BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Golden Eagles wrestling team traveled to Buffalo for the MAC Wrestling Championships. At the end of day one, the Golden Eagles have 5 wrestlers alive in the consolations and sit in 10th place as a team.
Alejandro Herrera-Rondon was one of two Golden Eagle wrestlers to make it to the semifinals. He started off incredibly strong in his first match with a 3:27 second tech-fall of Bloomsburg's Logan Baker. Herrera-Rondon scored a 1st period takedown early and then went to work on top, generating 10 near-fall points before the end of the period. He chose the down position to start the 2nd period and less than 30 seconds in got the reversal to secure the tech-fall.
His second opponent was a familiar foe from Edinboro 2nd seed Ryan Burgos who he fell to earlier in the season in their dual meet by just one-point. After a scoreless 1st period Herrera-Rondon chose the down position to begin the 2nd period. Midway through the period he secured a reversal to take a 2-0 lead. After a ride out to finish the 2nd period, Burgos had the choice to start the final period and chose neutral needing a takedown to win the match. Herrera-Rondon fought off shot attempt after shot attempt, giving up only a point due to two stall calls and took the match by a 2-1 decision victory to advance to the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals Herrera-Rondon matched up against 3rd seed Brett Smith of Northern Illinois. After a scoreless 1st period, Herrera-Rondon deferred his choice to the final period and Smith chose bottom. Smith earned an escape 30 seconds into the period and took a 1-0 lead into the final period. Herrera-Rondon chose bottom to start the final period and midway through the period earned a reversal to take a 2-1 lead. Smith escaped a mere 10 seconds later to tie the match at 2. The match stayed at 2-2 until the end of the period, meaning they were heading to a sudden victory period. With the clock ticking down Herrera-Rondon went in on a shot on Smith and was unable to get to the leg, Smith then counter-attacked and was able to secure the takedown and a 5-2 decision. Herrera-Rondon will wrestle tomorrow in the consolations still with an opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Championships if things fall the right way.
John Meyers was the other Golden Eagle to wrestle in the semi-finals. He started off his day hot with a fall over George Mason's Herbert Billups. He got to work quickly with a takedown 20 seconds into the first period and earned another point after two stall calls on bottom by Billups to take a 4-0 lead into the 2nd period. After Meyers deferred his choice, Billups chose neutral to start the period. Meyers took him down again and then worked Billups to his back securing the 2nd period victory by pinfall.
Meyers like Herrera-Rondon matched up against the 2nd seed in his weight class, Central Michigan's Bryan Caves. The match remained scoreless throughout the first period and then each guy earned an escape at the beginning of the second and third periods. With time winding down John Meyers got in on a high crotch shot which was defended by Caves then shot again and this time was able to finish securing the takedown right before the buzzer. Meyers won a 4-1 decision and advanced to the semi-finals with an impressive upset victory.
In the semi-finals Meyers matched up with SIU Edwardsville's Bryson Buhk the 3rd seed at 285 pounds. The match was very similar to Meyers' previous match with another scoreless first period and the only points coming from escapes from both wrestlers at the beginning of the second and third periods. This time the match ended up going into the sudden victory period tied 1-1 instead of ending in regulation. Meyers was hit with a stall call with just under a minute left in the sudden victory period and then shortly after was hit with another stall call as Buhk pushed him out of the circle, giving him a point to win a 2-1 decision. Meyers will wrestle back in the consolations tomorrow with an opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Championships if things fall the right way.
There are three other wrestlers still alive in the consolation bracket: Travis Clawson, Joey Fischer, and Adrian Gacek. Travis Clawson started off with a 1st round victory over Lock Haven's Curtis Nelson by a 6-3 decision victory where a 1st period takedown ended up being the big difference in the match. Clawson then matched up with Edinboro's Chris Vargo, who he'd beaten earlier in the season in the sudden victory period. This one unfortunately didn't go Clawson's way as he dropped the match by a 9-3 decision. He'd bounce back in the consolations with a 5-1 decision over Ohio's Brayden Teunissen. He will wrestle 2nd seeded Blake West of Northern Illinois tomorrow in the consolation semi-finals.
