2007-2008 Wrestling Schedule

November 01
Black & Gold Scrimmage - Hays, Kan. 7 p.m.

November 09
vs. Stanford University - Topeka, Kan. 7 p.m.

November 11
Central Missouri Open - Warrensburg, Mo. TBD

November 18
Northern Colorado Open - Greeley, Colo. TBD

December 01
FHSU-Bob Smith Open - Hays, Kan. TBD

December 08
Nebraska-Kearney Open - Kearney, Neb. TBD

January 04
Colorado Mines* - Hays, Kan. 7 p.m.

January 05
Mesa State* - Hays, Kan. 7 p.m.

January 10
Adams State College* - Alamosa, Colo. 8 p.m.

January 11
New Mexico Highlands* - Las Vegas, N.M. 8 p.m.

January 17
Central Oklahoma - Hays, Kan. 7 p.m.

January 19
Chadron State* - Chadron, Neb. 8 p.m.

January 25
Newman University - Wichita, Kan. 7 p.m.

February 02
Central Missouri - Warrensburg, Mo. 7 p.m.

February 08
Western State* - Hays, Kan. 7 p.m.

February 09
Grand Canyon* - Hays, Kan. 7 p.m.

February 19
Nebraska-Kearney* - Hays, Kan. 7 p.m.

March 01
NCAA II West Regional/RMAC Championships - Las Vegas, N.M. TBD

March 14 & 15
NCAA II Championships - Cedar Rapids, Iowa TBD

2007-2008 Wrestling Roster

Micah Ankenman 125 Fr
Hutchinson, Kan. (Hutchinson HS)

Shane Castillo 125 R-Fr
Kearney, Neb. (Kearney-Catholic HS)

Dustin Dooley 125 Fr
Concordia, Kan. (Concordia HS)

Kyle Patton 125 Sr
Wellsville, Kan. (Colby CC)

Kyle Cook 133 R-Fr
Great Bend, Kan. (Hoisington HS)

Blake Fisher 133 R-Fr
Garden Plain, Kan. (Andale HS)

Dallas Nelson 133 Fr
McPherson, Kan. (McPherson HS)

James Annon 141 Jr
Norton, Kan. (Norton Community HS)

Brad Esterl 141 Fr
Beloit, Kan. (Beloit HS)

Travis Kuhn 141 Fr C
larks, Neb. (High Plains Community HS)

Dylan Loyd 141 R-Fr
St. Francis, Kan. (St. Francis HS)

Bryce Bahe 149 Sr
Goodland, Kan. (Minnesota State-Mankato)

Brett Cypret 149 Fr
Lubbock, Texas (Coronado HS)

Casey Hudson 149 R-Fr
Colorado Springs, Colo. (Widefield HS)

Eric Johnson 149 Sr
Norton, Kan. (Univ. of Central Oklahoma)

Josh Peterson 149 So
Abilene, Kan. (Abilene HS)

Josh Pfannenstiel 149 Sr
Hays, Kan. (Hays HS)

Danny Grater 157 So
Green, Kan. (Clay Center HS)

Patrick Keane 157 Jr
Lansing, Kan. (Leavenworth HS)

Cody Gillespie 165 R-Fr
Amherst, Neb. (Amherst HS)

Kyle Hudgins 165 Fr
Spring Hill, Kan. (Spring Hill HS)

Troy Lussenhop 165 Jr
Loveland, Colo. (Loveland HS)

Aaron Berscheidt 174 Fr
Gardner, Kan. (Gardner-Edgerton HS)

Blake Malloy 174 Jr
Topeka, Kan. (Shawnee Heights HS)

Ben Evans 184 Fr
Hutchinson, Kan. (Hutchinson HS)

Phil Hart 184 Sr
Jefferson City, Mo. (Shawnee Heights HS)

Shawn Kuhlman 184 So
Oakley, Kan. (Oakley HS)

Michael Baker 197 Fr
Lindsborg, Kan. (Smoky Valley HS)

Tyler Gonzales 197 So
Topeka, Kan. (Shawnee Heights HS)

Chris Eberwein 285 Jr
Alma, Kan. (Alma-Wabaunsee)

Justin Glenn 285 Fr
Enid, Okla. (Enid HS)

Dustin Martin 285 Sr
Nixa, Mo. (Labette CC)

Lyndon Wagner 285 Sr
Holly, Colo. (Holly HS)

2007-2008 WRESTLING CAPTAINS CHOSEN

Fort Hays State University head wrestling coach Cody Bickley announced today the team captains for the 2007-2008 wrestling
season. The Tigers will have four team captains this season. The captains include Phil Hart, Tyler Gonzales, Danny Grater and
Blake Malloy. All four wrestlers were fixtures in the Tiger wrestling lineup last season. The four men were voted on by their peers as team captains.

