GCU Wins Ninth Straight With 22-8 Victory Over Great Falls

Saturday, January 21

Phoenix, AZ

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Great Falls

Celic Bell picked up one of the key wins Saturday in a 22-8 victory over Great Falls.

GCU Wins Ninth Straight With 22-8 Victory Over Great Falls

1/21/2012 9:19:00 PM | Wrestling

Grand Canyon ran its dual meet winning-streak to nine with a 22-8 victory over Great Falls at Antelope Gymnasium Saturday.

Ranked No. 5 in the Basford Poll and No. 7 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association rankings, GCU (11-3) won seven of the 10 matches over the Argos, the No. 3 ranked team in the NAIA.

“That’s a good team,” said GCU coach R.C. LaHaye of Saturday’s opponent. “They’re good enough to win a (NAIA) national title.”

Three of the matches went into overtime and a fourth was a one-point decision.

To clinch the dual meet victory at 149, Bobby Ward had an overtime takedown and riding time for a 5-4 win over Mike Vassar. It was the only match of the night to feature two 20-win wrestlers. Ward, ranked No. 7 in NCAA Division II improved to 21-5, while Vassar, No. 4 in the NAIA, dropped to 23-5.

Celic Bell eked out a 3-2 decision over long-time friend Kamron Jackson. Both wrestlers grew up in South Haven, Mich. It was one of five matches that pitted wrestlers nationally-ranked in their respective associations. Bell is No. 7 and Jackson is No.3. GCU won four of those five matches.

At heavyweight, GCU’s No. 5 Jordan Johnson beat No. 6 Sears Tiernan, 7-2. At 125, the ’Lopes fourth-ranked Kyle McCrite earned a 6-2 outcome over No. 9 Danny Lutrell. The only win for UGF was a 5-3 overtime triumph at 157 where No. 9 Ryan Leonard defeated No. 4 Ted Bristol.

Grand Canyon freshman David Wilber had one of the Antelopes biggest wins when he beat No. 10 Noah Hatton, a national finalist last year, 11-6 in the 165 match.

The dual opened at 174 where two-time All-American and second-ranked Victor Carazo had a 14-1 win over Shawn Lau. It was followed by Antelope 184-pounder Brett Sanchez winning 8-1 over Brock Picard.

In another overtime match, at 133, GCU sophomore Lino Estrada dropped a 7-5 decision to Luis Carranza.

At 141, GCU frosh Vincent Hererra lost 5-1 to No. 5 Myles Mazurkiewicz.

“Winning those first five matches got us off to a good start and we won some close matches,” added LaHaye. “ Celic (Bell) and Bobby (Ward) picked up a couple big wins against two good kids.”

GCU’s next match is its final home match of the season, Jan. 28, against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foes Adams State (5 p.m.) and San Francisco State (7 p.m.).

Grand Canyon has won 22 of its last 25 dual meets. It finished last season on a 13-match win streak. The only losses this year have come to St. Cloud State and Newberry, currently No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the NWCA poll and to Division I Arizona State.

GCU 22, UGF 8