Canyon Starts Weekend With Win Over SFU

Friday, January 6

Phoenix, AZ

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Simon Fraser

Senior Teddy Bristol was one of eight GCU wrestlers to win matches against Simon Fraser Friday.

1/6/2012 8:17:00 PM | Wrestling

Grand Canyon started an active dual meet weekend with a 34-6 victory over Simon Fraser at Antelope Gymnasium Friday.

Ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division II, GCU improved to 5-3 in duals. The win over Simon Fraser was its third straight.

The Antelopes wrestle three times Saturday, twice against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foes – No. 22 Colorado State-Pueblo and Western State – and against California Baptist, ranked No. 1 in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association.

“I think we were a little flat,” said GCU coach R.C. LaHaye, of the team’s performance Friday. “We’ll have to regroup and be ready for three tough duals (Saturday).”

Saturday’s action, the first of four rounds, starts at 1 p.m. GCU begins its wrestling at 3 p.m. against Cal Baptist. The ’Lopes take on CSU-Pueblo at 5 p.m. and Western State at 7 p.m.

GCU got six free points to start the match. The Clan did not enter a wrestler in the 141-pound class, giving Vincent Hererra (141) a win by forfeit. Bobby Ward (149) and Ted Bristol (157) got GCU off to a 13-0 lead.

Ward dominated his match with Alex Stemer and won by major decision 15-4. Bristol edged out a tough contest with Cody Coombes, getting near-fall, takedown and escape points in the third period to win 9-7.

After David Wilber (165) dropped a 5-2 decision to Max Arcand, GCU two-time All-American Victor Carazo (174) pulled away in the final two periods to pick up a 9-3 win over Brock Lamb.

Antelope Justin Martin (184), wrestling up two classes lost a close 6-3 decision to SFU’s Clete Hanson. It was the last points the Clan would get.

Grand Canyon earned pins in two of its next three matches; both came in the first period. Celic Bell (197) won by fall in 2:23 over Pardeep Rekhi and Kyle McCrite (125) beat one of Simon Fraser’s top wrestlers, Skylor Davis in only 1:46.

“McCrite beat a good kid tonight,” said LaHaye. “He’s really starting to wrestle up to his potential. If he does that he’s going to be tough to beat.”

Heavyweight Jordan Johnson won a hard-fought 6-2 decision over Gurjot Kooner and Lino Estrada (133) wrapped up the match by scoring six points in the third period, to defeat J.L. Lum 7-1.

GCU 34, SFU 6