Dec. 2, 2006
PRIMM, Nev. - The 25th Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational came to a close Saturday night at the Star of the Desert in Primm, Nev., with Brian Stith, the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the nation at 157 pounds, winning his weight class and capturing his first crown at the prestigious event. Team scores for the tournament were not available.
Stith, the top-seed in the tournament, opened the day with a close 4-2 decision in overtime against No. 5 seed and national No. 9 Matt Kocher of Pittsburgh. Trailing most of the match, Stith scored a takedown in the final minute of regulation to send the bout to overtime, tied at 2-2, where he then scored the winning takedown to reach the final. In the championship bout, Stith again prevailed in a close match, this time scoring a 2-1 decision over the third-seeded and seventh-ranked Brandon Becker of Indiana.
In his career, Stith now stands 96-30 overall and needs four victories to become the 22nd Sun Devil in the history of the program to reach 100 career wins. Stith could reach that total at his next event, the Reno Tournament of Champions.
One other Sun Devil placed in the tough tournament as Patrick Pitsch, the third-seeded and eighth-ranked competitor at 165 pounds, rebounded from two losses early in the day to score a 6-4 decision over fourth-seeded and 13th-ranked Max Dean of Indiana to finish fifth in the tournament.
The Sun Devils will take time off from competition for final exams before returning to the mats on December 20 as they take part in the Reno Tournament of Champions.
2006 Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational
Star of the Desert Arena - Primm, Nev.
Numbers preceding wrestlers are tournament seed/national ranking
SATURDAY RESULTS
157 - #1/2 Brian Stith (5-0, 2006 Champion)
Semis - Stith decision #5/9 Matt Kocher (Pittsburgh), 4-2 OT
Final - Stith decision #3/7 Brandon Becker (Indiana), 2-1
165 - #3/8 Patrick Pitsch (4-2, Fifth Place)
Semis - #2/5 Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) decision Pitsch, 8-3
Conso Semi - #8/nr Christopher Vondruska (Ohio State) decision Pitsch, 3-1
Fifth Place - Pitsch decision #4/13 Max Dean (Indiana), 6-4
197 - Jason Trulson (4-2, Did Not Place)
Conso 5th - #6/15 Jared Villers (West Virginia) tech fall Trulson, 17-0
COMPLETE ASU RESULTS
125 - Tyler Bowles (2-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtail - Mike Rodriguez (Cornell) decision Bowles, 11-5
Conso 1st - Bowles decision Greg EinFrank (Brown), 9-4
Conso 2nd - Bowles decision Zach Valdez (Air Force), 7-3
Conso 3rd - #11/15 Chad Sportelli (Kent State) decision Bowles, 11-4
133 - Shawn Jones (0-2, Did Not Place)
1st Round - Matt DeLorenzo (Columbia) pinned Jones, 6:34
Conso 2nd - Chris Diehl (Michigan) decision Jones, 10-6
141 - #6/13 Pat Payne (1-0, Did Not Place)
1st Round - Payne decision Jeff Newby (Boise State), 5-0
2nd Round - #11/nr Dave Roberts (Cal Poly) won by default
Conso Fourth - Garrett Desmond (Wyoming) won by default
149 - Chris Remsen (1-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtail - Remsen decision Jason Mendez (Embry-Riddle), 6-4
1st Round - Jordan LaFollette (Brown) decision Remsen, 6-4
Conso 2nd - Rob Hitschler (Penn) major decision Remsen, 14-0
157 - #1/2 Brian Stith (5-0, 2006 Champion)
1st Round - Stith decision Hayden Harrison (Embry-Riddle), 6-2
2nd Round - Stith tech fall Nate Berryman (UNC Greensboro), 19-2
Quarters - Stith decision Josh Zupancic (Stanford), 6-1
Semis - Stith decision #5/9 Matt Kocher (Pittsburgh), 4-2 OT
Final - Stith decision #3/7 Brandon Becker (Indiana), 2-1
165 - #3/8 Patrick Pitsch (4-2, Fifth Place)
1st Round - Pitsch major decision Brett Arand (Oregon State), 9-1
2nd Round - Pitsch decision Shawn Kitchner (Brown), 5-2
Quarters - Pitsch decision Jake Donar (Wisconsin), 5-3
Semis - #2/5 Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) decision Pitsch, 8-3
Conso Semi - #8/nr Christopher Vondruska (Ohio State) decision Pitsch, 3-1
Fifth Place - Pitsch decision #4/13 Max Dean (Indiana), 6-4
184 - Jake Cranford (1-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtail - #9/nr Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin), 8-0
Conso 1st - Cranford pinned Preston Pavich, 0:17
Conso 2nd - Tyler Bernacchi (UC Davis) decision Cranford, 5-2
197 - Jason Trulson (4-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtail - Trulson decision John Drake (CS Fullerton), 4-1
1st Round - Trulson pinned Nick Clark (UNC-Greensboro), 3:18
2nd Round - #4/12 Matt Montiero (Cal Poly) major decision Trulson, 11-2
Conso 3rd - Trulson decision Justin Schlecht (Dickinson State), 5-1
Conso 4th - Trulson decision Craig Brester (Nebraska), 3-1
Conso 5th - #6/15 Jared Villers (West Virginia) tech fall Trulson, 17-0
285 - Thor Moen (1-2, Did Not Place)
1st Round - nr/#14 Andy Patrick (Boise State) major decision Moen, 12-4
Conso 1st - Moen decision Jed Wade (Columbia), 3-2
Conso 2nd - Joe Sheffield (UNC-Greensboro) decision Moen, 5-1