Cal State Fullerton jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the team scoring with a technical fall at 125 pounds, while Air Force junior Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) put the Falcons on the board at 133 pounds with a 16-3 major decision over Aaron Navarrete.
Freshman Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.), ranked 15th in the nation at 141 pounds, gave Air Force its first lead of the match, after rolling to a 17-2 technical fall over Adin Duenas. Though Duenas scored the first takedown of the bout, VonOhlen grabbed a 6-2 lead after one period and was up 11-2 at the end of the second period. After scoring a reversal to open the final period, VonOhlen was awarded a four-point near fall with just six seconds left on the clock to stop the match.
The Falcons’ lead was short-lived, as the Titans earned back-to-back decisions at 149 and 157 pounds. Air Force regained the advantage after a strong performance from Joseph Stafford (Jr., Loomis, Calif.) at 165 pounds. Stafford held a 10-2 second period advantage before pinning Clayton Schuelke with just 25 seconds remaining in the period.
The fall by Stafford gave Air Force a 15-11 lead in the team scoring, but Cal State Fullerton responded with a pin of their own in the 174-pound match-up to take a two-point lead. Senior James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio) took the mat for the Falcons at 184 pounds and recorded his second major decision of the weekend. Leading 7-2 in the final period with over a minute of riding time, Ciccone was able to score a takedown of Matt Savalle with 15 seconds on the clock to earn the major and put Air Force back up by two points.
With the Falcons needing at least one win in the final two bouts for a chance at the team victory, the 197-pound match-up proved to be one of the most crucial of the night. Neil Delaney (Jr., Grand Rapids, Mich.), who faced off against CSF’s Ethan Weisrock, opened with an early deficit, trailing 4-2 after one period of action. Early in the second period, an unsportsmanlike call against the Titans’ bench resulted in a loss of a team point for Cal State Fullerton, while Delaney scored another escape to cut his deficit to 4-3.
The remainder of the second period and much of the final period went scoreless before Delaney notched a takedown, his first of the match, with just 20 seconds to go. Delaney held on for the 5-4 decision to put the Falcons ahead, 22-16.
The final bout of the evening was a challenge for Air Force’s heavyweight Stephen Larson (Sr., Lakeville, Minn.), who faced Kurt Klimek, ranked 17th in the nation. With the only points of the match scored on a third-period escape, Klimek took the 1-0 victory, but the Falcons were able to hold on for the 22-19 team victory.
The Falcons close out their home slate on Thursday, Feb. 18, when they host Western Wrestling Conference rival Wyoming. The dual is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Results:
125 Andre Gonzalez (CSF) tech fall Andrew Zwirlein, 21-6 (7:00)
133 Derek Gillespie (AF) maj. dec. Aaron Navarrete, 16-3
141 No. 15 Cole VonOhlen (AF) tech fall Adin Duenas, 17-2 (6:54)
149 Nick Jordan (CSF) dec. Gabe Martinez, 4-3
157 Steven DeLaFuente (CSF) dec. Alec Williams, 9-5
165 Joseph Stafford (AF) fall Clayton Schuelke, 4:35
174 Todd Noel (CSF) fall Tyler French, 6:05
184 James Ciccone (AF) maj. dec. Mark Savalle, 10-2
197 Neil Delaney (AF) dec. Ethan Weisrock, 5-4
HWT No. 17 Kurt Klimek (CSF) dec. Stephen Larson, 1-0
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