Roadrunners stay hot, cruise past Ducks, 29-6

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007 CSUB Sports Information News Release

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Cal State Bakersfield opened the new year in convincing fashion with an easy 29-6 win over the University of Oregon at the Icardo Center on Tuesday evening.

In front of a small, but raucous, crowd of 168, the Roadrunners won early and often, with some of Bakersfield’s wrestlers making a case to either be included or moved higher in the Pac-10 rankings. Heavyweight Eric Parker picked up a mild upset over Oregon’s Chris Dearmon after Parker entered the match ranked No. 6 in the Pac-10 and Dearmon at No. 5. And at 133 pounds, John Cardenas knocked off No. 4 Joey Lucas.

The win was Bakersfield’s fourth consecutive win in a Pac-10 home opener and the Roadrunners improve to 24-10-1 overall in home openers sine the program’s inception in 1972-73.

Parker’s match set the tone for what was to come throughout the night. The Roadrunners showed intensity that wasn’t matched by the Ducks, and it wasn’t shown any better than by Bakersfield’s senior heavyweight who appears to have finally recovered from illness and injury that set him back earlier in the season.

After a takedown gave Parker a 2-1 lead after one period, he used two more takedowns in the second period to extend his lead to 7-2. A takedown, reversal and 3-point nearfall — along with 3:11 riding time — gave Parker the early 15-6 major decision win.

At 125 pounds, Ryan Dunn showed why he is ranked No. 5 in the Pac-10 with a 9-3 decision over Zack Bigboy to narrow the team score to 4-3, but that is as close as it would get all night. Cardenas followed with his upset of Lucas despite falling behind early on and the rout in the team score was on.

Lucas opened the match with a takedown and kept the Bakersfield freshman down for 1:33, but Cardenas was able to get an escape with one second remaining in the period. After an escape to start the second period tied the score, Lucas chose down in the third period. Just 45 seconds into that third period, though, Cardenas picked up three back points and kept his opponent down for the entire two minutes to earn the 5-2 decision upset.

Cardenas started a run of five straight wins for the Roadrunners. Matt Schumm celebrated being ranked No. 20 in the nation at 141 pounds for the first time this season on Tuesday with a 15-0 technical fall over Elliot Tracy in 5:00. Brandon Doyle solidified his No. 2 ranking in the Pac-10 at 149 with a 7-1 decision over Jeremy McLaughlin.

Doyle’s younger brother Jeremy Doyle might have turned in the most impressive win of the night at 157. The younger Doyle weighed in at 149 but wrestled at 157 in place of Daniel Alejandro, who suffered an injury at the Southern Scuffle last weekend. Jeremy then went on to race to a 5-0 lead after two periods and held on for a 10-5 decision over Kyle Bounds and put the Roadrunners ahead by a commanding 18-3 margin.

Daniel Atondo, ranked No. 4 in the Pac-10 at 165, made it 21-3 Roadrunners with a narrow 8-5 decision over a tough Jake McCoy before Oregon’s Ron Lee broke the Bakersfield win streak at 174 pounds with a 9-4 win over Garth Wara. Lee, who is ranked No. 5 at 174 pounds in the Pac-10, never trailed in the match.

Ernesto Ancona jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period at 184 pounds and didn’t allow an offensive point to Brysen French in a 7-4 win over the Duck freshman.

Brandon Halsey made his debut in a Roadrunner singlet in Bakersfield a successful one to finish the match. Halsey, ranked No. 2 in the Pac-10 at 197, had little problems in a 19-3 technical fall over Chris Robertson in 3:23 to complete the team score at 29-6.

The Roadrunners will look to continue it strong wrestling on Thursday when they host NAIA powerhouse Embry-Riddle at 7 p.m. at the Icardo Center.

Cal State Bakersfield 29, Oregon 6

285 Eric Parker (CSUB) maj. dec. Chris Dearmon (Oregon), 15-6
125 Ryan Dunn (Oregon) dec. Zack Bigboy (CSUB), 9-3
133 John Cardenas (CSUB) dec. Joey Lucas (Oregon), 5-2
141 Matt Schumm (CSUB) tech. fall Elliot Tracy (Oregon), 15-0 (5:00)
149 Brandon Doyle (CSUB) dec. Jeremy McLaughlin (Oregon), 7-1
157 Jeremy Doyle (CSUB) dec. Kyle Bounds (Oregon), 10-5
165 Daniel Atondo (CSUB) dec. Jake McCoy (Oregon), 8-5
174 Ron Lee (Oregon) dec. Garth Wara (CSUB), 9-4
184 Ernesto Ancona (CSUB) dec. Brysen French (Oregon), 7-4
197 Brandon Halsey (CSUB) tech. fall Chris Robertson (Oregon), 19-3 (3:23)