Completed Event: Wrestling versus Chattanooga on January 8, 2016 , Loss , 9, to, 21
Wrestling
vs Chattanooga
L 9-21
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, December 31
Phoenix, AZ
11 a.m.
Grand Canyon
vs
Mercyhurst
GCU Arena will be the location for this year's Grand Canyon University Duals, which features six of the top wrestling programs in the nation New Year's Eve.
Nation's Best At GCU Duals Saturday
12/29/2011 9:40:00 AM | Wrestling
The nation’s best NCAA Division II wrestlers will wrap up 2011 Saturday at Grand Canyon University Arena in the 2011 Grand Canyon University Duals.
Five of the six teams competing are nationally ranked in the NCAA Division II coaches poll and the other, California Baptist, is No. 1 in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association poll. Eighteen wrestlers are nationally ranked in their respective weight classes.
Ranked No. 5 in the country, Grand Canyon plays host to No. 1 Newberry, No. 3 St. Cloud State, No. 8 Mercyhurst, No. 18 Colorado Mesa and No. 1 (NCWA) California Baptist. Action begins at 9 a.m.
There will be matches on two mats in each of the five rounds, scheduled for 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Results will be posted on GCULopes.com after each round and fans can follow the action live, and for free, with streaming video provided by the AmericaOne Network. In-match highlights can be followed on twitter @GCU_Lopes.
More Duals Information
Team Previews
GRAND CANYON
You’d be hard-pressed to find any program in the country that has made a quicker jump to the top than the Antelopes.
In only their fourth season, GCU had seven NCAA qualifiers in 2011. GCU had five All-Americans, including its first national champion (Todd Wilcox, 133) and finished seventh. The 17 dual match victories were second most in the country.
Leading this year’s group is two-time All-American Victor Carazo, who begins his GCU season at the Duals, along with nationally-ranked wrestlers Kyle McCrite (125 – 7th) and returning All-American Ted Bristol(157-4th).
Carazo was featured in an article in GCU Today Thursday.
Two other wrestlers closing in on national prowess are 197-pounder Celic Bell and heavyweight Jordan Johnson.
Bell is unbeaten on the season, which includes multiple wins over Division I wrestlers, one that was nationally-ranked. Johnson is 9-1 with his lone loss coming to nationally-ranked Division I wrestler Levi Cooper of Arizona State.
GCU is 1-1 in duals with the lone loss coming to Division I Arizona State.
GCU opens action at 11 a.m. against No. 8 Mercyhurst, in the day’s first head-to-head battle between Top 10 teams.
NEWBERRY
Ranked No. 1 in the country, Newberry brings eight nationally-ranked wrestlers to the 2011 Grand Canyon University Duals.
Connor McDonald is ranked No. 1 at 125, he finished third in the nation last season. Second-ranked B.J. Young, at 141, lost to GCU’s Todd Wilcox in the 133 national title match in 2011.
Other ranked wrestlers include: Matt Oliver (133-6th), Deral Brown (149-5th), Sean Byrnes (165 – 5th), Travis Sheehy (174 – 6th), Mitch Brown (184 – 6th) and Jake Elkins (285 – 4th).
The lone returnee from last year’s duals, Newberry downed GCU 24-12 in last year’s meeting. The two meet again during the 3 p.m. round.
The Wolves are 3-0 in duals this season, including an impressive 31-9 victory over No. 17 Findlay.
Newberry opens the schedule at 9 a.m. against No. 18 Colorado Mesa.
ST. CLOUD STATE
St. Cloud State comes in No. 3 in the nation and have nationally ranked wrestlers at 149 (Jacob Horn, 8th), 165 (Tad Merritt, 1st), 174 (Shamus O’Grady, 3rd), 184 (Derek Skala, 2nd) and 285 (Jacob Kahnke, 1st).
They’re strongest in the upper weights, led by the three-time All-American Merritt and Kahnke, a national runner-up a year ago.
GCU’s Carazo beat Merritt two years ago in the NCAA quarterfinals and downed O’Grady to take third place at last year’s championships.
The Huskies are 3-0 in dual meets.
GCU and St. Cloud meet in the final round at 5 p.m.
St. Cloud opens its day at 9 a.m. against California Baptist.
MERCYHURST
The nation’s eighth-ranked team is led by the Shields brothers.
Jordan Shields is ranked No. 3 at 157, while Josh Shields is unranked at 165, but bringing in quite a resume’.
Josh Shields is the 2009 national champion and 2010 runner-up. They also have the No. 7 wrestler at 285, Fred Hale.
The Lakers are 4-0 in duals on the season and, like GCU, are off the 9 a.m. session and open at 11 a.m. against the Antelopes.
COLORADO MESA
Formerly Mesa State, CMU is ranked No. 18 in the country and a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rival of the Antelopes.
Leading the way for the Mavericks is fourth-ranked 165-pounder Dylan Granard.
They’re 1-0 in duals, owning a 21-15 win over RMAC foe Western State.
Along with Granard, the Mavs are strong in the middle with Jon Gappemeier (157), Zak Slotten (174) and Nick Peterson (184).
CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
While they may not be ranked in NCAA Division II, the Lancers are No. 1 in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association.
