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
