Dec. 20, 2006
RENO, Nev. - Two members of the Arizona State University wrestling team placed at the Reno Tournament of Champions held Wednesday at the Downtown Convention Center in Reno, Nev. Overall, the Sun Devil team accumulated 34.5 points to place 14th overall in the tournament while Central Michigan won the event with 132.5 points.
Greg Gifford, a Nevada native (Las Vegas), completed his final collegiate event in his home state by reaching the semifinals of the 184-pound weight class before falling to the consolation bracket where he advanced to the third-place bout. Gifford, with a 4-1 record in the event, placed fourth overall after medically forfeiting his medal bout. Unseeded in the tournament, Gifford knocked off third-seeded and conference foe Yuri Kalika of Cal Poly in the consolation semifinals, 6-2.
The other Sun Devil to place came at 197 pounds where eighth-seeded Jason Trulson posted a 3-1 record before defaulting to sixth place due to injury. After reaching the quarterfinals where he fell to the top seeded Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan, 3-1, Trulson scored a 3-2 decision over Oregon's Travis Gardner to reach the consolation semifinals. There, he defaulted out of the bracket.
After the turn of the New Year, the Sun Devils will be back in dual competition as they head to Minneapolis, Minn., for a 7 p.m. meeting with No. 2 Minnesota on January 2.
2006 Reno Tournament of Champions
Downtown Convention Center - Reno, Nev.
Numbers preceding wrestlers are tournament seed/national ranking
COMPLETE ASU RESULTS
125 - Tyler Bowles (0-2, Did Not Place)
First Round - Marco Orozco (UC Davis) DEC Bowles, 6-0
Conso Third - Patrick Feeley (Clarion) DEC Bowles, 12-10
125 - John Espinoza (2-2, Did Not Place)
First Round - Espinoza DEC Poncho Manriquez (UC Davis), 8-2
Second Round - Eric Stevenson (Oregon State) DEC Espinoza, 4-3
Conso Fourth - Espinoza MAJOR Matt Steintrager (Central Michigan), 11-1
Conso Fifth - Nick Ramirez (Wyoming) DEC Espinoza, 13-8
133 - Shawn Jones (2-2, Did Not Place)
First Round - 2/5 Darrell Vasquez (Cal Poly) PINS Jones, unkown time
Conso Third - Jones TECH Frankie Villaescusa (Embry-Riddle), 17-2
Conso Fourth - Jones DEC John Cardenas (CS Bakersfield), 5-3
Conso Fifth - Eric Metzler (Northwestern) DEC Jones, 9-3
141 - Robert Galvan (4-2, Did Not Place)
First Round - 6/nr Ethan Kyle (Oklahoma State) DEC Galvan, 13-9
Conso Third - Galvan MAJOR Mathew Bullwinkel (Citadel), 18-6
Conso Fourth - Galvan DEC Elliott Tracey (Oregon), 8-6
Conso Fifth - Galvan DEC Spencer Griffiths (Great Falls), 12-10
Conso Sixth - Galvan DEC 7/nr Chris Smith (Montana St.-Northern), 9-7
Conso Quarters - Jason Cook (Purdue) PINS Galvan, 1:37
149 - Chris Remsen (2-2, Did Not Place)
First Round - 2/nr Jake Patacsil (Purdue) TECH Remsen, 19-4
Conso Second - Remsen DEC Vince Colletti (Northwestern), 10-8
Conso Third - Remsen MAJOR Robert Rineer (Colorado Mines), 13-2
Conso Fourth - Noomis Jones (Adams State) DEC Remsen, 6-3
165 - 2/9 Patrick Pitsch (0-0, Did Not Compete - injury)
174 - Rick Renzi (2-1, Did Not Place)
First Round - Renzi DEC Luke Feist (Stanford), 5-3
Second Round - 5/nr Nick Hayes (Northwestern), 5-4
Conso Second - Renzi DEC Zac Cornett (Colorado Mines), 4-3
Conso Third - Jake Johnson (Stanford) DEF Renzi, injury default
174 - Alex Pavlenko (1-2, Did Not Place)
First Round - Pavlenko DEC Eric Watson (Western Wyoming CC), 5-2
Second Round - 6/nr Bryan Varnal (Wyoming) DEC Pavlenko, 3-0
Conso Second - Luke Feist (Stanford) DEC Pavlenko, 3-1
184 - Greg Gifford (4-1, Fourth Place)
First Round - Gifford MAJOR Nick Skinner (Purdue), 13-5
Second Round - Gifford MAJOR Colt Reece (Western Wyoming CC), 14-2
Quarterfinal - Gifford PINS Ernesto Ancona (CS Bakersfield), 1:42
Semifinal - 1/7 Christian Sinnott (Central Michigan) DEC Gifford, 9-4
Conso Semi - Gifford DEC 3/nr Yuri Kalika (Cal Poly), 6-2
Third/Fourth - 6/nr Jack Jensen (Oklahoma State) DEF Gifford, injury default
197 - 8/nr Jason Trulson (3-1, Sixth Place)
First Round - Trulson DEC Chris Robertson (Oregon), 8-3
Second Round - Trulson DEC Brian Fristchman (Montana State-Northern), 4-2
Quarterfinal - 1/8 Wynn Michalak (Central Michigan) DEC Trulson, 3-1
Conso Fourth - Trulson DEC Travis Gardner (Oregon), 3-2
Conso Quarter - 3/15 Matt Monteiro (Cal Poly) DEF Trulson, injury default
Fifth/Sixth - Brandon Halsey (CS Bakersfield) DEF Truslon, injury default
197 - Thor Moen (2-2, Did Not Place)
First Round - 2/9 Mike Tamillow (Northwestern) PINS Moen, 2:38
Conso Second - Moen PINS ns/5-NAIA Marcus Andy (Great Falls), 4:00
Conso Third - Moen DEF Tom Block (MSU-Mankato), injury default
Conso Fourth - Brandon Halsey (CS Bakersfield) PINS Moen, 1:22