Air Force Academy
#4 Missouri
Falcon Wrestling to Host Three Duals in Action-Packed Weekend
1/12/2023 2:17:00 PM | Wrestling
No. 28 Air Force (2-0, 1-0 BIG 12) vs. No. 4 Missouri (4-2, 3-0 BIG 12)
6:00 p.m. MST | Friday, January 13, 2023
Clune Arena | USAFA, CO
No. 28 Air Force vs. No. 24 Cal Poly (3-4, 0-0 PAC 12)
7:30 p.m. MST | Friday, January 13, 2023
Clune Arena | USAFA, CO
No. 28 Air Force vs. CSU-Bakersfield
1 p.m. MST | Sunday, January 15, 2023
Clune Arena | USAFA, CO
FOLLOW ALONG
A live stream will be provided on Flo Wrestling with live results available on Track Wrestling. Fans can also get live match updates on Twitter by following @AF_Wrestle.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Four Falcons have numbers in front of their names across four national ranking publications. Air Force heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson checks in as high as No. 6 (WIN) and No. 7 (Flo/Intermat). Falcon 133-pounder Cody Phippen is No. 20/21 according to Flo/Intermat. Sam Wolf (174) remains in the top-25 despite a break in action due to injury, he ranks No. 22/24 on Flo/Intermat. Senior 149-pounder Dylan Martinez cracked the top-33 for the third time this season, checking in at No. 33 on Wrestle Stat.
As a team, the Falcons are top-33 in three publications. Air Force holds its highest rank of No. 28 on Intermat. The Falcons are ranked No. 30 by Flo and No. 32 by WIN.
FALCONS TO WATCH
Falcon heavyweight and 2022 Big 12 champion Wyatt Hendrickson promises to deliver. Hendrickson, the sixth-ranked wrestler in the nation, is 13-1 this season with his only loss coming against No. 2 Mason Parris at the CKLV. 10 of Hendrickson's 13 wins have come with bonus points attached (77% bonus point rate)—highlighted by seven falls with a fastest pin time of 1:45.
Senior 133-pounder No. 21 Cody Phippen boasts a 9-3 record this season with bonus points in both of his dual meet showings. In the three duals this weekend, Phippen will have the opportunity to knock off CSU-Bakersfield's No. 19 Chance Rich—a 2022 NCAA qualifier and Pac-12 runner-up. Phippen beat the No. 14 wrestler earlier this season, knocking off No. 14 Sean Carter (App State), 9-3.
Standout freshman 125-pounder Tucker Owens has the most match victories on the team with 16 to his credit. Owens has placed at every varsity tournament he's competed in this season.
Sam Wolf, AF's 22nd- ranked 174-pounder returns to the mat against CSUB after a two-month hiatus. Wolf had the second-best Big 12 dual win rate in 2022, behind Hendrickson. Earlier this season, Wolf handed No. 11 Tyler Eischens (Stanford) a 5-3 decision loss.
Giano Petrucelli promises to deliver for AF at 165. Petrucelli has 16 wins this season, tying for most on the team. Petrucelli will have the chance to crack into the top-33 with a win against Poly's No. 31 Legend Lamer.
Air Force 149-pounder Dylan Martinez will get a chance to climb deeper into the rankings if he can pull off the upset against No. 20 Dom Demas of Cal Poly. Martinez has a history of knocking guys off—he upended an All-American in No. 9 Jaden Abas (Stanford), pinning him at the 2:44 mark. Prior to that, Martinez handed No. 30 Jarod Verkleeren (Virginia) a 7-5 decision loss.
A LOOK AT THE OPPS
Mizzou returns eight of its nine NCAA Qualifiers from the 2021-22 season, led by the 165-pound NCAA National Champion, Keegan O'Toole. The Tigers have three two-time NCAA All-Americans in O'Toole, Rocky Elam and Brock Mauller. The Tigers also return Noah Surtin (125), Allan Hart (141), Jarrett Jacques (157), Peyton Mocco (174) and Zach Elam (285) from last year's tournament lineup. With nine wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of their weight class and six in the top 10, Missouri is looking stacked for the 2022-23 season.
Cal Poly brings four nationally ranked wrestlers to Clune Arena, led by No. 8 Bernie Truax (184)— a two-time All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier. At 149, NCAA All-American and Big 12 champion transfer Dom Demas looks to hold his position against Dylan Martinez. Antonio Lorenzo, an NCAA qualifier, boasts a No. 23 before his name and looks to defend his ground against a clever freshman in Tucker Owens. Checking in at No. 31, Legend Lamer a two-time NCAA qualifier. Lamer will attempt to hold his ranking against a tough Giano Petrucelli.
For CSUB, Mateo Morales came closest to beating his Michigan counterpart in last week's dual, leading 3-2 in the final seconds of the third period before allowing a quick takedown to end the bout with a loss. Angelo Martinoni battled his ranked opponent close, only dropping a 4-1 decision, while Chance Rich gave a valiant effort losing a 7-3 decision to the No. 5 ranked wrestler in his weight class.