Joey Fischer had a first-round bye and met up with Lock Haven's Gable Strickland in the second round who he defeated earlier in the season by a decision victory. This one unfortunately did not go Fischer's way. Up late in the 3rd period 2-1, Fischer gave up a takedown and 4 near-fall points and fell to Strickland by an 8-3 decision. His next matchup was against Landon Bainey of Edinboro. Fischer won by a 5-3 decision with the difference being a 1st period takedown by Fischer. He will wrestle Andrew Austin of Central Michigan in the consolation semi-finals tomorrow.
Adrian Gacek dropped his first-round match to Giovanni Alejandro of Rider by a 10-2 major decision. He bounced back with a hard-fought 9-8 decision victory over SIU Edwardsville's Deron Pulliam escaping with just 15 seconds left to take the lead for good.
Day 2 of the MAC Wrestling Championships continues tomorrow at 11:30 AM with consolation semi-finals.
125 – Travis Clawson
Champ. Round 1 – Travis Clawson (Clarion) def. Curtis Nelson (Lock Haven) Dec. 6-3
Quarterfinal – Chris Vargo (Edinboro) def. Travis Clawson (Clarion) Dec. 9-3
Cons. Round 2 – Travis Clawson (Clarion) def. Brayden Teunissen Dec. 5-1
133 – Joey Fischer
Champ. Round 1 – Joey Fischer (Clarion) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Gable Strickland (Lock Haven) def. Joey Fischer Dec. 8-3
Cons. Round 2 – Joey Fischer (Clarion) def. Landon Bainey (Edinboro) Dec. 5-3
141 – Scott Johnson
Champ. Round 1 – Tate Hisey (George Mason) def. Scott Johnson TF 24-6 (6:40)
Cons. Round 1 – Scott Johnson (Clarion) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – Ben Lunn (SIUE) def. Scott Johnson (Clarion) MD 15-6
149 – Oliver Fairchild
Champ. Round 1 – Oliver Fairchild (Clarion) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Caleb Tyus (SIUE) def. Scott Johnson (Clarion) Dec. 8-1
Cons. Round 2 – Collin Arch (NIU) def. Oliver Fairchild (Clarion) Dec. 4-3
157 – Wesley Barnes
Champ. Round 1 – Wesley Barnes (Clarion) def. James Farina (Rider) Dec. 6-5
Champ. Round 2 – DJ McGee (George Mason) def. Wesley Barnes (Clarion) Dec. 8-2
Cons. Round 2 – Nick Stampoulos (Lock Haven) def. Wesley Barnes (Clarion) MD 11-1
165 – Alejandro Herrera-Rondon
Champ. Round 1 – Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Clarion) def. Logan Baker (Bloomsburg) TF 15-0 (3:26)
Champ. Round 2 – Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Clarion) def. Ryan Burgos (Edinboro) Dec. 2-1
Semi-Final – Brett Smith (NIU) def. Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Clarion) Dec. 5-2 SV
174 – Gabe Lilly
Champ. Round 1 – Garrett Thompson (Ohio) def. Gabe Lilly (Clarion) TF 18-1 (4:48)
Cons. Round 1 – Gabe Lilly (Clarion) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – Dominic Lopez (SIUE) def. Gabe Lilly (Clarion) MD 17-5
184 – Adrian Gacek
Champ. Round 1 – Giovanni Alejandro (Rider) def. Adrian Gacek (Clarion) MD 10-2
Cons. Round 1 – Adrian Gacek (Clarion) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – Adrian Gacek (Clarion) def. Deron Pulliam (SIUE) Dec. 9-8
197 – Ethan Wiant
Champ. Round 1 – Brock Zurawski (Rider) def. Ethan Wiant (Clarion) MD 15-3
Cons. Round 1 – Ethan Wiant (Clarion) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – Jack Kelly (George Mason) def. Ethan Wiant (Clarion) TF 20-2 (6:31)
285 – John Meyers
Champ. Round 1 – John Meyers (Clarion) def. Herbert Billups (George Mason) Fall (4:26)
Champ. Round 2 – John Meyers (Clarion) def. Bryan Caves (Central Michigan) Dec. 4-1
Semi-Final – Bryson Buhk (SIUE) def. John Meyers (Clarion) Dec. 2-1 SV