Hart is a senior this season and will move up a couple of weight classes to 184 pounds to fill the void left by Mike Howell who was a senior last season. Hart was a national qualifier at 165 pounds for the Tigers his sophomore season.

Gonzales is a sophomore this year and is coming off a solid freshman campaign. Gonzales won 20 matches last season and was
a national qualifier for FHSU at 197 pounds.

Grater is also a sophomore this year and put together a thrilling freshman season as well. Grater won 26 matches last season and was a national qualifier for FHSU at 157 pounds. It will be the third year in the program for both Gonzales and Grater, who each redshirted the 2005-06 season as freshmen out of high school.

Malloy is a junior this year and was the starter all of last season at 174 pounds. Malloy won 18 matches last year, 12 more than he had in his freshman season.

"These four young men exemplify what our program is all about," said coach Bickley. "They posses the traits that leaders need
to have in order to be successful. I believe they will help mold this year's team into what we need in order to find success. I am
highly confident in their abilities as student-athletes."

Wrestlers Battle To A Tie In Black & Gold Scrimmage
Nov. 1, 2007
The Fort Hays State wrestling squad kicked off its season with the annual FHSU Black & Gold Scrimmage at Gross Coliseum Thursday evening (December 1). Nine Tigers competed for each team in the intrasquad scrimmage, with 165 pounds being the only match not wrestled with both teams open at the weight. The Black and Gold squads wrestled to a 15-15 tie.

The 125-pound weight class started the evening with senior Kyle Patton (Black) against freshman Dustin Dooley (Gold). Both found it hard to score points, with Patton eventually winning 3-2 gaining the deciding point by riding time. Black took an early 3-0 lead.

At 133 pounds, redshirt freshman Blake Fisher (Gold) went up against freshman Brad Esterl (Black). Both battled tough early, but Fisher would slowly pull away in the match with a few takedowns resulting in an 8-2 decision. The result knotted the dual at 3-3.

At 141 pounds, junior James Annon (Black) faced redshirt freshman Dylan Loyd (Gold). Annon, like Fisher, would slowly pull away in the match off a few takedowns. Annon won by a 7-3 decision, putting the Black back on top 6-3.

At 149 pounds, senior Josh Pfannenstiel (Gold) faced senior transfer Eric Johnson (Black). Pfannenstiel won by a 9-3 decision, making the see-saw effect stay in tact for the dual putting dual in a 6-6 tie.

The 157-pound weight class featured the #6 ranked wrestler in NCAA Division II, sophomore Danny Grater (Gold), against freshman Aaron Berscheidt (Black). Grater showed why he is one to watch at 157 pounds this year with a fall coming at 2-minutes, 25-seconds. The pin put the Gold squad up six points at 12-6.

After no match at 165 pounds, the Black would storm back in the dual by claiming the next two matches.

At 174 pounds, junior Blake Malloy (Black) defeated freshman Kyle Hudgins (Gold) by a 6-1 decision, putting the dual score at 6-1. Then at 184 pounds, sophomore Shawn Kuhlman (Black) defeated freshman Michael Baker (Gold) by a 6-4 decision. Baker made it interesting late, but ran out of time. The dual score tied back up at 12-12.

The 197-pound match might have been the most eye-opening of the night. Sophomore Tyler Gonzales (Black), preseason #4 ranked wrestler in NCAA Division II, faced freshman Ben Evans (Gold). Evans showed why he was one of the premier high school wrestlers in the state of Kansas last year, battling Gonzales to a 4-4 tie at the end of regulation. In overtime, Gonzales grabbed a sudden victory with a takedown, winning 6-4. Black moved back on top 15-12.

At 285-pounds, senior Dustin Martin (Gold) defeated senior Lyndon Wagner (Black) by a score of 8-5, ending the match in a 15-15 draw between the teams.

One of the most intriguing stats of the evening was that the only points scored by wrestlers were on takedowns and escapes. There were no back points awarded in the dual (there would have been in the Grater vs. Berscheidt match if Grater would not have pinned his opponent before the points were awarded). Also, there were no points awarded for stalling or off cautions, making for an exciting night of action.

Fort Hays State opens its dual season next Friday (November 9) with a dual against NCAA Division I opponent Stanford University. The teams will meet in Topeka, Kan., at Shawnee Heights High School. After that, the Tigers will wrestle in several tournaments before getting back to dual action on January 4 against Colorado Mines in Hays.

Tiger Results from the Central Missouri University Open
November 11, 2007
Warrensburg , MO

133
Micah Ankenman (freshman, Hutchinson , KS ) - 0-2

Blake Fisher (red-shirt freshman, Andale , KS ) – 2-2
Fisher advanced to the quarter finals before dropping a 9-5 decision to Jamal Parks, a freshman at Oklahoma State University. Parks, who was rated as a top 25 recruit in last year’s national recruiting class, went on to place 3rd in this tournament. Fisher’s other loss was an 8-5 loss to the eventual 4th place finisher, John Lloyd of Lindenwood.

