BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The CSUB wrestling team kicked off its 2010–11 season with an entertaining late afternoon Pac–10 dual against Stanford University Saturday in the Icardo Center. Despite several spirited Roadrunner performances, the Cardinal spoiled Bakersfield's opening day with a 23–10 victory.
The dual featured five nationally–ranked wrestlers, but the match that proved to be worth the price of admission was at heavyweight, where CSUB's David Morgan (Centennial HS) needed nine overtimes to outlast Dylan Rush by an 8–4 score. The match featured no offensive scoring through the first eight periods as Rush forged ahead four escapes to three. Morgan started the ninth overtime, a 30–second period, down. He quickly escaped, took Rush down, and put him on his back for two near fall points and an 8–4 victory.
Morgan's win was a dab of salve on the wounds left by a pair of tough overtime losses earlier in the meet. Stanford's Timothy Boone used a takedown early in the first sudden victory period to defeat John Cardenas (Brawley Union HS) at 149 pounds, 5–3.
In what might have been a Pac–10 197 pound title match preview, No. 9 ranked Zack Giesen overcame an early takedown by No. 14 Riley Orozco (Fallon, Nev./Churchill County HS) to grab a 4–3 lead in the third period with an escape and takedown of his own. Orozco forced overtime with an escape in the closing seconds of regulation, but Giesen earned the win with a takedown midway through the first sudden victory period.
No 15 ranked 141 pounder Elijah Nacita (Bakersfield HS) scored a takedown and three–point near fall in the first period in rolling to a 9–0 shutout of Cardinal freshman Jordan Grey. Senior Trevor Hall (Battle Ground [Wash.] HS) used a first period takedown and second period reversal to slip past Shafter native Lucas Espericueta at 165 pounds 7–5 and account for the rest of CSUB's team points.
CSUB will take a week off before heading to the Fullerton Invitational Nov. 20. After their annual trip to the Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 3–4, the 'Runners return to the Icardo Center to host Big 10 power Minnesota Dec. 11
STANFORD 23, CSU BAKERSFIELD 10
133: Matt Seccenbaugh (STAN) maj. dec. Eric Martinez (CSUB), 8–0 (STAN 0–4)
141: No. 15 Elijah Nacita (CSUB) maj. dec. Jordan Grey (STAN), 9–0 (TIED 4–4)
149: Timothy Boone (STAN) dec. John Cardenas (CSUB), 5–3 (sv) (STAN 4–7)
157: Mike Kent (STAN) dec. Andrew Balch (CSUB), 6–0 (STAN 4–10)
165: Trevor Hall (CSUB) dec. Lucas Espericueta (STAN), 7–5 (STAN 7–10)
174: No. 5 Nick Amuchastegui (STAN) dec. Joey Granata (CSUB), 10–3 (STAN 7–13)
184: Spence Patrick (STAN) dec. Troy Goodban (CSUB), 6–3 (STAN 7–16)
197: No. 9 Zack Giesen (STAN) dec. No. 14 Riley Orozaco (CSUB), 6–4 (sv) (STAN 7–19)
HWT: David Morgan (CSUB) dec. Dylan Rush (STAN), 8–4 (9 ot) (STAN 10–19)
125: No. 17 Ryan Mango (STAN) maj. dec. Tyler Iwamura (CSUB), 18–8 (STAN 10–23)
