Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, March 9
Pueblo, CO
11 a.m.
Grand Canyon
vs
NCAA Division II Championships
GCU senior Ted Bristol is one of six Antelope wrestlers vying for titles at the NCAA Division II Championships in Pueblo, Colo.
Preview: NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships
3/5/2012 8:16:00 PM | Wrestling
With six wrestlers, including three regional champions, seventh-ranked Grand Canyon heads to the NCAA Division II Championships at Massari Arena in Pueblo, Colo. this weekend in search of besting its 2011 performance, which saw the 'Lopes come home with one champion, four All-Americans and a seventh place finish.
“All six have the ability to be an All-American,” said Grand Canyon coach R.C. LaHaye. “We’re a top 5 team and we need to go out and show up to wrestle. There’s only 16 qualifiers in the country. Everyone here is good.”
Four of GCU’s six wrestlers are nationally-ranked. The other two are a returning All-American and a wrestler who spent most of the season ranked in the nation’s top five.
Bobby Ward (149), Victor Carazo (174) and Celic Bell (197) are all coming off titles at the Super Region IV/RMAC Championships last month in Hays, Kan.
Ward is ranked the highest, second in the nation. Bell is No. 3 and Carazo, who is a two-time All-American and a third-place finisher last year, is No. 5.
Kyle McCrite (125) comes in ranked No. 4 in the country and is GCU’s leader in wins with 34.
For the second straight year, Ted Bristol (157) has picked up his performance in the postseason. An All-American last year, Bristol worked his way to an impressive third-place finish in the regional, where he won three times by fall and two times by major decision.
Jordan Johnson (285) spent much of the season ranked No. 3 in the nation. He opens against No. 3 Jake Elkins of Newberry, who he beat 4-3 in December.
“We’ve got six guys that can put us in the hunt for a national title,” added LaHaye. “These six guys have been consistent this year and all have picked up big wins throughout the season. This is a great opportunity to cap off the season.”
Action Friday begins at 11 a.m. If a wrestler can get through the first day of competition, he will guarantee himself All-American status. Saturday’s action begins at 10 a.m.
Links to live coverage will be available at www.GCULopes.com. For more information on the tournament, click here.
NCAA Digital Program
GRAND CANYON WRESTLERS
125
Kyle McCrite, Jr., Rathdrum, Idaho/Lakeland HS/N. Idaho C.C. (34-6, 4 falls)
Region Finish: 2nd; National Ranking: 4th
First Round Matchup: Jonathan Cronin, Newberry (Sr., 20-6)
Region Finish: 3rd; National Ranking: Unranked
McCrite vs. the Field in 2011-12 (4-3)
Dustin Stiegemeyer (Western State) – W, 5-3; W, 10-3
Ryan Bohince (Mercyhurst) – L, 2-3
Gerald Huff (Adams State) – L, 4-5; L, 4-5
Garrett Evans (Ouachita Baptist) – W, 9-0
Collin Hase (Fort Hays State) – W, 11-8
---
149
Bobby Ward, Jr., Nazareth, Penn./Nazareth HS/North Carolina State (32-6, 4 falls)
Region Finish: 1st; National Ranking: 2nd
First Round Matchup: Kenny Stank, Shippensburg (So., 12-11)
Region Finish: 4th; National Ranking: Unranked
Ward vs. the Field in 2011-12 (3-1)
Dylan Phillipy (San Francisco State) – W, 9-4
Josh Hensley (Adams State) – W, 5:17
Raufeon Stotts (Nebraska-Kearney) – L, 3-5, W, 4-3
---
157
Ted Bristol, Sr., Santa Ana, Calif./Temecula Valley HS/Santa Ana CC (17-11, 6 falls)
Region Finish: 3rd; National Ranking: Unranked
