Update: Air Force comes out strong in light weights to secure Veterans Day win over Fresno State, 19-15
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
John Twomey of Air Force rides Gary Joint of Fresno State on the way to a 3-0 win at 133 pounds. Photo by Patricia Fox.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – On Veterans Day weekend, competing on its home campus, the U.S. Air Force Academy scored a big 19-15 victory over Big 12 rival Fresno State, led by a strong effort by their lightweights, who won four of the first five matches.
Fresno State was hoping to secure a second Big 12 win for the day, after a dominant 34-4 win at Northern Colorado, a match which began at 12:00 noon. On a snowy Colorado day, the Bulldogs won nine of 10 bouts over UNC, drove more than two hours and 119 miles to get to the Air Force Academy for their second conference meet on Sunday.
Air Force struck first, as freshman Sidney Flores stopped Robert Garcia IV, 6-0, in a battle of California natives at 125 pounds. Flores scored takedowns in the first and second period, got a point on a stalling penalty and secured riding time for his solid victory.
Senior John Twomey added another shutout, stopping Gary Joint of Fresno State, 3-0 at 133 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Twomey scored a second-period takedown, and rode out the third period, collecting more than three minutes of riding time for the win.
Garrett O’Shea kept up the pressure at 141 pounds, beating Chris Deloza, 7-4. O’Shea led the entire match, getting takedowns in the first and third periods. For the third straight match, the Air Force wrestler scored a riding time point.
"Momentum is huge in a dual meet. Sidney Flores getting us started is a big deal. You can allow it to keep rolling there. It is important to have a good 125-pounder. Momentum is huge and you saw that today," said Air Force Coach Sam Barber.
Fresno State’s nationally ranked Khristian Olivas stopped the Air Force streak with a razor thin 8-7 win at 149 pounds over Alec Opsal. Olivas came on strong early, breaking a 2-2 tie with a reversal and a four-point cradle turn to lead 8-2. Opsal battled back with a reversal and a two-point tilt late in the match, and added riding time, but finished one point short of Olivas.
Senior co-captain Alex Mossing put Air Force back in the driver’s seat, winning an 8-7 decision over Isaiah Hokit at 157 pounds. With the match tied at 4-4 in the second, Mossing scored an escape to make it 5-4 heading into the third period. A Mossing reversal made it 7-4, Hokit got an escape and takedown to tie it at 7-7. Once again, a riding time point went to the Falcons, giving Mossing the winning point.
Fresno State won two of the next three bouts to put themselves in a position to come back in the match. Jacob Wright continued a strong weekend of wrestling with an 8-3 2 win over Tanner Johnson at 165 pounds. Wright had a dominant double leg takedown attack, which he hit three times in the match.
Air Force held its lead at 174 pounds, when Randy Meneweather secured a single leg takedown in sudden victory overtime to defeat Ricky Padilla.
Fresno State still had a chance after 184 pounds, when Jackson Hemauer scored two takedowns and a riding time point to stop Tyler Widerholt, 3-1. The match score at the time was 15-9 with two bouts to go, and Fresno had nationally ranked heavyweight AJ Nevills to finish the match. The key to a comeback would be a win at 197 pounds.
Air Force senior Anthony McLaughlin would have none of that. He scored a takedown in both the first and second period over Richie Brandt to lead 4-2 after two periods. In the final period, McLaughlin escaped, receive a penalty point against Brandt, then nailed a takedown to lead 8-3. When Brandt was hit for stalling, McLaughlin turned on the afterburners, hitting an ankle pick takedown with two seconds left, gaining riding time for a 12-3 major decision.
With the match already decided, Air Force decided not to send anybody out at heavyweight, giving Nevills a win by forfeit, and the final score was 19-15 for the home team.
Air Force moves to 1-1 for the new season, after dropping a 33-3 bout to No. 9 Minnesota on Friday. Fresno State's drops to 3-2 in dual meets for the season.
"This morning, we came out strong, came our firing. Our guys were ready to compete and we competed hard and took care of business. We wanted to simulate the NCAA Tournament. You have to wrestle in the morning and come later in the evening and wrestle again. We came out flat in the Air Force dual. They are a strong team and were ready to go," said Fresno State Assistant Coach Israel Silva.
Since Fresno State has returned to Div. I wrestling, both of their duals against Air Force has had an military theme. Last year, Air Force beat the Bulldogs on the Battle on the Midway aboard the USS Midway in San Diego harbor, 24-12. This year, Fresno State came on the Air Force Academy base during Veterans Day weekend, and the Falcons were able to come away with a win for the second year in a row.
