Can't
get to the game? Don't worry, we've got ya covered.
Rencountre shows heart in win
2/15/2010
Tigers suffer dual loss to No. 1 UNO
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
On Valentine's Day, it was only fitting that Chance Rencountre showed a lot of heart.
Rencountre, a junior 184-pounder for the Fort Hays State University wrestling team, pulled off a gritty, 13-9 upset of fourth-ranked senior Austin Boehm of University of Nebraska-Omaha.
The Tigers got three more wins against the top-ranked Mavericks, the defending national champions, but it wasn't enough. UNO claimed a 28-12 victory on Sunday at Gross Memorial Coliseum to snap Fort Hays' school-record streak of dual wins at 10.
Fort Hays is now 11-4 overall in duals after a pair of wins earlier in the day against the two other wrestling schools in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Tigers rolled past Truman State (Mo.) University 44-3, then defeated University of Central Missouri, 29-18.
UNO won all three of its duals, while Central Missouri defeated Truman State.
Fort Hays got the big crowd going early against UNO with fourth-ranked senior 125-pounder Tommy Edgmon starting out with a 3-1 win over second-ranked freshman Terrell McKinney.
The Tigers also got close wins at 157 and 165. Senior Danny Grater, ranked fourth at 157, edged second-ranked freshman George Ivanov 3-2, while at 165, seventh-ranked senior Blake Malloy claimed a 2-1 decision over sophomore Nathan Sigman, who entered the day with 31 wins but was unranked.
"Danny's match was exciting, Blake's match was exciting, Tommy's too," Fort Hays coach Chas Thompson said. "Most of the exciting matches were our wins."
Perhaps none were more pulsating than Rencountre's victory at 184 pounds.
In the first period, Rencountre had the fans on their feet as he almost pinned Boehm.
"I thought we had him pinned in the first period," Thompson said.
Instead, the match continued on, and Rencountre led 6-4 after the first period.
"The throw in the first period gave me a three-point (lead at 5-2)," Rencountre said. "Once I get points, it's hard to beat me."
Rencountre led 8-4 entering the third period, and was ahead 10-7 when the match was stopped with 43 seconds remaining. Rencountre had his leg worked on by the trainers before the match resumed.
"I was just trying to tie him up," Rencountre said of the final seconds. "He's a real goer ... just try to slow him down."
Both wrestlers received penalty points during a match that was stopped on several occasions.
"Seemed like every 30 seconds getting penalty points," Thompson said.
The crowd was cheering Rencountre on late in the match, smelling an upset as the final seconds ticked off. With one leg, Rencountre held on for the victory as the Tiger fans roared their approval.
"Chase is a real tough kid," Thompson said.
Rencountre said he told the trainers he was going back out on the mat, no matter what.
"I said, "Let's wrestle' ,"Rencountre said. "Make it out there alive."
Rencountre had beaten Boehm earlier in the season when both wrestlers were at 197 pounds. Since dropping down to 184, Rencountre (19-6) has lost only once.
"Still under the radar," said the unranked Rencountre. "Just need to earn some respect. This match earns me a lot of respect."
All of the UNO wins were by wrestlers ranked at least third in the nation.
The Mavericks got a pin by No. 2 senior Cody Garcia over sophomore Travis Kuhn at 133 pounds, while second-ranked freshman Aaron Denson pinned senior Shawn Kuhlman at 174. UNO also got a fall by top-ranked senior Jacob Marrs over freshman Steven Kyler at 197.
Junior Mario Morgan, ranked third at 141 pounds, won by major decision over Tiger sophomore Aldo Isenberg. At 149, Maverick sophomore Esai Dominguez, ranked third, slipped past Tiger senior Levi Younkin, 3-2.
In the final match, at 285 pounds, Fort Hays sophomore Justin Glenn suffered a finger injury in the first period and was worked on by the trainers before returning with his hand wrapped. Glenn ended up losing 5-2 to freshman Elijah Madison, ranked No. 2 in the nation.
"I think it totally affected him," Thompson said of Glenn's injury. "After he got hurt, mentally, he was out of the match."
Wrestling UNO tough wasn't enough for Thompson.
"I think most people counted us out," Thompson said. "They're the No. 1 team in the country.
"It's a moral victory for some people," Thompson added. "Not me."
The Tigers will have their final home action on Wednesday with a triangular which will decide the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) University, ranked 20th in the nation, and ninth-ranked University of Nebraska-Kearney come to town to face the 15th-ranked Tigers.
Grand Canyon is 6-1 in the conference while UNK and Fort Hays are both 7-0.
Kearney and Grand Canyon will wrestle at 3 p.m. at GMC, followed by Fort Hays and Grand Canyon at 5 p.m. and then Fort Hays and UNK at 7 p.m.
"That's our rivals," Thompson said of UNK. "Hopefully, it will be an atmosphere like tonight against Omaha.
"Hopefully," Thompson added, "end in a different fashion."
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 2/18 | SW Baptist | L 66-53 | |
| 12/1 | Oklahoma - Panhandle | L 66-60 (OT) | |