Two-time All-American Travis Paulson recorded four decisions and a technical fall en route to the 165-pound title. In the title match, Paulson scored a 3-2 decision over Arizona State's Pat Pitsch. The senior is unbeaten on the season at 9-0.
Redshirt freshman, Jake Varner, cruised to the 184-pound title as he pinned two of his opponents in less than two minutes. Varner has accumulated six pins thus far in the season and remains unbeaten at 8-0.
At 197-pounds, Kurt Backes opened with a 15-0 technical fall and won the next two matches by default. Backes pinned Matt Montiero in 3:56, claiming the title. Backes is also unbeaten on the season at 8-0.
Finishing second at 141-pounds by a score of 1-0 was redshirt freshman Mitch Mueller. Muller finished second to UC Davis' Derek Moore. Mueller won three matches by decision (8-6, 7-1, 8-6) and another with a 17-5 major decision.
Cyler Sanderson took second-place at 149-pounds. Sanderson scored two major decisions and pinned his other two opponents. He met Cal State Fullerton's Moran Atkinson in the championship match and fell by an 8-6 decision.
Junior David Bertolino finished runner-up at 174-pounds. In his opening bout, Bertolino won with a 4:46 pin over Cal State Fullerton's Ryan Budd and then took an 11-3 major decision. In the semi-finals, Bertolino met fellow Iowa State wrestler, Grant Turner, and emerged with an 8-6 decision. Bertolino suffered a 14-12 loss to Nathaniel Augustson in the championship bout. Turner rebounded to take third place by scoring a 7-3 decision over Jeff Prentice of UC Davis.
Also placing third for Iowa State were Nick Gallick (133) and David Zabriskie (HWT). Laramie Shaffer placed fourth at 133-pounds.
The Cyclones will resume dual meet action Nov. 26 as they play host to Arizona State at 2 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum.
OMAHA, Neb. -– Cyclone wrestlers competed in two divisions at the Kaufman-Brand Open hosted by Nebraska-Omaha Saturday. Mike Somsky was the top finisher for Iowa State in the elite division, while true freshman T.J. Sebolt took top honors wrestling unattached at 141-pounds in the amateur division.
Somsky, a senior at 165-pounds, won his opening bout with a 4-3 decision, but then suffered a loss in the second bout. Battling through wrestlebacks, Somsky tallied five wins, including a 13-5 major decision. In the third place bout, Somsky faced Northern Illinois' Johnny Galloway, but fell by a 7-2 decision.
Also wrestling in the elite division of the tournament was true freshman Jonathan Reader. Reader, who was wrestling unattached, took fifth place at 165-pounds. In his first bout, Reader recorded a major decision over Iowa's Ben Stedman. Reader then fell to two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State. In wrestlebacks the Davison, Mich., native registered two more wins before pinning Truman State's Black Peterson in 1:34.
Sebolt wrestled unattached in the amateur division and took the 141-title with a 12-8 decision over Brian Graham of Dana. Prior to the championship bout, Sebolt worked through the bracket with five decisions, including victories over Iowa's Travis Blasco (11-8) and Quinten Fuentes (3-1) of Oklahoma State.
Also placing for ISU in the amateur division was redshirt freshman Chris Pursel at 184 pounds. Pursel registered three victories and placed sixth.
The Cyclones will resume dual meet action Nov. 26 as they play host to Arizona State at 2 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum.
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