Untitled Document



California State University, Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA

CSU Bakersfield Wrestling Heads to NCAA Championships

THIS WEEK
A quintet of Roadrunners will take on the nation's elite and vie for All-American status at the 2010 NCAA Division I National Championships, held Mar. 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE THURSDAY, MARCH 18 Session One - 11 a.m. (CST) Session Two - 6:30 p.m. (CST)
FRIDAY, MARCH 19 Session Three - 9:30 a.m. (CST) Session Four - 6 p.m. (CST)
SATURDAY, MARCH 20 Sessions Five - 10 a.m. (CST) Session Six - 6:30 p.m. (CST)
NCAA NOTES Bakersfield returns to the NCAA Championships for the 37th consecutive year...the first NCAA Championship was in 1928...rank in a tie for 16th for most NCAA champions with nine...Riley Orozco and Mitch Monteiro are making their third trip to the NCAA Championships while Elijah Nacita is competing for the second time. Frank Lomas and Michael Larson are first-time qualifiers.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY * Bakersfield's highest finish at the NCAA Championships is third place in 1996. * The Roadrunners have four top-10 finishes all-time and eight top-25 finishes. * With five national qualifiers this year, the Roadrunners have qualified at least three wrestlers to the nationals every season since 1985. * Bakersfield also sent wrestlers to the Division I championships when the school was Division II and earned 20 of its 43 total All-American honors during that time.
CSUB ALL-TIME RESULTS * 2009: 36th (16.0 points) * 2008: 53rd (2.0 points) * 2007: 44th (7.0 points) * 2006: 47th (4.5 points) * 2005: 22nd (27.0 points) * 2004: 29th (15.5 points) * 2003: 39th (7.5 points) * 2002: 52nd (3.0 points) * 2001: 28th (12.5 points) * 2000: 23rd (20.5 points) * 1999: 8th (58.5 points) * 1998: 11th (42.5 points) * 1997: 8th (43.5 points) * 1996: 3rd (66.0 points) * 1995: 28th (13.0 points) * 1994: 49th (4.0 points) * 1993: 54th (2.5 points) * 1992: 36th (5.5 points) * 1991: 9th (38.5 points) * 1990: 12th (30.5 points) * 1989: 28th (14.5 points) * 1988: 53rd (2.0 points)
WHAT'S AT STAKE The five Roadrunners (Mike Larson, Frank Lomas, Mitch Monteiro, Elijah Nacita and Riley Orozco) competing this week will be in the hunt for NCAA All-American status. CSUB's last All-American was Brandon Halsey (197 pounds), who placed seventh at the 2009 NCAA Championships. The Roadrunners have only gone nine seasons since 1977 without a Division I All-American.
CSUB KEEPS QUALIFIERS STREAK ALIVESince 1974, the second season of the wrestling program at Bakersfield, the Roadrunners have had a qualifier to the NCAA Division I Championships every year. And since 1976, Bakersfield has had at least two qualifiers to the championships. The Roadrunners have also qualified at least three wrestlers to the NCAA Championships every year since 1979.
THE LAST TIME AROUND Two of Bakersfield's five NCAA qualifiers are returning for the third time. Mitch Monteiro and Riley Orozco both qualified in 2008 and 2009. Elijah Nacita is making his second appearance after earning his first qualification in 2009. Frank Lomas and Mike Larson are both making their first trip to nationals.
LOMAS AGAINST THE FIELD AT 125 Frank Lomas is 4-11 in 2010 against the NCAA Championships field. He has wins over Navy's Aaron Kalil, Virginia's Ross Gitomer and two over Boise State's Alan Bartelli.
NACITA AGAINST THE FIELD AT 141 Elijah Nacita is 5-9 in 2010 against the NCAA Championships field. He has wins over Cal Poly's Filip Novachkov, VIrginia's Derek Valenti and three over Arizona State's Chris Drouin.
LARSON AGAINST THE FIELD AT 184 Mike Larson is 1-7 in 2010 against the field at the NCAA Championships. His lone victory was his 3-2 decision over Geisen at the Pac-10 Championships.
OROZCO AGAINST THE FIELD AT 197 Riley Orozco is 3-6 in 2010 against the field at the NCAA Championships. He has one win over Old Dominion's Jesse Strawn and two wins over Boise State's Matt Casperson.
MONTEIRO AGAINST THE FIELD AT HWT Mitch Monteiro is 10-4 in 2010 against the field at the NCAA Championships (including the NWCA win over Zabriskie). He has beaten Minnesota's Ben Berhow, UC Davis' Ricky Alcala (twice), Indiana's Nathan Everhart, Rider's Eddie Boras, Oklahoma's Nathan Fernandez, Cal State Fullerton's Kurt Klimek, Oregon State's Clayton Jack and Boise State's Sam Zlystra.
'RUNNER REPORT The Roadrunners placed fifth at the Pac-10 Championships in Davis on Feb. 26-27. Riley Orozco and Mitch Monteiro win individual titles at 197 pounds and heavyweight, respectively. Redshirt freshman Mike Larson claimed a runner-up finish at 184 pounds, Elijah Nacita was fourth at 141 pounds and Frank Lomas was fifth at 125 pounds.
DUAL STREAK COMPLETE Riley Orozco rolled through the dual portion of the 2010 schedule with a perfect 9-0 record. The junior 197-pounder had five decisions, two major decisions, one technical fall and a pin for his nine wins.
RILEY ON A ROLL Junior Riley Orozco is on a roll entering the 2010 NCAA Championships this week. Not only did he go perfect in dual competition this season, but he carries a 13-match win streak into this week's action. He has only lost six matches all season, and just twice did losses come back-to-back.
NEAR DEJA VU Elijah Nacita's path through the 2009 Reno Tournament of Champions was a near replica from a year ago when he lost his opening match, then won eight straight consolation matches, including a third-place win over Cal State Fullerton's Adin Duenas. This year, No. 4 seeded Nacita dropped his opening match once again, then earned six straight wins to reach the third place match and face Duenas once again. While he could not complete the comeback this year, conceding a tight 2-1 decision to Duenas, Nacita picked up two technical fall wins, including one over MSU Mankato's Robbie Fisher, who beat him in the opening round, and No. 1 seed Filip Novachkov of Cal Poly. Nacita's 6-4 decision over Novachkov avenged a 7-5 loss to the Mustang from just five days prior.
LAST MINUTE ADDITION, LAST SECOND WIN Senior heavyweight Mitch Monteiro was a last minute add to the line-up at the 44th NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 22, but that gave him no disadvantage over his opponent. Monteiro, then ranked No. 6, used a takedown in final seven seconds of the match to earn a 4-3 win over then No. 2 David Zabriskie of Iowa State.
ANOTHER NWCA ALL-STAR WIN Mitch Monteiro was the first Roadrunner to be selected as an NWCA All-Star since Stephen Neal earned the honor in 1999. Neal was a three-time NWCA All-Star selection, and won all three bouts. CSUB has now had 15 all-time selections to the event and has been victorious in all but one bout.
NEED MORE INFO?
For all of the most up-to-date information about CSU Bakersfield wrestling and all other Roadrunner sports, check out the CSUB Athletics Web site at: www.GoRunners.com.
Five CSU Bakersfield Wrestlers Headed to NCAA Championships

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Five CSUB wrestlers are headed to the Quest Center in Omaha, Neb., next week for the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. At-large bids and complete brackets were announced Wednesday by the NCAA.
For the Roadrunners, Elijah Nacita (141 pounds), Mike Larson (184 pounds), Riley Orozco (197 pounds) and Mitch Monteiro (HWT) all received automatic bids due to their placewinner status at the Pac-10 Championships held Feb. 26-27 in Davis. On Wednesday, 125-pounder Frank Lomas was added to the Roadrunner qualifiers after receiving one of four at-large bids allocated for his division.
Lomas enters his first NCAA Tournament with a 22-15 record and will face Shane Young (16-8) of West Virginia in the first round. The Bakersfield sophomore placed fifth at the Pac-10 Championships.
At 141 pounds, Nacita makes his second trip to the NCAA's riding an 18-11 overall record. He placed fourth at the Pac-10 Championships and will face Zack Kemmerer (29-11) of Pennsylvania on the opening round.
Larson, a redshirt freshman, made a run at the 184-pound Pac-10 title, finishing as the runner-up with a 23-14 overall record. In his first NCAA appearance, the McKinleyville, Calif., native will face No. 4 seed Michael Cannon (25-1) of American.
At 197 pounds, Orozco won his first Pac-10 title after going a perfect 9-0 in dual competition this season. The junior is making his third consecutive NCAA appearance and, with a 22-6 record, will open action against Rugters' Lamar Brown (25-9).
Coming off his second straight Pac-10 title, Monteiro earned the No. 11 seed in the heavyweight bracket. With a 15-5 record, the senior will face David Wade (21-14) of Eastern Michigan in the opening round of action.
In 2009, CSUB had six NCAA qualifiers and placed 36th overall. Brandon Halsey earned the distinction of being named the Roadrunners' 43rd NCAA Division I All-American, placing seventh in the 197-pound division.
The 2010 NCAA Championships runs from Mar. 18-20 and is co-hosted by the University of Nebraska and the Omaha Sports Commision. For ticket information call 402-422-1212.
CSU Bakersfield Wrestling Heads to 2010 Pac-10 Championships

