Sunday, March 8
Tulsa, Okla.
All Day
Air Force Academy
vs
Big 12 Championships
Photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference
Air Force Places Four at 2020 Big 12 Championships
3/8/2020 3:22:00 PM | Wrestling
Freshman Cody Phippen was the highest placer, taking fifth at 125
TULSA. Okla. – The Air Force Academy wrestling team wrapped up action at the 2020 Big 12 Championships Sunday afternoon, March 8, at the BOK Center. The Falcons placed four wrestlers in the top-eight of their respective weight classes.
"We did not quite get the results we wanted this weekend," Head Coach Sam Barber said. "However, we are very encouraged by the fight and the determination that was showed by our underclassmen in, for what was most of them, their first Big 12 Tournament. To have multiple wins over nationally ranked opponents, and four placewinners, it shows the future is bright for this team."
Leading the way was freshman Cody Phippen at 125 lbs. as he took fifth place. The other placers were junior Cody Surratt, who took seventh at 174 lbs., while junior Lenny Petersen and sophomore Jake Thompson placed eighth at 141 and 184 lbs., respectively.
Making his Falcon debut this weekend, Phippen was a machine, as he defeated No. 2 seeded and No. 10 nationally ranked Jay Schwarm of UNI in the prelims, followed by a commanding 10-3 decision win over No. 7 seeded Christian Moody of Oklahoma to become the first semifinalist for the Falcons since joining the Big 12.
In the semis, Phippen came up short to No. 3 seeded and No. 11 nationally ranked Alex Mackall of Iowa State to fall into the consolation semis, which were contested today. In the consi semis, Phippen rematched with Schwarm, and was felled by tight 5-4 decision, which came down to riding time. This placed him in the fifth place match against No. 6 seeded and No. 31 nationally ranked McGwire Midkiff of NDSU. In that matchup, it was neck and neck, but a reversal from Phippen with about 15 seconds left gave him the win and the fifth place finish.
Elsewhere, Surratt rematched with Luke Weber of NDSU at 174 lbs. in the seventh place match. Leading by a significant margin late in the third period, Surratt was able to secure the fall, his second of the tournament, to take the seventh place podium finish. In the other eighth place matches, Petersen was downed by No. 6 seeded Caleb Rea of WVU, while Thompson was just edged out by 5-2 decision to No. 6 seeded Darrien Roberts of OU. Both finished on the podium in eighth place. For Petersen, he battled after sustaining an injury yesterday, and gutted out his match.
As a team, the Falcons totaled 25.5 points and finished in 12th place overall. On top of the ranked wins from Phippen, sophomore Jared Van Vleet also had a ranked win over Reece Witcraft of Oklahoma State yesterday, while Thompson was one point shy of knocking off the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the country in Taylor Lujan of UNI.
FULL RESULTS (Rankings Big 12 Seed)
125 – Cody Phippen (3-2) Fifth Place
Prelim: W over #2 Jay Schwarm (UNI) (Dec 4-2)
Quarters: W over #7 Christian Moody (OU) (Dec 10-3)
Semis: L to #3 Alex Mackall (ISU) (Dec 7-3)
Consi Semis: L to #2 Jay Schwarm (UNI) (Dec 5-4)
5th Place Match: W over #4 McGwire Midkiff (NDSU) (Dec 2-0)
133 – Jared Van Vleet (1-3)
Prelim: W over #6 Reece Witcraft (OSU) (Dec 9-6)
Quarters: L to #3 Cam Sykora (NDSU) (TF 17-1)
Consi Rd. 1: L to Lucas Seibert (WVU) (SV 6-4)
True Place Match: L to #5 Todd Small (ISU) (MD 11-3)
141 - #8 Lenny Petersen (1-3) Eighth Place
Quarters: L to #1 Dom Demas (OU) (Dec 10-5)
Consi Rd. 1: W over Trevor Jeffries (WYO) (Dec 12-8)
Consi Rd. 2: L to Dylan Droegemueller (NDSU) (Dec 5-2)
7th Place Match: L to #6 Caleb Rea (WVU) (MD 14-2)
149 – Dylan Martinez (0-2)
Prelim: #6 L to Greg Gaxiola (FS) (Dec 4-1)
Consi Rd. 1: L to Cameron Hunsaker (UVU) (SV 3-1)
157 – Trey Brisker (0-2)
Prelim: #6 L to #6 Alex Hornfeck (WVU) (MD 8-0)
Consi Rd. 1: L to #7 Dewey Krueger (WYO) (Pin 2:43)
165 - #3 Randy Meneweather (0-2)
Prelim: L to Jordan Robison (UNC) (Dec 6-2)
Consi Rd. 1: L to #8 Austin Yant (UNI) (Dec 4-3)
174 - #8 Cody Surratt (2-2) Seventh Place
Quarters: L to #1 Bryce Steiert (UNI) (MD 8-0)
Consi Rd. 1: W over Scott Joll (WVU) (Pin 4:29)
Consi Rd. 2: L to #4 Kimball Bastian (UVU) (Dec 6-1)
7th Place Match: W over Luke Weber (NDSU) (Pin 6:35)
184 - #8 Jake Thompson (1-3) Eighth Place
Quarters: L to #1 Taylor Lujan (UNI) (Dec 11-10)
Consi Rd. 1: W over Noah Cressell (NDSU) (Dec 4-3)
Consi Rd. 2: L to #4 Alan Clothier (UNC) (Dec 4-3)
7th Place Match: L to #6 Darrien Roberts (OU) (Dec 5-2)
197 – Casey Jumps (0-2)
Prelim: #6 L to Tanner Orndorff (UVU) (Pin 5:54)
Consi Rd. 1: L to #8 Cordell Eaton (NDSU) (MD 10-1)
HWT: #8 Kayne Hutchison (0-2)
Prelim: L to Blake Wolters (SDSU) (MD 8-0)
Consi Rd. 1: L to #3 Josh Hokit (FS) (MD 13-5)
"We did not quite get the results we wanted this weekend," Head Coach Sam Barber said. "However, we are very encouraged by the fight and the determination that was showed by our underclassmen in, for what was most of them, their first Big 12 Tournament. To have multiple wins over nationally ranked opponents, and four placewinners, it shows the future is bright for this team."