Air Force 19, Fresno State 15
At Colorado Springs, Colo., November 12, 7:00 p.m. start time
125: Sidney Flores (Air Force) dec. Robert Garcia IV (Fresno State), 6-0
133: John Twomey (Air Force) dec. Gary Joint (Fresno State), 3-0
141: Garrett O'Shea (Air Force) dec. Chris Deloza (Fresno State), 7-3
149: Khristian Olivas (Fresno State) dec. Alec Opsal (Air Force), 8-7
157: Alex Mossing (Air Force) dec. Isaiah Hokit (Fresno State), 8-7
165: Jacob Wright (Fresno State) vs. Tanner Johnson (Air Force), 8-3
174: Randy Meneweather (Air Force) dec. Ricky Padilla (Fresno State), 3-1
184: Jackson Hemauer (Fresno State) dec. Tyler Wiederholt (Air Force), 5-1
197: Anthony McLaughlin (Air Force) maj. dec. Richie Brandt (Fresno State), 12-3
HWT: AJ Nevills (Fresno State) win by forfeit over Kayne Hutchison (Air Force)
Fresno State 34, Northern Colorado 4
At Greeley, Colo., November 11, 12:00 noon start time
125: Robert Garcia IV (Fresno State) dec. Sean Cannon (Northern Colorado), 4-2
133: Gary Joint (Fresno State) dec. Chris Sandoval (Northern Colorado), 8-1
141: Chris Deloza (Fresno State) major dec. Owen Lamb (Northern Colorado), 9-1
149: Khristian Olivas (Fresno State) wins by fall over Mason Hulse (Northern Colorado), 2:56
157: Isaiah Hokit (Fresno State) dec. Jordan Robison (Northern Colorado), 3-2
165: Jacob Wright (Fresno State) dec. Macoy Flanagan (Northern Colorado), 4-1
174: Dominic Kincaid (Fresno State) dec. Seth Bogulski (Northern Colorado), 8-2
184: Jackson Hemauer (Fresno State) dec. Dalton Robertson (Northern Colorado), 6-1
197: Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado) maj. dec. Richie Brandt (Fresno State), 14-2
HWT: AJ Nevills (Fresno State) wins by fall over Robert Winters Jr. (UNCO), 4:02
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – On Veterans Day weekend, competing on its home campus, the U.S. Air Force Academy scored a big 19-15 victory over Big 12 rival Fresno State, led by a strong effort by their lightweights, who won four of the first five matches.
Fresno State was hoping to secure a second Big 12 win for the day, after a dominant 34-4 win at Northern Colorado, a match which began at 12:00 noon. On a snowy Colorado day, the Bulldogs won nine of 10 bouts over UNC, drove more than two hours and 119 miles to get to the Air Force Academy for their second conference meet on Sunday.
Air Force struck first, as freshman Sidney Flores stopped Robert Garcia IV, 6-0, in a battle of California natives at 125 pounds. Flores scored takedowns in the first and second period, got a point on a stalling penalty and secured riding time for his solid victory.
Senior John Twomey added another shutout, stopping Gary Joint of Fresno State, 3-0 at 133 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Twomey scored a second-period takedown, and rode out the third period, collecting more than three minutes of riding time for the win.
Garrett O’Shea kept up the pressure at 141 pounds, beating Chris Deloza, 7-4. O’Shea led the entire match, getting takedowns in the first and third periods. For the third straight match, the Air Force wrestler scored a riding time point.
"Momentum is huge in a dual meet. Sidney Flores getting us started is a big deal. You can allow it to keep rolling there. It is important to have a good 125-pounder. Momentum is huge and you saw that today," said Air Force Coach Sam Barber.
Fresno State’s nationally ranked Khristian Olivas stopped the Air Force streak with a razor thin 8-7 win at 149 pounds over Alec Opsal. Olivas came on strong early, breaking a 2-2 tie with a reversal and a four-point cradle turn to lead 8-2. Opsal battled back with a reversal and a two-point tilt late in the match, and added riding time, but finished one point short of Olivas.
Senior co-captain Alex Mossing put Air Force back in the driver’s seat, winning an 8-7 decision over Isaiah Hokit at 157 pounds. With the match tied at 4-4 in the second, Mossing scored an escape to make it 5-4 heading into the third period. A Mossing reversal made it 7-4, Hokit got an escape and takedown to tie it at 7-7. Once again, a riding time point went to the Falcons, giving Mossing the winning point.