Junior Elijah Nacita is in the hunt for a individual title repeat at the Pac-10 Championships. Kirby Lee/Image Of Sport

THIS WEEK
The Roadrunners begin postseason action this week, heading to the 2010 Pac-10 Championships, hosted by UC Davis.
PAC-10 CAHMPIONSHIP LINEUP 125 - Frank Lomas (19-13) 133 - Justin Durham (12-13) 141 - Elijah Nacita (16-9) 149 - John Cardenas (5-12) 157 - Andrew Balch (18-15) 165 - Joey Granata (18-9) 174 - Trevor Hall (13-14) 184 - Mike Larson (22-13) 197 - Riley Orozco (19-6) HWT - Mitch Monteiro (12-5)
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE SESSION I Friday, Feb. 26 - Noon - 4 pm
SESSION II Friday, Feb. 26 - 6 pm - 9 pm Quarterfinal cons.
SESSION III Saturday, Feb. 27 - Noon - 2 pm Semifinal cons., 5th and 7th place matches
Saturday, Feb. 27 - 4pm Pac-10 Wrestling Championship Finals
TOURNAMENT TICKET INFO Reserved single session passes are $15 for Sessions I and II and $17 for Session III while Adult General Admission single session passes are $10 for Sessions I and II and $13 for Session III. Child, Senior, and Student General Admission single session passes are $7 for Sessions I and II and $10 for Session III.
All-Session passes are still on sale as well at the UC Davis Ticket Office. Reserved All-Session passes, with a chairback, are $40. Adult General Admission All-Session passes are on sale for $30 while Child, Senior, and Student General Admission All-Session passes are $20.
To purchase your tickets, call the UC Davis Ticket Office at 530-752-1915.
PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS WEBCAST In continuing its growing partnership with CSTV, the Pac-10 will broadcast the 2010 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships live online at www.pac-10.org. The event will be broadcast for FREE through CSTV's All-Access promotion. Those wishing to watch the event can do so, by clicking on the All-Access link on the right hand side of the Pac-10 homepage.
'RUNNER REPORT The Roadrunners concluded the 2010 regular-season with a bang, crushing UC Davis, 39-4, in the Icardo Center on Feb. 13. CSUB won nine of 10 bouts, including technical fall victories by Frank Lomas and Riley Orozco, and a win by fall by Andrew Balch in the final match of the night.
RANKED 'RUNNERS The second of three NCAA Division I Coaches Panel Rankings, release Feb. 9, has four Roadrunners listed in the top 32. The ranking is one of three factors which determine entry to the NCAA Championships. Frank Lomas was No. 29 at 125 pounds, Elijah Nacita was No. 12 at 141 pounds, Riley Orozco was No. 24 at 197 pounds and Mitch Monteiro was No. 11 at heavyweight.
The NCAA also released it's first RPI ranking, the second of three factors to determine entry to the NCAA Championships. In matches through Feb. 7, Lomas is No. 30, Nacita is No. 13 and Orozco is No. 13.
IN THE POLLS In the most recent InterMat Wrestling poll, Elijah Nacita is No. 11 at 141 pounds, Riley Orozco appears at No. 20 at 197 pounds and Mitch Monteiro is No. 12 at heavyweight. Nacita (No. 11), Monteiro (No. 11) and Riley Orozco (No. 19) are all listed in the latest d1collegewrestling.com poll. Nacita is ranked No. 11, Orozco is No. 19 and Monteiro is No. 11 by theopenmat.com. Monteiro is No. 18 by WIN Magazine.
PAC-10 FAVORITES CSUB's Riley Orozco (197 pounds) and Mitch Monteiro (heavyweight) enter the Pac-10 Championships ranked No. 1 in their respective divisions in the most recent conference poll, released Feb. 18. Joey Granata (165 pounds) and Mike Larson (184 pounds) are both ranked third, while Elijah Nacita is fifth in a highly competitive 141-pound division. Official seeding for the tournament brackets takes place Thursday, Feb. 27.
CSUB's PAC-10 HISTORY * CSUB had a pair of Pac-10 champions in 2009. Elijah Nacita knocked off No. 1 seed Chris Drouin of Arizona State at 141 pounds and Mitch Monteiro beat Clayton Jack of Oregon State. * Bakersfield has won two Pac-10 team titles, the first in 1996 and the second in 1999. * The Roadrunners placed third in 2009. * Bakersfield's 155 team points in winning the 1996 Pac-10 title is still a conference record for most points scored at the Pac-10's. * After placing in the top five for the first 13 years in the Pac-10, the Roadrunners have finished better than fifth place three times in the past nine years.
ALL-TIME AT THE PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS * 2009: 3rd (124.5 points) * 2008: 7th (94.5 points) * 2007: 2nd (105.0 points) * 2006: 5th (85.0 points) * 2005: 7th (67.0 points) * 2004: 4th (87.0 points) * 2003: 6th (66.5 points) * 2002: 8th (43.0 points) * 2001: 6th (70.0 points) * 2000: 4th (101.5 points) * 1999: 1st (136.5 points) * 1998: 4th (91.0 points) * 1997: 2nd (118.0 points) * 1996: 1st (155.0 points) * 1995: 3rd (108.0 points) * 1994: 2nd (98.25 points) * 1993: 3rd (92.0 points) * 1992: 3rd (84.5 points) * 1991: 2nd (101.5 points) * 1990: 2nd (90.5 points) * 1989: 5th (41.0 points) * 1988: 5th (39.25 points)
DUAL STREAK COMPLETE Riley Orozco rolled through the dual portion of the 2010 schedule with a perfect 9-0 record. The junior 197-pounder had five decisions, two major decisions, one technical fall and a pin for his nine wins.
RILEY ON A ROLL Junior Riley Orozco is on a roll entering the 2010 Pac-10 Championshisp this week. Not only did he go perfect in dual competition this season, but he carries a 10-match win streak into this week's action. He has only lost six matches all season, and just twice did losses come back-to-back.
NEAR DEJA VU Elijah Nacita's path through the 2009 Reno Tournament of Champions was a near replica from a year ago when he lost his opening match, then won eight straight consolation matches, including a third-place win over Cal State Fullerton's Adin Duenas. This year, No. 4 seeded Nacita dropped his opening match once again, then earned six straight wins to reach the third place match and face Duenas once again. While he could not complete the comeback this year, conceding a tight 2-1 decision to Duenas, Nacita picked up two technical fall wins, including one over MSU Mankato's Robbie Fisher, who beat him in the opening round, and No. 1 seed Filip Novachkov of Cal Poly. Nacita's 6-4 decision over Novachkov avenged a 7-5 loss to the Mustang from just five days prior.
LAST MINUTE ADDITION, LAST SECOND WIN Senior heavyweight Mitch Monteiro was a last minute add to the line-up at the 44th NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 22, but that gave him no disadvantage over his opponent. Monteiro, then ranked No. 6, used a takedown in final seven seconds of the match to earn a 4-3 win over then No. 2 David Zabriskie of Iowa State.
ANOTHER NWCA ALL-STAR WIN Mitch Monteiro was the first Roadrunner to be selected as an NWCA All-Star since Stephen Neal earned the honor in 1999. Neal was a three-time NWCA All-Star selection, and won all three bouts. CSUB has now had 15 all-time selections to the event and has been victorious in all but one bout.
ON DECK The 2010 NCAA Championships are Mar. 18-20 at the Qwest Center on Omaha, Neb.
NEED MORE INFO?
For all of the most up-to-date information about CSU Bakersfield wrestling and all other Roadrunner sports, check out the CSUB Athletics Web site at: www.GoRunners.com.
CSU Bakersfield Wrestling Program Terminated

