Air Force Wrestlers Prepare for Southern Scuffle
12/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 23, 2009
The Air Force wrestling team will head to Greensboro, N.C., Dec. 29-30 for the annual Southern Scuffle, hosted by UNC Greensboro.
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Watching On the Web...
This year's tournament will be streamed online on Spartan All Access. For more details about the broadcast, visit UNCGSpartans.com or southernscuffle.com.
About the Southern Scuffle...
More than 400 wrestlers from 30 teams are slated to compete in this year's Southern Scuffle, being held at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. This year's field includes 50 wrestlers who are ranked in the latest InterMat rankings, including four of the 10 wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the nation at their respective weight classes.
Returning NCAA champions Troy Nickerson (125 pounds) and Jarrod King (165 pounds) are also expected to be competing for individual titles and are two of the nine returning 2009 NCAA All-Americans in the field.
The team title will also be a fierce battle as the field is composed of seven teams who are ranked in the top 25 of the latest NWCA Coaches Poll. Among the ranked teams are No. 6 Minnesota, No. 7 Cornell, No. 12 Indiana, No. 13 Kent State, No. 16 Edinboro, No. 23 Virginia and No. 24 Old Dominion.
Last Time Out...
The Falcons dropped a pair of non-conference dual meets on the road last weekend, falling to Southern Oregon, 20-16, and No. 25 Oregon State, 43-3.
Freshman Cole VonOhlen (141) returned from injury to win both duals on Friday evening, including the Falcons' lone victory against Oregon State. VonOhlen posted an 18-6 major decision over Southern Oregon's Barry Johnson, who is currently ranked eighth in the NAIA at 141 pounds, while defeating OSU's Mike Mangrum, 8-5.
Other winners for the Falcons were Wade Stowe (157), Tyler French (174), Neil Delaney (197) and Stephen Larson (HWT), who each won decisions in the dual versus Southern Oregon.
Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force, which holds a 1-3 dual record, takes part in its fifth tournament of the season this weekend.
Junior Derek Gillespie (141) has won a team-best 11 matches on the season, while two other Falcons--senior Tyler French (174) and freshman Tyler Spangler (133)--have won 10 victories each. Meanwhile, freshman Cole VonOhlen (141) holds the team's best win percentage with a 9-3 overall record, including a 2-0 mark in dual action.
Twenty-one Air Force wrestlers have recorded falls on the season, led by heavyweight Dake Williams, who has notched six falls on the year. His six falls already match the team-leading total from the 2008-09 season. Meanwhile, sophomore Alec Williams has posted the fastest fall of the season, recording a pin in a time of 1:00.
The Lineup...
Sixteen Air Force wrestlers are slated to compete at this year's Southern Scuffle. Scheduled to represent Air Force are Andrew Zwirlein (125), Tyler Spangler (133), Tyler Untrauer (133), Derek Gillespie (141), Cole VonOhlen (141), Gabe Martinez (149), Alec Williams (149), Zaq Berridge (157), Wade Stowe (157), Clayton Gable (165), Justin Shadrix (165), Joseph Stafford (165), Tyler French (174), James Ciccone (184), Neil Delaney (197) and Stephen Larson (HWT).
WWC Wrestler of the Week...
Freshman Cole VonOhlen was named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week on Dec. 22, for his performance in a pair of dual meets versus Southern Oregon and Oregon State.
VonOhlen, who missed nearly a month of action due to injury, compiled a 2-0 record in a pair of duals for the Falcons. He posted an 18-6 decision over Southern Oregon's Barry Johnson. He then added an 8-5 decision over Oregon State's Mike Mangrum to give Air Force its only individual win over the 25th-ranked Beavers.
Up Next...
The Falcons begin the spring semester with a pair of competitions on Jan. 16, the Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas, as well as the Glen Brand Open in Omaha, Neb.
Players Mentioned
