Grand Canyon University Athletics
GCU to Send Four Wrestlers to NCAA Championships
2/28/2010 12:11:03 AM | Wrestling
The Antelopes finished fifth as a team, and four wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships on March 12 in Omaha, Neb. The top four finishers in each weight class advanced to the Championships.
Junior Todd Wilcox (Sacramento, CA/Sierra College), ranked No. 6 in the current NCAA Division II Individual Rankings and No. 2 in the RMAC at 133 pounds, made the final against No. 1 Naveed Bagheri of San Francisco State. Entering the final, Wilcox sported a 38-2 season record, while Bagheri, who is No. 3 in the NCAA Division II Individual Rankings, was 21-2. Bagheri beat Wilcox, 1-0, to win the title.
Redshirt sophomore Victor Carazo (Modesto, CA/Modesto Junior College), ranked No. 6 in the NCAA Division II Individual Rankings and No. 1 in the RMAC at 165 pounds, advanced to the final against No. 2 Taylor May of Nebraska-Kearney. Entering the final, Carazo was 35-4 this season, while May, who is not included in the NCAA Division II Individual Rankings, was 19-7. Carazo defeated May, 3-1, to claim his first individual RMAC championship.
Senior Stephen Towne (Phoenix, AZ/Menlo College), ranked No. 4 in the RMAC, finished in third place at 157 pounds. He lost a 3-1 decision to No. 1 Joey Deaguero of Adams State in the semifinal, but came back to defeat Brian Easterling of Chadron State 3-1 and No. 2 Kyle Francis of Western State 4-3 to claim a spot at the NCAA Championships. Towne now is 33-7 on the season.
Senior Daniel Garay (Los Angeles, CA/Mount SAC), ranked No. 5 in the RMAC at 174 pounds, won an 11-2 major decision over New Mexico Highlands and a 12-4 decision over No. 4 Gene Choi of San Francisco State before losing a 16-1 technical decision to No. 1 Kamarudeen Usman of Nebraska-Kearney in the semifinal. Garay, now 17-14 on the season, then lost to No. 6 Zach Frazier of Western State.
Junior Ryan Becerra (Gilbert, AZ/Cal State Bakersfield), ranked No. 5 in the RMAC at 184 pounds, lost by fall at 1:52 to No. 4 Derek Ross of Nebraska-Kearney. He came back strong, though, and defeated No. 2 Chance Rencountre of Fort Hays State 3-2 before losing a 4-3 decision to Ross for third place.
Becerra, now 20-7 on the season, will join Carazo, Wilcox and Towne at the NCAA Championships in Omaha.
_*Final Team Standings*_
1. Western State, 121.5 (2nd Straight Title) 2. Nebraska-Kearney, 102 3. Fort Hays State, 94.5 4. San Francisco State, 88.5 5. Grand Canyon, 72.5 T6. Adams State, 67.5 T6. Chadron State, 67.5 8. Colorado State-Pueblo, 48.5 9. New Mexico Highlands, 38.5 10. Mesa State, 35.5 11. Colorado Mines, 28.5
_*RMAC Awards*_
RMAC Coach of the Year: Miles Van Hee, Western State RMAC Wrestler of the Year: Kamarudeen Usman, Nebraska-Kearney RMAC Freshman of the Year: Ryan Fillingame, Chadron State
_*Championship Final Results*_
125- Arsenia Barksdale (Adams State) dec. Seth Wright (New Mexico Highlands), 6-3
133- Naveed Bagheri (San Francisco State) dec. Todd Wilcox (Grand Canyon), 1-0
141- Andre Harrison (Fort Hays State) dec. Josh Hensley (Adams State), 4-3
149- Louie DeSantis (Colorado State-Pueblo) dec. T.J. Hepburn (Nebraska-Kearney), 4-3
157- Joey Deaguero (Adams State) dec. Danny Grater (Fort Hays State), 3-1
165- Victor Carazo (Grand Canyon) dec. Taylor May (Nebraska-Kearney),
3-1 (SV-1)
174- Kamarudeen Usman (Nebraska-Kearney) def. Cody Vasconcellos (Chadron State), Medical Forfeit (2nd Period)
184- Charlie Pipher (Western State) def. Zach Jimenez (San Francisco State), Fall (4:50)
197- Donovan McMahill (Western State) dec. Vince Bordi (San Francisco State), 8-2
HWT- Charlie Alexander (Western State) dec. Steve Franklin (San Francisco State), 6-2
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