LAS VEGAS, Nev.--CSU Bakersfield has five wrestlers still alive at the 31st annual Cliff Keen Last Vegas Invitational.
Timmy Box (R-Fr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) won his first two matches at 141 pounds to advance to the quarterfinals where he took on Michael Nevinger of Cornell. Nevinger, who is ranked No. 9 in Division I by Interma. Nevinger pinned Box 2:05 into the matchk, handing Box his first loss of the season (10-1). Box will wrestler North Dakota State's Mark Erickson in his first bout on Saturday.
Tyler Iwamura (R-Sr., San Diego, Calif., Santa Fe Christian HS) received a first round bye and the No. 5 seed, but lost for the first time this season in the second round to Harvard's Jeffery Ott. Iwamura bounced back with a 3-0 victory over Cal Poly's Evan McKirdy and defeated Arizona State's Dalton Miller 3-2 to advance into Saturday's action. Iwamura (12-1) matches up against Wyoming's Tyler Cox in the third round of the consolation bracket Saturday.
Ian Nickell (R-Fr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) entered the tournament ranked 18th by Intermat at 133 pounds. As the No. 4 seed in the tournament, Nickell got things started with a 7-5 victory over Alex Annunciation of Cal Baptist. Nickell fell 4-1 to Kent State's Kyle Bauer in the round of 16. He won his first wrestleback, 5-0 against Cornell Bricker Nixon to set up a bout against Shawn Nagel of Nebraska in the second round of wrestlebacks where Nickell earned a 5-4 victory. Nickell will wrestle Colin Johnston of West Virginia to open up Saturday's portion of the meet.
Adam Fierro (So., 157, Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) went 2-1 in session one of the tournament before defeating Cornell's Christopher Dowd 8-3 in the second round of the consolation bracket to set up a bout against Boise State's Georgi Ivanov on Saturday.
Bryce Hammond
(R-Fr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) made it to the round of 16
at 174 pounds before dropping a 3-2 decision to the fifth seed,
Missouri's Todd Porter. Porter is ranked 18th at 174 by Intermat. After
posting a tech fall in his first wrestleback, Hammond, defeated North Dakota State's Kurtis Julson 10-8. Hammond begins Saturday's wrestling against Cornell's George Pickett.
David Meza (R-Fr., 165 Fullerton, Calif., Buena Park HS) were both 2-1 in the first session of the tournament on Friday. Meza bowed out of the tournament via a technical fall loss to Curtis Cook of Utah Valley.
Reuben Franklin (So., Murrieta, Calif., Vista Murrieta HS) lost his first match at 184 but won his first wrestleback. In the second round of wrestlebacks, Franklin lost 7-4 to Nebraska-Kearney's Mark Fiala.
Frankie Hurtado
(So., Bakersfield, Calif., Liberty HS) defeated Northern Iowa's AJ McBroom to open his run at 197 pounds. In the round of 16, Wyoming's Alfonso Hernandez, the tournament's No. 2 seed, defeated Hurtado by technical fall. Hernandez is ranked fourth in the country at 197 by Intermat. Hurtado lost 13-4 to David Prieto of Utah Valley to end his tournament stay.
Sammy Cervantes (R-Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Palomar College) went 1-2 at heavyweight while Jake Briggs (R-So., Fair Oaks, Calif., Boise State) lost both of his matches in his 149-pound class.
CSUB is in 18th place (20.5) in the team scoring race. No. 5 Ohio State (85) leads the 32-team field. Wresling resumes at 9 a.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center Saturday.
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