Leading the way was freshman Cody Phippen at 125 lbs. as he took fifth place. The other placers were junior Cody Surratt, who took seventh at 174 lbs., while junior Lenny Petersen and sophomore Jake Thompson placed eighth at 141 and 184 lbs., respectively.
Making his Falcon debut this weekend, Phippen was a machine, as he defeated No. 2 seeded and No. 10 nationally ranked Jay Schwarm of UNI in the prelims, followed by a commanding 10-3 decision win over No. 7 seeded Christian Moody of Oklahoma to become the first semifinalist for the Falcons since joining the Big 12.
In the semis, Phippen came up short to No. 3 seeded and No. 11 nationally ranked Alex Mackall of Iowa State to fall into the consolation semis, which were contested today. In the consi semis, Phippen rematched with Schwarm, and was felled by tight 5-4 decision, which came down to riding time. This placed him in the fifth place match against No. 6 seeded and No. 31 nationally ranked McGwire Midkiff of NDSU. In that matchup, it was neck and neck, but a reversal from Phippen with about 15 seconds left gave him the win and the fifth place finish.
Elsewhere, Surratt rematched with Luke Weber of NDSU at 174 lbs. in the seventh place match. Leading by a significant margin late in the third period, Surratt was able to secure the fall, his second of the tournament, to take the seventh place podium finish. In the other eighth place matches, Petersen was downed by No. 6 seeded Caleb Rea of WVU, while Thompson was just edged out by 5-2 decision to No. 6 seeded Darrien Roberts of OU. Both finished on the podium in eighth place. For Petersen, he battled after sustaining an injury yesterday, and gutted out his match.
As a team, the Falcons totaled 25.5 points and finished in 12th place overall. On top of the ranked wins from Phippen, sophomore Jared Van Vleet also had a ranked win over Reece Witcraft of Oklahoma State yesterday, while Thompson was one point shy of knocking off the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the country in Taylor Lujan of UNI.
FULL RESULTS (Rankings Big 12 Seed)
125 – Cody Phippen (3-2) Fifth Place
Prelim: W over #2 Jay Schwarm (UNI) (Dec 4-2)
Quarters: W over #7 Christian Moody (OU) (Dec 10-3)
Semis: L to #3 Alex Mackall (ISU) (Dec 7-3)
Consi Semis: L to #2 Jay Schwarm (UNI) (Dec 5-4)
5th Place Match: W over #4 McGwire Midkiff (NDSU) (Dec 2-0)
133 – Jared Van Vleet (1-3)
Prelim: W over #6 Reece Witcraft (OSU) (Dec 9-6)
Quarters: L to #3 Cam Sykora (NDSU) (TF 17-1)
Consi Rd. 1: L to Lucas Seibert (WVU) (SV 6-4)
True Place Match: L to #5 Todd Small (ISU) (MD 11-3)
141 - #8 Lenny Petersen (1-3) Eighth Place
Quarters: L to #1 Dom Demas (OU) (Dec 10-5)
Consi Rd. 1: W over Trevor Jeffries (WYO) (Dec 12-8)
Consi Rd. 2: L to Dylan Droegemueller (NDSU) (Dec 5-2)
7th Place Match: L to #6 Caleb Rea (WVU) (MD 14-2)
149 – Dylan Martinez (0-2)
Prelim: #6 L to Greg Gaxiola (FS) (Dec 4-1)
Consi Rd. 1: L to Cameron Hunsaker (UVU) (SV 3-1)
157 – Trey Brisker (0-2)
Prelim: #6 L to #6 Alex Hornfeck (WVU) (MD 8-0)
Consi Rd. 1: L to #7 Dewey Krueger (WYO) (Pin 2:43)
165 - #3 Randy Meneweather (0-2)
Prelim: L to Jordan Robison (UNC) (Dec 6-2)
Consi Rd. 1: L to #8 Austin Yant (UNI) (Dec 4-3)
174 - #8 Cody Surratt (2-2) Seventh Place
Quarters: L to #1 Bryce Steiert (UNI) (MD 8-0)
Consi Rd. 1: W over Scott Joll (WVU) (Pin 4:29)
Consi Rd. 2: L to #4 Kimball Bastian (UVU) (Dec 6-1)
7th Place Match: W over Luke Weber (NDSU) (Pin 6:35)
184 - #8 Jake Thompson (1-3) Eighth Place
Quarters: L to #1 Taylor Lujan (UNI) (Dec 11-10)
Consi Rd. 1: W over Noah Cressell (NDSU) (Dec 4-3)
Consi Rd. 2: L to #4 Alan Clothier (UNC) (Dec 4-3)
7th Place Match: L to #6 Darrien Roberts (OU) (Dec 5-2)
197 – Casey Jumps (0-2)
Prelim: #6 L to Tanner Orndorff (UVU) (Pin 5:54)
Consi Rd. 1: L to #8 Cordell Eaton (NDSU) (MD 10-1)
HWT: #8 Kayne Hutchison (0-2)
Prelim: L to Blake Wolters (SDSU) (MD 8-0)
Consi Rd. 1: L to #3 Josh Hokit (FS) (MD 13-5)
Players Mentioned
157
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HWT
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197
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149
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165
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141
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125
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174
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184
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133
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