141
Dylan Loyd (red-shirt freshman, St. Francis , KS ) – 3-2
Loyd received a tough draw and lost his first match to two-time NCAA Division I All-American Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State . Loyd bounced back and won three matches before dropping a bout in the consolation bracket.

Brett Cypret (freshman, Lubbock , TX ) – 0-2

Travis Kuhn (freshman, Clarks, NE) – 0-2

Bradly Esterl (freshman, Beloit , KS ) – 1-2

James Annon (junior, Norton , KS ) – 3-2
Annon followed up a huge win in the Stanford dual with a nice tournament. Annon was two wins short of the medals.

149
Josh Pfannestiel (senior, Hays, KS) - 2-2
Like Loyd, Pfannenstiel had a difficult first round draw in which he was pared with Jordan Friskhorn of Oklahoma State University . Following a 12-6 loss to Friskorn, Pfannenstiel was able to score a couple of nice wins in the consolation bracket before dropping his second match of the day.

Casey Hudson (red-shirt freshman, Colorado Springs , CO ) – 0-2

157
Eric Johnson (senior, Norton , KS ) – 3-2
Johnson earned victories in his first two bouts, before falling to Oklahoma City University ’s Brandon Benson. Benson is a returning NAIA All-American and had spent two seasons at the NCAA Division I level wrestling for Army before returning to his native state. Johnson then went 1-1 in the consolation bracket, with his loss coming in overtime to the University of Missouri ’s Brandon Wright.

Patrick Keane (junior, Lansing , KS ) – 2-2

165
Cody Gillespie (red-shirt freshman, Amherst , NE ) – 0-2

Aaron Berscheidt (freshman, Gardner , KS ) – 0-2

Danny Grater (sophomore, Green, KS) – 3-3 - 6th Place
Grater demonstrated his considerable talent and determination by wrestling up a weight division and walking away with a 6th place finish. Grater advanced to the semi-finals before dropping a 4-2 decision to eventual champion Chris Jones of Missouri Valley College . Grater then dropped matches to wrestlers from the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University to finish in 6th Place .

174
Blake Malloy (junior, Topeka , KS ) – 5-2 – 5th Place
Malloy followed up his outstanding performance in the Stanford Dual with a medal winning performance at the CMU Open. After advancing to the quarterfinals, Malloy came up on the short end of a 3-1 decision to eventual tournament runner-up Joey Garrity of the University of Missouri . Malloy then went 2-1 in the consolation bracket to record a 5th place finish.

184
Shawn Kuhlman (sophomore, Oakley , KS ) – 2-2
Kuhlman advanced to the quarterfinals with a huge 7-4 victory over Central Oklahoma ’s returning All-American Heath Jolley before dropping a couple of tough matches and bowing out of the tournament.

197
Ben Evans (freshman, Hutchison , KS ) – 2-2
Evans dropped his opening match to eventual 3rd place medalist, but was able to earn a couple of nice wins before falling to the University of Oklahoma’s Kyle Bergstedt in the consolation bracket.

Tyler Gonzalez (sophomore, Topeka , KS ) – 3-2
Gonzalez dropped a heart breaking three-overtime decision to eventual 5th place medal winner Jamelle Jones in the second round of the tournament, but was then able to rattle off a couple of nice wins before a consolation bracket loss to 4th place finisher Jake Johnson of Stanford.

285
Lyndon Wagner (senior, Holly , CO ) – 1-2

TIGER WRESTLERS COMPETE IN NORTHERN COLORADO OPEN; GRATER CLAIMS TITLE...

Nov. 20, 2007

The #18-ranked Fort Hays State wrestling team competed in the Northern Colorado Open this past Sunday in Greeley, Colorado. The Tigers had five individuals place in the tournament including Danny Grater, who was the 157 pound individual champion. Others who placed in the tournament were James Annon, who finished second at 141 pounds, Blake Malloy, who finished second at 174 pounds, Josh Pfannenstiel, who finished third at 149 pounds and Dustin Martin, who finished fourth at 285 pounds.

Grater, who was seeded #1 in the tournament at 157 pounds, opened with a first round bye. He then defeated Tanner Weiks of Northern Colorado by major decision 11-3. Grater next faced Trey Saxon of New Mexico Highlands and won by a 7-2 decision. In the semifinals, Grater defeated Cole Garcia of Colby Community College by major decision 14-1, advancing him to the final. In the final, Grater won by fall at 5:55 over second seeded Justin Gaethje of Northern Colorado.

Annon, who finished second in the tournament at 141 pounds, received a first round bye. Annon then defeated Kyle Oyler of Newman University by a 5-3 decision and Rocco DePaulo of Northern Colorado by a 9-3 decision to advance to the
semifinals. He then defeated in the semifinals Lyubo Kumbarov of Colby Community College by a 7-3 decision to advance to the final. In the 141 pound final, Annon lost a 10-6 decision to Kyle Francis of Western State.

