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Mustangs Place Two On All-GPAC First-Team
Stevenson Is 184 Lb. GPAC Champion
 Jake Stevenson is the 2007 NAIA 184 lb. national champion after he defeated No. 1-ranked Joffre Lander of Embry-Riddle University 3-1 in the title bout on Saturday evening in the NAIA Wrestling Championships at Sioux City’s Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena.
Stevenson did all of his scoring in the second period with an escape and a take down to take a 3-0 lead into the final stanza. Lander scored an escape 15 seconds into the third period to close within 3-1, but was unable to take Stevenson down.
Stevenson, who was ranked third in the nation, finished the season with a 23-1 record and became Morningside’s first-ever wrestling national champion. He won his final 11 matches of the season after he returned from a broken jaw he suffered against Austin Hayes of Buena Vista University on Nov. 29. Stevenson defaulted in that match for his only loss of the season.
The victory in the finals was the school-record 101st of Stevenson’s Morningside career. He has a career mark of 101-20 with the Mustangs.
He reached the title bout with a 5-3 overtime victory against Mariano Sanchez of Menlo College in Saturday morning’s semifinals in a match where Sanchez was his own worst enemy. Sanchez, who led 3-0 going into the final period, saw his margin trimmed to 3-1 when Stevenson escaped with 1:49 left in the match and he was later assessed two separate penalty points for stalling to send the match into overtime tied at 3-3.
Neither competitor was able to score a take down during the first one-minute overtime. Stevenson rode out Sanchez in the second overtime period and he began the final overtime period in the down position. Stevenson scored the go-ahead point in the third overtime when Sanchez was assessed a penalty point for locking his hands. Stevenson then scored an escape to account for the final margin.
Stevenson, a two-time NAIA All-American with fourth place finishes at 174 lbs. in 2005 and 2006, yielded just one point while winning his first two matches on Friday. He opened the tourney with a 9-0 major decision against Chas Maloch of McKendree College and then scored a 3-1 triumph against Nigel Kinworthy of Missouri Baptist University.
Stevenson and Kinworthy, who placed sixth at last year’s national tourney, battled to a scoreless standoff through the first two periods. Stevenson took a 2-0 lead with a reversal less than 20 seconds into the third period. Kinworthy scored an escape just before time expired, but that point was offset by Stevenson’s riding time advantage.
Stevenson advanced to the semifinals with an 8-4 victory against eighth-ranked Kyle Frawley of Lindenwood University in Friday’s quarterfinals.
In other matches involving Morningside wrestlers:
125 lbs. – Bradley Gustafson dropped a 14-4 opening round bout against defending NAIA National Champion Delrico Choates of the University of the Cumberlands. Choates, ranked second in the nation, improved his record to 27-5 with the victory. Gustafson advanced in the wrestlebacks with a win by forfeit against Shamar Haynes of William Penn University. Haynes was one of several William Penn competitors who were unable to get to Sioux City because of a blizzard. Gustafson was eliminated after an 8-3 loss against fourth-ranked Cory Johnston of Dickinson State University to finish the season with a record of 21-13.
133 lbs. – Chris Utesch made an impressive showing in his first round match with a 15-0 technical fall against Alex Varela of Menlo College. Utesch then lost by a 15-0 technical fall against third-ranked Ryan Moyer of Lindenwood in the second round. Utesch stayed alive with a 16-1 technical fall triumph against Eric Rogers of Cumberland University. Utesch’s season came to an end with a 2-0 loss against Eric Graham of Dana College to bow out with a record of 35-11.
141 lbs. – Jared Pickett won by forfeit against Dustin Howa of William Penn in the first round. Howa was one of several William Penn competitors who were unable to get to Sioux City because of a blizzard. Pickett dropped a 7-4 verdict against eighth-ranked Chris Smith of Montana State University-Northern in the second round. Pickett defeated Rob Thomas of Waldorf College by a 10-2 major decision in the wrestlebacks. Brian Graham of Dana eliminated Pickett with an 8-4 decision to close out Pickett’s season with a record of 26-15.
157 lbs. – Matt Gustafson received a first round bye before he dropped a 6-0 decision against fourth-ranked Chad Jennings of Missouri Valley College in the second round. Gustafson stayed alive in the wrestlebacks with a 6-5 decision against Kelly Rydberg of Waldorf. Gustafson was eliminated after an 8-2 loss against eighth-ranked Aaron Winning of McKendree. Gustafson finished the season with a record of 35-15.
165 lbs. – Erin Hume received a first round bye before he lost 8-4 against second-ranked Jake Dieffenbach of Lindenwood, the defending champion, in the second round. Hume won by fall in his first match in the wrestlebacks when he needed just 25 seconds to dispose of Bacone University’s Leif Olson. Hume won by fall again when he stopped Grant Hoppel of the University of the Cumberlands in 4:45. Hume’s season ended with a 6-4 loss against second-ranked Ryan Smith of the University of Great Falls in the wrestleback quarterfinals. Hume finished the season with a record of 19-19. Bob Seger was pinned in 4:33 by Smith in his first round bout. Seger was eliminated with a 17-12 loss against Rick Cook of McKendree in the first round of wrestlebacks to finish the season with a record of 13-17.
