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Six Maverick wrestlers ensure All-American honors at NCAA meet
March 10, 2006
Findlay, Ohio -- After one day of competition, Minnesota State holds down fourth place at the NCAA Division I National Championships, hosted by the University of Findlay. Six of nine Maverick qualifiers survived the first day of competition and in doing so locked up All-American honors for themselves. Two-time defending national champion Nebraska-Omaha holds a commanding lead in the team race, 10.5 points ahead of second-place Nebraska-Kearney.
At 125 pounds, sophomore Nick Smith (Yankton, S.D.) advanced to the quarterfinals with a slim 3-1 win over Mike Compton of Ashland. The first national tournament win of his career put him into the quarterfinals where he would face Daniel Clausing of Limestone. Midway through the first period, Smith took Clausing directly to his back for a takedown and three-point near-fall. Smith would survive a third-period takedown by Clausing to hold on for a 6-4 win that ensured him All-American status for the first time in his career. He will face Cody Garcia of Nebraska-Omaha tomorrow in the semifinal round for a chance at the national championship.
Junior Jeff Pfaffinger (Blue Earth, Minn.) had a rough start to his first national tournament, falling to returning All-American Raymond Dunning of Adams State by a score of 11-5. He bounced back in the first round of the consolations against Lenny Calhoun of Mercyhurst. Pfaffinger secured a takedown with seven seconds remaining in the first to take an early lead and held on for a 7-3 win, keeping his All-American aspirations alive. In the next round he squared off with Marques Bravo of Western State and picked up a first period takedown and second period escape to jump to a 3-0 lead. Bravo managed to ride Pfaffinger for much of the final period but Pfaffinger picked up a late escape to win 4-1 with the riding time advantage to Bravo. Pfaffinger locked up an All-American season with the win and will face Shane Perkey of Indianapolis tomorrow to determine his place on the podium.
At 141 pounds, senior Zach Stevens (Erwinna, Pa.) used a late escape to edge J.J. Zanetta of Mercyhurst 4-3 to advance to the quarterfinals to face Brian Pitts of Adams State. With the score tied at two points apiece and under 15 seconds remaining, Stevens was put to his back by Pitts while attempting a takedown for the lead. With the back points and riding time, Stevens was sent to the consolations with an 8-2 setback. He found himself down 3-1 midway through the third period of his match with returning All-American Wade Killgore of Central Missouri State. Stevens managed an escape to pull to within one and caught Killgore off balance for the takedown, nearly getting near fall points in the process. He helf on for the remaining 30 seconds for the 4-3 win, ensuring All-American status for the first time in a Maverick uniform. He will face Willie Hilton from UNC-Pembroke tomorrow in the consolation semifinals.
Junior Brandon Girtz (Forest Lake, Minn.), wrestling in his second NCAA tournament, was nipped 4-3 in the opening round by returning All-American Shea Timothy of Central Oklahoma. His season would end in the first round of the wrestlebacks against Mark Pfeifer of Chadron State. Pfeifer put Girtz to his back as time wound down in the second period and fended off several shots to outpoint Girtz 9-4. Girtz completes his junior season with a record of 26-10.
Senior 157-pounder Mathias Bitz (Bismarck, N.D.), a third-place finisher last season, was sent to the consolation rounds early. Bitz gave up back points in the second tie-breaker to fall 5-0 to Scott Cleve of Adams State. He stayed alive with a 6-4 win in the first round of the consolations, scoring early and hanging on in his match with William Tedder of Mercyhurst. His season and career would come to an end in the next round with a 2-0 loss to Stephen Humprey of Carson-Newman. Bitz concludes his senior season at 26-15.
At 165 pounds, #2 Andy Pickar (Brainerd, Minn.) earned bonus points for the team in his first-round match with Alonso Azumendi of Newberry. Pickar scored an escape in the waning moments of the match and tacked on a riding time point to gain the 10-2 win and advance to the second round. Pickar was sent to the consolations by returning All-American Cort Peterson of Central Oklahoma. Peterson scored a takedown in the first period and tacked on a riding time point by the end of the match to top Pickar by a 6-3 margin. In the consolation match to guarantee All-American honors, Pickar used a takedown in the second period to beat Eric Lakia of Ashland 3-1. He will face Albert Miles of Pittsburg-Johnsontown to open the placement round tomorrow.
