PARK CITY, Kan. Western Colorado will send Cole Hernandez and Dean Noble to the second day of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Park City, Kan., as the duo will receive All-American honors after assuring top-eight finishes.
Hernandez started the day in the championship round after being named the 3rd seed of the 174 weight class and earned a major decision over Newberry's Andrew Reed. The redshirt senior registered six take downs, including two in the first period.
In his quarterfinal match against Central Oklahoma's Anthony Des Vigne, it took just an overtime period, but Des Vigne secured a take down at the one minute, 41 second mark for a 4-1 win. Before the overtime period, each wrestler had earlier scored one point on an escape. In the wrestle backs, Hernandez secured an 8-4 decision over Nebraska-Kerney's Trenton Munoz where he was ahead by two points, thanks to a late take down, after the first period. Another take down in the second period put him ahead by three and led to an 8-4 win.
Hernandez will start Saturday off by wrestling the second seed in his weight class, Seth Brossard from Northern State.
Noble will also be in the hunt for an All-American title, after losing his first round of the day by a 13-6 decision but fought his way back in the second round of the preliminaries and the consolation rounds.
After winning by medical forfeit in the prelims, Noble won 12-7 in the first round of the consolation brackets after being down 6-1 in the first period. Noble did not allow any points in the second, then collected two take downs and a near fall in the third to come back with the win.
In his third match of the day, Noble scored in the second period with an escape and a take down and then recorded another take down for the win with 23 seconds left in the match. Noble will wrestle Colby Njos from St. Cloud State in the 149-weight class tomorrow.
Patrick Allis made his return to the national stage in the 133-weight class but fell short of another All-American title after falling in the prelims. He then won in a sudden-victory fashion over conference opponent Oran Huff, 12-9 with a take down. He then secured another victory in a fall over Franky Medina from King. In the second round of the consolation bracket, he lost to McKendree's Ryan Ripplinger 9-3.
Ryan Wilson represented the Mountaineers at 157 and had to fight his way back after an early loss to Bailey Gimber. He then won his second preliminary match by a major decision of 15-5. The red shirt senior then lost in a decision to Wisconsin-Parkside's Ben Durocher.
Cole Gray won in the championship round over Garrett Wells from Central Oklahoma, before dropping the quarterfinal match to Reece Worachek in a 4-2 decision. In what would be his final match of the weekend, Gray fell to St. Cloud State's Bryce Fitzpatrick in form of a major decision.
Hernandez and Noble will be back on the mat tomorrow when the action starts at 9 a.m. MT., from Park City, Utah.
