Nov. 30, 2007
Updated Brackets (pdf)
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The opening day of action at the 26th Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational came to a close Friday night for the Arizona State University wrestling team with only two of its wrestlers remaining in the event being held inside the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Seniors Patrick Pitsch (165) and Jason Trulson (197) are the lone Sun Devils remaining in the event as both will wrestle Saturday morning and move closer to trying to place in one of the top tournaments in the nation.
The Sun Devils stand 33rd in the team standings with 15.5 points while Ohio State leads the way with 82 points. Missouri (77.5), Michigan (71.5), Nebraska (66.5) and Illinois and Wisconsin (both with 62.5) round out the Top 5 overall.
Pitsch, ranked No. 3 in the nation and seeded No. 2 in this tournament, opened the day with a 5-4 decision over Matt Mungo (San Francisco State) before downing Keegan Mueller (North Carolina), 9-5. In the quarterfinals, Pitsch dropped a 5-0 decision to 10th-seeded Jarrod King (Edinboro) to fall into the consolation rounds where he needs to win his first bout Saturday (against sixth-seeded and 15th-ranked Zach Shanaman of Penn) to guarantee a place in the Top 8.
Trulson, seeded fifth in the tournament and ranked 14th, fell in his first bout of the day as he lost a 4-0 decision to Dennis Drury (North Carolina). In the consolation bracket, Trulson rolled off three wins in a row, including one major decision and two decisions, to set up a bout with eighth-seeded and 17th ranked Pat Bradshaw (Edinboro) on Saturday morning with the winner guaranteed to place.
A pair of rookies picked up a pair of victories on the day before being bounced from the tournament as both Anthony Robles (125) and Todd Schavrien (133) rebounded from opening round losses to win twice in the wrestle backs. Robles, the tournament's No. 10 seed, was pinned in his first bout before winning his first match back with a fall of his own in 1:44. After an 8-3 decision over James Nicholson (Old Dominion), he dropped a close 5-4 decision to Joey Boone (Navy). Seeded 12th, Schavrien rebounded from a 5-3 loss in his opener before scoring an 11-1 major decision and a 4-3 decision. He was bounced from the tournament after falling in a close 4-2 defeat to second-seeded and fourth-ranked Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) in the consolation bout.
Chris Drouin (141), Alex Pavlenko (157) and Quinton Pruett (285) each won one bout on the day while Jerrad Trulson (149), Rick Renzi (174) and Jake Cranford (184) also competed in the event.
The tournament continues through Saturday night.
26th Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational
November 30-December 1 Las Vegas Convention Center
#/# is tournament seed/national ranking
125 - #10/19 Anthony Robles (2-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtails - Curtis Schurkamp (SF State) pinned Robles, 1:50
Conso 2nd - Robles pinned Mike Watts (Michigan), 1:44
Conso 3rd - Robles dec. James Nicholson (Old Dominion), 8-3
Conso 4th - Joey Boone (Navy) dec. Robles, 5-4
133 - #12/nr Todd Schavrien (2-2, Did Not Place)
Champ 1st - Jeff Schell (Brown) dec. Schavrien, 5-3
Conso 2nd - Schavrien major Nick Kulseth (Pittsburgh), 11-1
Conso 3rd - Schavrien dec. Nick Velliquette (Missouri), 4-3
Conso 4th - #2/4 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) dec. Schavrien, 4-2
141 - #12/nr Chris Drouin (1-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtails - Drouin dec. Jeff Newby (Utah Valley St.), 4-1
Champ 1st - Levi Jones (Boise State) dec. Drouin, 4-2
Conso 2nd - ns/D2-#4 Jeff Rutledge (Neb-Kearney) major Drouin, 8-0
149 - Jerrad Trulson (0-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtails - Mark Bloom (Brown) dec. Trulson, 11-5
Conso 2nd - Kyle Baxter (Old Dominion) major Trulson, 19-7
157 - Alex Pavlenko (1-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtails - Alex McKinney (Missouri Valley) dec. Pavlenko, 9-3
Conso 2nd - Pavlenko major Trevor Hall (CS Bakersfield), 11-3
Conso 3rd - Derek Sickels (Columbia) dec. Pavlenko, 8-6
165 - #2/3 Patrick Pitsch (2-1)
Champ 1st - Pitsch dec. Matt Mungo (SF State), 5-4
Champ 2nd - Pitsch dec. Keegan Mueller (No. Carolina), 9-5
Champ Quarter - #10/nr Jarrod King (Edinboro) dec. Pitsch, 5-0
Conso 6th - Pitsch vs. #6/15 Zach Shanaman (Penn)
174 - Rick Renzi (0-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtails - #3/3 Steve Luke (Michigan) tech Renzi, 19-4
Conso 2nd - Tyler Bernacchi (UC Davis) pinned Renzi, 1:38
184 - Jake Cranford (0-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtails - #12/nr Jesse Strawn (Old Dominion) major Cranford, 11-1
Conso 2nd - ns/D2-#1 Jared Deaquero (Adams State) dec. Cranford, 5-3 ot
197 - #5/14 Jason Trulson (3-1)
Champ 1st - Dennis Drury (N. Carolina) dec. Trulson, 4-0
Conso 3rd - Trulson major #12/nr Jimmy Hamel (Buffalo), 12-2
Conso 4th - Trulson dec. Jake Johnson (Stanford), 7-2
Conso 5th - Trulson dec. #10/nr John Drake (CS Fullerton), 2-0
Conso 6th - Trulson vs. #8/17 Pat Bradshaw (Edinboro)
285 - Quinton Pruett (1-2, Did Not Place)
Pigtails - Pruett dec. Andrew Skinner (Western St.), 10-9
Champ 1st - #10/nr Reece Hopkins (No. Colorado) pinned Pruett, 4:48
Conso 2nd - Jason Marshall (Ohio) dec. Pruett, 5-1