Malloy, who finished second at 174 pounds, also received a first round bye. In the next two rounds, Malloy defeated Ty Brown of Chadron State by major decision 12-4 and Ryan Johnson of Northern Colorado by a 6-3 decision to reach the semifinal round. In the semifinals, he defeated Ryan Becerra of Grand Canyon by a 5-2 decision. In the 174 pound final, Malloy lost to top-seed Evan Hinebauch of Montana State-Northern by an 0-5 decision.

Pfannenstiel, who finished third at 149 pounds, received a bye in the first round. He then defeated Justin Morris of Western State by a 3-2 decision and Matthew Basquez, an unattached wrestler by major decision 11-0 to advance to the semifinal round. In the semifinals, Pfannenstiel would fall to top seed Daniel Prater of Northern Colorado by a narrow 7-6 decision, dropping him to the back side of the bracket. Pfannenstiel would respond from the loss by winning his next match over Sam Allen of Utah Valley State College by medical forfeit to reach the third place match. He then defeated Anthony Varnell of Northwest College (Wyo.) by a 4-1 decision to take third.

Martin, who finished fourth at 285 pounds, lost his first round match to #2 seed Brandon Rupp of Western Wyoming Community College by an 0-5 decision. Martin would then win an amazing five straight matches over Brian Cates of Northwest College (Wyo.) by a 3-2 decision, Pat Fletcher of Chadron State by fall at 3:41, Billy Green of Utah Valley State College by medical forfeit, Richard Hernandez of Grand Canyon by a 2-1 decision and John Hernandez of Grand Canyon by a 6-2 decision to reach the third place match. In the third place match however, Martin
would drop a tight 2-1 decision to Jesse Boggs of New Mexico Highlands to finish fourth at 285 pounds.

The Tigers also had three wrestlers compete in the Nebraska-Omaha Kaufman-Brand Open this past Saturday. However, no individuals placed in the event.

The Tigers will next be in action when they host their own FHSU-Bob Smith Open on Saturday, December 1. The event is scheduled for all day.

Six Tigers Place At FHSU-Bob Smith Open

Six Tigers Place At FHSU-Bob Smith Open
Dec. 2, 2007

The Fort Hays State University wrestling squad hosted the annual FHSU-Bob Smith Open on Saturday (December 1) at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers had six individuals place in the event, including three second-place finishers, two third and one fourth-place finisher. Wrestlers had to finish in the top four to place in the event. FHSU had 23 wrestlers participate in the event.
Junior James Annon (141), and sophomores Danny Grater (157) and Tyler Gonzales (197) all took second place in their respective weight classes.

Annon had a technical fall and two major decisions on his way to the semifinals at 141 pounds. He defeated Lyubomir Kumbarov of Colby Community College by a 5-1 decision in the semis to reach the championship match against Kyle Evans of Central Oklahoma, the #1 ranked wrestler in the weight class in NCAA Division II. Evans won the championship by a 11-1 major decision. Annon finished 4-1 in the tournament.

Grater, currently ranked #6 in NCAA Division II at 157 pounds, blazed a path to the semifinals with a major decision to open the tournament followed by a couple of decisions. Grater defeated Cole Garcia of Colby Community College in the semis by a 10-3 decision to reach the finals against Jason Leavitt of Central Oklahoma, the #2 ranked wrestler in NCAA Division II. Grater and Leavitt were tied 1-1 early in the third period, but a takedown move by Grater did not quite hit its mark and Leavitt quickly reversed the move in his favor to grab control of the match. Leavitt eventually won by an 8-3 decision. Grater finished 4-1 in the tournament.

Gonzales, currently ranked #4 in NCAA Division II at 197 pounds, used a couple of decisions to reach the semifinals. He defeated Patrick Carey of Northern Colorado in the semis by a 5-3 decision. He then faced Lars Lueders in the championship match, but lost 3-1 in overtime in the sudden victory period. Lueders was wrestling unattached for the tournament. Gonzales finished 3-1 in the tournament.

Third place finishers for the Tigers were senior Kyle Patton (125) and freshman Ben Evans (197).

Patton finished 5-1 in the tournament. Patton won his first three matches before losing to Isaac Wall of Newman University in the semifinals. Patton then won the consolation semifinals to reach the third place match against Akmal Adilov of Colby Community College. He defeated Adilov by a 7-2 decision to claim third.

Evans won his first two matches of the tournament before losing in the quarterfinals. Evans the won four consecutive matches in the consolation bracket to claim third, eventually defeating Brandon Hudiburgh of Hastings College in the third-place match. Evans had several impressive victories, posting four major decisions and one fall. He finished 6-1 in the tournament.