First Round Matchup: Winston Robbins, Upper Iowa (Sr., 28-8)
Region Finish: 2nd; National Ranking: 6th
Bristol vs. the Field in 2011-12 (3-3)
Bobby Williams (Ouachita Baptist) – W, 7-4
Taylor Knapp (Newberry) – L, 2-11
Jon Gappmaier (Colorado Mesa) – L, 6-11
Derek Koehn (Fort Hays State) – W, 5-4; W, 10-0
T.J. Hepburn (Nebraska-Kearney) – L, 3-11
---
174
Victor Carazo, Sr., Modesto, Calif./Grace M. Davis HS/Modesto College (24-1, 4 falls)
Region Finish: 1st; National Ranking: 5th
First Round Matchup: Matt Littleton, West Liberty (Jr., 21-11)
Region Finish: 4th; National Ranking: Unranked
Carazo vs. the Field in 2011-12 (6-1)
Travis Sheehy (Newberry) – W, 7-2
Trevor Grant (CSU-Pueblo) – W, 9-0; W, 3-2
Shamus O’Grady (St. Cloud) – L, 3:39
Mark Fiala (Nebraska-Kearney) – W, 7-4
Elliot Copeland (Western State) – W, 10-4; W, 6-4
---
197
Celic Bell, Jr., South Haven, Mich./South Haven/North Idaho C.C. (23-3, 6 falls)
Region Finish: 1st; National Ranking: 3rd
First Round Matchup: Joseph Brandt, Ashland (Fr., 22-11)
Region Finish: 4th; National Ranking: Unranked
Bell vs. the Field in 2011-12 (3-2)
Luke McPeek (Adams State) – L, 2:47; W, 17-14
Tanner Kriss (Fort Hays State) – W, :28
Matt Lenagh (Nebraska-Kearney) – W, 7-5
Lucas Munkelwitz (St. Cloud) – L, 1-4
---
285
Jordan Johnson, Sr., Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf/University of Iowa (29-6, 7 falls)
Region Finish: 4th; National Ranking: Unranked
First Round Matchup: Jake Elkins, Newberry (Sr., 23-5)
Region Finish: 1st; National Ranking: 3rd
Johnson vs. the Field in 2011-12 (2-4)
Jake Elkins (Newberry) – W, 4-3
Francisco Retana (Colorado Mesa) – W, 9-1; L, 2:50
Kevin Barrett (Nebraska-Kearney) – L, 1-3; L, 1-3
Justin Glenn (Fort Hays State) – L, 2-3
“All six have the ability to be an All-American,” said Grand Canyon coach R.C. LaHaye. “We’re a top 5 team and we need to go out and show up to wrestle. There’s only 16 qualifiers in the country. Everyone here is good.”
Four of GCU’s six wrestlers are nationally-ranked. The other two are a returning All-American and a wrestler who spent most of the season ranked in the nation’s top five.
Bobby Ward (149), Victor Carazo (174) and Celic Bell (197) are all coming off titles at the Super Region IV/RMAC Championships last month in Hays, Kan.
Ward is ranked the highest, second in the nation. Bell is No. 3 and Carazo, who is a two-time All-American and a third-place finisher last year, is No. 5.
Kyle McCrite (125) comes in ranked No. 4 in the country and is GCU’s leader in wins with 34.
For the second straight year, Ted Bristol (157) has picked up his performance in the postseason. An All-American last year, Bristol worked his way to an impressive third-place finish in the regional, where he won three times by fall and two times by major decision.
Jordan Johnson (285) spent much of the season ranked No. 3 in the nation. He opens against No. 3 Jake Elkins of Newberry, who he beat 4-3 in December.
“We’ve got six guys that can put us in the hunt for a national title,” added LaHaye. “These six guys have been consistent this year and all have picked up big wins throughout the season. This is a great opportunity to cap off the season.”
Action Friday begins at 11 a.m. If a wrestler can get through the first day of competition, he will guarantee himself All-American status. Saturday’s action begins at 10 a.m.
Links to live coverage will be available at www.GCULopes.com. For more information on the tournament, click here.
