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FHSU falls just short in RMAC
2/18/2010
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
It almost seemed like wrestling with one hand tied behind your back.
A short-handed Fort Hays State University wrestling team took on rival University of Nebraska-Kearney for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title Wednesday night in Gross Memorial Coliseum.
Both 14th-ranked Fort Hays and seventh-ranked Kearney had beaten 20th-ranked Grand Canyon (Ariz.) University earlier in the day in the conference triangular to set up a showdown of two teams unbeaten in RMAC duals.
Fort Hays started out with wins by third-ranked senior Tommy Edgmon at 125 pounds (3-1 over freshman Danny Luttrell) and by sophomore Travis Kuhn at 133 (6-2 over freshman Jordan White) to take a 6-0 lead, but the thin ranks took a toll as the dual progressed. Kearney won going away, 26-9.
The Tigers were without junior 184-pounder Chance Rencountre, the RMAC wrestler of the Week, who suffered a knee injury in an upset win against top-ranked University of Nebraska-Omaha on Sunday.
Fort Hays coach Chas Thompson said Rencountre -- who has won 13 straight matches -- could have wrestled, but he wanted to make sure he was healthy for postseason.
"We want to have him for the regional," Thompson said.
Rencountre's absence also affected the Tigers at 174. Senior Shawn Kuhlman, who normally wrestles at 174, moved up to 184, where he was pinned in the first period by Kearney senior Derek Ross. Filling in at 174 was redshirt freshman J.T. Hudson, who has been wrestling at 149 for the Tigers. Hudson lost by technical fall against Loper senior Marty Usman, ranked No. 1 in the nation.
"He did an OK job, took one for the team," Thompson said of Hudson.
As well, Tiger junior Andre Harrison, ranked second at 141 pounds, was held out again with a knee injury. Thompson also wanted to save him for the regional.
Sophomore Aldo Isenberg has wrestled well in Harrison's absence in recent duals. Thompson thought he had a shot at winning Wednesday, but Isenberg lost 6-4 to junior Tyler Baker.
Fort Hays also lost at 149, with senior Levi Younkin falling 8-3 to sophomore T.J. Hepburn, ranked fourth in the nation.
Danny Grater, ranked fourth at 157, gave the Tigers their last win of the night, beating senior Aaron Hill 6-1. That gave Fort Hays a 9-6 lead, its last of the night.
Any realistic chance of a Tiger win disappeared with senior Blake Malloy's loss at 165 pounds.
Malloy, ranked seventh, was beaten 2-1 by senior Taylor May.
"Malloy's (loss) hurt real bad," Thompson said. "(May's) been ranked (most of the) year, returning All-American."
After Malloy's loss, Thompson, who usually paces the mat watching his wrestlers in action, sat down for several minutes.
"It hurts pretty bad," Thompson said. "Pretty down middle of the dual,"
It got worse. After Hudson and Kuhlman's losses, freshman Steven Kyler was pinned at 197 by sophomore Justin McKain and 285-pound sophomore Justin Glenn also was pinned, by junior Ben Hohensee.
"Definitely was a snowball effect," Thompson said.
Fort Hays finished the regular season with a 12-5 overall record and 8-1 in the RMAC. The next action for the Tigers will be Feb, 27, at the NCAA Division II West Regional/RMAC Championships in Alamosa, Colo.
"Hopefully, they refocus," Thompson said. "They have to put this loss behind them."
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 2/18 | SW Baptist | L 66-53 | |
| 12/1 | Oklahoma - Panhandle | L 66-60 (OT) | |