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Jacob Thalin

Wrestling

`Runners Open 2018-19 Season Thursday

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The 2018-19 CSU Bakersfield wrestling season will mark the third campaign under head coach Manny Rivera.  The Roadrunners return two two-time NCAA Qualifiers in Sean Nickell and Russell Rohlfing and open the year on Thursday at the Icardo Center with a tri-dual against Life Pacific and San Francisco State. 

CSUB finished the 2017-18 season with five NCAA qualifiers and a 6-10 mark in dual action.  Rivera and new assistant coaches Luke Smith and Chad Hanke hope this year's `Runners are more offensive than in season's past. 

"One of the main things we've focused on this offseason is scoring points and being an aggressive team,"  said Rivera.  "One of the things I'm looking to measure on our guys is just how much action we can create.  The results will come I believe if we can stay on the attack." 

To begin his redshirt senior season, Nickell was ranked 12th in the 133-pound class by Wrestling Insider Magazine and Trackwrestling, 16th by The Open Mat and 17th by InterMat.  Last season, he compiled a 24-12 record, which included a victory over No. 9 Dennis Gustafson of Virginia Tech at the NCAA Championships.  As a sophomore, he won the Pac-12 title and racked up 23 victories. 

Rohlfing was rated 22nd in the nation by Trackwrestling and No. 19 in the country by Wrestling Insider Magazine at 141 pounds, but the redshirt junior will be bumping up to the 149-pound class for the season.  Rohlfing has won 55 matches over the past two seasons and will be looking for his first Pac-12 title after losing by one point in the championship match in 2018.  

"The main thing with those guys is focusing on the areas where they are deficient," said Rivera.  "They've had a little bit of success over the last few years, but there's still a lot they have to work on and they focused on that in the offseason.  For Sean it's being more offensive and scoring more points from the neutral position and for Russell it's been about getting off the bottom and getting away." 

Dominic Ducharme, Bryan Battisto and Mark Penyacsek will also return to the lineup for CSUB. 

Ducharme was 18-15 during his redshirt freshman season at 184 pounds, including a 3-1 mark in Pac-12 action.  He also produced an 8-8 record in duals.  Battisto will return to the lineup at 174.  The redshirt senior finished last season with a 12-16 record and a 1-2 mark in conference action.  After wrestling as CSUB's heavyweight last season, Penyacsek will move down to 197. 

CSUB will welcome five new wrestlers to the starting lineup.  Alex Hernandez-Figueroa will take over at 125 pounds after he was 9-6 during his redshirt freshman season, with six of those victories coming via the pin.  Hernandez-Figueroa did get one conference start last season, falling by an 8-4 decision. 

"Alex wrestles at a really hard pace," said Rivera.  "I think he can beat some guys that he won't be expected to at least on paper."
At 141, redshirt junior Carlos Herrera will make his debut in the Roadrunner lineup after redshirting last year.  Herrera was 12-8 in open competition last year and was 16-13 as a sophomore. 

Josh Annis will take over at 157, while Jacob Thalin will be a regular at 165 after getting some experience last season.  Annis was 5-2 at 157 during his redshirt season, while Thalin was 6-5 and 1-1 in Pac-12 action at 165.  Both wrestlers competed at the 157 and 165 levels in 2017-18. 

At heavyweight, Jacob Sieder will start after going 9-12 during his redshirt season last winter.  Sieder produced the fastest pin on the team last season, sticking Providence's Solomon Smith in 27 seconds at the Reno Tournament of Champions. 

On Thursday, the Roadrunners will welcome NAIA Life Pacific, who is in the first year of their program and NCAA Division II San Francisco State.  The tri-dual will feature three rounds and will utilize two mats simultaneously.  The schedule is below.
 
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
Mat 1 125 LPC vs. SFSU SFSU vs. CSUB CSUB vs. LPC
Mat 2 133 SFSU vs. CSUB CSUB vs. LPC LPC vs. SFSU
Mat 1 141 CSUB vs. LPC LPC vs. SFSU SFSU vs. CSUB
Mat 2 149 LPC vs. SFSU SFSU vs. CSUB CSUB vs. LPC
Mat 1 157 SFSU vs. CSUB CSUB vs. LPC LPC vs. SFSU
Mat 2 165 CSUB vs. LPC LPC vs. SFSU SFSU vs. CSUB
Mat 1 174 LPC vs. SFSU SFSU vs. CSUB CSUB vs. LPC
Mat 2 184 SFSU vs. CSUB CSUB vs. LPC LPC vs. SFSU
Mat 1 197 CSUB vs. LPC LPC vs. SFSU SFSU vs. CSUB
Mat 2 HWT LPC vs. SFSU SFSU vs. CSUB CSUB vs. LPC


Thursday will serve as a tune-up for a huge weekend on November 9 and 10.  CSUB will start the weekend at Kent State and will dual with the Golden Flashes before taking on No. 4 Iowa and No. 16 Wisconsin.  On Saturday, the `Runners will make the short trip to No. 25 Pittsburgh to grapple with the Panthers. 

 
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Players Mentioned

Bryan Battisto

Bryan Battisto

174/184
5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
Dominic Ducharme

Dominic Ducharme

184
6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
Alejandro Hernandez

Alejandro Hernandez

125
5' 5"
Redshirt Freshman
Carlos Herrera

Carlos Herrera

141
5' 6"
Junior
Sean Nickell

Sean Nickell

133
5' 7"
Redshirt Junior
Mark Penyacsek

Mark Penyacsek

184
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
Russell Rohlfing

Russell Rohlfing

141
5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Jacob Sieder

Jacob Sieder

285
6' 4"
Sophomore
Jacob Thalin

Jacob Thalin

157
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Josh Annis

Josh Annis

157/165
6' 0"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Bryan Battisto

Bryan Battisto

5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
174/184
Dominic Ducharme

Dominic Ducharme

6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
184
Alejandro Hernandez

Alejandro Hernandez

5' 5"
Redshirt Freshman
125
Carlos Herrera

Carlos Herrera

5' 6"
Junior
141
Sean Nickell

Sean Nickell

5' 7"
Redshirt Junior
133
Mark Penyacsek

Mark Penyacsek

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
184
Russell Rohlfing

Russell Rohlfing

5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
141
Jacob Sieder

Jacob Sieder

6' 4"
Sophomore
285
Jacob Thalin

Jacob Thalin

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
157
Josh Annis

Josh Annis

6' 0"
Junior
157/165
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