Wrestling sweeps Embry-Riddle

Tuesday, January 5

Phoenix, Ariz.

4:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Embry-Riddle

1/5/2016 6:33:00 PM | Wrestling

By: Steven Gonzalez

PHOENIX – For the first time in 2016, the Grand Canyon wrestling team competed in a match as they hosted Embry-Riddle and Lock Haven at GCU Arena. The Antelopes were able to sweep Embry-Riddle with a score of 41-0 and in the final match of the day GCU battled Lock Haven in a tight match until the very end but the Lopes fell to the Golden Eagles 16-15.

The Lopes were able to come away with the sweep against Embry-Riddle and they were able to set the tone early in each match, defeating the Eagles in every first round of the match.

Trayton Libolt started the match with two points in the first round, two in the second, the freshman would seal the win in the third round with four points to take home the 7-1 win against Chandler Strand in the 125-pound match. After a scoreless first round in the 133-match between Juaquin Olivas and Christopher Ornelas, Olivas jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second round and would wrap up a victory in the third round defeating Ornelas 8-2.

Uzo Owuama would make it three wins in-a-row was in a tight 141-pound match against Embry-Riddle's Andrew Burr. After two rounds Owuama held a 3-1 lead but midway through the final round, Burr tied the match at 3-3 but Owuama was able to rattle off four points and come away with the 8-4 victory to give GCU the 9-0 lead.

In the 149-pound contest, Blake Monty was dominant in the first round jumping out to a 6-0 lead and would shutout Anton King 14-0, for GCU's first major decision of the day to put Grand Canyon up 13-0. Zackary Velasquez would make it back-to-back major decisions after Velasquez shutout Dylan Passalacqua 10-0 to put the Lopes up 17-0.

Bobby Reece would battle Brenn Schiess in a tough 165-pound match but Reece was able to build a lead in the first round to lead Schiess 6-2 and Reece was able to hold off Embry-Riddle for the 12-9 decision. After Kenny Moore won by forfeit, Austin Trujillo picked up his first win of the season by pinning Brett Przekop for his first six points to put GCU up 32-0.

In the 197-pound match, Austin Gaun defeated Kolby Mays for his fifth win of the season pulling out his third major decision of the season. Gaun was able to limit Mays to two points in the first two round to come away with the 12-2 victory. In the final match against Embry-Riddle Sean Medley competed in the 285-pound match against David Rupp and was able to seal the sweep over the Eagles with a 12-2 major decision to close out the match.

In the second match of the day, GCU faced Lock Haven and GCU faced some adversity to start the match as Libolt trailed Jack Field after the first round 2-0. Libolt was able to fight back in the second round to tie the match at five heading into the final round and Libolt was able to pull out a point for the 6-5 victory.
After 12 matches into the day, GCU would lose its first match in the 133-pound match as Lock haven tied the match at 3-3. Heading into the 141-pound match, Owuama looked to break the tie against Cody Wheeler and after being tied 1-1 until 10 seconds left in the match, Owuama had a takedown to pull out the late 3-1 victory to retake the 6-3 lead.

Lock Haven would tie the match in the 149-pound match and would take the 9-6 lead after a tough 8-3 decision from Aaron McKinney in the 157-pound match over Velasquez. In his first match of the day, Casey Larson would come up big in the 165-pound match with a tight 8-6 decision over Kyle Hammond to tie the match at nine.

Moore found himself in quite the battle against Lock Haven's Tyler Wood in the 174-pound match as the match was scoreless heading into the final round but Wood was able to score four points to give the Bald Eagles the 12-9 lead. Lock Haven would take a 16-9 lead after a major decision in the 184-pound match but Gaun kept GCU in the match with a huge 8-3 decision over Adam Mackie to go a perfect 2-0 on the day. Heading into the final match, GCU trailed Lock Haven 16-12 and in his only match of the day, Daniel Chaid would come away with the 11-4 decision but the Lopes fell just one point of trying the match and would drop the 16-15 match to Lock Haven.

GCU will be back in action this weekend, Jan. 8, as they compete in the Virginia Duals.