Blake Fisher finished fourth in the 133-pound weight class. Fisher won three consecutive matches to open the tournament before falling in the semifinals. Fisher defeated Vitaliy Ivashchenko of Air Force Prep by a 9-6 decision in the consolation semifinals. He defaulted out of tournament following the win and did not wrestle the third-place match.

The Tigers will be in action at the Nebraska-Kearney Open on Saturday, December 8. The team heads back into dual action on January 4 when it hosts Colorado Mines in Hays.

Fort Hays State Opens Conference Dual Season With Blowout Win
Jan. 4, 2008

The Fort Hays State wrestling squad hosted Colorado School of Mines on Friday evening (January 4) at Gross Memorial Coliseum in its first conference dual of the season. The #17-ranked Tigers reeled off nine consecutive wins to roll to a 39-6 win over the Orediggers.
The dual began at 125 pounds. Chad Lousberg would score the only points for Colorado Mines with a fall at 6:39 over Kyle Cook of FHSU, giving CSM the early 6-0 lead.

The Tigers would then flex their muscle and win the next nine matches to close out the dual. The scoring for the Tigers began with a 6-4 decision for Blake Fisher over Kellen Costelow of Colorado Mines at 133. FHSU would then tie the dual when James Annon defeated Cody Weitzel of Colorado Mines by an 8-3 decision at 141 pounds.

The Tigers took the lead with Josh Pfannenstiel scoring a 6-2 decision over Ryan Sprackling at 149 pounds. Danny Grater, the #8 ranked wrestler at 157 pounds in NCAA Division II, wasted no time in his match, scoring a fall over Mike Brown in 50 seconds. Already with a 15-6 lead, the Tigers quickly added 12 more points with Colorado Mines being open at 165 and 174 pounds. Troy Lussenhop (165) and Blake Malloy (174) were the beneficiaries of the forfeits.

Shawn Kuhlman continued the six-point trend for FHSU with a fall at 5:52 over Bobby Strain. It marked the fourth consecutive weight FHSU earned six points.

The last two matches provided the crowd with intense action. At 197 pounds, FHSU’s Tyler Gonzales pulled out a 3-2 win over Brennen Knerr, breaking a 1-1 tie with a takedown in the third period. In the heavyweight class, Dustin Martin of FHSU and Bryan Stansbury of CSM were knotted up 1-1 at the end of regulation. In the first overtime session, each wrestler scored one escape point in the 30-second periods. Martin would prevail with a sudden victory in the second overtime frame with a takedown in the 1-minute period.

The Tigers evened their overall dual record for the season at 1-1, and open conference action at 1-0. Colorado Mines went to 2-5 overall and 0-2 in the RMAC. FHSU hits the mat again Saturday (January 5) when it hosts Mesa State in another conference dual. The dual is set to begin at 2:00 p.m.

Wt. Fort Hays State vs. Colorado Mines Result Dual Score
125 Kyle Cook (0-1) (R-Fr., Great Bend, Kan.) Chad Lousberg (7-6) (Fr., Oklahoma City, Okla.) Fall 6:39 CSM 6 FHSU 0
133 Blake Fisher (8-6) (R-Fr, Goddard, Kan.) Kellen Costelow (1-6) (R-So., Lakewood, Colo.) Dec. 6-4 CSM 6 FHSU 3
141 James Annon (12-4) (Jr., Norton, Kan.) Cody Weitzel (4-8) (Jr., Fort Morgan, Colo.) Dec. 8-3 FHSU 6 CSM 6
149 Josh Pfannenstiel (9-6) (Sr., Hays, Kan.) Ryan Sprackling (4-9) (So., Golden, Colo.) Dec. 6-2 FHSU 9 CSM 6
157 #8 Danny Grater (12-5) (So., Green, Kan.) Mike Brown (2-3) (R-So., Sugar Land, Texas) Fall 0:50 FHSU 15 CSM 6
165 Troy Lussenhop (1-0) (Jr., Loveland, Colo.) Open Forfeit FHSU 21 CSM 6
174 Blake Malloy (12-5) (Jr., Topeka, Kan.) Open Forfeit FHSU 27 CSM 6
184 Shawn Kuhlman (3-3) (So., Oakley, Kan.) Bobby Strain (2-9) (So., Littleton, Colo.) Fall 5:52 FHSU 33 CSM 6
197 Tyler Gonzales (9-6) (So., Topeka, Kan.) Brennen Knerr (10-3) (So., Norman, Okla.) Dec. 3-2 FHSU 36 CSM 6
285 Dustin Martin (7-2) (Sr., Nixa, Mo.) Bryan Stansbury (1-4) (R-So., Littleton, Colo.) Dec. 4-2 (SV,2ot) FHSU 39 CSM 6
WINNERS ARE IN BOLD

FHSU Wrestling Lands Second Consecutive Conference Victory
Jan. 5, 2008

The Fort Hays State wrestling squad hosted Mesa State College on Saturday afternoon (January 5) at Gross Memorial Coliseum. After a win over Colorado Mines the previous evening, the #17-ranked Tigers won seven of 10 matches on their way to a 31-16 win over the Mavericks.

