December 2, 2007

Wrestling Finished 33rd at Cliff Keen Invitational

Dec. 2, 2007

Las Vegas, NEV. - The University of Northern Colorado wrestling team finished 33rd at the prestigious Cliff Keen Invitational at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Bears competed against some of the top teams in the country.

 

Sophomore 125-pounder Tony Mustari posted a 4-2 record at the tournament. He began the tournament dropping a 5-3 decision to #16 Drew Forshey from North Carolia (ranking according to Amateur Wrestling News). He then bounced back to defeat Brandon Zoetewey of Cal State Bakersfield, 6-1, posted a major decision over Steve Armor of Virginia Tech, won an 8-1 decision over North Carolina State's Taylor Cummings and won a 2-1 decision over #18 Eric Morrill of Edinboro before falling 9-2 to #8 Dave Tomasette of Hofstra (rankings according to NWCA/InterMat).

 

Senior heavyweight Reece Hopkin, ranked 17th this week by NWCA/Intermat, went 3-2 at the Cliff Keen Invitational, pinning Quinton Pruett of Arizona State in the round of 32 in 4:08 before falling 7-3 to Ed Prendergast of Navy in the round of 16. In the wrestlebacks, Hopkin defeated Ricky Alcala of UC Davis, 8-0 and then won by technical fall, 18-2 over Ryan Hsu of UNC Greensboro before being pinned by eventual third-place finisher and 16th-ranked Kyle Massey of Wisconsin.

 

Junior Daniel Prater, wrestling at 149-pounds, was one of three Bears to win his first round match, posting a 6-1 decision over A.J. Johnson of Virginia Tech. In the second round, he fell to eventual second-place finisher and third-ranked J.P. O'Connor of Harvard, 12-2. In the wrestlebacks, Prater pinned Josh Hensley of Adams State in 2:40 before losing a 5-0 decision to Vincent Ramirez of North Carolina to finish the tournament with a 2-2 record.

 

Junior 133-pounder Blayze Bahe lost both bouts at the tournament, falling by major decision to Jeff Schell of Brown, 12-0 and losing by major decision to Jimmy Conroy of Pittsburgh, 9-1.

 

Senior Richard Lohr won his second bout in overtime over Matt Kim of Stanford, 5-3. He lost the first round to Elijah Nacita from Cal State Bakersfield 8-1 and then dropped a 7-3 decision to Nick Stabile of North Carolina for a 1-2 record on the weekend.

 

Justin Gaethje also went 2-2 for the tournament. He fell 4-3 to Western State's Neil Samples in the first round, before winning a 5-4 decision over Rob Morrison of Rider. He won by forfeit in the next round and then lost a major decision to Dan Brascetta of Oregon State 13-5.

 

Devan Lewis won his first round bout against Illinois' Clint Arliss 6-4 but dropped his next two decisions, losing a 7-4 decision to Bryan Tice of Cal State Fullerton and a 14-4 major decision to Donny Jones of West Virginia.

 

Northern Colorado will close the calendar year next weekend at the Loper Invitational, hosted by Nebraska-Kearney.

 

 

Tony Mustari, 125-pounds

Wrestleback Round 5: #7 Dave Tomasette (Hofstra) won by decision over Mustari, 9-2

Wrestleback Round 4: Mustari won by decision over #18 Eric Morrill (Edinboro), 2-1

Wrestleback Round 3: Mustari won by decision over Taylor Cummings (N.C. State), 8-1

Wrestleback Round 2: Mustari won by major decision over Steven Armor (Virginia Tech), 11-0

Wrestleback Round 1: Mustari won by decision over Brandon Zoetewey (Cal State Bakersfield), 6-1

First Round: #16 (AWN) Drew Forshey (North Carolina) won by decision over Tony Mustari, 5-3.

 

Blayze Bahe, 133-pounds

Wrestleback Round 1: Jimmy Conroy (Pittsburgh) won by major decision over Bahe, 9-1

First Round: Jeff Schell (Brown) won by major decision over Blayze Bahe, 12-0

 

Richard Lohr, 141-pounds

Wrestleback Round 2: Nick Stabile (North Carolina) won by decision over Lohr, 7-3

Wrestleback Round 1: Lohr won by decision in overtime over Matt Kim (Stanford), 5-3

First Round: Elijah Nacita (Cal State Bakersfield) won by decision over Richard Lohr, 8-1

 

Daniel Prater, 149-pounds

Wrestleback Round 2: Vincent Ramirez (North Carolina) won by decision over Prater, 5-0

Wrestleback Round 1: Prater pinned Josh Hensley (Adams State), 2:40

Round of 32: #3 J.P. O'Connor (Harvard) won by major decision over Prater, 12-2

First Round: Daniel Prater won by decision over A.J. Johnson (Virginia Tech), 6-1

 

Justin Gaethje, 157-pounds

Wresleback Round 3: Dan Brascetta (Oregon) won by major decision over Gaethje, 13-5

Wrestleback Round 2: Gaethje won by forfeit over Chris Oliver (Nebraska)

Wrestleback Round 1: Gaethje won by decision over Rob Morrison (Rider), 5-4

First Round: Neil Samples (Western State) won by decision over Justin Gaethje, 4-3

 

Devan Lewis, 165-pounds

Wrestleback Round 1: Donny Jones (West Virginia) won by major decision over Lewis, 14-4

Round of 32: Bryan Tice (Cal State Fullerton) won by decision over Lewis, 7-4

First Round: Devan Lewis won by decision over Clint Arlis (Illinois), 6-4

 

Ryan Johnson, 174-pounds

Wrestleback Round 1: Shawn Hart (Mesa State) won by decision over Johnson, 6-0

First Round: #10 Brandon Browne (Nebraska) won by major decision over Ryan Johnson, 15-4

 

Reece Hopkin, Heavyweight

Wrestleback Round 5: #16 Kyle Massey (Wisconsin) pinned #17 Hopkin, 3:16

Wrestleback Round 4: #17 Hopkin won by technical fall over Ryan Hsu (UNC Greensboro), 18-2

Wrestleback Round 3: #17 Hopkin won by major decision over Ricky Alcala (UC Davis), 8-0

Round of 16: Ed Prendergast (Navy) won by decision over #17 Hopkin, 7-3

Round of 32: #17 Reece Hopkin pinned Quinton Pruett (Arizona State), 4:08

First Round: BYE