Air Force Academy
Southern Scuffle
VonOhlen Places Fourth at Southern Scuffle
12/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 30, 2010
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Sophomore Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.), ranked 10th in the nation, earned a fourth-place finish to lead the Air Force wrestling team at the annual Southern Scuffle, hosted by UNC Greensboro. The Falcons finished in 15th place in the team standings with 45 points. Meanwhile, Cornell and Penn State shared the team title with 151.5 points each in the two-day event.
VonOhlen, who placed fifth at the 2009 Southern Scuffle, opened Thursday's competition with a quarterfinal match against ninth-ranked Andrew Alton from Penn State. After winning all three of his bouts on Wednesday, VonOhlen lost a 13-5 major decision to Alton to fall into the consolation bracket. However, he scored a 6-4 decision over North Carolina's Danny Lopes during the wrestlebacks, guaranteeing a top-eight finish.
In his next match, VonOhlen faced off against Ohio's Germane Lindsay, a 2010 All-American. The two wrestlers faced off at the 2009 Southern Scuffle, with Lindsay earning a sudden victory decision. This time however, VonOhlen came out on top, capturing a 6-4 win to advance to the next round of wrestlebacks.
VonOhlen took on another familiar foe in Oregon State's Mike Mangrum, currently ranked 11th in the nation. After dropping a decision to Mangrum in a dual meet less than two weeks ago, VonOhlen won the rematch, picking up a 10-6 victory to advance to the third-place match.
Again, VonOhlen would have to face Alton, who dropped into the consolation bracket with his first loss of the year, a one-point decision against Michigan's top-ranked Kellen Russell. While the score was closer this time around, VonOhlen was still unable to pull out the win, dropping a 9-5 decision.
VonOhlen finished the tournament with a 6-2 overall record, improving to 22-6 on the season.
Also competing for the Falcons on the second day of the Southern Scuffle were Josh Mohr (So., Pewaukee, Wis.) and Neil Delaney (Sr., Grand Rapids, Mich.), wrestling at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively.
Mohr, who compiled a 2-1 record on Wednesday, fell to Oregon State's Brice Arand in his only match on Thursday. Meanwhile, Delaney lost an 8-0 major decision to seventh-ranked Micah Burak of Penn to end competition.
The Falcons return to action on Jan. 16, when they head to Grand Prairie, Texas, for the annual Lone Star Duals. Air Force will take on nationally ranked American and Arizona State, as well as Brown and Wayland Baptist. Meanwhile, another group of wrestlers will head to Gunnison, Colo., for the Borah Duals, hosted by Western State.