The dual began at 125 pounds. Each team picked up six points to start the dual as FHSU was open at 125 and MSC was open at 133. Jason Blasdel of Mesa State (125) and Blake Fisher of Fort Hays State (133) were the beneficiaries of the forfeits.

Action started up at 141 pounds with FHSU’s James Annon scoring an 11-5 decision over Keith Johnson. Annon moved to 3-0 in dual action this year and put the Tigers up 9-6.

Mesa State would respond at 149 pounds with Taylor Torisk defeating FHSU’s Josh Pfannenstiel by a major decision of 20-7. The four points gave Mesa State a 10-9 lead in the dual.

Danny Grater, ranked #8 in NCAA Division II, put the Tigers up for good in the 157-pound match with a major decision of 13-3 over Shane Smith. FHSU took a 13-10 lead into a brief intermission.

The Tigers picked up six more points at 165 pounds with Mesa State open. Troy Lussenhop picked up the forfeit win for FHSU.

The most exciting match of the afternoon came at 174 pounds. Fort Hays State’s Blake Malloy scored a 5-3 sudden victory over Shawn Hart in the second overtime period. Malloy landed a takedown in the second sudden victory period to pick up three more points for the Tigers, extending the lead to 22-10.

Andy Laiminger would be the last Mesa State wrestler to put points on the board for his team with a fall over Shawn Kuhlman at 3:25. Mesa State cut the lead to 22-16.

The Tigers were victorious in the final two matches. Tyler Gonzales picked up a 7-6 decision over Brandon Mohr at 197 pounds, breaking a 6-6 tie with his riding time accumulated in the match. Dustin Martin picked up a forfeit win at heavyweight with Mesa State open.

The Tigers moved to 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the RMAC with the win. Mesa State went to 1-6 overall and 0-2 in the RMAC. The next action for Fort Hays State will be on January 10 at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo. The Grizzlies are currently ranked #4 in NCAA Division II. The dual is set to begin at 7:00 p.m., mountain time in Alamosa.

Fort Hays State vs. Mesa State Result Dual Score
125 Open Jason Blasdel (3-10) (So., Fruita, Colo.) Forfeit MSC 6 FHSU 0
133 Blake Fisher (9-6) (R-Fr, Goddard, Kan.) Open Forfeit FHSU 6 MSC 6
141 James Annon (13-4) (Jr., Norton, Kan.) Keith Johnson (4-9) (So., Townsend, Wash.) Dec. 11-5 FHSU 9 MSC 6
149 Josh Pfannenstiel (9-7) (Sr., Hays, Kan.) Taylor Torisk (5-2) (So., Dumas, Texas) Maj. 20-7 MSC 10 FHSU 9
157 #8 Danny Grater (13-5) (So., Green, Kan.) Shane Smith (3-4) (So., Paonia, Colo.) Maj. 13-3 FHSU 13 MSC 10
165 Troy Lussenhop (2-0) (Jr., Loveland, Colo.) Open Forfeit FHSU 19 MSC 10
174 Blake Malloy (13-5) (Jr., Topeka, Kan.) Shawn Hart (9-6) (Sr., Loveland, Colo.) Dec. 5-3 (SV, 2ot) FHSU 22 MSC 10
184 Shawn Kuhlman (3-4) (So., Oakley, Kan.) Andy Laiminger (3-9) (So., Paonia, Colo.) Fall 3:25 FHSU 22 MSC 16
197 Tyler Gonzales (10-6) (So., Topeka, Kan.) Brandon Mohr (4-8) (Jr., Corunna, Mich.) Dec. 7-6 FHSU 25 MSC 16
285 Dustin Martin (8-2) (Sr., Nixa, Mo.) Open Forfeit

FHSU 31 MSC 16

WINNERS ARE IN BOLD

Wrestling
#3 Central Oklahoma Outlasts #20 Fort Hays State In Dual Action
Jan. 17, 2008
The #20 ranked Fort Hays State University wrestling team hosted the University of Central Oklahoma on Thursday evening (January 17) in Hays. Central Oklahoma won the dual by a score of 30-10, winning 7-of-10 matches in the dual.
The dual began at 125 pounds with Kyle Patton of Fort Hays State against Nick Rice of Central Oklahom. Patton put the Tigers on the board first with a 3-0 lead, after winning by a 6-0 decision in the match.

Central Oklahoma would rebound as Tim Elliott of Central Oklahoma remained undefeated this season with an 11-1 major decision over Blake Fisher. From that point, Central Oklahoma would claim the next four matches to build a commanding 18-3 lead on the Tigers.