Just making the move over to Division II this season, CBU has a solid lineup with its strongest efforts coming from Jimmy Martinez (125), Chris Santana (157) and Zach Merrill (Hwt.).
CBU is 2-0 in dual meets, owning a 19-15 win over the RMAC’s and formerly nationally-ranked San Francisco State.
The Lancers kickoff the action at 9 a.m. against St. Cloud State.
Five of the six teams competing are nationally ranked in the NCAA Division II coaches poll and the other, California Baptist, is No. 1 in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association poll. Eighteen wrestlers are nationally ranked in their respective weight classes.
Ranked No. 5 in the country, Grand Canyon plays host to No. 1 Newberry, No. 3 St. Cloud State, No. 8 Mercyhurst, No. 18 Colorado Mesa and No. 1 (NCWA) California Baptist. Action begins at 9 a.m.
There will be matches on two mats in each of the five rounds, scheduled for 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Results will be posted on GCULopes.com after each round and fans can follow the action live, and for free, with streaming video provided by the AmericaOne Network. In-match highlights can be followed on twitter @GCU_Lopes.
More Duals Information
Team Previews
GRAND CANYON
You’d be hard-pressed to find any program in the country that has made a quicker jump to the top than the Antelopes.
In only their fourth season, GCU had seven NCAA qualifiers in 2011. GCU had five All-Americans, including its first national champion (Todd Wilcox, 133) and finished seventh. The 17 dual match victories were second most in the country.
Leading this year’s group is two-time All-American Victor Carazo, who begins his GCU season at the Duals, along with nationally-ranked wrestlers Kyle McCrite (125 – 7th) and returning All-American Ted Bristol(157-4th).
Carazo was featured in an article in GCU Today Thursday.
Two other wrestlers closing in on national prowess are 197-pounder Celic Bell and heavyweight Jordan Johnson.
Bell is unbeaten on the season, which includes multiple wins over Division I wrestlers, one that was nationally-ranked. Johnson is 9-1 with his lone loss coming to nationally-ranked Division I wrestler Levi Cooper of Arizona State.
GCU is 1-1 in duals with the lone loss coming to Division I Arizona State.
GCU opens action at 11 a.m. against No. 8 Mercyhurst, in the day’s first head-to-head battle between Top 10 teams.
NEWBERRY
Ranked No. 1 in the country, Newberry brings eight nationally-ranked wrestlers to the 2011 Grand Canyon University Duals.
Connor McDonald is ranked No. 1 at 125, he finished third in the nation last season. Second-ranked B.J. Young, at 141, lost to GCU’s Todd Wilcox in the 133 national title match in 2011.
Other ranked wrestlers include: Matt Oliver (133-6th), Deral Brown (149-5th), Sean Byrnes (165 – 5th), Travis Sheehy (174 – 6th), Mitch Brown (184 – 6th) and Jake Elkins (285 – 4th).
The lone returnee from last year’s duals, Newberry downed GCU 24-12 in last year’s meeting. The two meet again during the 3 p.m. round.
The Wolves are 3-0 in duals this season, including an impressive 31-9 victory over No. 17 Findlay.
Newberry opens the schedule at 9 a.m. against No. 18 Colorado Mesa.
ST. CLOUD STATE
St. Cloud State comes in No. 3 in the nation and have nationally ranked wrestlers at 149 (Jacob Horn, 8th), 165 (Tad Merritt, 1st), 174 (Shamus O’Grady, 3rd), 184 (Derek Skala, 2nd) and 285 (Jacob Kahnke, 1st).
They’re strongest in the upper weights, led by the three-time All-American Merritt and Kahnke, a national runner-up a year ago.
GCU’s Carazo beat Merritt two years ago in the NCAA quarterfinals and downed O’Grady to take third place at last year’s championships.
The Huskies are 3-0 in dual meets.
GCU and St. Cloud meet in the final round at 5 p.m.
St. Cloud opens its day at 9 a.m. against California Baptist.
MERCYHURST
The nation’s eighth-ranked team is led by the Shields brothers.
Jordan Shields is ranked No. 3 at 157, while Josh Shields is unranked at 165, but bringing in quite a resume’.
Josh Shields is the 2009 national champion and 2010 runner-up. They also have the No. 7 wrestler at 285, Fred Hale.
The Lakers are 4-0 in duals on the season and, like GCU, are off the 9 a.m. session and open at 11 a.m. against the Antelopes.
COLORADO MESA
Formerly Mesa State, CMU is ranked No. 18 in the country and a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rival of the Antelopes.
Leading the way for the Mavericks is fourth-ranked 165-pounder Dylan Granard.
They’re 1-0 in duals, owning a 21-15 win over RMAC foe Western State.
Along with Granard, the Mavs are strong in the middle with Jon Gappemeier (157), Zak Slotten (174) and Nick Peterson (184).
CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
While they may not be ranked in NCAA Division II, the Lancers are No. 1 in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association.
Just making the move over to Division II this season, CBU has a solid lineup with its strongest efforts coming from Jimmy Martinez (125), Chris Santana (157) and Zach Merrill (Hwt.).
CBU is 2-0 in dual meets, owning a 19-15 win over the RMAC’s and formerly nationally-ranked San Francisco State.
The Lancers kickoff the action at 9 a.m. against St. Cloud State.
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