Fresno State won two of the next three bouts to put themselves in a position to come back in the match. Jacob Wright continued a strong weekend of wrestling with an 8-3 2 win over Tanner Johnson at 165 pounds. Wright had a dominant double leg takedown attack, which he hit three times in the match.
Air Force held its lead at 174 pounds, when Randy Meneweather secured a single leg takedown in sudden victory overtime to defeat Ricky Padilla.
Fresno State still had a chance after 184 pounds, when Jackson Hemauer scored two takedowns and a riding time point to stop Tyler Widerholt, 3-1. The match score at the time was 15-9 with two bouts to go, and Fresno had nationally ranked heavyweight AJ Nevills to finish the match. The key to a comeback would be a win at 197 pounds.
Air Force senior Anthony McLaughlin would have none of that. He scored a takedown in both the first and second period over Richie Brandt to lead 4-2 after two periods. In the final period, McLaughlin escaped, receive a penalty point against Brandt, then nailed a takedown to lead 8-3. When Brandt was hit for stalling, McLaughlin turned on the afterburners, hitting an ankle pick takedown with two seconds left, gaining riding time for a 12-3 major decision.
With the match already decided, Air Force decided not to send anybody out at heavyweight, giving Nevills a win by forfeit, and the final score was 19-15 for the home team.
Air Force moves to 1-1 for the new season, after dropping a 33-3 bout to No. 9 Minnesota on Friday. Fresno State's drops to 3-2 in dual meets for the season.
"This morning, we came out strong, came our firing. Our guys were ready to compete and we competed hard and took care of business. We wanted to simulate the NCAA Tournament. You have to wrestle in the morning and come later in the evening and wrestle again. We came out flat in the Air Force dual. They are a strong team and were ready to go," said Fresno State Assistant Coach Israel Silva.
Since Fresno State has returned to Div. I wrestling, both of their duals against Air Force has had an military theme. Last year, Air Force beat the Bulldogs on the Battle on the Midway aboard the USS Midway in San Diego harbor, 24-12. This year, Fresno State came on the Air Force Academy base during Veterans Day weekend, and the Falcons were able to come away with a win for the second year in a row.
Air Force 19, Fresno State 15
At Colorado Springs, Colo., November 12, 7:00 p.m. start time
125: Sidney Flores (Air Force) dec. Robert Garcia IV (Fresno State), 6-0
133: John Twomey (Air Force) dec. Gary Joint (Fresno State), 3-0
141: Garrett O'Shea (Air Force) dec. Chris Deloza (Fresno State), 7-3
149: Khristian Olivas (Fresno State) dec. Alec Opsal (Air Force), 8-7
157: Alex Mossing (Air Force) dec. Isaiah Hokit (Fresno State), 8-7
165: Jacob Wright (Fresno State) vs. Tanner Johnson (Air Force), 8-3
174: Randy Meneweather (Air Force) dec. Ricky Padilla (Fresno State), 3-1
184: Jackson Hemauer (Fresno State) dec. Tyler Wiederholt (Air Force), 5-1
197: Anthony McLaughlin (Air Force) maj. dec. Richie Brandt (Fresno State), 12-3
HWT: AJ Nevills (Fresno State) win by forfeit over Kayne Hutchison (Air Force)
Fresno State 34, Northern Colorado 4
At Greeley, Colo., November 11, 12:00 noon start time
125: Robert Garcia IV (Fresno State) dec. Sean Cannon (Northern Colorado), 4-2
133: Gary Joint (Fresno State) dec. Chris Sandoval (Northern Colorado), 8-1
141: Chris Deloza (Fresno State) major dec. Owen Lamb (Northern Colorado), 9-1
149: Khristian Olivas (Fresno State) wins by fall over Mason Hulse (Northern Colorado), 2:56
157: Isaiah Hokit (Fresno State) dec. Jordan Robison (Northern Colorado), 3-2
165: Jacob Wright (Fresno State) dec. Macoy Flanagan (Northern Colorado), 4-1
174: Dominic Kincaid (Fresno State) dec. Seth Bogulski (Northern Colorado), 8-2
184: Jackson Hemauer (Fresno State) dec. Dalton Robertson (Northern Colorado), 6-1
197: Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado) maj. dec. Richie Brandt (Fresno State), 14-2
HWT: AJ Nevills (Fresno State) wins by fall over Robert Winters Jr. (UNCO), 4:02
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