THIS WEEK
Conference bragging rights and qualification for the 2009 NCAA Division I National Championships are up for grabs Mar. 1-2 when the CSUB wrestling team travels to Fullerton for the Pac-10 Championships. Seeding for the tournament will take place Saturday with action beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday.

PAC-10 NOTES
Boise State claimed the Pac-10 Championship in 2008 for its fourth conference title in the last nine years, and looks to be the favorite again in 2009...the Broncos are currently ranked No. 9 in the nation by InterMat and have seven individuals listed in the top 25...Bakersfield has three nationally ranked wrestlers in the InterMat poll, while Arizona State, Cal Poly and Oregon State have two.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
? Bakersfield has won two Pac-10 titles (1996 and ?99).
? The Roadrunners placed seventh in 2008, however, just 12 points separated the second through seventh place finishers.
? CSUB's last Pac-10 individual champion was Brandon Halsey in the 2007 season.
? 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 twice in the past eight years.

CSUB ALL-TIME RESULTS
? 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)

PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the 2009 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships are available through the Cal State Fullerton Athletic Office. Orders may be placed online at www.fullertontitans.com or via phone (714) 278-2783. On March 1st and 2nd, tickets maybe be purchased at the ticket windows at the front of the Titan Gym. Ticket windows open 60 minutes prior to the start of competition.

PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Sunday, March 1, 2009 - Sessions I & II
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.    Pig Tail Matches
12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.     Championship Round I
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.     Consolation Pig Tails
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.     Intermission
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.     Semi-Finals, Consolation Round I
Monday, March 2, 2009 - Session III
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.    Consolation Semi-Finals
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.     Placement Matches
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.     Intermission
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.     Championship Finals & 3rd-5th Place Matches

PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS WEBCAST
In continuing its growing partnership with CSTV, the Pac-10 will broadcast the 2009 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.

STAT LEADERS
Sophomore Elijah Nacita leads the ?Runners with 30 wins so far this season, followed by Riley Orozco and Mitch Montiero with 25. Brandon Halsey holds the best win percentage (.900) with an 18-2 overall record, while Joey Granata leads the way with 14 pins.

RANKED ?RUNNERS
The NCAA released the second of three coaches' panel rankings and the first Rating Percentage Index (RPI) for the 2008-09 wrestling season last week with six Roadrunners listed in the coaches' panel ranking and five listed in the RPI. In the coaches' ranking Brandon Zoetewey (125) is No. 19, Thomas Kimbrell (133) is No. 26, Elijah Nacita (141) is No. 27, Riley Orozco (184) is No. 28, Brandon Halsey (197) is No. 6 and Mitch Monteiro (HWT) is No. 6. The ?Runner rankings varies slightly in the RPI list with Zoetewey coming in at No. 14, Kimbrell is No. 22, Nacita is No. 21, Trevor Hall (157) is No. 29 and Monteiro is No. 9.

ADDITIONAL POLLS
In the most recent USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll (Feb. 24), Brandon Zoetewey comes in at No. 17, while Brandon Halsey is No. 7 and Mitch Monteiro is No. 6. Two ?Runners appear in the latest W.I.N. Magazine national poll (Feb. 23). Halsey is No. 7 and Monteiro is No. 6. Halsey (No. 7) and Monteiro (No. 6) are also all ranked by Amateur Wrestling News (Feb. 24). Six also appear in the individual rankings released Feb. 17 by Wrestlingreport.com. Zoetewey comes in at No. 19, Thomas Kimbrell is No. 27, Nacita is No. 26, Orozco is No. 28, Halsey is No. 3 and Monteiro is No. 6.

PAC-10 RANKINGS
One ?Runner remain listed in the No. 1 position in his respective weight class in the most recent Pac-10 rankings, released Feb. 19. Mitch Monteiro topped the list heavyweight, while Elijah Nacita (141), Riley Orozco (184) and Brandon Halsey (197) all come in at No. 2. Brandon Zoetewey (125) and Thomas Kimbrell (133) are both listed at No. 3, while Joey Granata (165) is No. 5 and Jason Points (174) is No. 6.

'RUNNER RECORD BOOK
Brandon Zoetewey has broken into the CSUB record book, currently tied for No. 44 with current assistant coach Brian Cobb in career wins (70). Zoetewey entered his senior season with 48 victories and has 22 so far this season. He has the Pac-10 Championships and NCAA Championships. Joey Granata is also moving up the ranks in single-season pins. The junior leads the team with 14 fall victories, good for a tie of 13th place in the CSUB record book.

TOURNEY TITLE TIMES TWO
Brandon Halsey claimed his second individual title of the season Dec. 30 at the 2008 UNCG Southern Scuffle. His first title of the season came on Dec. 18 at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Seeded No. 2 in Greensboro, Halsey knocked off No. 9 Eric Chine (Kent State), No. 6 Brent Jones (Virginia) and No. 1 Cayle Byers (George Mason).

EIGHT STRAIGHT
Elijah Nacita may have dropped his opening-round match at the Reno Tournament of Champions, but the sophomore followed the disappointing performance with eight consecutive victories to place third in the 141 bracket. He won three bouts by fall, including a pin in just 48 seconds, four others by decision and one 16-2 major decision.

FASTEST FALL
Anthony Box (141/149) holds the fastest fall by any ?Runner so far this season. The redshirt freshman pinned Western Wyoming CC's Jacob Basset in 20 seconds at the Utah Valley Open.

A VEGAS CHAMP FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE...
Mitch Monteiro's individual title at the Las Vegas Invite marks the first time a CSUB wrestler 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 and went undefeated both years.

...AND A CHAMP AT RENO
Brandon Halsey made the most of his return to the mat for CSUB, claiming the 197 lb. individual title at the 2008 Reno Tournament of Champions in Dec. 18. The senior's title was the third all-time for the Roadrunners and the first since 2003.

25 YEARS AND COUNTING
With 36 total years of coaching under his belt, the 2008-09 season marks T.J. Kerr's 25th at the helm of the CSUB program. Having surpassed the 400-win mark midway through last season, Kerr's all-time record now stands at 414-205-7, while his 24-plus year mark at CSUB is 232-135-4.

ON DECK
The NCAA Division I National Championships loom on the horizon for the Roadrunner squad. Held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, the tournament runs from Mar. 19-21.

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.