Returning finalist Travis Krinkie (Blue Earth, Minn.) started his quest for a third All-American honor in fine fashion, earning a 10-7 win at 174 pounds. The second-ranked Krinkie gave up a takedown and two near-fall points early but battled back to advance to the quarterfinals. He came out swinging early in that match, scoring three first-period takedowns en route to a 15-4 major decision over Hudson Harrison of Mercyhurst. In doing so, he moved to the semifinals and locked up All-American honors for the third season in a row, becoming just the 14th wrestler in MSU history to accomplish the feat. He will face Michael Jackson of Indianapolis for a chance at the finals for the second straight season.
Second-ranked John Koons (Crosby, Minn.) narrowly missed a technical fall in his opening round match, earning instead a major decision by a score of 15-1 over Joshua Vialpondo of Adams State. In the quarterfinals, he yielded the opening takedown to Nathan Jones of Carson-Newman but nothing more. Koons earned an escape to end the first period down 2-1 and nabbed takedowns in both the second and third periods, winning 7-4 with the riding time advantage. Koons ensured himself All-American status for the first time in his career by advancing to the semifinals where he will face Tanner Linsacum of Nebraska-Kearney.
Junior Ben Janike (Waseca, Minn.) drew defending national champion Corey Jacoby of Shippensburg in the first round and fell by a score of 7-3. His season would come to a close in the first round of consolations with another 7-3 setback, this one at the hads of Ryan Kirst of Ashland. Janike finishes with a junior season record of 14-15 following his first national tournament.
The second round of competition begins tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Central time.
125 Pounds * Nick Smith * So. * Yankton, S.D.
First Round: Smith dec. Mike Compton (Ashland), 3-1
Quarterfinals: Smith dec. Daniel Clausing (Limestone), 6-4
133 Pounds * Jeff Pfaffinger * Jr. * Blue Earth, Minn.
First Round: Raymond Dunning (Adams State) dec. Pfaffinger, 11-5
Consolations: Pfaffinger dec. Lenny Calhoun (Mercyhurst), 7-3
Consolations: Pfaffinger dec. Marques Bravo (Western State), 4-1
141 Pounds * Zach Stevens * Sr. * Erwinna, Pa.
First Round: Stevens dec. J.J. Zanetta (Mercyhurst), 4-3
Quarterfinals: Brian Pitts (Adams State) dec. Stevens, 8-2
Consolations: Pickar dec. Wade Killgore (Central Missouri State), 4-3
149 Pounds * Brandon Girtz * Jr. * Forest Lake, Minn.
First Round: Shea Timothy (Central Oklahoma) dec. Girtz, 4-3
Consolations: Mark Pfeifer (Chadron State) dec. Girtz, 9-4
157 Pounds * Math Bitz * Sr. * Bismarck, N.D.
First Round: Scott Cleve (Adams State) dec. Bitz, 6-1 (OT)
Consolations: Bitz dec. William Tedder (Mercyhurst), 6-4
Consolations: Stephen Humprey (Carson-Newman) dec. Bitz, 2-0
165 Pounds * Andy Pickar * So. * Brainerd, Minn.
First Round: Pickar maj. dec. Alonso Azumendi (Newberry), 10-2
Quarterfinals: Cort Peterson (Central Oklahoma) dec. Pickar, 6-3
Consolations: Pickar dec. Eric Lakia (Ashland), 3-1
174 Pounds * Travis Krinkie * Jr. * Blue Earth, Minn.
First Round: Krinkie dec. Albert Morgan (Wisconsin-Parkside), 9-7
Quarterfinals: Krinkie maj. dec. Hudson Harrison (Mercyhurst), 15-4
184 Pounds * John Koons * Sr. * Crosby, Minn.
First Round: Koons maj. dec. Joshua Vialpondo (Adams State), 15-1
Quarterfinals: Koons dec. Nathan Jones (Carson-Newman), 7-2
197 Pounds * Ben Janike * Jr. * Waseca, Minn.
First Round: Corey Jacoby (Shippensburg) dec. Janike, 7-3
Consolations: Ryan Kirst (Ashland) dec. Janike, 7-3