At 141 pounds, Kyle Evans of UCO, ranked #1 in NCAA Division II, won by an 11-2 major decision over James Annon. In the 149-pound match, #7 ranked Colby Robinson of UCO defeated Josh Pfannenstiel by an 8-0 major decision.

In one of the most exciting matches of the evening, #5 ranked Jason Leavitt of UCO defeated Danny Grater by a 9-6 decision. Grater kept the pressure on Leavitt, attempting to score a takedown to tie the match in the third period, but Leavitt held off the charge.

At 165 pounds, Paul Mayfield of Central Oklahoma handed FHSU’s Troy Lussenhop his first loss of the season with a 10-3 decision. With 11 seconds remaining in the match, it looked as though Mayfield seriously injured his leg in the ankle area, but gutted out the rest of the time to pick up the win.

Fort Hays State made things interesting when Blake Malloy scored a 12-4 major decision over Kenny Meredith at 174 pounds, bringing the Tigers within striking distance as UCO led 18-7 with three matches to go.

At 184, FHSU’s Shawn Kuhlman was aggressive early against #4 ranked Heath Jolley of UCO, jumping out to a 2-1 lead in the first period. But late in the opening period, Jolley caught Kuhlman off-guard and won by fall at 2:49, securing the dual win for the Bronchos.

Tyler Gonzales would pick up the final three points of the night for FHSU with a thrilling 3-1 decision over UCO’s Jarrett Edison. With 12 seconds remaining, Gonzales scored the decisive takedown, breaking a 1-1 tie and avoiding overtime.

In the final match at heavyweight, Central Oklahoma’s Dustin Finn won by fall over Dustin Martin of FHSU in 1:57.

Unless there would have been a tie, both coaches were going for a milestone on Thursday night. With Central Oklahoma victorious, head coach David James reached the 300th win of his career, becoming the 33rd coach in collegiate history to reach the mark. James is in his 26th year and now has a career record of 300-102-4.

Fort Hays State head coach Cody Bickley will get another shot to break the FHSU record for wins by a coach when the Tigers wrestle at #12 ranked Chadron State this Saturday in Chadron, Neb. Bickley currently has 54 wins in his career at FHSU, tied atop the wins list with former coach Dave Winter. The dual at Chadron State begins at 8:00 p.m. mountain time, or 7:00 p.m. central time, on Saturday.

Eagles edge Fort Hays 22-18 in dual
January 19, 2008

Thanks largely to a pin in overtime by heavyweight Shaine Odell and an 8-7 victory by freshman Max Baker in the final match, the Chadron State College wrestling team opened its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule with a 22-18 victory over Fort Hays State on Saturday night in Chadron.
With a crowd estimated to be around 300 looking on, the Eagles needed every point they could muster.

“It shouldn’t have come down to needing a win by a true freshman, but it did,” said CSC Coach Scott Ritzen of Baker’s narrow win over Josh Pfannenstiel at 149 pounds. “That shows you what kind of freshman he is. He’s a gamer.”

Now 20-9 on the season, Baker led 7-6 entering the third period and managed an escape early in the frame. Pfannenstiel was awarded a penalty point with about a minute remaining, but Baker held off the Fort Hays State senior and initiated enough action the rest of the way to take the 8-7 triumph and give the Eagles the dual victory.

The heavyweight battle between the Eagles’ Shaine Odell and the Tigers’ Dustin Martin was another key encounter.

Martin led 3-1 entering the final period. Odell opened the third with an escape, but Martin picked up a penalty point early in the frame. Odell managed a takedown with about a minute remaining to tie the score at 4-4, but Martin regained the lead when he escaped. The score was knotted at 5-5 with about five second left when Odell was awarded a penalty point.

As the first overtime period was winding down, Martin initiated the action, but in the ensuing scramble Odell wound up on top and used a headlock to pin the Fort Hays heavyweight.

Chadron State’s other winners included Josh Majerus, who scored a major decision at 197 pounds while improving his record to 21-4. Three more Eagles, Devlon Webb at 125, Brett Hunter at 165 and Sam Udell at 184, won regular three-point decisions.

The action was the first for Hunter, the defending 165-pound Division II national champion, since he injured his neck in practice 10 days ago. He is now 22-1 for the season.

Fort Hays State’s Danny Grater at 157 pounds opened the dual with a pin in 49 seconds. The Tigers also received a pin from Blake Fisher at 133 pounds with a second left in the opening period and gained decisions from Blake Malloy at 174 and James Annon at 141.

Chadron State now has a 7-6-1 dual record. Fort Hays is 3-4. The Tigers are now 3-2 in the RMAC.

