Reporter
The CSU Bakersfield Wrestling team defeated Utah Valley University 27-19 on Jan. 16th at the Icardo center.
“The pins made a big difference in this (dual).” said CSUB head coach Mike Mendoza.
Photo by Alejandra Flores/The Runner
CSUB were only able to win 4 out of the 10 matches. Without the two pins and technical fall by CSUB, the majority of the points would have been in favor to the Wolverines.
Utah went in to this meet after a loss to Stanford with a score of 37-5.
“Sergio (Mendez) did a good job fighting all the way through,” said Mendoza. “We were really close to scoring, we didn’t capitalize in in some of the positions that we could have.”
CSUB redshirt-senior Adam Fierro (11-7) was moved up to the 174 pound weight class from 165 pound weight class. This was done because they received a forfeit in the 165 weight class and so they had an opening in 174.
“He started off strong, but we knew it’d be a toll on him,” said coach Mendoza. Fierro wrestled against Utah redshirt-senior Ross Taylor (6-6) of Utah Valley. The match between Fierro and Taylor ended 13-5 in favor of Ross Taylor.
CSUB redshirt-sophomore Coleman Hammond (15-8) wrestled against Utah sophomore Matthew Ontiveros (8-10) and won by technical fall with the overall score being 17-1.
“I kind of came out fast and then had trouble on my turns but I got the points where it counted. I wanted that pin though,” said Hammond.
He finished the match at the end of the 2nd period and was fighting for a win for himself and his team.
CSUB redshirt-senior Reuben Franklin (23-5) had another great match as he pinned Utah redshirt-freshman Aryton Almberg (2-5) within a minute into the first period.
“Went out there like any other match, got prepared and worked on what I need to work on,” said Franklin. “The goal is to go out there and get them good every time, and so this time I was able to get him.”
Franklin is ranked sixth in the nation. The CSUB wrestling team improves to a 7-2 record so far in the season and a 2-0 record in the PAC-12.
The CSUB wrestling team will travel to South Dakota as it faces off against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at 3 p.m. and South Dakota State at 7 p.m. on Jan. 22.
