GCU resumes competition after holiday break

Grand Canyon	Embry-Riddle	Grand Canyon	Lock Haven

Tuesday, Jan. 5 4:30 p.m.		Tuesday, Jan. 5 6:00 p.m.

Location: Grand Canyon University Arena, Phoenix, Ariz.

PHOENIX – The GCU wrestling team is back inside GCU Arena on Tuesday for its first two duals of the 2016 calendar year. Grand Canyon will host Embry-Riddle, an NAIA school from Prescott, Ariz., and Lock Haven, a Division II school that competes in Division I wrestling from Pennsylvania.

The Lopes' last competition was on Dec. 19, a home loss to Northern Illinois. Although GCU fell to the Huskies, freshman Zackary Velasquez picked up his first career victory inside of GCU Arena. Velasquez gave Grand Canyon its first win of the day after winning his 157-pound match. Velasquez was able to dictate the match and come away with his first major decision of the season, defeating Andrew Scott 12-3 to put GCU on the board with four points.

Tuesday's match on the GCU campus marks the Lopes' final home competition until returning home for the last time on Feb. 7. Between now and Grand Canyon's next home dual, the Lopes will make trips to Virginia, Colorado, Illinois and California.

Scouting Embry-Riddle
Being ranked in the NAIA top-20 poll as recently as Dec. 9, the Eagles dropped out of the poll after a 1-2 tournament in mid-December. Embry-Riddle was most recently in action at the Las Vegas Desert Duals on Dec. 21, dropping three out of four matchups. The Eagles fell to Wayland Baptist (35-15), Grand View (51-0) and Oklahoma City (30-12) while topping Central Florida (32-14). Grand Canyon defeated Embry-Riddle 25-16 at GCU Arena last season.

Scouting Lock Haven
The Bald Eagles enter Tuesday's match with a 4-5 overall team record with wins in their latest two duals over Bloomsburg and Messiah. After the two dual wins, Lock Haven finished third in the Lock Haven Classic on Dec. 29 behind top-25 schools Pittsburgh and Indiana. The Bald Eagles lead the all-time series 1-0 after defeating GCU 48-3 last season in the Lopes' season finale.

GCU Probable Starters
125: Trayton Libolt
133: Jauquin Olivas
141: Uzo Owuama
149: Blake Monty
157: Zack Velasquez
165: Bobby Reece / Casey Larson
174: Kenny Moore
184: Cale Wilson / Austin Trujillo
197: Austin Gaun
285: Sean Medley

Grand
Canyon

Embry-Riddle

Grand
Canyon

Lock Haven

Tuesday, Jan. 5
4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 5
6:00 p.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Zackary Velasquez

Grand Canyon University Athletics