The results:

157—Danny Grater, FH, pinned J.D. Thrall 49 seconds.
165—Brett Hunter, CSC, dec. Troy Lessenhop 13-6
174—Blake Malloy, FH, dec. Willy Jones 7-6.
184—Sam Udell, CSC, dec. Shawn Kuhlman 7-0.
197—Josh Majerus, CSC, major dec. Tyler Gonzales 11-2.
Hwt—Shaine Odell, CSC, pinned Dustin Martin 7:45.
125—Devlon Webb, CSC, dec. Kyle Patton 4-3.
133—Blake Fisher, FH, pinned Ryan Zavala 2:59.
141—James Annon, FH, dec. Brady Shatto 9-5.
149—Max Baker, CSC, dec. Josh Pfannensteil 8-7.

Tigers Defeat Jets; Bickley Breaks School Record For Wins
Jan. 25, 2008

The Fort Hays State University wrestling squad was in non-conference dual action Friday evening against Newman University in Wichita, Kan. The Tigers won eight of 10 matches in the dual, on their way to a 26-12 win. It was the 55th win of head coach Cody Bickley’s career, giving him the most wins among any coach in Fort Hays State history.
The dual opened at 133 pounds with Blake Fisher of Fort Hays State facing Isaac Wall of Newman. Wall won the match by fall in 3:02 giving the Jets an early 6-0 advantage.

The Tigers would respond by winning the next five matches. At 141 pounds, FHSU’s James Annon defeated Aeron Hill of Newman by a 10-7 decision. Josh Pfannenstiel scored a 9-4 decision over James Fox at 149 pounds to knot the dual at 6-6. FHSU took a 9-6 lead with Danny Grater picking up a 2-0 decision over Clay Goodloe at 157 pounds. The lead jumped to 13-6 with Troy Lussenhop getting a major decision of 10-0 over Jake Johnston at 165 pounds. Blake Malloy picked up a 10-5 decision at 174 pounds over Steven Sprague to move the FHSU lead to 16-6.

Newman stopped the FHSU run at 184 pounds with Curtis Chenoweth winning by fall over Shawn Kuhlman of FHSU in 1:29. The second pin for the Jets brought them within striking distance with three matches to go down 16-12 to the Tigers.

At 197 pounds, FHSU’s Tyler Gonzales scored a 2-0 decision over Josh Fansler of Newman to put the FHSU lead at 19-12. Then Dustin Martin put the dual away for the Tigers at heavyweight with a 9-1 decision over Florian Temengil, running the lead to 23-12. Kyle Patton finished the dual on a good note for the Tigers with a 9-3 decision over John Hagan at 125 pounds.

Head coach Cody Bickley is now 55-40-5 in his career at FHSU. Even more interesting is that he broke the school record for wins in the 100th dual of his career. Bickley has been the head coach of the Tiger program since the beginning of the 2000-01 season, now in his eighth season. Bickley broke the old school record for wins of 54 held by Dave Winter, who coached at FHSU from 1963-70.

The Tigers moved to 4-4 overall this season with the win. Newman is now 7-7 overall. The Tigers return to dual action on Saturday, February 2 at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo. The non-conference dual is set to begin at 7:00 p.m.

Congrats to Coach Bickley and the Wrestling Tigers!

Fort Hays State 28, Central Missouri 9

125 – Kyle Patton (FHSU) dec. Caleb Hulse (UCM), 4-3
133 – Marcus Walker (UCM) wbf Blake Fisher (FHSU), 2:45
141 – James Annon (FHSU) dec. Cory Bloodgood (UCM), 13-6
149 – Eric Johnson (FHSU) dec. Cody Gillenwater (UCM), 12-5
157 – Danny Grater (FHSU) maj. dec. Vince Bertucci (UCM), 14-5
165 – Troy Lussenhop (FHSU) wins by inj. def. Jesse Sheets (UCM)
174 – Blake Malloy (FHSU) dec. Travis Barbarick (UCM), 6-3 TB
184 – Jeremy Hudson (UCM) dec. Shawn Kuhlman (FHSU), 11-6
197 – Tyler Gonzales (FHSU) dec. Kevin Domian (UCM), 3-2
285 – Dustin Martin (FHSU) dec. Cody Beck (UCM), 5-1

Good Crowd On Hand.

It's great to see the Kansas boys doing great things! It's super to see Eric Johnson returning to action!!

Do you really consider college athletes "boys"?

I consider them to be young MEN.

Yes I do consider them boys! Sometimes I'll call them young men, sometimes lads, sometimes wrestlers, sometimes grapplers, sometimes warriors ...

I believe calling them boys, in the context I did so in, is acceptable to most!!

Generally, when male athletes graduate from high school they are NO longer considered "boys".

As you know, inasmuch as we generally find each other unacceptable, I will leave it at that.

Congrats Cody and all of those young men who make it happen!!

I'm sure they'll all grow up to be a part of that FHSU "Good Old Boy" network that does so much to strengthen Kansas wrestling!!