Four Falcons Earn All-WWC Accolades
3/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 15, 2010
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Four Air Force wrestlers have been named to the 2009-10 Western Wrestling Conference all-conference team, as announced by the league this evening. Individuals earned their spots on the respective teams with their finish at the 2010 NCAA West Regional on March 6 in Brookings, S.D.
Earning second-team all-conference honors for the Falcons were freshman Cole VonOhlen and seniors Tyler French and Stephen Larson. Meanwhile, junior Derek Gillespie was named an All-WWC third-team selection.
VonOhlen, the runner-up at 141 pounds, garnered all-conference honors in his first season with the Falcons. A native of Jackson, Minn., VonOhlen is currently ranked 18th in the nation in his weight class and will be competing at this week's NCAA Championships. He holds a 31-7 record on the season, becoming the first Air Force wrestler since 2005 to total more than 30 wins in a single season.
French, a native of Malta, Mont., earns the second all-conference honors of his career after placing second at 174 pounds at this year's West Regional. French closed out the season with a 23-17 overall record, finishing second on the team in total wins.
Larson placed second at heavyweight to earn the first all-conference accolades of his career. A native of Lakeville, Minn., Larson's only loss at the West Regional came to defending regional champion Christian Brantley of Northern Iowa.
Finally, Gillespie, a native of Chesapeake, Va., also picked up the first all-conference honors of his career, finishing third at 133 pounds. Gillespie posted a 2-1 record at the West Regional meet to earn his best-ever regional placing, ending his season with a 20-11 overall ledger.
West Regional champion Wyoming led the conference with seven all-conference selections, including three first-team honorees, while Northern Iowa earned six All-WWC selections, also with three first-team picks. North Dakota State finished with two first-team honorees, while South Dakota State and Utah Valley each earned one first-team selection. Each WWC school had at least one individual on the all-conference squads.
The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming.
