mike Kent (Stanford) maj. dec. Brian Tharp (SF State), 12-3
157 - Lucas Espericueta (Stanford) maj. dec. Isaiah Jimenez (SF State), 11-0
165 - Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) maj dec. Zach Sesar (SF State), 15-4
174 - Jake Johnson (Stanford) tech. fall Markham Bertron (SF State), 16-0
184 - Zack Giesen (Stanford) maj. dec. Zach Jimenez (SF State), 11-0
197 - Vince Bordi (SF State) dec. Richard Kessler (Stanford), 3-2
Stanford Wrestling Picks Up Three Wins At Northwestern Duals

Three wrestlers post 3-0 records for the Cardinal on Saturday.

EVANSTON, Ill. - Stanford wrestling opens the 2009-10 season with three wins at the Northwestern Duals, Saturday, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. The Cardinal edged Purdue, 19-16, in its first dual before dismantling host Northwestern, 27-6. Stanford concluded the day with a 22-9 win over Northern Iowa.

Three Cardinal wrestlers went undefeated as redshirt juniors Justin Paulsen and Zack Giesen and redshirt sophomore Nick Amuchastegui all recorded 3-0 records. Five other Stanford wrestler's posted 2-1 records - senior Jake Johnson, junior Dylan rush, redshirt freshman Mike Kent and true freshmen Bret Baumbach and Ryan Mango.

Stanford began the day winning six of the 10 bouts versus Purdue for the team's first win of the season. Stanford's heavyweight Rush picked up the Cardinal's first points with a 2-0 decision against Adam Walls. After Mango dropped an 11-5 decision to the Boilermakers' Matt Fields at 125 pounds, Stanford picked up three more wins as Paulsen (133) and Kent (149) tallied decisions and Baumbach earned a major decision against Purdue's Tommy Churchard at 141 pounds.

The Cardinal forfeited at 157 pounds, but Amuchastegui (165) added to the Stanford lead with a 6-4 decision over Jason Morton. Giesen collected the Cardinal's final points in the dual with a 12-6 decision against Nick Corpe at 184 pounds.

Against host Northwestern, the Cardinal came up victorious in all but two bouts versus the Wildcats. At heavyweight, Rush earned his second win of the day as he defeated Ben Kuhar with a 3-1 decision. At 125 pounds, Mango earned his first career dual win, edging the Wildcats' Levi Mele with a 10-9 decision. Paulsen recorded another win with a 7-4 decision over Eric Metzler at 133 pounds, while Baumbach earned the win by forfeit at 141 pounds.

Kent fell in a 13-6 decision to Northwestern's Andrew Nadhir, but his next four teammates, Lucas Espericueta (157), Amuchastegui (165), Johnson (174) and Giesen (184) all captured decisions to put the Wildcats away.

Stanford took on Northern Iowa in its final dual of the day. Rush fell in a 3-1 decision to Christian Brantley, but Mango evened the score with a 4-3 decision at 125 pounds over Caleb Flores. Paulsen continued his undefeated day with a 5-1 decision over Ryan Jauch at 133 pounds.

Baumbach (141) and Espericueta (157) both dropped 10-5 decisions to the Panthers, but the Cardinal bounced back as Kent (149), Amuchastegui (165) and Johnson (174) all posted solid wins for Stanford. Giesen registered a 10-2 major decision over Andy O'Loughlin to conclude the scoring for the Cardinal.

Up next, Stanford travels to Riverside, Calif., for a dual at Cal Baptist, Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. The Cardinal will also participate in the Fullerton Open, Saturday, Nov. 21.

