#4 Men's Wrestling 3/4/2010 8:33:20 PM

Three Stars go 2-0 on day one of NAIA championships

Cameron Ream faces Tommy Pretty of Campbellsville (Ky.) in the 133-pound championship quarterfinals Friday.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Three Oklahoma City University individuals went through the first day of the 53rd annual NAIA wrestling championships unbeaten Thursday at Abe Lemons Arena.

Cameron Ream at 133 pounds, Nik Turner at 157 and Corey Johnson at 285 for the 13th-ranked Stars were 2-0 Thursday. The NAIA Championships continue with the championship quarterfinals and consolation rounds 10 a.m. Friday. For ticket information, go here.

The championship semifinals and consolation fourth and fifth rounds will be 6 p.m. Friday.

“Nik T, Cameron and Corey are right on track,” OCU coach Archie Randall said. “We have to get through the quarters and the semis. The tournament is bigger. The competition is better. We have eight on the backside. We're wrestling hard, and that's the most important thing.”

Ream, a freshman from Wentzville, Mo., used a near fall as time ran out to pick up a 3-0 win over Blake Hunter of Dickinson State (N.D.). Hunter accumulated two minutes of riding time through two periods.

Hunter started the third period in the down position, and Ream took away all of Hunter's riding time. Ream worked for the fall in the final minute.

Hunter prevailed over Ream in a 16-0 technical fall in the Briar Cliff Open on Feb. 6.

“Cameron upset a kid that beat him earlier in the season,” Randall said. “He controlled him on his feet, and he turned him on top. Cameron neutralizes his opponent's offense on his feet. We shut him down. He did a really good job.”

On his first match, Ream defeated Jeremy Mazon of Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 8-4 using a late near fall. Ream, ranked 10th at 133, put Mazon in a cradle, then added riding time to break a 4-4 tie. Ream faces fifth-ranked Tommy Pretty of Campbellsville (Ky.) in his quarterfinal match Friday.

Turner, a junior from Norman, Okla., moved on to the second day with a pair of falls. Turner lowered the boom on Bryce Neff of Cumberlands (Ky.) in 2:49.

Turner finished off Craig West of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) in 6:04. Turner, ranked fifth at 157, has pinned three consecutive opponents – more than the two he had his first two seasons with OCU, and Turner earned those two as a freshman. Turner's quarterfinal opponent Friday also moved on via two pins Thursday – unseeded Brian Heiberger of Northwestern (Iowa).

“Nik has become confident on his feet,” Randall said. “If your opponent is on the defensive, you have an opportunity for a fall. He has put his opponent in jeopardy to get the fall.”

Johnson, a senior from Oologah, Okla., nudged past Willie Wiggins of Lindenwood (Mo.) 7-3. Johnson overcame a 3-1 deficit, tying the bout 3-3 on a second-period takedown. Johnson recorded an escape out of the down position at the start of the third, then tacked on a takedown after he snatched one of Wiggins' legs.

Johnson picked up a 9-1 win over Missouri Baptist's Joe Kent in his first match of the tournament. Johnson is ranked sixth at 285.

Defending 285-pound champion Arjan Bhullar of Simon Fraser (British Columbia) takes on Johnson in the quarters Friday.

“Corey is doing his usual thing,” Randall said. “He is tenacious on his feet. He has better conditioning than everybody. He can go hard for the whole seven minutes. Most heavyweights can't do that. That should be the difference in his match tomorrow.”

Will Shelton-Delk of OCU advanced on a pin in 2:20 over Jon Burns of McKendree (Ill.). Jeffrey Pelton of Notre Dame (Ohio) knocked Shelton-Delk into the consolation rounds with a pin in 1:19. Pelton is ranked second at 149.

Mark Meyer scored 10 unanswered points en route to a 10-2 victory over Garrett Harrison of Cumberlands. Meyer started with a reversal, then picked up two takedowns. Meyer finished the match with a near fall and riding time.

Then Michael Hader of Great Falls (Mont.) beat Meyer 10-0 to put Meyer into the wrestleback portion of the 165-pound bracket.

Aaron Wilcox of Dana (Neb.) pinned OCU's Kidd Gomez, overcoming Gomez's 6-2 lead. Wilcox, ranked 10th at 125, caught Gomez and picked up a near fall, then stuck the move and finished off Gomez in 5:59.

Bryce Dicus of OCU also suffered a defeat by fall in 29 seconds to Chauncey Phillipps of California Baptist. Phillipps is ranked sixth at 125.

Jeremy Garner managed only three escapes in an 8-3 loss to Dana's Andrew Carrillo. Carrillo is ranked third among NAIA 141-pounders.

Bryan Wells of Campbellsville moved on with a 13-3 win over Andrew Pontikes of OCU. Wells is the ninth-ranked 174-pounder.

Derek Foore of Notre Dame rolled to an 18-1 technical fall past Jake Mabry of OCU. Foore is the top-ranked 197-pounder.

OCU's Ronnie Hood lost 5-0 to California Baptist's Frank Lopez. Lopez is rated ninth among 285-pounders.
Results
Team Standings

NAIA Championships

At Oklahoma City

Abe Lemons Arena

Oklahoma City University Results

125

Aaron Wilcox, Dana, pinned (3) Kidd Gomez, OCU, 5:59

(2) Chauncey Phillipps, California Baptist, pinned Bryce Dicus, OCU, 0:29

133

(3) Cameron Ream, OCU, dec. Jeremy Mazon, Embry-Riddle, 8-4

Cameron Ream, OCU, dec. Blake Hunter, Dickinson State, 3-0

141

Andrew Carrillo, Dana, dec. (2) Jeremy Garner, OCU, 8-3

149

(4) Will Shelton-Delk, OCU, pinned Jon Burns, McKendree, 2:20

(1) Jeffrey Pelton, Notre Dame, pinned Will Shelton-Delk, 1:19

157

(1) Nik Turner, OCU, pinned Craig West, Lindsey Wilson, 6:04

Nik Turner, OCU, pinned Bryce Neff, Cumberlands, 2:49

165

(2) Mark Meyer, OCU, maj. dec. Garrett Harrison, Cumberlands, 10-2

(3) Michael Hader, Great Falls, maj. dec. Mark Meyer, OCU, 10-0

Chris Diaz, William Penn, maj. dec. Cole Nelson, OCU, 11-2

174

(2) Bryan Wells, Campbellsville, maj. dec. Andrew Pontikes, OCU, 13-3

197

(2) Derek Foore, Notre Dame, tech. fall Jake Mabry, OCU, 18-1, 2:59

285

(2) Corey Johnson, OCU, maj. dec. Joe Kent, Missouri Baptist, 9-1

Corey Johnson, OCU, dec.(3) Willie Wiggins, Lindenwood, 7-3

(1) Frank Lopez, Dickinson State, dec. Ronnie Hood, OCU, 5-0

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