Falcons pin a loss on Orediggers, 37-12

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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  Winning eight of 10 bouts, the Air Force Academy wrestling team dominated the Colorado School of Mines, 37-12, here Feb. 11. The Falcons improve to 5-4 in dual action, while the Orediggers drop to 3-6.

The dual began with the 133-pound bout, as Falcon Matt Benza went up against Garrett Eller. Benza was the first to score, getting a quick takedown. Benza dominated in the first period, accruing 14 back points to get the 16-0 technical fall in a time of 2:42.

At 141 pounds, Air Force’s Jake Kriegbaum faced Chris Ferraro and scored a takedown at the 2:20 mark in the first period. A pair of near falls gave Kriegbaum a 7-0 lead before Ferraro managed an escape and subsequent takedown before the expiration of the first period. After an escape to start the second, Kriegbaum scored another takedown to go up 10-3. Ferraro chose the down position to begin the third period, getting a point with an escape. The margin was cut to four as Ferraro recorded a takedown, but Kriegbaum responded with a reversal in the waning moments of the match. With an extra point for riding time, Kriegbaum notched the 13-6 decision to put the Falcons up 8-0.

Bridger Lord was the first to score in the 149-pound bout, registering a takedown over Oredigger Brandon Prioreschi in the first minute of the match. With a 3-point near fall in the first, Lord took a 5-0 lead into the second period. After scoring an early escape, Lord recorded three takedowns in the second period to carry a 12-2 advantage into the final period. Lord was trapped in the down position for the first minute of period three, but scored an escape and takedown to go up 15-2. With 2:16 in riding time, Lord registered a 16-2 major decision.

Falcon Anthony Dorward and Jarrit Saul matched up at 157 pounds, with Dorward jumping out to an early 2-0 lead. Following an escape by Saul, Dorward registered the takedown that led to a fall in 1:36, his fastest of the season, as the Falcons went up 18-0.

The 165-pound match featured Air Force’s Beau Tresemer against Peter Jenson. Tresemer recorded a quick takedown, followed by a 2-point near fall, and retained the advantage for the remainder of the opening period. The second period opened with a reversal by Tresemer, but no more points were scored in the period. Tresemer started in the down position once more to begin the third period and scored a reversal with 30 seconds remaining. A 2-point near fall and 3:30 in riding time led to an 11-0 major decision for Tresemer, who notched his team-leading 28th win of the season, as Air Force went up 22-0.

The Orediggers scored first in the 174-pound match, with Zach Cornett getting a quick takedown against Air Force‘s Jacob Lynes. Cornett went on record a fall at 1:31, getting the first points of the night for the Colorado School of Mines, bringing the team score to 22-6.

Luke Lefever started out with a quick takedown against Dillon Blackmon at 184 pounds. Remaining in control for most of the period, Lefever got the fall, his 10th of the year, in a time of 2:23 as the Falcons extended their lead to 28-6.

Brenden McLean faced an evenly contested battle against D.C. Hazen at 197 pounds, as McLean registered an escape to begin the second period for the first point of the bout. Leading 1-0 at the end of the second, McLean began the third period in the top position. Hazen scored an escape to tie the match and took the lead after a point was awarded McLean’s second warning. However, McLean accumulated 1:24 of riding time to force overtime. A takedown by McLean in the first sudden victory period gave him the 4-2 decision, as Air Force went up 31-6.

The heavyweight match saw Trey McLean face off against Derek Thompson, ranked fifth in the nation at the Division II level. McLean was unfazed by Thompson’s national ranking, getting an immediate takedown and recording a fall in just 29 seconds.

With the Falcons forfeiting the 125-pound weight class, the match concluded as Air Force rolled to the 37-12 victory.

The Falcons wrestle again Feb. 18 in Lincoln, Neb.