EVANSTON, Ill.—The CSUB Bakersfield wrestling team saw two wrestlers place in the top eight of the 53rd annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships Wednesday.  

Adam Fierro faced the No. 4 seed, Iowa State's Tanner Weatherman in the 165-pound semifinals. Weatherman dropped Fierro into the consolation bracket when he posted a 10-4 victory.  Fierro met Rider's Connor Brennan for the second time during the tournament, but lost 3-2 to fall into the fifth place match against Nebraska's Austin Wilson. Wilson got a takedown with 28 seconds remaining in the third period to win 3-1.

"Adam beat some high ranked, quality opponents and was competive in all his matches," said CSUB head coach Mike Mendoza.

Reuben Franklin met Ohio U's Phil Wellington in a match that featured two 197-pound wrestlers that are ranked in Intermat's Top 20 (Franklin-6, Wellington-11) in the fourth round of the consolation bracket.  Franklin used a three-point near fall in the third period to secure a 10-5 victory.

Franklin took on Ryan Wolfe of Rider in the consolation round of eight and continued to advance with a 4-2 victory against Wolfe. In the consolation semis, Franklin again faced opponent ranked in the Intermat Top 20 in Nebraska's Aaron Studebaker (16). A Studebaker escape early in the third period proved to be the difference as the Huskers' entry won 4-3.

Franklin was awarded fifth placed after Rutgers' Hayden Hrymack medically forfeited the match.

"We are proud of Reuben's performance and the toughness he showed coming back through the tournament," Mendoza said.

As a team, CSUB finished 22nd (31). Iowa took home the team honors with a score of 152 points.

The Roadrunners will enter a limited roster in Saturday's Menlo College Invitational. CSUB returns home to host Cal Poly in Pac-12 action Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Vallitix.com.

~www.GoRunners.com~

2015 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships—CSUB Results Day 2

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Semifinals                         No. 4 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) def. Adam Fierro, 10-4

Consolation Semis            Connor Brennan (Rider) def. Adam Fierro 3-2

Fifth Place Match             Austin Wilson (Nebraska) def. Adam Fierro, 3-1

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Consolation Round 4         Reuben Franklin def. Phil Wellington (Ohio U.), 10-5

Consolation Round 5         Reuben Franklin def. Ryan Wolfe (Rider), 4-2

Consolation Semis            Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) def. Reuben Franklin, 4-3

Fifth Place Match            Reuben Franklin def. Hayden Hrymack (Rutgers), Medical Forfeit