Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, March 9
Birmingham, AL
9:00 a.m.
Grand Canyon
vs
NCAA National Championships
Tyrell Fortune became Grand Canyon's fourth wrestling national champion.
GCU's Fortune Wins National Title
3/9/2013 10:27:00 PM | Wrestling
Junior Heavyweight Named Most Dominant Wrestler
Tyrell Fortune became Grand Canyon’s fourth national champion by winning the 285-class title in the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday.
Fortune, who set a school mark for single-season pins with 20 and wrapped up the year with a 36-1 record, was ranked No. 3 in the country. He beat top-ranked Matt Meuleners of Northern State 4-3 in the title match, taking the lead with a takedown with only 12 seconds left in the second period.
GCU finished ninth in the team standings with 31.5 points. Mike Hamel took sixth place in the 141-class category, also earning All-American honors.
Moving to Division I next season, GCU had four Division II champions, all in the last three years, in only six years of competition.
Fortune may have been the most impressive. He took home the tournament award for Most Dominant Wrestler.
“It feels great to set a goal at the beginning of the season and achieve it at the end,” said Fortune, a junior with already two JUCO titles under his belt. “All the extra work was worth it.”
R.C. LaHaye couldn’t have been more proud of Fortune and his team. The Antelopes had their share of ups and downs throughout the season, finishing the season with only a portion of the lineup the coach envisioned at the start of the season.
“For us to finish in the top 10 with all the adversity of the season is pretty remarkable,” said LaHaye. “I’m proud of our guys all year and it was nice to see it capped off with a win from Tyrell.”
Hamel had a great tournament, too. He beat top-ranked and previously-unbeaten Daniel Ownbey in the first round, then, to stay alive and guarantee himself All-American honors, he knocked off two-time national runner-up William Young of Newberry.
“(Hamel) had a great tournament,” said LaHaye. “He beat some kids that, on paper, no one thought he could beat.”
“It’s been a great, quick run in Division II,” added the coach. “We’re ready to take that next challenge that lies ahead.”
First Round
125 – David Demo (Minn. St. Mankato) def. Kyle McCrite (GCU) 5-0
133 – Marty Carlson (Notre Dame College) def. Lino Estrada (GCU) 18-2 (TF)
141 – Mike Hamel (GCU) def. Daniel Ownbey (UNC Pembroke) 5-4 (TB)
149 – Jacob D. Horn (St. Cloud St.) def. Bobby Ward (GCU) 3:49 (Inj. Def.)
285 – Tyrell Fortune (GCU) def. Evan Wooding (Indianapolis) fall, 3:23
Quarterfinals
141 – Matt Nelson (St. Cloud St.) def. Mike Hamel (GCU) 13-8
285 – Tyrell Fortune (GCU) def. Andrew Tumlin (Findlay) 14-3, MD
Semifinals
285 – Tyrell Fortune (GCU) def. Ziad Haddad (Kutztown) 7-0
Championship
285 – Tyrell Fortune (GCU) def. Matthew Meuleners (Northern State) 4-3
First Round (Consolations)
125 – Kyle McCrite (GCU) def. Max Byrd (Ashland) 18-8, MD
133 – Justin Reinsma (SW Minn. St.) def. Lino Estrada (GCU) 9-2
149 – Jonatan Rivera (Notre Dame Coll.) def. Bobby Ward (GCU) 5-3, SV
Quarterfinals (Consolations)
125 – Garrett Evans (Ouachita Baptist) def. Kyle McCrite (GCU) 8-5
141 – Mike Hamel (GCU) def. William Young (Newberry) 10-7
Semifinals (Consolations)
141 – Mike Hamel (GCU) def. Dave Cawley (Pitt.-Johnstown) 5-3
Consolation Round
141 – Brock Coutu (Nebraska-Kearney) def. Mike Hamel (GCU) 8-0
Fifth-Place Match
141 – Matt Nelson (St. Cloud State) def. Mike Hamel (GCU) 10-2
Fortune, who set a school mark for single-season pins with 20 and wrapped up the year with a 36-1 record, was ranked No. 3 in the country. He beat top-ranked Matt Meuleners of Northern State 4-3 in the title match, taking the lead with a takedown with only 12 seconds left in the second period.
GCU finished ninth in the team standings with 31.5 points. Mike Hamel took sixth place in the 141-class category, also earning All-American honors.
Moving to Division I next season, GCU had four Division II champions, all in the last three years, in only six years of competition.
Fortune may have been the most impressive. He took home the tournament award for Most Dominant Wrestler.
“It feels great to set a goal at the beginning of the season and achieve it at the end,” said Fortune, a junior with already two JUCO titles under his belt. “All the extra work was worth it.”
R.C. LaHaye couldn’t have been more proud of Fortune and his team. The Antelopes had their share of ups and downs throughout the season, finishing the season with only a portion of the lineup the coach envisioned at the start of the season.
“For us to finish in the top 10 with all the adversity of the season is pretty remarkable,” said LaHaye. “I’m proud of our guys all year and it was nice to see it capped off with a win from Tyrell.”
Hamel had a great tournament, too. He beat top-ranked and previously-unbeaten Daniel Ownbey in the first round, then, to stay alive and guarantee himself All-American honors, he knocked off two-time national runner-up William Young of Newberry.
“(Hamel) had a great tournament,” said LaHaye. “He beat some kids that, on paper, no one thought he could beat.”
“It’s been a great, quick run in Division II,” added the coach. “We’re ready to take that next challenge that lies ahead.”
First Round
125 – David Demo (Minn. St. Mankato) def. Kyle McCrite (GCU) 5-0
133 – Marty Carlson (Notre Dame College) def. Lino Estrada (GCU) 18-2 (TF)
141 – Mike Hamel (GCU) def. Daniel Ownbey (UNC Pembroke) 5-4 (TB)
149 – Jacob D. Horn (St. Cloud St.) def. Bobby Ward (GCU) 3:49 (Inj. Def.)
285 – Tyrell Fortune (GCU) def. Evan Wooding (Indianapolis) fall, 3:23
Quarterfinals
141 – Matt Nelson (St. Cloud St.) def. Mike Hamel (GCU) 13-8
285 – Tyrell Fortune (GCU) def. Andrew Tumlin (Findlay) 14-3, MD
Semifinals
285 – Tyrell Fortune (GCU) def. Ziad Haddad (Kutztown) 7-0
Championship
285 – Tyrell Fortune (GCU) def. Matthew Meuleners (Northern State) 4-3
First Round (Consolations)
125 – Kyle McCrite (GCU) def. Max Byrd (Ashland) 18-8, MD
133 – Justin Reinsma (SW Minn. St.) def. Lino Estrada (GCU) 9-2
149 – Jonatan Rivera (Notre Dame Coll.) def. Bobby Ward (GCU) 5-3, SV
Quarterfinals (Consolations)
125 – Garrett Evans (Ouachita Baptist) def. Kyle McCrite (GCU) 8-5
141 – Mike Hamel (GCU) def. William Young (Newberry) 10-7
Semifinals (Consolations)
141 – Mike Hamel (GCU) def. Dave Cawley (Pitt.-Johnstown) 5-3
Consolation Round
141 – Brock Coutu (Nebraska-Kearney) def. Mike Hamel (GCU) 8-0
Fifth-Place Match
141 – Matt Nelson (St. Cloud State) def. Mike Hamel (GCU) 10-2
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