'Runners split doubleheader

Sunday, January 7th, 2007 Bakersfield Californian news article

For an athlete, there are few things worse than the piercing eyes of a disappointed coaching staff.

After falling to Columbia by just one point, 19-18, in the first of two duals Sunday, the Roadrunners knew exactly which mistakes needed to be corrected.

So, after watching the Lions make quick work of San Francisco State 37-3, Bakersfield decided to make a statement.

The 'Runners claimed the first four matches by fall, sparking a clean sweep of the Gators 48-0 in front of an announced crowd of 359 at Icardo Center.

"It's like I tell them, 'If you get a chance to wrestle, you want to respond positively so you get a chance again,'" Bakersfield coach T.J. Kerr said. "It was good."

Bakersfield started slow, losing the first two bouts against the Lions before reeling off three straight wins.

Brandon Halsey, a sophomore at 197 pounds, picked up the 'Runners' first win of the day, a 9-2 decision over Nick Sommerfeld.

"It was nice to get the first win," said Halsey, who pinned San Francisco State's Alexcis Lara in 3 minutes, 27 seconds. "I was trying to get the team going."

Heavyweight Colton Nichols followed Halsey with a pin in 4:15 to tie the score at 9-9 as the 'Runners and Lions went back and forth throughout the dual.

"A pin helped the team," said Nichols, who wrestled in his first home dual of the season. "I felt good. I felt real fresh."

Heading into the last bout, Bakersfield's chances hinged on Daniel Atondo. The junior lost a close bout to Dustin Tillman 10-8, punching the mat in disgust after the defeat.

Between duals, Kerr voiced his disappointment, and the 'Runners responded.

The dominant effort against San Francisco State led to Bakersfield's 29th straight victory over the Gators, and the first time the 'Runners have shut out an opponent since a 54-0 victory over Portland State on Jan. 24, 2004.

Garth Wara and Brandon Ceremello opened the second dual with pins, followed by Halsey and Parker.

Parker and Nichols have been locked in a friendly battle for the starting heavyweight spot all year, and Parker matched his teammate's effort with a pin in just 50 seconds.

"I wanted to have a really good match," Parker said. "I didn't want just a win. I wanted to go out there and do something. Before the match the only thing coach said to me was, 'Put on a show.'"

He did, and the 'Runners kept rolling.

Brandon and Jeremy Doyle continued to wrestle well for Bakersfield, winning twice.

Jeremy continued to wrestle at 157 -- winning three of four at home on the week -- using his strength to neutralize a significant size disadvantage in a 4-3 victory over Kenneth Packard.

Bakersfield is idle until it will travel to Arizona State Jan. 19, giving the team some much-needed training time as it builds toward the Pac-10 Championships