For years the haunting speculative rumors have been circulating that Cal State University of Bakersfield Wrestling Team may be dropping its NCAA Division 1 Wrestling program due to higher education budget cuts became a shocking reality. As Reporter Jeff Evans of the Bakersfield California released the ill fated news article on Thursday, February, 11th 2010, titled; CSUB Drops 4 Sports. .As part of the desperate measures to deal with the states financial crisis, Athletic Director Rudy Carvajal announced that CSUB Athletics will be discontinuing its men's and women's golf, tennis and wrestling intercollegiate sports, effective, 2010-11 academic year.
"The Bakersfield California quoted the AD, "It's the worst thing I've had to deal with in my professional career, 38 years as athletic director," Carvajal said his voice barely audible." http://www.bakersfield.com/news/sports/csub/x2112590708/CSUB-drops-4-sports, CSUB, Wrestling Program began by Coach Joe Seay as a Top Division II program in 1972. The program went on to win many back to back NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in defining excellence before successfully transitioning and competing on the Division I level in 1988 led by Coach TJ Kerr.
Cal State University of Bakersfield has a rich history of individual and team accomplishment which includes 43 NCAA Division 1 All Americans, 9 Division 1 Champions, 4 Top-10 Finishes, 1996 3rd Place, Top 25 Division 1. Academic Teams 97-99-07-08-09 Pac-10 Academic Awards: 20 1st Team Selections, 14 2nd Team Selections. CSUB has produced 10 Olympians and many NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Champions like Joe Gonzales, John Azevedo, Stephen Neal, Jessie Reyes, Adam and Danny Cuestas. Stephen Neal won a world championship title in Freestyle Wrestling as well as 2 NFL World Football Championship Titles playing for the New England Patriots.
In defense of the Wrestling Program, Joe Seay provided his outspoken and unique analysis through a biting riveting insightful perspective which critiqued the athletic administration and its university officials. Seay has systematically questioned the University administration's integrity and its level of competency. Seay publically lashed out at the University officials and their decision making body, as he quoted "Any competent University Administration just doesn't drop its most accomplished sport which in this case is its wrestling" adding, "What we have is a failure of the University Administration to provide proper leadership, "
Athletic Director Rudy Carvajal also vehemently disapproved the dismissal of the program by suggesting realistic alternatives that each sport fundraise their own individual programs. In support of CSUB Wrestling Program, Seay revealed that the veteran Rudy Carvajal with 38 years of managed experience in NCAA sports insightfully suggested to the schools administration that in analysis all sports should be kept across the board however the AD's proposed initiative was completely abolished and denied.
Sadly the CSUB wrestling program has been competing on the Division 1 level with a division 2 budget for years via the verifiable proof of only having 5 athletic scholarships with over 27 athletes. Seay believes that the arbiters of the University did not investigate an amicable resolution choosing shortsighted gain in tactfully terminating the 4 programs with an inevitable longterm loss. Joe Seay revealed that the administrators in sloth chose to target the wrestling community by placing the responsibility of saving the athletic program onto the shoulder of the communities hands. By forcing the individual ands its wrestling community to decide the economic fate of the wrestling program the University administrators would not be responsible or lose viable face. Vigilant, Joe Seay had no problem naming names as he called into question, CSUB Vice President Michael Neal, stating, " Neal obviously has a personal vendetta for over a decade as he has attempted to dismiss the men's wrestling and swimming teams however the wrestling program took 3rd in 1996 avoiding the swing of the administrative axe."
Joe Seay went on to express further bafflement and dismay in saying, "How in the world does an ex wrestling alumni like CSUB president Horace Mitchell would shamelessly allow a top Division 1 NCAA wrestling program to be dropped?"
Joe Seay stated, "My survey and its facts challenge administrative decisions and these officials should be held publically accountable through this media inquiry and its critique." Coach Seay gave his final prognosis that by dropping the CSUB wrestling programs this could conceivably spell the end of the respective Pac 10 Conference as well as all of west coast wrestling." Joe Seay said "These administrators are flat out destroying 38 years of tradition and its faithful community." http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/6528 Roger Fessler confirmed and sealed the CSUB wrestling programs fate, in order for the CSUB wrestling program to stay alive, all four sports must be unequivocal funded otherwise there is no wrestling program. Cal State University of Bakersfield Wrestling clock has begun to countdown as its team and its sister sports has until May 1st 2010 to realize its goal of raising the substantial cost of 1.4 million dollars to salvage all of its four intercollegiate sports either do or die...

Additional quotes:
TJ Kerr who has just announced his retirement in the interest of cutting his Athletics' annual salary as an incurred debt to the wrestling program, TJ said, " I appreciate all of the great support the community has responded in standing in opposition to the wrestling program being dropped."
CSU Bakersfield Roll In 29-9 Win Over Cal Baptist

Trevor Hall pinned CBU's Michael Grijalba in the Roadrunners' 29-9 dual win. CSU Bakersfield Sports Information

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- The CSUB wrestling team won seven of 10 bouts against Cal Baptist Wednesday, claiming a 29-9 dual victory over the Lancers in non-conference action.
Cal Baptist, ranked No. 7 in the latest NAIA national poll, won three of the first five matches, but the Roadrunners came alive, winning the final five straight on the way to their sixth dual victory of the season.
Wrestling one weight class up, Trevor Hall got things going for CSUB at 184 pounds, earning a six-point fall victory over Michael Grijalba. Andrew Stramler followed with a big 22-5 technical fall over David Dill, pushing the Roadrunner team lead to 20-9. David Morgan earned a 3-2 decision over Alex Evers at heavyweight, Tyler Iwamura earned a 10-8 decision over Sam Fragoza at 125 pounds and Justin Durham earned a 9-5 decision over Chauncey Philipps at 133 pounds to seal the 20-point team win.
The Roadrunners' Erik Martinez opened the night with a 5-4 decision over Johnny Rojas at 141 pounds, but Cal Baptist earned wins at 149 pounds and 157 pounds to take a 6-3 lead. CSUB's Calvin Miller won by fall at 165 pounds and the Lancers' Enock Francios won at 174 pounds before Hall broke the tie and the five consecutive 'Runner wins put the match away.
Bakersfield (6-5) travels to face Pac-10 foe Stanford on Friday at 7 p.m. The Roadrunners return to the Icardo Center Saturday for a 7 p.m. start against Pac-10 member UC Davis. The senior trio of Daniel Montanez, <Mitch Monteiro and Andrew Stramler will be honored prior to the match.
CSU Bakersfield 29, Cal Baptist 9
125 - Tyler Iwamura (CSUB) dec. Sam Fragoza (CBU), 10-8
133 - Justin Durham (CSUB) dec. Chauncey Philipps (CBU), 9-5
141 - Erik Martinez (CSUB) dec. Johnny Rojas (CBU), 5-4
149 - Andrew Collins (CBU) dec. Sam Barnhart (CSUB), 10-6
157 - Nikko Cataline (CBU) dec. John Cardenas (CSUB), 10-3
165 - Calvin Miller (CSUB) fall Preston Brown (CBU), 4:51
174 - Enock Francois (CBU) dec. Troy Goodban (CSUB), 3-2
184 - Trevor Hall (CSUB) fall Michael Grijalba (CBU), 1:07
197 - Andrew Stramler (CSUB) tech. fall David Dill (CBU), 22-5
HWT - David Morgan (CSUB) dec. Alex Evers (CBU), 3-2
CSU Bakersfield Wrestling Hosts No. 9 Boise State Saturday

The Roadrunners host No. 9 Boise State Saturday in the Icardo Center.

