Falcons Conclude Competition at FHSU-Bob Smith Open

Dec. 6, 2008

HAYS, Kan. - Sophomore Andrew Zwirlein (Nashotah, Wis.) led a group of 19 Air Force wrestlers who competed at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open held Saturday. Zwirlein, who knocked off the top three seeds in his weight class, was the lone placewinner for the Falcons, finishing third at 125 pounds.

Zwirlein dropped his first match of the day, a 9-7 decision to Central Missouri's Byron Clark. However, he rebounded nicely, rattling off six straight victories to claim third place in his weight class. In the first bout of the consolation bracket, Zwirlein scored an 18-2 technical fall over Pratt CC's Joey Stephens, followed by a 10-0 major decision against Steven Reynolds of Mesa State. He then registered a 2-1 tiebreak victory over Stephen Weimer of Nebraska-Kearney and moved on with a 3-1 decision over third-seed Danny Luttrell, also of Nebraska-Kearney.

Zwirlein's second overtime win of the day came against second-seed Willie Gunter of Central Oklahoma, 9-7 in sudden victory, while he defeated top-seed Billy Exline of Missouri Valley College in a 5-4 decision. In the third-place bout, Zwirlein avenged his earlier loss to Clark, winning by medical forfeit.

Several other Falcons had solid performances at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open as well. Junior Stephen Makuka (Columbus, N.J.) went 5-2 on the day in the 141-pound weight class, recording three falls and a pair of decisions, including a 3-1 sudden victory win over fifth-seed Andrew Hare of Hastings. Alec Williams (Fr., Birmingham, Ala.), wrestling at 149 pounds, and Wade Stowe (So., The Colony, Texas), wrestling at 157 pounds, each notched four wins, while five other Air Force wrestlers picked up three wins each.

The Falcons now get the next few weeks off before heading to the 46th-annual Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern, Dec. 29-30.

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