Friday, February 26
Gunnison, Colo.
All Day
California Baptist University
vs
NCAA Division II Super West Region Championships
National Treasures
2/27/2016 4:02:00 PM | Wrestling
GUNNISON, Colo. — Five California Baptist University wrestlers advanced on to the NCAA Division II Tournament, with the Lancers taking second as a team at the Division II Super Region IV tournament. Two individuals also won regional championships for CBU, with two others taking second, to give the Lancers 112.5 points.
"If we wrestled perfect, we would've sent more, but that's the beauty of wrestling," Coach Lennie Zalesky said. "There were so many matches that were closely contested, it's difficult to have favorites in many of the matches."
Brady Bersano and Jacob Waste won regional titles in the 157 and 184-pound brackets, respectively. Heavyweight Joseph Fagiano and Nolan Kistler (165) took second place in their respective weights, while Paul Head took third at 197. Waste and Kistler have now qualified for the NCAAs in consecutive years, while Bersano advanced for the second time in as many chances after redshirting last season. It is the most grapplers CBU has sent to the NCAA Division II Championship.
Bersano grabbed a huge upset over JaCobi Jones for the Lancers' first championship. Jones is currently ranked No. 3 in Division II, but that did not stop Bersano. The senior fought hard for a 5-2 decision for the title and proved he is amongst the best in the division. Earlier, Bersano defeated fourth-ranked Chase White of Nebraska-Kearney, 4-1, in the semifinals.
"His match goes to show you just don't give up, you keep fighting and your hard work pays off," Zalesky said on Bersano's match.
Waste (184) came away as the other individual champion, beating out Jon Inman from Fort Hays State, 6-2. Waste also grabbed two major decisions and a technical fall going into the final round.
Fagiano and Kistler both competed in the finals but lost close matches in the end. Head won his last two matches to qualify for nationals, including an 11-7 comeback win over Marcus Haughian from Colorado Mesa. Peter Cunningham finished just shy of advancing to nationals by taking fourth at 141.
The Lancers will head to Sioux Falls, S.D., in two weeks time to compete at the national tournament going from March 10-11.
"All of our guys have a good chance to place at the tournament and if they wrestle the way we know they can, they will have great success," Zalesky said.
"If we wrestled perfect, we would've sent more, but that's the beauty of wrestling," Coach Lennie Zalesky said. "There were so many matches that were closely contested, it's difficult to have favorites in many of the matches."
Brady Bersano and Jacob Waste won regional titles in the 157 and 184-pound brackets, respectively. Heavyweight Joseph Fagiano and Nolan Kistler (165) took second place in their respective weights, while Paul Head took third at 197. Waste and Kistler have now qualified for the NCAAs in consecutive years, while Bersano advanced for the second time in as many chances after redshirting last season. It is the most grapplers CBU has sent to the NCAA Division II Championship.
Bersano grabbed a huge upset over JaCobi Jones for the Lancers' first championship. Jones is currently ranked No. 3 in Division II, but that did not stop Bersano. The senior fought hard for a 5-2 decision for the title and proved he is amongst the best in the division. Earlier, Bersano defeated fourth-ranked Chase White of Nebraska-Kearney, 4-1, in the semifinals.
"His match goes to show you just don't give up, you keep fighting and your hard work pays off," Zalesky said on Bersano's match.
Waste (184) came away as the other individual champion, beating out Jon Inman from Fort Hays State, 6-2. Waste also grabbed two major decisions and a technical fall going into the final round.
Fagiano and Kistler both competed in the finals but lost close matches in the end. Head won his last two matches to qualify for nationals, including an 11-7 comeback win over Marcus Haughian from Colorado Mesa. Peter Cunningham finished just shy of advancing to nationals by taking fourth at 141.
The Lancers will head to Sioux Falls, S.D., in two weeks time to compete at the national tournament going from March 10-11.
"All of our guys have a good chance to place at the tournament and if they wrestle the way we know they can, they will have great success," Zalesky said.
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