THIS WEEK, PART I: The Roadrunners host No. 9 Boise State in Pac-10 competition Saturday, Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. in the Icardo Center.
THIS WEEK, PART II: After hosting Boise State on Saturday, CSUB hits the road for a trio of duals in Atherton on Sunday. Host Menlo College is first on the slate at 11 a.m., followed by match-ups against Southern Oregon (12:30 p.m.) and UC Davis (2 p.m.).
PROBABLE LINEUP (*Boise State Only) 125 - Frank Lomas and Tyler Iwamura 133 - Justin Durham 141 - *Elijah Nacita and Erik Martinez 149 - John Cardenas and San Barnhart 157 - Andrew Balch and Daniel Montanez 165 - Joey Granata and Daniel Montanez 174 - *Trevor Hall and Troy Goodban 184 - Mike Larson and Seamus Dean 197 - *Riley Orozco and Andrew Stramler HWT - *Mitch Monteiro and David Morgan
FREE WEBCAST OF 'RUNNER WRESTLING: Catch all the action in the Icardo Center from your home computer as all CSUB home wrestling duals will be broadcast live via the Internet on GoRunners.com. Simply visit the 'Runner wrestling schedule page and click on the video camera icon on the far right to view the live stream.
'RUNNER REPORT: Mike Larson, Riley Orozco and Mitch Monteiro all earned wins by decision Sunday at Oregon State, but the Beavers claimed the other seven matches in a 35-9 Pac-10 loss. At 184 pounds, Larson topped Brice Arand 11-4, Orozco beat Chad Henke 6-4 and Monteiro won the battle of the top-20 ranked heavyweights, claiming a 7-5 overtime win against Clayton Jack.
RANKED 'RUNNERS: In the most recent InterMat Wrestling poll, Elijah Nacita comes in at No. 14 at 141 pounds and Mitch Monteiro is No. 13 at heavyweight. Nacita (No. 14), Monteiro (No. 13) and Riley Orozco (No. 23) are all listed in the latest d1collegewrestling.com poll. Nacita is ranked No. 16, Orozco is No. 20 and Monteiro is No. 13 by theopenmat.com. Monteiro is No. 19 by WIN Magazine.
SCOUTING BOISE STATE: Boise State takes on Cal State Fullerton on Friday prior to making the trip up to Bakersfield, but enters the week with an 8-2 overall record and a 1-0 mark in the Pac-10.
The Broncos are ranked No. 9 in the latest NWCA/USA Today poll after dropping a 25-22 dual to North Dakota State on Jan. 15. The preseason pick to win the Pac-10 team title for a second straight year, the Broncos currently have seven wrestlers ranked in InterMat's top 20 poll. That list is led by Kirk Smith, who holds the No. 1 position at 184 pounds and is a perfect 14-0.
HEAD-TO-HEAD, PART I: The Roadrunners and Broncos are tied in the all-time series, 6-6. Boise State has gotten the better of CSUB in recent years, however, winning the last five meetings after the Roadrunners took six of the first seven.
HEAD-TO-HEAD, PART II: The Roadrunners and Broncos have met in just two individual matches so far this season. At 141 pounds, CSUB's Elijah Nacita lost by fall to Levi Jones at the Cliff Keen Invitational. At 165 pounds, CSUB's Joey Granata suffered a 4-2 loss to Michael Cutherbertson.
PAC-10 RANKINGS: See how the Roadrunners and Boise State line up in the latest Pac-10 rankings, released Jan. 20. 125: Frank Lomas (5) / Alan Bartelli (3) 133: Justin Durham (8) / Andrew Hochstrasser (1) 141: Elijah Nacita (4) / Levi Jones (2) 149: Anthony Box (8) / Jason Chamberlain (1) 157: Andrew Balch (6) / Adam Hall (1) 165: Joey Granata (5) / Michael Cuthbertson (2) 174: Trevor Hall (6) / Nate Lee (3) 184: Mike Larson (4) / Kirk Smith (1) 197: Riley Orozco (1) / Matt Casperson (2) HWT: Mitch Monteiro (3) / San Zylstra (7)
MENLO DUALS PREVIEW: CSUB holds a 3-0 all-time record against Menlo College, a 1-0 all-time record against Southern Oregon and a 13-2 all-time record against UC Davis.
STAT LEADERS: Redshirt freshman Tyler Iwamura leads the Roadrunners with 15 wins, followed closely by fellow 125-pounder Frank Lomas and Mike Larson (184 pounds) with 14. Redshirt freshman Andrew Balch and junior Elijah Nacita have 13 wins each. Meanwhile, the fastest fall thus far goes to junior Justin Durham (133 pounds) who pinned Stanford's Porifiro Madrigal in 38 seconds at the Fullerton Open back in November.
DUAL STREAK: Riley Orozco has competed in all five duals this season, and holds a perfect 5-0 record in those competitions. The junior 197-pounder has three decisions, one major decision and a pin for his five wins.
NEAR DEJA VU: Elijah Nacita's path through the 2009 Reno Tournament of Champions was a near replica from a year ago when he lost his opening match, then won eight straight consolation matches, including a third-place win over Cal State Fullerton's Adin Duenas. This year, No. 4 seeded Nacita dropped his opening match once again, then earned six straight wins to reach the third place match and face Duenas once again. While he could not complete the comeback this year, conceding a tight 2-1 decision to Duenas, Nacita picked up two technical fall wins, including one over MSU Mankato's Robbie Fisher, who beat him in the opening round, and No. 1 seed Filip Novachkov of Cal Poly. Nacita's 6-4 decision over Novachkov avenged a 7-5 loss to the Mustang from just five days prior.
LAST MINUTE ADDITION, LAST SECOND WIN: Senior heavyweight Mitch Monteiro was a last minute add to the line-up at the 44th NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 22, but that gave him no disadvantage over his opponent. Monteiro, then ranked No. 6, used a takedown in final seven seconds of the match to earn a 4-3 win over then No. 2 David Zabriskie of Iowa State.
ANOTHER NWCA ALL-STAR WIN: Mitch Monteiro was the first Roadrunner to be selected as an NWCA All-Star since Stephen Neal earned the honor in 1999. Neal was a three-time NWCA All-Star selection, and won all three bouts. CSUB has now had 15 all-time selections to the event and has been victorious in all but one bout.
WELCOME, VIKINGS: The Roadrunners welcome a trio of Portland State transfers to the 2009-10 roster after the Vikings suspended their program following the 2008-09 season. Junior Brady Garner (157) and sophomores Thomas Cottrell (133) and Levi Cooper (HWT) are all competing in a Roadrunner singlet this season.
ON DECK: The Roadrunners travel up to the Bay for a non-conference dual at San Francisco State on Jan. 29. They follow that with the California Collegiate Open, hosted by SFSU on Jan. 30.
TICKETS, PLEASE: Ticket information for all Roadrunner wrestling matches may be found online at www.GoRunners.com. For ticket package and group ticket information - or to purchase tickets by phone - call the CSUB Athletics Ticket Office at (661) 654-BLUE.
NEED MORE INFO?: For all of the most up-to-date information about CSU Bakersfield wrestling and all other Roadrunner sports, check out the CSUB Athletics Web site at: www.GoRunners.com.
CSU Bakersfield Wrestlers Host No. 22 Arizona State Sunday in the Icardo Center

