February 27, 2006
TOURNAMENT WEBSITE
STANFORD, Calif. ? Senior Anthony Baza (Sunnyvale/Fremont HS) became Cal State Bakersfield's first Pac?10 Champ in six years, leading the Roadrunners to a fifth place finish at the 2006 Pac?10 Championship Monday at Maples Pavilion in Stanford.
Arizona State narrowly edged out Cal Poly for its third straight conference title and 16th overall, winning three individual titles and finishing with 118 points. The Mustangs had a chance to win its first conference crown but Matt Monteiro fell to ASU's Ryan Bader in the finals at 197 pounds to secure the Sun Devil win.
Boise State took third overall with 97 points followed by Oregon State with 93. Bakersfield finished with a final score of 85, good enough for fifth place after entering the tournament ranked No. 7 in the final Pac?10 rankings.
Baza, the No. 1 seed at 149 pounds, capped off an amazing season with a dominating performance at the Pac?10 tournament. The senior cruised through the opening rounds to earn a spot in the finals against Boise State's Tyler Sherfey.
Baza managed to score the first takedown with just over a minute remaining in the first period and rode Sherfey out. After a quick escape to start the second, Baza scored his second takedown and again rode the Bronco's 149?pounder out. In the final period, Sherfey started on the bottom but couldn't escape until it was too late. Baza gave up a late takedown but held on to win 7?5.
The win gives Baza an overall mark of 19?4 on the season and makes him the Roadrunners' first conference champ since Jonathon Archuleta won the 141?pound title in 2000.
Two other Bakersfield wrestlers reached the finals as No. 5 seeds but walked away with second place. Senior Brian Busby (San Diego/Scripps Ranch HS) nearly pulled off a final upset in his championship bout at 165 pounds against Arizona State's Patrick Pitsch. After falling behind 6?2 after the first two periods, Busby chose the top position and made Pitsch pay, turning him to his back and quickly scoring a three?point near fall to pull within one. Busby rolled the Sun Devil senior again about 10 seconds later and was about to collect some additional back points when Pitsch quickly managed to wriggle out of the hold and earn the escape. Pitch went on to win 7?5.
The other finals wrestler was senior Tommy Vargas (Highland/Northwestern), who battled Boise State's Scott Jorgensen in the finals at 133 pounds. In a match that featured little action, Jorgensen scored a takedown midway through the first and after a second period escape held on for the 4?0 victory with the riding time point.
Senior Christian Arellano (Moreno Valley/Scripps Ranch HS) won his final two matches of the tournament to finish third at 174 pounds. Arellano, who battled back after a late?season arm injury, downed the upset?minded Chet McBee of Oregon by a 6?5 score before securing third place with a 6?4 win over the No. 4 seed Nick Hernandez of Cal Poly. Third place guarantees Arellano his second trip to the NCAA championships after earning a surprise berth as a sophomore in 2004.
Junior Eric Parker (Ramona HS) suffered a tough loss to the No. 4 seed Andy Patrick of Boise State in the third/fourth place match and just missing out on a trip to the NCAA Championships. The Pac?10 Conference is allotted 39 spots meaning the top three in each weight class and nine wildcards. Unfortunately for Parker, heavyweight was one of two classes that sent just three wrestlers, leaving him as the odd man out.
Two other Bakersfield grapplers finished in the top six as unseeded Daniel Atondo (Sunnyvale/Fremont) surprised a number of wrestlers in earning sixth place overall at 157 pounds. Atondo, a sophomore with just 16 matches under his belt coming in, went 2?3 overall. Junior Matt Schumm (Corona/Centennial HS) also settled for sixth place after a pair of losses Monday morning. The pair does give Head Coach TJ Kerr a lot to look forward to next season.
Baza, Vargas, Busby and Arellano will represent Cal State Bakersfield at the 2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City March 16?18.
CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD RESULTS AT THE 2006 PAC?10 CHAMPIONSHIPS
125 ? Zack Bigboy
Championship Pigtail?def. Marcos Orozco, UC Davis, 8?2
Championship 1st Round?lost to #2 Chad Mendez, Cal Poly, 14?4 MD
Consolation 2nd Round?def. Bricen Yakabe, Portland State, Fall (3:48)
Consolation 3rd Round?lost to #6 Cory Fish, Boise State, 5?0
133 ? #5 Tommy Vargas
Championship 1st Round?def. #4 Bobby Pfennigs, Oregon State, 2?0
Championship 2nd Round?def. #1 Justin Pearch, Oregon, 3?2
Championship Final? lost to #3 Scott Jorgensen, Boise State, 4?0
144 ? #3 Matt Schumm
Championship 1st Round?def. #6 Jason Robbins, Arizona State, 4?0
Championship 2nd Round?lost to #2 Derek Moore, UC Davis, 11?3
Consolation 3rd Round?lost to #5 Teddy Astorga, CS Fullerton, 5?3
Fifth/Sixth Place?lost to #6 Jason Robins, Arizona State, 6?5
149 -? #1 Anthony Baza
Championship 1st Round?def. Stewart Bogart, Oregon, 9?0 MD
Championship 2nd Round?def. #5 Morgan Atkinson, CS Fullerton, 6?2
Championship Final?def. #2 Tyler Sherfey, Boise State, 7?3
157 ? Daniel Atondo
Championship Pigtail?def. Cyle Hartzell, Oregon, Fall (4:28)
Championship 1st Round?lost to #1 Ben Cherrington, TF 15?0 (7:00)
Consolation 3rd Round?def. John Clark, UC Davis, 8?3
Consolation 4th Round?lost to #3 Tony Hook, Oregon State, 11?4
Fifth/Sixth Place?lost to #6 Ryan Williams, Cal Poly, Fall (2:26)
165 ? #5 Brian Busby
Championship 1st Round?def. #4 Frank Richmond, UC Davis, Fall (6:39)
Championship 2nd Round?def. Robb Maxwell, Cal Poly, 6?2
Championship Final?lost to #3 Pat Pitsch, Arizona State, 7?5
174 ? #3 Christian Arellano
Championship Pigtail?def. Karras Kalivas, Portland State, Fall (1:49)
Championship 1st Round?def. #6 Luke Feist, Stanford, 6?4
Championship 2nd Round?lost to #2 Ken Cook, UC Davis, 13?4
Consolation 4th Round?def. Chet McBee, Oregon, 6?5
Third/Fourth Place?def. #4 Nick Hernandez, Cal Poly, 6?4
184 ? Brandon Ceremello
Championship Pigtail?lost to #4 Tyler Bernacchi, UC Davis, 6?3
Consolation 2nd Round?lost to #6 K.C. Walsh, Boise State, 13?6
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, 9?5
HWT ? #3 Eric Parker
Championship 1st Round?Def. #6 Chris Dearman, Oregon, TF 16?1 (7:00)
Championship 2nd Round?lost to #2 Ty Watterson, Oregon State, Fall (2:46)
Consolation 4th Round?vs. #5 Arturo Basulto, Cal Poly
Third/Fourth Place?lost to #4 Andy Patrick, Boise State, 10?2
California State University, Bakersfield Athletic Department
9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA 93311-1022
Phone: (661) 654-3071 ? FAX: (661) 654-2376