NCAA Digital Program
GRAND CANYON WRESTLERS
125
Kyle McCrite, Jr., Rathdrum, Idaho/Lakeland HS/N. Idaho C.C. (34-6, 4 falls)
Region Finish: 2nd; National Ranking: 4th
First Round Matchup: Jonathan Cronin, Newberry (Sr., 20-6)
Region Finish: 3rd; National Ranking: Unranked
McCrite vs. the Field in 2011-12 (4-3)
Dustin Stiegemeyer (Western State) – W, 5-3; W, 10-3
Ryan Bohince (Mercyhurst) – L, 2-3
Gerald Huff (Adams State) – L, 4-5; L, 4-5
Garrett Evans (Ouachita Baptist) – W, 9-0
Collin Hase (Fort Hays State) – W, 11-8
---
149
Bobby Ward, Jr., Nazareth, Penn./Nazareth HS/North Carolina State (32-6, 4 falls)
Region Finish: 1st; National Ranking: 2nd
First Round Matchup: Kenny Stank, Shippensburg (So., 12-11)
Region Finish: 4th; National Ranking: Unranked
Ward vs. the Field in 2011-12 (3-1)
Dylan Phillipy (San Francisco State) – W, 9-4
Josh Hensley (Adams State) – W, 5:17
Raufeon Stotts (Nebraska-Kearney) – L, 3-5, W, 4-3
---
157
Ted Bristol, Sr., Santa Ana, Calif./Temecula Valley HS/Santa Ana CC (17-11, 6 falls)
Region Finish: 3rd; National Ranking: Unranked
First Round Matchup: Winston Robbins, Upper Iowa (Sr., 28-8)
Region Finish: 2nd; National Ranking: 6th
Bristol vs. the Field in 2011-12 (3-3)
Bobby Williams (Ouachita Baptist) – W, 7-4
Taylor Knapp (Newberry) – L, 2-11
Jon Gappmaier (Colorado Mesa) – L, 6-11
Derek Koehn (Fort Hays State) – W, 5-4; W, 10-0
T.J. Hepburn (Nebraska-Kearney) – L, 3-11
---
174
Victor Carazo, Sr., Modesto, Calif./Grace M. Davis HS/Modesto College (24-1, 4 falls)
Region Finish: 1st; National Ranking: 5th
First Round Matchup: Matt Littleton, West Liberty (Jr., 21-11)
Region Finish: 4th; National Ranking: Unranked
Carazo vs. the Field in 2011-12 (6-1)
Travis Sheehy (Newberry) – W, 7-2
Trevor Grant (CSU-Pueblo) – W, 9-0; W, 3-2
Shamus O’Grady (St. Cloud) – L, 3:39
Mark Fiala (Nebraska-Kearney) – W, 7-4
Elliot Copeland (Western State) – W, 10-4; W, 6-4
---
197
Celic Bell, Jr., South Haven, Mich./South Haven/North Idaho C.C. (23-3, 6 falls)
Region Finish: 1st; National Ranking: 3rd
First Round Matchup: Joseph Brandt, Ashland (Fr., 22-11)
Region Finish: 4th; National Ranking: Unranked
Bell vs. the Field in 2011-12 (3-2)
Luke McPeek (Adams State) – L, 2:47; W, 17-14
Tanner Kriss (Fort Hays State) – W, :28
Matt Lenagh (Nebraska-Kearney) – W, 7-5
Lucas Munkelwitz (St. Cloud) – L, 1-4
---
285
Jordan Johnson, Sr., Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf/University of Iowa (29-6, 7 falls)
Region Finish: 4th; National Ranking: Unranked
First Round Matchup: Jake Elkins, Newberry (Sr., 23-5)
Region Finish: 1st; National Ranking: 3rd
Johnson vs. the Field in 2011-12 (2-4)
Jake Elkins (Newberry) – W, 4-3
Francisco Retana (Colorado Mesa) – W, 9-1; L, 2:50
Kevin Barrett (Nebraska-Kearney) – L, 1-3; L, 1-3
Justin Glenn (Fort Hays State) – L, 2-3
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