THIS WEEK: Following competition in a pair of tournaments over the past couple weeks, the Roadrunners return to Pac-10 dual action to begin the New Year. On Sunday, Jan. 3, CSUB hosts No. 22 Arizona State at 7 p.m. in the Icardo Center.
‘RUNNER REPORT: The Roadrunners concluded 2009 with a 13th-place team finish at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. The squad was led by a fourth-place finish by Frank Lomas at 125 lbs. and a sixth-place finish by Elijah Nacita at 141 lbs.
After dropping his second match of the tournament, Lomas rattled off five consecutive wins in the consolation bracket to reach the third place match. There he met All-American Zach Sanders of Minnesota, and fell 16-6 for fourth place.
Nacita started the tournament strong, winning three straight to reach the semifinals round of his bracket. But he lost the that match, and the two that followed to finish sixth overall.
Both Tyler Iwamura (125 lbs.) and David Morgan (heavyweight) finished one win out of placewinner status.
RANKED ‘RUNNERS: In the most recent InterMat Wrestling poll, Mitch Monteiro dropped six spots to the No. 16 spot in the heavyweight ranking. At 141 lbs., Elijah Nacita’s performance at the Reno TOC earned him a No. 12 ranking by InterMat. Nacita also entered the D1collegewrestling.com poll at No. 25 while Mitchell sits at No. 16. Monteiro is also listed at No. 15 by theopenmat.com.
SCOUTING ARIZONA STATE: The Sun Devils are off to a solid start this season, posting a 3-2 overall dual record and a 2-0 mark in Pac-10 action. ASU was dominant in their two conference victories, beating UC Davis, 38-6, and Cal State Fullerton, 37-4. Their third dual victory came against Grand Canyon. Most recently, the Sun Devils posted an 11th place team finish at the Las Vegas Invite and a fourth place team finish at the Reno TOC.
A trio of Sun Devils are listed in numerous rankings, led my junior 125-pounder Anthony Robles, who is ranked No. 3 by Amateur Wrestling News. Also in the AWN list are No. 11 Chris Drouin at 141 lbs. and No. 15 Erik Nye at heavyweight.
HEAD-TO-HEAD, PART I: The Roadrunners trail the all-time series against Arizona State, 10-19-1, but have found success against the Sun Devils as of late, claiming victory in the past two years. Last season in Tuscun, CSUB took a 36-15 win.
HEAD-TO-HEAD, PART II: The Roadrunners and Sun Devils have met in seven individual matches so far this season, with ASU holding a 5-2 edge. The most significant match-up, however, went in favor of a Roadrunner. CSUB’s Eljiah Nacita and ASU’s Chris Drouin met in the wrestlebacks of the Reno Tournament of Champions, where Nacita claimed an 8-1 win over the now No. 11 ranked Drouin.
STAT LEADERS: Redshirt freshman Tyler Iwamura leads the Roadrunners with 15 wins, followed closely by fellow 125-pounder Frank Lomas with 14. Fellow redshirt freshmen Andrew Balch and Mike Larson have 12 wins apiece. Meanwhile, the fastest fall thus far goes to junior Justin Durham (133 lbs.) who pinned Stanford’s Porifiro Madrigal in 38 seconds at the Fullerton Open back in November.
NEAR DEJA VU: Elijah Nacita’s path through the 2009 Reno Tournament of Champions was a near replica from a year ago when he lost his opening match, then won eight straight consolation matches, including a third-place win over Cal State Fullerton’s Adin Duenas. This year, No. 4 seeded Nacita dropped his opening match once again, then earned six straight wins to reach the third place match and face Duenas once again. While he could not complete the comeback this year, conceding a tight 2-1 decision to Duenas, Nacita picked up two technical fall wins, including one over MSU Mankato’s Robbie Fisher, who beat him in the opening round, and No. 1 seed Filip Novachkov of Cal Poly. Nacita’s 6-4 decision over Novachkov avenged a 7-5 loss to the Mustang from just five days prior.
LAST MINUTE ADDITION, LAST SECOND WIN: Senior heavyweight Mitch Monteiro was a last minute add to the line-up at the 44th NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 22, but that gave him no disadvantage over his opponent. Monteiro, then ranked No. 6, used a takedown in final seven seconds of the match to earn a 4-3 win over then No. 2 David Zabriskie of Iowa State.
ANOTHER NWCA ALL-STAR WIN: Mitch Monteiro was the first Roadrunner to be selected as an NWCA All-Star since Stephen Neal earned the honor in 1999. Neal was a three-time NWCA All-Star selection, and won all three bouts. CSUB has now had 15 all-time selections to the event and has been victorious in all but one bout.
WELCOME, VIKINGS: The Roadrunners welcome a trio of Portland State transfers to the 2009-10 roster after the Vikings suspended their program following the 2008-09 season. Junior Brady Garner (157) and sophomores Thomas Cottrell (133) and Levi Cooper (HWT) will all compete in a Roadrunner singlet this season.
FREE WEBCAST OF ‘RUNNER WRESTLING: Catch all the action in the Icardo Center from your home computer as all CSUB home wrestling duals will be broadcast live via the Internet on GoRunners.com. Simply visit the ‘Runner wrestling schedule page and click on the video camera icon on the far right to view the live stream.
ON DECK: The Roadrunners hit the road for a pair of Pac-10 duals in the upcoming weeks. First up is a Jan. 8 meeting at Cal State Fullerton, followed by a Jan. 17 trip to Oregon State.
TICKETS, PLEASE: Ticket information for all Roadrunner wrestling matches may be found online at www.GoRunners.com. For ticket package and group ticket information — or to purchase tickets by phone — call the CSUB Athletics Ticket Office at (661) 654-BLUE.
NEED MORE INFO?: For all of the most up-to-date information about CSU Bakersfield wrestling and all other Roadrunner sports, check out the CSUB Athletics Web site at: www.GoRunners.com.
CSU Bakersfield's Lomas Takes Fourth, Nacita Sixth at Southern Scuffle

GREENSBORO, N.C. -– Sophomore Frank Lomas won four consecutive bouts Wednesday, on his way to earning a fourth place finish at the 2009 Southern Scuffle, hosted by UNC Greensboro. Nacita added a sixth place finish, helping the Roadrunner wrestling team to a 13th place team finish at the two-day tournament.
Lomas, unseeded in the 125-pound bracket, had gone 1-1 Tuesday, then opened action Wednesday with a 16-1 technical fall against Gardner-Webb’s Michael Slaughter. He continued along with a 5-1 decision against No. 7 seed Frank Perrelli of Cornell, a fall victory against UNC Greensboro’s Eric Chandler and an 8-4 decision against No. 5 seed Ross Gitomer of Virginia.
In the third-place match, Lomas matched up against No. 3 seeded Zach Sanders of Minnesota. Sanders, a reigning All-American and current No. 3 nationally-ranked 125-pound wrestler, claimed a 16-6 major decision over the Bakersfield native.
“Frank had a great tournament,” said Head Assistant Coach Mendoza. “He wrestled really well yesterday and today.”
At 141 lbs., Nacita won his quarterfinals match, 7-0, over No. 11 seed Derek Valenti of Virginia. But things went downhill after that for the Bakersfield junior as he dropped three straight matches and settled for sixth place.
Both David Morgan finished one win out of placewiner status. Iwamura, a redshirt freshman, went 4-2 in the 125-pound bracket while Morgan was 3-2 in the heavyweight bracket. At 197 lbs., Riley Orozco fell victim to a tough break in his Wednesday morning quarterfinal match. Pitted against No. 5 seeded Dennis Drury of North Carolina, Orozco nearly overcame a 4-3 deficit with a called pin as the final buzzer sounded, but the scorers table determined that the call from the referee came just late of the buzzer, giving Drury the one-point win.
CSUB returns to action just after the New Year, hosting Pac-10 rival Arizona State in the Icardo Center on Jan. 3 at 2 p.m.
CSU Bakersfield's Elijah Nacita Won Six Straight Matches En Route to a Fourth-Place Finish at the Reno TOC

RENO, Nev. -–Nacita and Riley Oroczo each battled their way to a fourth place, leading the CSUB wrestling team to a 14th place finish at the 2009 Reno Tournament of Champions Sunday.
At 141 lbs., Nacita’s path through the tournament was a near replica from a year ago when he lost his opening match, then won eight straight consolation matches, including a third-place win over Cal State Fullerton’s Adin Duenas. Today, No. 4 seeded Nacita dropped his opening match once again, then earned six straight wins to reach the third place match and face Duenas once again.
While he could not complete the comeback this year, conceding a tight 2-1 decision to Duenas, Nacita picked up two technical fall wins, including one over MSU Mankato’s Robbie Fisher, who beat him in the opening round, and No. 1 seed Filip Novachkov of Cal Poly. Nacita’s 6-4 decision over Novachkov avenged a 7-5 loss to the Mustang from just five days prior.
Orozco earned the No. 4 seed at 197 lbs. and proceeded to open action with a 21-6 technical fall over Adams State Dominic Demarco. The Bakersfield junior followed that with two decisions before coming up short in a 13-6 final against No. 1 seed Alan Gelogaev of Oklahoma State. Orozco bounced back for a 7-3 decision over Wyoming’s Alfonso Hernandez before dropping a 4-3 final to No. 7 seed Erik Schuth of Ohio in the third place match.
In the 165-pound bracket, Granata came up one win short of placewinner status. The junior, who earned the No. 7 seed, won his first two matches, then fell 10-4 to No. 2 seed Dan Vallimont of Penn State. He bounced back to claim an 11-5 decision over Cal Poly’s Travis Rasmussen, then dropped a tight 4-2 decision to No. 6 seed Michael Cuthbertson of Boise State.
Monteiro also came up short in the heavyweight bracket, going 2-2 on the day. The No. 2 seed won a pair of matches to begin the day, then lost 7-3 to No. 7 seed Ricky Alcala of UC Davis and 10-6 to No. 6 seed David Wade of Eastern Michigan.
“Elijah wrestled well, but wasn’t able to score much in the last match and lost on riding time,” said Assistant Head Coach Mendoza. “Riley also wrestled really well and showed a lot of improvement from our last tournament. And Granata wreslted well and was just one match out of placing.
“Overall, the team was much improved, but we’re still not where we want to be and will continue to train those areas before our next tournament.”
A handful of Roadrunner ran into top-ranked opponents in the early rounds of competition. At 125 lbs., Iwamura won his first match by fall, then drew No. 5 seed Chris Notte of Oklahoma State in the second round, falling 12-0. A match-up against teammate Lomas resulted in a 12-5 win for Lomas.
Lomas, who went 1-1 before the meeting with Iwamura, won one more wrestleback match, then fell 10-5 to Stanford’s Ryan Mango.
At 149 lbs., Cardenas opened action with a win by fall, only to earn a second-round match-up against No. 2 seed Frank Mulinaro of Penn State. Cardenas dropped that match, then fell 17-2 to Cal Poly’s Eric Maldonado. On the other side of the 149-pound bracket, Box also opened with a win, then fell in back-to-back matches to No. 3 seed Barrett Abel of UC Davis and Trent Stevenson of Southwest Oregon.
At 157 lbs. Balch fell 15-5 to Cal Poly’s Chase Pami, a rematch of the Wednesday’s dual meeting in Bakersfield. Balch picked up one win in the wrestlebacks before another loss knocked him out of competition.
In his opening match, Larson drew No. 1 seed Joe Leblanc of Wyoming, and despite a tough fight, fell 18-1. The redshirt freshman bounced back to win two matches in the wrestlebacks, but fell in his third consolation contest to No. 6 seed Nick Temenny of North Carolina.
At 133 lbs., 174 lbs. and heavyweight, respectively, Durham, Montanez and Morgan went 0-2 for early exits from competition.
Next up for the Roadrunners is a trip east to North Carolina for the 2009 Southern Scuffle, hosted by UNC Greensboro on Dec. 29-30. CSUB returns to the Icardo Center on Jan. 3 to host Pac-10 rival Arizona State at 2 p.m.
CSU Bakersfield's Mitch Monteiro Placed Fourth Saturday at the Cliff Keen Invite

