Friday, March 10
Birmingham, Ala.
8:00 AM
California Baptist University
vs
NCAA Division II Championships
Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez
Waste Wins, Lifts CBU to Third
3/11/2017 10:03:00 AM | Wrestling
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – There was more hardware to be had for California Baptist University, as its banner year ended with a trophy at the NCAA Division II Championships. The sixth-ranked Lancers took third place and crowned three All-Americans, including a national champion.
Going into its final match of the D-II Championships, Jacob Waste not only wanted to win the 197-pound national title but wanted to do so by bonus points to move his team up from fourth to third. Waste did it with relative ease, majoring Fort Hays State's Jon Inman, 10-2, and capping off his collegiate career as a three-time All-American.
CBU totaled 56.5 points in taking third place. Notre Dame (Ohio) won the team title (103.5) and St. Cloud State took second (67), while the Lancers edged out Nebraska Kearney (55.5) for third. It was an impressive feat that did not go unnoticed, as Coach Lennie Zalesky was named the D-II Coach of the Year.
"This is a credit to the team," Zalesky said. "The coach gets the plaque, but the credit goes to everyone who is a part of this program.
"These kids bounced back this morning, beating some really good All-Americans to put us in position to take home third. I'm thrilled for the team and the university."
Nick Fiegener completed an impressive debut season with the Lancers by taking second place in the 184-pound bracket, while junior Nolan Kistler secured consecutive All-American awards with a personal-best fourth-place finish at 174.
Waste advanced to the championship round with another 10-2 major decision over Shippensburg's 12th-ranked 197 Evan Ramos. It set up a Super Region IV championship rematch between the top-two wrestlers in the weight class, No. 1 Waste and No. 2 Inman.
Inman came out the aggressor early on, but Waste's superior defense kept it scoreless until he picked up a quick takedown and then rolled Inman for a four-point nearfall and a 6-0 lead at the end of the first period.
In the second, Waste worked up a quick escape for a 7-0 cushion and then used an ankle-grab takedown for a 9-0 lead 31 seconds into the frame. The Lancer built up a riding-time point in the third period to claim the 10-2 victory.
"This feels so good, I've worked really hard for this," Waste said. ""It's been a whirlwind, I just turned 24 yesterday, it's been a crazy year. I really dedicated myself and got away from any distractions."
It was an emotional week and win for Waste, whose former Lancer teammate and best friend Matt Hickman passed away over the weekend.
"It was an emotional week for sure, I know he would have wanted me to wrestle," Waste said. "I was thinking about him a lot this week."
Fiegener lived up to his No. 2 ranking at 184 pounds and punched his ticket to the D-II title match, with a 13-9 decision over Ashland's ninth-ranked Jordan Murphy. The redshirt sophomore faced a daunting championship match with Notre Dame (Ohio) senior and top-ranked Garrett Lineberger.
While Fiegener dropped the match, 15-0, it did not counteract the amazing year he had in his CBU debut. The Cal Poly transfer finished the season with a 35-3 record.
Kistler matched his No. 4 ranking for his top finish at the D-II Championships after taking seventh at 165 in 2016. The Riverside native advanced to the third-place match at 174 with a 7-3 win over fifth-ranked Bradley Metz of Findlay, an 18-0 technical fall on 11th-ranked Dalton George of Ohio Valley.
With third place on the line, Kistler and Minnesota State-Mankato's third-ranked Adam Cooling went into overtime and Cooling came out just ahead, 6-4.
RESULTS
Going into its final match of the D-II Championships, Jacob Waste not only wanted to win the 197-pound national title but wanted to do so by bonus points to move his team up from fourth to third. Waste did it with relative ease, majoring Fort Hays State's Jon Inman, 10-2, and capping off his collegiate career as a three-time All-American.
CBU totaled 56.5 points in taking third place. Notre Dame (Ohio) won the team title (103.5) and St. Cloud State took second (67), while the Lancers edged out Nebraska Kearney (55.5) for third. It was an impressive feat that did not go unnoticed, as Coach Lennie Zalesky was named the D-II Coach of the Year.
"This is a credit to the team," Zalesky said. "The coach gets the plaque, but the credit goes to everyone who is a part of this program.
"These kids bounced back this morning, beating some really good All-Americans to put us in position to take home third. I'm thrilled for the team and the university."
Nick Fiegener completed an impressive debut season with the Lancers by taking second place in the 184-pound bracket, while junior Nolan Kistler secured consecutive All-American awards with a personal-best fourth-place finish at 174.
Waste advanced to the championship round with another 10-2 major decision over Shippensburg's 12th-ranked 197 Evan Ramos. It set up a Super Region IV championship rematch between the top-two wrestlers in the weight class, No. 1 Waste and No. 2 Inman.
Inman came out the aggressor early on, but Waste's superior defense kept it scoreless until he picked up a quick takedown and then rolled Inman for a four-point nearfall and a 6-0 lead at the end of the first period.
In the second, Waste worked up a quick escape for a 7-0 cushion and then used an ankle-grab takedown for a 9-0 lead 31 seconds into the frame. The Lancer built up a riding-time point in the third period to claim the 10-2 victory.
"This feels so good, I've worked really hard for this," Waste said. ""It's been a whirlwind, I just turned 24 yesterday, it's been a crazy year. I really dedicated myself and got away from any distractions."
It was an emotional week and win for Waste, whose former Lancer teammate and best friend Matt Hickman passed away over the weekend.
"It was an emotional week for sure, I know he would have wanted me to wrestle," Waste said. "I was thinking about him a lot this week."
Fiegener lived up to his No. 2 ranking at 184 pounds and punched his ticket to the D-II title match, with a 13-9 decision over Ashland's ninth-ranked Jordan Murphy. The redshirt sophomore faced a daunting championship match with Notre Dame (Ohio) senior and top-ranked Garrett Lineberger.
While Fiegener dropped the match, 15-0, it did not counteract the amazing year he had in his CBU debut. The Cal Poly transfer finished the season with a 35-3 record.
Kistler matched his No. 4 ranking for his top finish at the D-II Championships after taking seventh at 165 in 2016. The Riverside native advanced to the third-place match at 174 with a 7-3 win over fifth-ranked Bradley Metz of Findlay, an 18-0 technical fall on 11th-ranked Dalton George of Ohio Valley.
With third place on the line, Kistler and Minnesota State-Mankato's third-ranked Adam Cooling went into overtime and Cooling came out just ahead, 6-4.
RESULTS
Players Mentioned
WRESTLING VS NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Monday, October 28
WRESTLING VS SIUE
Monday, October 28
WRESTLING VS SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Monday, October 28
CBU WRESTLING VS AIR FORCE
Monday, October 28