Bakersfield's ranked wrestlers will have opportunities to beat a few ranked foes against both Northern Colorado and Air Force. Rich will come up against two ranked opponents with the Bears' No. 33 Jace Koelzer and the Falcons' No. 21 Cody Philpen, while Martinoni has a chance at a humongous upset against Northern Colorado's No. 1 Andrew Alirez.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
#28 Air Force (2-0, 1-0 BIG 12) vs. #4 Missouri (4-2, 3-0 BIG 12)
125: Quinn Melofchik (7-7) (AF) vs. #12 Noah Surtin (9-3) or Preston Spray (0-0) (UM)
133: #21 Cody Phippen (9-3)/Nick Krug (4-7) (AF) vs. #HM Connor Brown (6-5)/Eric Lovelace (1-3) (UM)
141: Garrett Kuchan (13-6) or Joe Fernau (4-3) (AF) vs. #8 Allan Hart (10-2) or Kade Moore (3-1) (UM)
149: Dylan Martinez (12-6) or Bryce Shelton (4-3) (AF) vs. #9 Brock Mauller (8-1) (UM)
157: Jack Ganos (10-4) (AF) vs. #11 Jarrett Jacques (10-2) or Jerrdon Fisher (7-5) (UM)
165: Giano Petrucelli (16-7) or Seamus Casey (10-5) (AF) vs. #1 Keegan O'Toole (8-0) (UM)
174: Gage Musser (9-8) (AF) vs. #9 Peyton Mocco (12-3) or Ellis Pfleger (8-9) (UM)
184: Andrew Wenzel (0-6) (AF) vs. Colton Hawks (7-5) (UM)
197: Garrett Henigin (3-6) (AF) vs. #1 Rocky Elam (4-0) or Jesse Cassatt (4-5) (UM)
285: #7 Wyatt Hendrickson (13-1) (AF) vs. Ryan Boersma (8-5) or Cole Gripka (1-2) (UM)
#28 Air Force vs. #24 Cal Poly (3-4, 0-0 PAC 12)
125: Tucker Owens (16-7) (AF) vs. #23 Antonio Lorenzo (6-4) (POLY)
133: #21 Cody Phippen (9-3) (AF) vs. Ethan Rotondo (4-9) (POLY)
141: Garrett Kuchan (13-6) (AF) vs. Lawrence Saenz (4-5) (POLY)
149: Dylan Martinez (12-6) (AF) vs. #20 Dom Demas (6-4) (POLY)
157: Jack Ganos (10-4) (AF) vs. Luka Wick (8-9) (POLY)
165: Giano Petrucelli (16-7) (AF) vs. #31 Legend Lamer (6-6) (POLY)
174: Gage Musser (9-8) (AF) vs. Brawley Lamer (3-5) (POLY)
184: Noah Blake (12-9) (AF) vs. Jarad Priest (7-8) (POLY)
197: Calvin Sund (11-8) (AF) vs. #8 Bernie Truax (9-1) (POLY)
285: #7 Wyatt Hendrickson (13-1) (AF) vs. Trevor Tinker (8-6) (POLY)
#28 Air Force vs. CSU-Bakersfield
125: Tucker Owens (16-7) (AF) vs. Richie Sandoval (CSUB) or Eddie Flores (CSUB)
133: #21 Cody Phippen (9-3) (AF) vs. #19 Chance Rich (CSUB)
141: Garrett Kuchan (13-6) (AF) vs. Angelo Martinoni (CSUB) or Jose Landin (CSUB)
149: Dylan Martinez (12-6) (AF) vs. Josh Brown (CSUB)
157: Jack Ganos (10-4) (AF) vs. Brock Rogers (CSUB)
165: Giano Petrucelli (16-7) (AF) vs. Braden Smelser (CSUB)
174: #22 Sam Wolf (7-1) (AF) or Gage Musser (9-8) vs. Albert Urias (CSUB)
184: Noah Blake (12-9) (AF) vs. Jacob Hansen (CSUB)
197: Calvin Sund (11-8) (AF) vs. Mateo Morales (CSUB)
285: #7 Wyatt Hendrickson (13-1) (AF) vs. Jake Andrews (CSUB)
SUNDAY AFTERNOON SCRAP
Air Force will take on the USAFA Prep squad following the dual against CSUB. USAFA Prep is led by coach Tim Alger and assistant coach Trey Brisker. Brisker is a 2022 AF wrestling alumni.
125: Nick Gonzalez (AF) vs. Nico Tocci (USAFA Prep)
133: Logan Attisano (AF) vs. Robert Wright (USAFA Prep)
141: Kole Biscoe (AF) vs. Evan Binder (USAFA Prep)
165: Ty Ryan (AF) vs. Caden Dobbins (USAFA Prep)
174: Gavin Gross (AF) vs. Logan Park (USAFA Prep)
184: Drake Buchanan (AF) vs. Brian Thorpe (USAFA Prep)
125: Nick Gonzalez (AF) vs. Gavin Caprella (USAFA Prep)
UP NEXT
Air Force hits the road to take on Big 12 California Baptist on Sunday, January 22, in Riverside, California. Action is slated for noon PST.
LAST TIME OUT
A contingent of 15 Falcons concluded their efforts at the Franklin and Marshall David H. Lehman Open with three place-winning finishes, January 6, at the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center. As a team, Air Force finished 11th in the field of 32 teams with 76 team points.
Falcon junior and 197-pounder Calvin Sund led the squad with a fifth-place finish on the event. Sund opened the event with a dominating 16-0 technical fall over Maryland's Larry Vola. In his fifth-place bout, Sund made a statement with a lightning-fast pin over Kent State's Blake Schaffer (0:38).
Air Force junior 165-pounder Giano Petrucelli finished sixth in his respective division with a 5-1 record on the day. Petrucelli was a force to be reckoned with as he finished four matches with bonus points while giving up a narrow 7-4 loss in the championship bracket. In his first three matches, Petrucelli outscored his opponents, 35-3, recording three major decisions en route to the quarterfinals bout. In the consolation of two, Petrucelli logged a pin in 3:00 against Mason Spears of Brown.
Standout freshman 125-pounder Tucker Owens placed eighth after a hard-fought day on the mats. He opened the tournament with a pin in the first round (1:14). Owens finished 3-2 on the day, posting a no contest due to match limit in the seventh-place bout. Owens has placed in every varsity tournament he has appeared in this season.
Players Mentioned