PRIMM, Nev. -- Senior heavyweight Mitch Monteiro wrapped up action at the 28th Annual Cliff Keen Collegiate Wrestling Invitational Saturday with a fourth place finish. The only remaining Roadrunner in the tournament's second day of action, Monteiro went 1-2 Saturday and finished 4-2 for the weekend.
After winning three consecutive matches Friday to reach the semifinals round, Monteiro dropped a tight 4-3 decision to No. 4 Nate Everhart of Indiana to move into the consolation bracket. In the waning seconds of the match, Monteiro was on bottom, fighting for an escape point. But before he pulled free, the scoreboard indicated that the match was tied 4-4, so he stopped short, believing the match would head into overtime. The point, however, had been wrongly awarded and when time expired the final score stood 4-3 in favor of Everhart.
Monteiro battled back in his first wrestleback, earning a 6-1 decision over No. 7 Ed Bordas of Rider, but ultimately fell 7-3 to No. 3 Nathan Fernandez of Oklahoma in the third place match.
"This was a tough weekend for us," said Head Assistant Coach Mike Mendoza. "Mitch wrestled OK yesterday and had some tough matches today. Overall we expected better, but we had tough matches and tough opponents across the board.
"We have some things to work on and improve, but we've got a week-and-a-half to turn some things around."
The Roadrunners return to action Dec 16 when they host Pac-10 rival Cal Poly at 7 p.m. in the Icardo Center.
CSU Bakersfield Wrestling Seeks a Second Straight Top 10 Finish at the Cliff Keen Invite

THIS WEEK: The Roadrunners travel to Primm, Nev., to take part in the 28th Annual Cliff Keen Collegiate Wrestling Invitational. Forty-nine teams from across the country will join in the competition at the Start of the Desert Arena on Dec. 4 and 5. Twelve of those squads are currently ranked amongst the top 25 programs in the nation by InterMat, the NWCA and/or WIN Magazine.
CSUB LINE-UP: 125 - Frank Lomas 133 - Justin Durham 141 - Elijah Nacita 149 - Sam Barnhart 157 - Aldrew Balch 165 - Joey Granata 174 - Trevor Hall 184 - Mike Larson 197 - No. 18 Riley Orozco HWT - No. 4 Mitch Monteiro
'RUNNER REPORT: The Roadrunners opened the 2009-10 season with a dual at No. 4 Minnesota. Facing a stacked Gopher lineup, CSUB put forth some solid performances in a 31-9 loss. Joey Granata, Riley Orozco and Mitch Monteiro all picked up wins for the Roadrunners, each moving to 1-0 on the season.
RANKED 'RUNNERS: In the most recent InterMat Wrestling poll, Riley Orozco was ranked No. 18 at 197 lbs. and Mitch Monteiro earned the No. 4 spot in the heavyweight ranking. Win Magazine lists Orozco at No. 15 and Monteiro at No. 5. D1 College Wrestling lists Orozco at No. 16 and Monteiro at No. 5 and Amateur Wrestling News lists Monteiro at No. 6.
CSUB'S TOURNAMENT HISTORY: While never winning the Las Vegas Invite, Bakersfield has finished as high as third place on three occasions (1982, 1995, 1996). The Roadrunners also own five top-five finishes and 12 top-10 finishes in the 27-year history of the tournament. From 1994-99, CSUB strung together six consecutive top-10 finishes. The Roadrunners have finished in the top-12 three times in the last six years, including an eighth place finish one year ago.
LAST YEAR: Bakersfield had four placewinners in 2008, placing eighth overall in the team standings with 76 points. That was the highest finish since 1999 when the 'Runners took fourth. Mitch Monteiro led the way with a first-place finish at heavyweight. Riley Orozco was third at 197 lbs., Brandon Zoetewey was sixth at 125 lbs. and Thomas Kimbrell placed seventh at 133 lbs.
A VEGAS CHAMP FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE...: Mitch Monteiro's individual title last year at the Las Vegas Invite marks the first time a CSUB wrestler had won a championship at the tournament since 1999 when two-time All-American and national champion Stephen Neal took the heavyweight title. Neal also won the Las Vegas Invite title in 1998.
PAC-10 PREVIEW: Seven of the eight Pac-10 schools will be in attendance in Nevada this weekend, giving ample opportunity for the teams to see how they stack up against each other. The only Pac-10 wrestling team not in attendance is Portland State.
LAST MINUTE ADDITION, LAST SECOND WIN: Senior heavyweight Mitch Monteiro was a last minute add to the line-up at the 44th NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 22, but that gave him no disadvantage over his opponent. Monteiro, then ranked No. 6, used a takedown in final seven seconds of the match to earn a 4-3 win over then No. 2 David Zabriskie of Iowa State.
ANOTHER NWCA ALL-STAR WIN: Mitch Monteiro was the first Roadrunner to be selected as an NWCA All-Star since Stephen Neal earned the honor in 1999. Neal was a three-time NWCA All-Star selection, and won all three bouts. CSUB has now had 15 all-time selections to the event and has been victorious in all but one bout.
MOVING UP: Junior Trevor Hall had a successful sophomore season cut short with a knee injury last January. But after going 45-27 at 157 lbs. during his first two seasons as a Roadrunner, Hall is back stronger than ever in 2009-10 and has moved up two weight classes, earning the starting nod at 174 lbs.
MOVING BACK UP: Junior Riley Orozco began his college career competing at 184 lbs., and took over the starting role at 197's last season. But midway through the year, he dropped back down to 184's, making room for All-American Brandon Halsey. Now Orozco is firmly back in the driver's seat at 197 and has is currently ranked No. 18.
SWEET SIXTEEN: Joey Granata's 16 pins last season was the highest single-season total for a Roadrunner since Matt Sanchez totalled 22 in 2005. Granata's mark put him at No. 12 in the CSUB single season record book. Even more impressive, the 165-pounder went a perfect 16-0 in matches determined by pin.
WELCOME, VIKINGS: The Roadrunners welcome a trio of Portland State transfers to the 2009-10 roster after the Vikings suspended their program following the 2008-09 season. Junior Brady Garner (157) and sophomores Thomas Cottrell (133) and Levi Cooper (HWT) will all compete in a Roadrunner singlet this season.
ON DECK: The Roadrunners return home Dec. 16 for a Pac-10 dual against Cal Poly.
TICKETS, PLEASE: Ticket information for all Roadrunner wrestling matches may be found online at www.GoRunners.com. For ticket package and group ticket information -- or to purchase tickets by phone -- call the CSUB Athletics Ticket Office at (661) 654-BLUE.
No. 4 Minnesota 28, CSU Bakersfield 9

