BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—The CSU Bakersfield wrestling officially kicks off the 2015-16 season Saturday at the Appalachian State Mountaineer Duals in Boone, N.C.
The tournament begins at 10 a.m. (EST) when CSUB faces Gardner Webb for the first time in dual competition. Gardner-Webb's Hunter Gamble participated in a showcase match at the 50th annual Hire Heros NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 1. Gamble lost 5-2 to Missouri's Willie Miklus at 184 pounds.
The Bulldogs picked up two first-place votes and was picked to finish fourth in the 2015 Southern Conference Coaches Poll. Gamble is one of three returning NCAA qualifiers on the Gardner-Webb squad.
The middle dual of the day comes at 12 p.m. (EST) against Anderson College (S.C.) in the first dual between the two teams. The Trojans opened the 2015-16 season last weekend at the Citadel Open.
Zak Hale and sophomore Michael Gallagher finished third in their respective weight classes. Hale, who moved up two weight classes from his normal 133-pound position, finished the day with a 5-1 record in the 149-pound bracket as an unattached wrestler. Gallagher earned third place at 184 pounds, marking his best finish in an Open tournament for his collegiate career.
The day concludes at 2 p.m. (EST) when the Roadrunners face App State. This is the third time CSUB and App State are wrestling with the Roadrunners leading the all-time series 2-0.
Appalachian State University wrestling was picked to finish second in the Southern Conference. The Apps had three student-athletes tabbed to the Preseason all-conference team. Vito Pasone was named all-SoCon for the 125-pound weight class. Pasone was the runner-up at 133 pounds at the SoCon Championship last season.
Michael Longo won the SoCon title at 141 pounds a season ago and was picked as the favorite to repeat as champion. Denzel Dejournette was tabbed as all-SoCon for the heavy weight division after winning the SoCon title last season. Dejournette won his first round match at the 2015 NCAA Championship and comes into the year nationally ranked, 9th on The Open Mat and 11th on Intermat.
CSUB sent a limited squad to the San Francisco State University Community College/College Open last Sunday. 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.
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