The following is a complete list of Stanford scores at the Northwestern Duals:

* Stanford 19, Purdue 16
HWT: Dylan Rush (STAN) dec. Adam Walls (PUR), 2-0 (STAN 3, PUR 0)
125: Matt Fields (PUR) dec. Ryan Mango (STAN), 11-5 (STAN 3, PUR 3)
133: Justin Paulsen (STAN) dec. Akif Eren (PUR), 11-5 (STAN 6, PUR 3)
141: Bret Baumbach (STAN) MD Tommy Churchard (PUR), 9-0 (STAN 10, PUR 3)
149: Mike Kent (STAN d) dec. Nick Bertucci (PUR), 5-0 (STAN 13, PUR 3)
157: Colton Salazaar (PUR) Forfeit (STAN 13, PUR 9)
165: Nick Amuchastegui (STAN) dec. Jason Morton (PUR), 6-4 (STAN 16, PUR 9)
174: Luke Manuel (PUR) dec. Jake Johnson (STAN), 9-4 (STAN 16, PUR 12)
184: Zack Giesen (STAN) dec. Nick Corpe (PUR), 12-6 (STAN 19, PUR 12)
197: Logan Brown (PUR) MD Richard Kessler (STAN), 10-1 (STAN 19, PUR 16)

* Stanford 27, Northwestern 6
HWT: Dylan Rush (STAN) dec. Ben Kuhar (NU), 3-1 (STAN 3, NU 0)
125: Ryan Mango (STAN) dec. Levi Mele (NU), 10-9 (STAN 6, NU 0)
133: Justin Paulsen (STAN) dec. Eric Metzler (NU), 7-4 (STAN 9, NU 0)
141: Bret Baumbach (STAN) Win by Forfeit (STAN 15, NU 0)
149: Andrew Nadhir (NU) dec. Mike Kent (STAN), 13-6 (STAN 15, NU 3)
157: Lucas Espericueta (STAN) dec. Dominic Marella (NU), 10-3 (STAN 18, NU 3)
165: Nick Amuchastegui (STAN) dec. Robert Kellogg (NU), 8-4 (STAN 21, NU 3)
174: Jake Johnson (STAN) dec. Frank Battaglia (NU), 7-0 (STAN 24, NU 3)
184: Zack Giesen (STAN) dec. Aaron Jones (NU), 7-3 (STAN 27, NU 3)
197: John Schoen (NU) dec. Richard Kessler (STAN), 8-3 (STAN 27, NU 6)

* Stanford 22, Northern Iowa 9
HWT: Christian Brantley (UNI) dec. Dylan Rush (STAN), 3-1 (UNI 3, STAN 0)
125: Ryan Mango (STAN) dec. Caleb Flores (UNI), 4-3 (STAN 3, UNI 3)
133: Justin Paulsen (STAN) dec. Ryan Jauch (UNI), 5-1 (STAN 6, UNI 3)
141: Trent Washington (UNI) dec. Bret Baumbach (STAN), 10-5 (STAN 6, UNI 6)
149: Mike Kent (STAN) dec. Jamal Lawrence (UNI), 14-8 (STAN 9, UNI 6)
157: Tyson Reiner (UNI) dec. Lucas Espericueta (STAN), 10-5 (STAN 9, UNI 9)
165: Nick Amuchastegui (STAN) dec. David Bonin (UNI), 5-1 (STAN 12, UNI 9)
174: Jake Johnson (STAN) dec. Soctt Hazen (UNI), 9-4 (STAN 15, UNI 9)
184: Zack Giesen (STAN) MD Andy O'Loughlin (UNI), 10-2 (STAN 19, UNI 9)
197: Dustin Bauman (UNI) dec. Richard Kessler (STAN), 3-1 (STAN 22, UNI 9)
Giesen Splits Matches in Poland

WARSAW, Poland-- Stanford's Zack Giesen split his two wrestling matches in the 185-pound weight class on Friday at the Ziolkowski International.

Giesen, a two-time participant in the NCAA Tournament, pinned Poland's Bartosz Sofinski in the opening round, before falling to Russia's Anzor Urishev. Urishev went onto capture the bronze medal.

The United States, who set 10 competitors, finished in 11th place with 13 points, while Iran, followed by Russia and Azerbaijan finished in the top-three in the team competition.

