Wyoming wins NCAA Western Regionals with five champions, beating UNI by six points
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VIDEO: Wyoming Coach Mark Branch interview
VIDEO: 2011 Western Regional matches and interviews
By Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
03/06/2011
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Led by five individual champions, Wyoming won the team title for the second straight year at the NCAA Western Regional Championships on Sunday.
Wyoming won by six points over top rival Northern Iowa, which had two individual champions. Last year, Wyoming won by just one half point over Northern Iowa, snapping the Panthers’ 24 year streak as Western Regional champions.
Individual champions for the Cowboys were Michael Martinez (125), Cole Dallaserra (149), Shane Onufer (165), Patrick Martinez (174) and L.J. Helbig (197). All five earned automatic spots in the NCAA Championships. Martinez and Onufer won their third Western Regional title.
A sixth Cowboy, returning All-American Joe LeBlanc (184) was upset in the finals, and won a true-second match to get the sixth automatic NCAA qualifying spot for the team.
“It was crazy again. It is crazy every year,” said Wyoming coach Mark Branch. “We had a moment after the first round where we took good control of the tournament. Everything was going good. We came out in the consolation rounds and didn’t respond at all. It was a horrible round. The guys in the finals stepped up. We had head-to-head matches that were critical. We had three guys avenge recent losses. That’s a great victory. We pushed six into the NCAAs, and that’s the bottom line here. So I feel great about that.”
Going into the medal round, Northern Iowa had a ˝ point lead going into the medal match finals, 77.5 to 77. UNI caught up with Wyoming in the consolation semifinals, by putting four athletes into bronze-medal matches.
Wyoming won three of the five head-to-head showdowns with Northern Iowa, which was an important part of the winning formula this year.
A key win came at 149 pounds, where No. 2 seed Dellaserra beat top seed Brett Robbins of Northern Iowa, 3-2. In regulation, Robbins got a reversal, and Dallaserra scored two escapes. There was no takedown in the sudden victory period. Dallaserra rode Robbins in the next period. Robbins cut Dallaserra loose for an escape, and could not get a takedown as time ran out.
UNI had an upset win over Wyoming, however, at 184 pounds, when Ryan Loder defeated LeBlanc, 4-3 with a key point going to Loder when LeBlanc was penalized a technical point for jumping from the bottom position.
Northern Iowa’s individual champions were Loder and Christian Brantley (285). The Panthers ended up with three NCAA qualifiers, with David Bonin winning his true second match at 157. It was Brantley’s third straight Western Regional title.
The Outstanding Wrestler was Cole VonOhlen of Air Force, the champion at 141 pounds. VonOhlen didn’t give up a point in the tournament, and scored a 16-0 technical fall over Justin Morrill of Utah Valley in the finals.
Other individual champions were Flint Ray of Utah Valley (133) and Vince Salminen of North Dakota State (157). Both won their second Western Regional title.
Western Regional finals
125 – Michael Martinez (Wyoming) dec. Caleb Flores (Northern Iowa), 3-1, sv.
133 – Flint Ray (Utah Valley) dec. Casey Cruz (Northern Colorado), 5-4
141 – Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) tech. fall Justin Morrill (Utah Valley), 16-0
149 – Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming) dec. Brett Robbins (Northern Iowa), 3-2, ot
157 – Vince Salminen (North Dakota State) pin David Bonin (Northern Iowa), 5:28
165 – Shane Onufer (Wyoming) dec. Steven Monk (North Dakota State), 9-3
174 – Patrick Martinez (Wyoming) dec. Joe Stafford (Air Force), 6-2
184 – Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) dec. Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming), 4-3
197 – L.J. Helbig (Wyoming) dec. Andy O’Laughlin (Northern Iowa), 13-4
285 – Christian Brantley (Northern Iowa) dec. Matthew McLaughlin (Wyoming), 3-1
Third place matches
125 – Ben Kjar (Utah Valley) dec. Aaron Pickrel (South Dakota State), 7-1
133 – Derek Gillespie (Air Force) dec. Ryan Jauch (Northern Iowa), 10-6
141 – Joey Lazor (Northern Iowa) tech. fall Geoff Martin (North Dakota State), 15-0
149 – Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado) pin Mark Erickson (North Dakota State), 1:15
157 – Nick Flynn (South Dakota State) dec. Tanner Weicks (Northern Colorado), 5-4
165 – Clayton Gable (Air Force) pin Trevor Kittleson (Northern Iowa), 6:13
174 – Brad Darrington (Utah Valley) pin Brice Wolf (Northern Iowa), 2:02
184 – Kenny Moenkedick (North Dakota State) pin Casen Eldridge (Utah Valley), 2:03
197 – Neil Delaney (Air Force) dec. Drew Ross (North Dakota State), 4-1
285 – Jared Erickson (Air Force) vs. Kevin Kelly (South Dakota State)
True Second Place matches
(do not count towards team race, but for NCAA qualification)
125 - Ben Kjar (Utah Valley) dec. Caleb Flores (Northern Iowa), 3-2
133 - Derek Gillespie (Air Force) dec. Casey Cruz (Northern Colorado), 6-4
149 - Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado) dec. Brett Robbins (Northern Iowa), 5-4
157 - David Bonin (Northern Iowa) dec. Nick Flynn (South Dakota State), 11-4
165 - Steven Monk (North Dakota State) dec. Clayton Gable (Air Force), 7-6
174 - Brad Darrington (Utah Valley) dec. Joe Stafford (Air Force), 4-1
184 - Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) dec. Kenny Moenkedick (North Dakota State), 13-4
NCAA automatic qualifiers
125 (2) – Michael Martinez (Wyoming), Ben Kjar (Utah Valley)
133 (1) – Flint Ray (Utah Valley)
141 (2) – Cole VonOhlen (Air Force), Justin Morrill (Utah Valley)
149 (2) – Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming), Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado)
157 (2) – Vince Salminen (North Dakota State), David Bonin (Northern Iowa)
165 (1) – Shane Onufer (Wyoming)
174 (1) – Patrick Martinez (Wyoming)
184 (2) – Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa), Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming)
197 (1) – L.J. Helbig (Wyoming)
285 (1) – Christian Brantley (Northern Iowa)
Team Standings
1. Wyoming, 93
2. Northern Iowa, 87
3. Air Force, 59
4. North Dakota State 45.4
5. Utah Valley, 41.5
6. Northern Colorado, 24
7. South Dakota State, 14
