SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.—The CSU Bakersfield wrestling team opened the 2015-16 campaign Sunday by sending members of the squad to the 48th annual San Francisco State University Community College/College Open. Although no team scores were kept, six Roadrunners won individual titles.
157-pounder Lorenzo De La Riva was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. De La Riva, a freshman who the Roadrunners are planning on redshirting this season, went 4-0 during the meet. He defeated teammate Sean O'Rourke 8-5 in the 157-pound finals.
Sophomore Sean Nickell, who the Roadrunners plan to redshirt this season at 125 pounds, took home top honors at 125. Nickell won his five matches on the day by a combined score of 49-7. Nickell defeated Menlo's Troy Lakin in the finals 6-4.
CSUB teammates Everett Pratt and Adrian Panduro met in the 133-pound finals where Pratt, a redshirt junior, defeated Panduro, a redshirt freshman, by a 16-9 count. A third Roadrunner entry at 133, Noah Blakely-Benes, finished third in class.
At 149 pounds, another one of CSUB's 2015-16 redshirts, Jacob Thalin was the winner. Thalin, was 4-0, winning two of his matches by pin fall. In the finals, Thalin defeated an unattached wrester, Brian Ha, 9-4.
Redshirt freshman Dylan Bollinger defeated Stanford's Austin Flores (wrestling unattached) 7-6 for the 184-pound crown. Bollinger, pinned his first two opponents before winning in the semifinals by technical fall (19-1) over Shasta College's Patrick Penick.
Redshirt sophomore Matt Williams pinned teammate Dominic Balmer in the semifinals at heavyweight before matching up against another teammate in Alex Encarnarcion-Strand in the finals. Williams earned a 5-4 victory for the heavyweight title.
Russell Rohfling, a 141-pound redshirt for the Roadrunners, placed second in his weight class. He lost to Isiah Locsin of Stanford (unattached) in the finals 9-1.
CSUB's Penyacesk brothers both finished fourth in their respective weight classes. Matt Penyacsek was fourth at 174 while Mark Penyacsek came in fourth at 184 pounds.
The Roadrunners travel to the App State Mountaineer Duals next Saturday in Boone, N.C. Competition begins at 10 a.m. (EST) against Gardner-Webb. CSUB will also take on Anderson College and the host Mountaineers during the day of competition.
CSUB hosts the Roadrunner Open at Fresno's Selland Arena Nov. 15 before welcoming No. 2 Penn State to the Icardo Center on Nov. 20. Tickets for the Penn State dual are available at vallitix.com.
~www.GoRunners.com~