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- In front of 3,019 fans at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, the Roadrunner wrestling team battled one of the highest ranked opponents in recent history and took three individual victories in a 28-9 loss to No. 4 University of Minnesota Saturday. The dual was the first of the season for both teams.
"We wrestled a very good team and it's hard to look good against that level of competition," said Head Assistant Coach Mike Mendoza. "This was a tough way to open the season, but it was also a good experience and showed us what we need to work on."
Riley Orozco started the night off with a 7-3 decision over the Gophers' Joe Nord at 197 lbs. The No. 19 ranked junior took a 4-1 lead in the first period, continued to hold a three-point lead through the second, 6-3, and earned one final point in the third period.
A top 10 showdown followed in the heavyweight match, pitting No. 4 Mitch Monteiro against No. 8 Ben Berhow. The feature bout did not disappoint as Monteiro scored an early takedown, then took a 3-0 lead in the second with an escape. Berhow cut the spread to 3-1 with an escape to start the third, but Monteiro held on and added a final point of riding time for a 4-1 victory.
Minnesota's top 5 ranked lightweights then pushed the Gophers ahead in the team scoring with wins at 125, 133 and 141. No. 4 Zach Sanders earned a 21-5 technical fall over Tyler Iwamura at 125 lbs., No. 2 Jayson Ness pinned Justin Durham in 2:20 at 133 lbs. and No. 4 Mike Thorn pulled away for a 9-1 major decision over Elijah Nacita at 141 lbs to give Minnesota a 15-6 lead.
Redshirt freshman Andrew Balch took Joe Grygelko to the wire at 157 lbs., but came up just short in an 8-7 final. Grygelko took a 6-3 lead in the first period, but Balch escaped to open the second, cutting the deficit to 6-4. Another Grygelko takedown and Balch escape made it 8-5 to end the second. Balch scored two more points in the third, but could not get over the hump in the one-point loss.
At 165 lbs., Joey Granata snapped Minnesota's win streak with a 10-3 decision over Brian Peterson. Granata went to work early, scoring a takedown and a two-point nearfall to go up 4-1 before surrendering a pair of escapes to Peterson. The Roadrunner junior added another takedown before the close of the second period to lead 6-2. He then added an escape and riding time in the third for the final 10-3 spread.
Minnesota closed out the night with Cody Yohn earning a 13-3 major decision over Trevor Hall at 174 lbs. and No. 16 Sonny Yohn completing a 15-0 technical fall over Mike Larson.
"Riley, Mitch and Joey wrestled well in their wins, and Andrew wrestled really well and really hard," said Mendoza.
The Roadrunners head to the Las Vegas Invitational next Friday and Saturday, then return to dual action Dec. 16 when they host Pac-10 opponent Cal Poly at 7 p.m. in the Icardo Center.
197 - No. 19 Riley Orozco (CSUB) dec. Joe Nord (Minn), 7-3
HWT - No. 4Mitch Monteiro (CSUB) dec. No. 8 Ben Berhow (Minn), 4-1
125 - No. 4 Zach Sanders (Minn) tech. fall Tyler Iwamura (CSUB), 21-5
133 - No. 2 Jayson Ness (Minn) fall Justin Durham (CSUB), 2:20
141 - No. 4 Mike Thorn (Minn) maj. dec. Elijah Nacita (CSUB), 9-1
149 - Luke Mellmer (Minn) maj. dec. Anthony Box (CSUB), 9-1
157 - Joe Grygelko (Minn) dec. Andrew Balch (CSUB), 8-7
165 - Joey Granata (CSUB) dec. Brian Peterson (Minn), 10-3
174 - Cody Yohn (Minn) maj. dec. Trevor Hall (CSUB), 13-3
184 - No. 16 Sonny Yohn (Minn) tech. fall Mike Larson (CSUB), 15-0
Cal State Bakersfield's Monteiro Takes Down Zabriskie in NWCA All-Star Classic Showdown

No. 6 Mitch Monteiro earned a 4-3 win over No. 2 David Zabriskie Sunday at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Matt Brown
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- CSUB's Mitch Monteiro scored a takedown in the final seven seconds against Iowa State's David Zabriskie to claim a 4-3 win in the heavyweight match at the 44th National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic Sunday on the campus of Cal State Fullerton.
Named a late addition to the tournament lineup after Missouri's Mark Ellis pulled out, Monteiro, ranked No. 6 in the latest Intermat Wrestling poll, took on the two-time All-American and current No. 2 ranked Zabriskie for the second time in his career. The previous meeting between the two wrestlers was in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA Championships, and Zabriskie came away with a 10-3 decision.
Sunday evening in Titan Gym, Monteiro evened the score with the come-from-behind decision.
"This was one of the most exciting matches of the night," said Head Assistant Coach Mike Mendoza. "Mitch wrested really well and very smart."
CSUB's Elijah Nacita and Riley Orozco were scheduled to compete in a pair of exhibition matches prior to the All-Star competition, but the matches were scratched due to a last-minute change in the 141 lb. All-Star competitors and an injury to Orozco's opponent.
Monteiro was the first Roadrunner to be selected as an NWCA All-Star since Stephen Neal earned the honor in 1999. Neal was a three-time NWCA All-Star selection, and won all three bouts. CSUB has now had 15 all-time selections to the event and has been victorious in all but one bout.
The Roadrunner 2009-10 regular season gets underway Nov. 28 when they travel to face preseason No. 5 Missouri.

Complete Results
125 - Zach Sanders (Minnesota) dec. James Nicholson (Old Dominion), 7-5
1st: Nich 2t, San 1e, Nich 2t, San 1e.   2nd: San 1e.   3rd: Nich 1e, San 2t, San 2nf

133 - Daniel Dennis (Iowa) dec.   Steve Bell (Maryland), 9-8
2nd: Den 1e, Den 2t, Bell 2r, Bell 2nf, Den 1e. 3rd: Bell 1e, Bell 2t, Den 1e, Den 2t, Bell 1e, Den 2t.

141 - Alex Krom (Maryland) dec. Adin Duenas (Cal State Fullerton), 8-0
1st: Krom 2t.   2nd:   Krom 1e, Krom 2t. 3rd: Krom 2t., Krom 1rt.

149 - Kyle Borshoff (American) dec. Lance Palmer (Ohio State), 3-2
2nd: Palm 1e. 3rd: Bor 1e, Bor 2t, Palm 1e.

157 - Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) dec. Matt Moley (Bloomsburg), 10-4
1st: Burr 2t, Mol 1e,. 2nd: Burr 1e. 3rd: Mol 1e, Burr 2t, Burr 3nf, Mol 1e Burr 2t, Mol 1e

165 -Jonathan Reader (Iowa State) maj. Dec. Andrew Rendos (Bucknell) , 11-2
1st: Read 2t.   2nd: Read 1stall, Read 1e, Read 2t. 34d: Rendos 1e, Read 2t, Rendos 1e, Read 2t, Read 1rt.

174 - Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska) dec. Chris Henrich (Virginia), 7-6
1st: Hen 2t, Dwy 1e, Hen 2t, Dwy 1e. 2nd: Dwy 1e, Dwy 2t, Hen 1e. 3rd: Hen 1e, Dwy 2t.

184 - Max Askren (Missouri) dec. Josh Patterson (Binghamton), 14-7
1st: Ask 2t, Patt 2r, Ask 2r. 2nd: Ask 2r. 3rd: Patt 2t, Ask 2r, Patt 1e, Ask 2t, Patt 1e, Ask 2t, Ask 1stall, Patt 1e, Ask 1rt

197 - Jake Varner (Iowa State) dec. Craig Brister (Nebraska), 5-3
2nd Bris 1e, Varn 2t, Bris 1e.    3rd: Varn 2r, Bris 1e, Varn 1rt

285 -Mitch Monteiro (CSU Bakersfield) dec. David Zabriskie (Iowa State), 4-3
2nd: Zab 1e, Zab 2t, Mont 1e.   3rd: Mont 1e, Mont 2t
Bakersfield's Nacita, Orozco to Compete at 44th NWCA All-Star Classic