174 lbs. – Weston Frahm received a first round bye and then lost 6-2 against No. 1-ranked Mike Kummer of the University of Great Falls in the second round. Frahm’s season came to an end after a 10-8 loss against Matt Reis of the University of the Cumberlands. Frahm finished with a record of 23-21. Eric Hume lost by a 10-4 decision against Brandon Wyms of McKendree in the first round and was eliminated after a 9-5 setback against Reis. Hume finished with a record of 17-18.
184 lbs. – Zach Andersen was pinned in 2:45 by Marianno Sanchez of Menlo in the first round, but rebounded with a 15-0 technical fall against Brock Nelson of the University of Sioux Falls in the first round of wrestlebacks. Andersen was eliminated when he lost by fall in 2:30 against seventh-ranked Luke Borneman of Cumberland. He finished the season with a record of 15-12.
197 lbs. – Cole Wilson won by fall in the opening round when he stopped Jamie Brisbin of York College in 4:38. Wilson dropped an 11-3 major decision against second-ranked Glen Jackson of Campbellsville University in the second round. Wilson stayed alive with a 6-1 decision against Ike Okenwa of Missouri Baptist University in the wrestlebacks. Wilson dropped a 2-1 decision against Seth Theriot of Missouri Valley College in the wrestleback quarterfinals to finish the season with a record of 20-14.
Click here for complete brackets.
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Jake Stevenson |
Jared Pickett |
Jake Stevenson and Jared Pickett are both on the first-team of the 2007 All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Wrestling Team.
Stevenson, a junior from Petersburg, Neb., was the 184 lb. champion at this past Saturday’s inaugural GPAC Wrestling Championships held at Mitchell, S.D. Stevenson, who wrestled for the first time since he broke his jaw in November, improved his season’s record to 14-1.
Pickett was the 141 lb. runner-up at the GPAC Championships and has a 24-11 record this season.
In addition to their two first-team selections, the Mustangs’ Chris Utesch, a sophomore from Akron, Iowa, and Weston Frahm, a sophomore from Plainview, Neb., are both on the All-GPAC second team. Utesch was the 133 lb. runner-up at the GPAC Championships and has a 32-7 record. Frahm was the 174 lb. GPAC runner-up and has a 22-18 record.
Morningside’s Bradley Gustafson and Cole Wilson received All-GPAC honorable mention honors. Gustafson, a freshman from Aurelia, Iowa, has a 17-9 record at 125 lbs. and Wilson, a sophomore from Oakland, Iowa, has a 19-10 record at 197 lbs.
Click here for the complete 2007 All-GPAC Wrestling Team.
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Jake Stevenson |
Jake Stevenson, a junior from Petersburg, Neb., made a triumphant return to the mat by winning the 184 lb. individual championship at the first inaugural GPAC Wrestling Championships held Saturday at Mitchell, S.D.
Stevenson, in his first action since suffering a broken jaw in a dual against Buena Vista University on Nov. 29, defeated Logan Jordaryl by a technical fall in 6:39 in the 184 lb. title bout. Earlier in the tournament he received a first round bye and then won an 8-1 decision against Briar Cliff’s Enyia Chibuike in the semifinals.
Stevenson, who improved his season’s record to 14-1, is the winningest wrestler in Morningside history with a career mark of 92-20.
His first place effort helped lead Morningside to a third place finish in the six-school team standings.
Morningside had three runner-ups with second place finishes from Chris Utesch, a sophomore from Akron, Iowa, at 133 lbs.; Jared Pickett, a junior from David City, Neb., at 141 lbs.; and Weston Frahm, a sophomore from Plainview, Neb., at 174 lbs.
Utesch scored an 8-0 major decision against the Jake Cawthorne of the University of Sioux Falls in the first round and then advanced to the finals with a 5-3 decision against Crinzi Angelo of Briar Cliff in the semifinals. Utesch dropped a 6-2 decision against Jordan Keckler of Northwestern College in the 133 lb. title bout to put his season’s record at 32-7.
Pickett, 24-11, advanced to the 141 lb. final with an opening round bye and a 3-1 overtime victory against Northwestern’s Levi Price in the semifinals. Pickett lost 18-3 by technical fall against Terrance Almond of Dana College in the championship match.
Frahm, 22-18, suffered a 12-3 loss against Northwestern’s Enock Francois in the 174 lb. championship match. Frahm had reached the finals with a 5-0 shutout of Briar Cliff’s Jason Kruse and a 6-2 win against Derrick Pomranky of Sioux Falls in the semifinals.
Morningside’s Bradley Gustafson, a freshman from Aurelia, Iowa, placed third at 125 lbs.; Zach Andersen, a junior from Parkersburg, Iowa, placed third at 184 lbs.; and Cole Wilson, a sophomore from Oakland, Iowa, placed third at 197 lbs.
The Mustangs will compete in the NAIA North Central Region Championship on Feb. 17 at Dickinson, N.D.
Click here for complete results.
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