Stanford wrestling under second-year head coach Jason Borrelli gets under way in November. Borrelli's incoming recruiting class is ranked amongst the best in the nation. This past year, Stanford won eight duals, had four top-three Pac-10 placers for the first time in more than two decades and sent two wrestlers to compete for a national title at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Giesen is slated to be a senior on this year's team after redshirting last year.

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Niall T. Adler
Stanford Athletics Communications
(650) 725-2959
nadler@stanford.edu

Giesen Set to Grapple in Poland

WARSAW, Poland-- Stanford junior Zach Giesen will open up against Poland's Bartosz Sofinski in the 185-pound weight class of the Ziolkowski International starting on Friday in the Eastern European Republic.

A former Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Giesen (Grants Pass, Ore.) has twice earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament, posting a 55-28 overall record and 23-7 dual mark over two varsity seasons. He redshirted last year's NCAA season, winning the Fullerton Open with three pins and a major decision, while going 5-2 overall. His 29 wins as a freshman, were third-best for a Cardinal wrestler all-time. Griesen also finished second at the University Nationals in 2008.

The Ziolkowski International is a two-day senior men's freestyle tournament, which the U.S. is sending 10 competitors to.

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Niall T. Adler
Stanford Athletics Communications
(650) 725-2959
nadler@stanford.edu

Stanford Wrestling Ranks Among Nation's Best Academic Programs

Stanford Wrestling Ranks Among Nation's Best Academic Programs
Cardinal listed third nationally in team GPA with two NWCA Academic All-Americans.

The Stanford wrestling team was listed among the nation's best academic programs when the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced its annual Division I All-Academic Top 30 and individual all-academic wrestling teams for the 2008-09 season. Stanford came in third among all Division I programs with a 3.2574 GPA.

Junior Jake Johnson and redshirt freshman Nick Amuchastegui were named NWCA Academic All-Americans. Amuchastegui boasted the highest GPA of all Division I wrestlers, sitting atop the all-academic list at 3.93.

Rounding out the top five individuals were Liberty’s Christian Smith (3.92), Tucker Lane (3.92) of Nebraska, Jeffrey Newby (3.82) of Utah Valley and Jarrod King (3.78) of Edinboro.

Johnson, a management science and engineering major with a 3.46 GPA, went 31-15 and claimed third place in the Pac-10 this season. One of four team co-captains, the junior 184-pounder placed in all five tournaments he competed in, led the team with nine major decisions and was the only Cardinal wrestler to post a 30-win season. He was named a first-team Pac-10 All-Academic selection in April, garnering a conference academic award for the second consecutive year.

Amuchastegui, a mechanical engineering major who was also named to the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team, finished his redshirt freshman season with a 29-8 record, matching teammate <http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/giesen_zack00.html>Zack Giesen's 2007 effort as the third-winningest rookie in school history. In the course of his notable freshman campaign, the Talent, Ore. led the team with 75 dual points, was the Pac-10 runner-up at 165 pounds and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. He upended two ranked opponents during the year, including a stunning upset of fifth-seeded Nick Marable in his first career NCAA Championship match.

As a team, Stanford finished third among Division I squads behind American and Harvard. The Cardinal moved up one place from last year, after finishing fourth in 2007-08.

The team GPA is comprised of 12 student athletes, including the 10 wrestlers that were 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.

Individually, wrestlers must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule – and must have competed in at least 60 percent of the team’s schedule. The other way to qualify is to have a 3.0 cumulative GPA and be an NCAA All-American.

The 2008-09 NWCA Academic All-Americans are highlighted by a total of 51 NCAA qualifiers, 17 NCAA All-Americans, eight NCAA finalists and five NCAA champions. In total 73 individuals representing 45 schools were honored.


Kendall Johnson
Assistant Media Relations Director
Stanford Athletics
(650) 723-0996 (Office)
(650) 725-2957 (Fax)
kendallj@stanford.edu