Elijah Nacita and Riley Orozco will both compete at the 44th NWCA All-Star Classic.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Juniors Elijah Nacita and Riley Orozco have been selected to compete in the 44th National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic Presented by the Wrestling Alumni - College of William & Mary, which takes place Nov. 22, 2009, at Titan Gym on the campus of Cal State Fullerton.
Both Roadrunner wrestlers are included in the "feature bouts," while many of the official Classic competitors involve reigning All-Americans and National Champions. At 141, Nacita will take on Cal State Fullerton's Adin Duenas and at 197, Orozco will face Fullerton's John Drake.
"The 10 guys in the official bouts are the best guys in the country," said CSUB Head Coach T.J. Kerr. "This is a prestigious event and it's great for our guys to have a chance to be a part of that. It's a great experience for them to watch and participate."
In 2009, Nacita and Duenas met twice with Nacita winning both bouts. Nacita collected a team-best 33 wins last year, closing out his sophomore campaign with a Pac-10 individual title and his first NCAA Championships berth.
Orozco and Drake did not meet last season, but did meet at the Pac-10 Championships in 2008 when Orozco claimed a second-round victory. The CSUB junior has made the move back to 197 this season after finishing last season at 184. He complied a 27-13 record, a second-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships and earned his second consecutive NCAA Championships berth.
Returning National Champions competing in the Classic include Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs (157), Iowa's Jake Varner (197) and Missouri's Mark Ellis (HWT). Additional Pac-10 competitors include Arizona State's Anthony Robles (125) and Stanford's Zach Geisen (184).
The Roadrunner 2009-10 season gets underway Sunday, Nov. 7 when they host their annual Alumni and Blue/Gold Meet at 4 p.m. in the Icardo Center. Featured alumni include All-American Raphael Davis and Efren Ceballos, among others.
Three Bakersfield Wrestlers Reach Finals at Pac10s

STANFORD, Calif. The Cal State Bakersfield wrestling team put a frustrating regular season behind them with a strong showing on day one of the 2006 Pac10 Conference championships Sunday at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, advancing three to the finals while four others remain alive in the consolation bracket.
The Roadrunners turned a number of heads in the tournament, finishing the
first day in third place overall with 74 points after finishing the season No. 7 in the final rankings. Bakersfield is edging out Boise State, which has 73.5 points, and Oregon State, which sits in fifth place with 70. Arizona State has the early lead with 103 points but Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is giving the Sun Devils a stronger test than most expected, scoring 90 points with all of its wrestlers still in the tourney. Senior Tommy Vargas (Highland/Northwestern) was among the biggest surprises in the tournament so far, pulling a number of upsets to wrestle into the finals at 133 pounds. Vargas, the fifth seed, opened with a 20 win over No. 4 Bobby Pfennigs of Oregon State then downed the top seed, Justin Pearch of Oregon by a 32 count.
Vargas, who hasn,t wrestled in an official match since the beginning of January, earns his first trip to the NCAA championships and will square off against the No. 3 seed, Scott Jorgensen from Boise State in the finals. Jorgensen, the twotime defending Pac10 champ, defeated Bakersfield,s Matt Sanchez in the title bout last season.
Fellow senior Brian Busby (San Diego/Scripps Ranch HS) shook off a mediocre end of the season by putting together a pair of impressive wins to skate into the finals at 165 pounds. Busby, who was also seeded fifth in the tournament, picked up his first win of the season over UC Davis, Frank Richmond, pinning the No. 4 seed in 6:39 to open the tournament. Busby then faced Cal Poly,s Robb Maxwell, an unseeded wrestler in the semifinals. Maxwell, who pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament thus far by beating No. 1 seeded Joey Bracamonte of Oregon 153 in the first round, gave Busby a run early, but fell 62. He will face No. 3 Pat Pitsch of Arizona State in the finals Monday evening.
Senior Anthony Baza (Sunnyvale/Fremont HS) proved he was worthy of the No. 1 seed at 149 pounds with a pair of convincing wins en route to the finals. Baza ensured his second straight trip to the NCAA Championships by beating Oregon,s Stewart Bogart 90 in the first round and Fullerton,s Morgan Atkinson"the No. 5 seed"by a 62 count in the semis. Baza earns a rematch with the No. 2 seed, Boise State,s Tyler Sherfey, in the finals. Baza edged Sherfey by a 96 count when the two battled in late January at Bakersfield after the Bronco star dominated Baza at the Reno Tournament of Champions in November. Four other wrestlers remain in the tournament for the Roadrunners, heralded by 157pounder Daniel Atondo (Sunnyvale/Fremont HS). Atondo, who entered the tournament unseeded, has won two of three matches so far and is assured of placing in the top six. Monday he opens against the No. 3 seed Tony Hook of Oregon State with a chance to earn a trip to the NCAA tournament on the line.
Senior Christian Arellano (Moreno Valley/Scripps Ranch HS) won his first match before falling in the semis. Arellano, the No. 3 seed, lost 134 to the No. 2 seed Ken Cook of UC Davis. He will square off with Oregon,s Chet McBee in the first match Saturday.
Junior Eric Parker will look to make his No. 3 seed stand up in the consolation bracket Monday. Parker scored a tech fall victory in his opening match, but was pinned by No. 2 Ty Watterson of Oregon State in the semifinals. He will take on No. 5 Arturo Basulto of Cal Poly in his first match of day two.
Another No. 3 seed, Matt Schumm (Corona/Centennial HS) lost to a No. 2 seed in the semis. Schumm will look to advance to the third/fourth place match with a victory over the No. 5 seed Teddy Astorga of Fullerton Monday morning.
The final day of the tournament begins at 11 a.m. on Monday with the consolation semifinals followed by fifth/sixth and third/fourth place matches. The championship matches begin at 6 p.m.

CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD RESULTS AT THE 2006 PAC10 CHAMPIONSHIPS

125 Zack Bigboy Championship Pigtail"def. Marcos Orozco, UC Davis, 82 Championship 1st Round"lost to #2 Chad Mendez, Cal Poly, 144 MD Consolation 2nd Round"def. Bricen Yakabe, Portland State, Fall (3:48) Consolation 3rd Round"lost to #6 Cory Fish, Boise State, 50 TOURNAMENT COMPLETE
133 #5 Tommy Vargas Championship 1st Round"def. #4 Bobby Pfennigs, Oregon State, 20 Championship 2nd Round"def. #1 Justin Pearch, Oregon, 32 MONDAY EVENING Championship Final"vs. #3 Scott Jorgensen, Boise State
144 #3 Matt Schumm Championship 1st Round"def. #6 Jason Robbins, Arizona State, 40 Championship 2nd Round"lost to #2 Derek Moore, UC Davis, 113 MONDAY MORNING Consolation 3rd Round"vs. #5 Teddy Astorga, CS Fullerton
149 - #1 Anthony Baza Championship 1st Round"def. Stewart Bogart, Oregon, 90 MD Championship 2nd Round"def. #5 Morgan Atkinson, CS Fullerton, 62 MONDAY EVENING Championship Final"vs. #2 Tyler Sherfey, Boise State
157 Daniel Atondo Championship Pigtail"def. Cyle Hartzell, Oregon, Fall (4:28) Championship 1st Round"lost to #1 Ben Cherrington, TF 150 (7:00) Consolation 3rd Round"def. John Clark, UC Davis, 83 MONDAY MORNING Consolation 4th Round"#3 Tony Hook, Oregon State
165 #5 Brian Busby Championship 1st Round"def. #4 Frank Richmond, UC Davis, Fall (6:39) Championship 2nd Round"def. Robb Maxwell, Cal Poly, 62 MONDAY EVENING Championship Final"vs. #3 Pat Pitsch, Arizona State
174 #3 Christian Arellano Championship Pigtail"def. Karras Kalivas, Portland State, Fall (1:49) Championship 1st Round"def. #6 Luke Feist, Stanford, 64 Championship 2nd Round"lost to #2 Ken Cook, UC Davis, 134 MONDAY MORNING Consolation 4th Round"vs. Chet McBee, Oregon
184 Brandon Ceremello Championship Pigtail"lost to #4 Tyler Bernacchi, UC Davis, 63 Consolation 2nd Round"lost to #6 K.C. Walsh, Boise State, 136 TOURNAMENT COMPLETE
197 Colton Nichols Championship 1st Round"lost to #2 Matt Monteiro, Cal Poly, Fall (2:28) Consolation 3rd Round"lost to #6 Chris Chambers, CS Fullerton, 95 TOURNAMENT COMPLETE
HWT #3 Eric Parker Championship 1st Round"Def. #6 Chris Dearman, Oregon, TF 161 (7:00) Championship 2nd Round"lost to #2 Ty Watterson, Oregon State, Fall (2:46) MONDAY MORNING Consolation 4th Round"vs. #5 Arturo Basulto, Cal Poly