March 14, 2008

Upper Iowa began wrestling in the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships this morning at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Peacocks are the host team for this year's Championship. Session One began this morning at 11:00 a.m. and featured one match each for the 160 National Qualifiers. The Peacocks' six qualifiers won three of their six matches in the first round. All six Peacock wrestlers will now wrestle again tonight in session two as they continue their quest to become All-Americans.

Junior Tyler Mumbulo opened Friday's battle with Caleb Hulse of the University of Central Missouri. Mumbulo started aggressivly and sustained his intensity throughout the match. Both Hulse and Mumbluo took the first period to feel each other out. The All-American Peacock scored a takedown with 1:10 left in the opening period to lead 2-0 heading into the second. Mumbulo built up his riding time in the second period. Tyler continued his tough wrestling in the third period with a reversal to extend his lead to 4-0. A quick, athletic move by Mumbulo landed him three near fall points as the junior pulled away 7-0. With riding time Mumbulo pushed the match to a major decision 8-0. Mumbulo advanced to session two to face Arsenia Barksdale of Adams State College.

Tee Adams began his day wrestling Colby Robinson from the University of Central Oklahoma. Adams was taken down at the beginning of period one, but quickly gained a point when Robinson was penalized for using an illegal move. Robinson began the second period with a 2-1 lead. Robinson and Adams exchanged reversals, and Adams was down 6-3 at the end of the period. Period three had a slow pace, but with 36 seconds left in the match Robinson scored another takedown before allowing Adams a reversal to finish the match. The Broncho wrestler added an additional point with a 4:21 riding time advantage. Adams will face Brian Pogel of Mercyhurst College in the first consolation round of session two this evening.

Junior Travis Eggers started his run at the Championships on the right foot defeating his opponent, Neil Samples of Western State, by decision, 7-4. Eggers opened the match very quickly, gaining a near-takedown right from the referee's opening whistle. He then gained a 2-0 advantage one minute into the match with a takedown before adding three near fall points 20 seconds later. The first period ended with Samples gaining an escape to close the gap to 5-1. After an uneventful second period, Samples looked to close Eggers' lead with a takedown that narrowed the margin to 6-4. However, that would be as close as Samples would get as a late escape from Eggers cemented a 7-4 victory. Eggers will now face Andy Lamancusa from Mercyhurst in session two later this evening.

Mitch Norton started his day with a hard fought match against J.J. Davis of University of North Carolina-Pembroke. Davis notched a first period takedown with 1:50 left to lead 2-0. Norton was able to earn an escape and bring the score to 2-1. The second period was a slow one as Davis built his riding time advantage. Norton scored another escape and tied the match at 2-2 ending the second period. Davis opened the third period with an escape to pull ahead 3-2. Norton escaped with the clock running down under 20 seconds to close the gap but with riding time looming, Norton gave an escape to Davis, but was unable to rally for the win. Davis added the riding time point to win 7-5. Norton will wrestle Jesse Sheets of Central Missouri in the first round consolation match in session two.

Matt Norton started his first round match slowly before a fierce comeback in the second and third periods that fell just short, as he fell by an 11-10 margin to Trevor Gallo from Mercyhurst. The first period saw Gallo get out to a 5-0 lead before Norton gained a reversal and a takedown to narrow the lead to 5-4. A Gallo reverse ended the period at 7-4 in Gallo's favor. An escape and a takedown strengthened Gallo's lead to 10-4 before Norton went on a 6-point rally late in the second and into the third period to even things up at 10-10. However, it wasn't enough as Gallo's ride time advantage broke the tie and gave him the 11-10 victory. Norton will head to the mat next to save his tournament life in session two against Tyler Gonzales of Fort Hays State.

Dan Goodson took the mat against Cody Beck from the University of Central Missouri. The wrestlers used the first period to feel each other out and went into period two scoreless. Beck began period two on the bottom and got a quick escape just 36 seconds into the period. He followed that with a takedown. Goodson would get an escape and went into period three down 3-1. Goodson earned a quick escape to start the period, and as time ran down Beck was called for a stalling penalty ending the third period in a 3-3 tie. In the first overtime period, Goodson held Beck down and earned an escape, but was called for stalling to send the match into a second overtime. The second overtime was more of the same for Goodson as he escaped from the bottom and did not allow Beck to get on his feet to win the match. Goodson will face Tervel Dlagnev from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in session two later tonight.

Session Two will open with the Grand March at 5:30 featuring the qualified student-athletes and coaches from all 37 institutions represented. Session Two's action will restart on the mats at 6 p.m. this evening.