BAKERSFIELD, Calif.--CSU Bakersfield will host a tri-dual Thursday night against Drexel and Cal Poly. The 2012-13 season opener will be conducted in CSUB's Physical Education Building, known on campus as the “Old Gym” due to an event previously booked in the Roadrunners' Icardo Center Home.
The “Old Gym” was the original home of CSUB wrestling before the program moved into the Icardo Center in 1989. Three current CSUB wrestlers; Andrew Balch (R-Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS), Timmy Box (R-Fr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS), and Bryce Hammond (R-Fr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS), have fathers who competed in the Old Gym during their respective college careers. Rodney Balch and Ray Hammond wrestled for CSUB while Mike Box wrestled for Chico State.
Cal Poly will wrestle Drexel at 5 p.m. The Dragons take on the Roadrunners at 6:30 p.m. with the night coming to an end at 8 p.m. when the Mustangs will wrestle CSU Bakersfield.
CSUB will host the second annual Roadrunner Open on. The tournament moves from the Icardo Center to Fresno's Selland Arena. The scheduled start time is 12 p.m.
Scheduled to compete are Arizona State, Bakersfield College, Cal Baptist, Cal Poly, CSUB, Cuesta College, Drexel, Fresno City College, Grand Canyon, Menlo, Mt. Sac College, Navy, Northwestern, Sacramento City College, San Francisco State, Sierra College, Simpson (Calif.), and Stanford.
CSUB sent members of the team to the San Francisco State U-21 Open Nov. 4. Four Roadrunners won tournament titles in Ian Nickell (R-Fr., 133, Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS), Timmy Box (141), Adam Fierro (So., 157, Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS), and Bryce Hammond (174). Hammond was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament. Hammond went 3-0 with two pins and a technical fall. The Roadrunners all competed unattached and were responsible for their own transportion to the tournament.
The Roadrunners defeated Drexel 33-9 in 2009 in the only other previous wrestling dual between the two schools. The Dragons are ranked sixth in the preseason Colonial Athletic Association Preseason poll. Drexel had five freshmen selected to the CAA's All-Freshman team in Matt Cimato, Jason Fugiel, Steven Elicegui, Conor Moran, and Gage Harrah.
Going into the season, Cimato is picked third in his weight class (141) in the CAA. He is joined by junior teammate Austin Sommer who is rated third in 157, senior Joe Booth who is second in 165, junior Brandon Palik who is second in 197, and junior Jamie Callendar who is fourth in the heavyweight class.
Thursday's dual against the Mustangs is the first of two meeting between CSUB and Cal Poly this season. Thursday night's dual is a non-conference meet with the Pac-12 dual coming in January at Cal Poly. This will be the 36th time that the teams will be wrestling with the Roadrunners lead the all-time series 25-18-2.
The Mustangs are a young squad with the potential of seven freshmen starting against Drexel and CSUB. Sophomore Dominic Kastl, the reigning Pac-12 champion at 165 pounds leads the Mustangs. Kastl, 14-5 a year ago, moves up to 174 this season. Kastl is the lone Mustang with a national ranking heading into the 2012-13 season, tabbed No. 10 by WIN Magazine, No. 13 by InterMat, No. 14 by D1CollegeWrestling.net and No. 16 by WrestlingReport.com.
