Air Force Academy

Feb. 21, 2010

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -

In its final dual meet of the season, the Air Force wrestling team fell to Western Wrestling Conference rival Northern Iowa Sunday afternoon at UNI’s West Gym. With the loss, the Falcons end the year with a 6-11 overall record and 1-5 mark in the WWC, while the Panthers move to 10-12 overall and 4-2 in the league.

Sunday’s action started with the 141-pound match, where the Falcons’ Cole VonOhlen (Fr., Jackson, Minn.) faced off against the Panthers’ Charlie Ettelson. VonOhlen led 6-0 before Ettelson scored a third-period escape and takedown. However, VonOhlen scored a reversal with less than 30 seconds remaining and, with an extra point for riding time, earned the 9-3 decision. VonOhlen’s win was his 29th of the season, while he finished his rookie campaign with a 13-2 dual ledger.

Air Force’s early 3-0 lead would prove to be its only advantage of the dual, as Northern Iowa won decisions in the next three weight classes before earning a fall at 174 pounds to take a 15-3 lead. Senior James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio) stopped the Panthers’ run with a strong performance at 184 pounds. Ciccone pinned Scott Hazen just 41 seconds into his match for his fourth fall of the season and the fastest of his career.

While Ciccone’s win brought the Falcons back within six points in the team scoring, Northern Iowa halted any chances of an Air Force comeback, winning the next three weight classes by decision, including a sudden victory win at heavyweight.

With the team result already determined, junior Derek Gillespie (Chesapeake, Va.) came out strong at 133 pounds, the final match of the dual meet. Gillespie held an 8-4 lead over Joey Lazor before earning the fall at the 4:36 mark. It was Gillespie fifth fall of the season and 18th win of the season.

Northern Iowa 24, Air Force 15

141       Cole VonOhlen (AF) dec. Charlie Ettelson, 9-3

149       Brett Robbins (UNI) dec. Gabe Martinez, 13-6

157       Tyson Reiner (UNI) dec. Alec Williams, 8-3

165       David Bonin (UNI) dec. Joseph Stafford, 9-4

174       Jarion Beets (UNI) fall Tyler French, 4:55

184       James Ciccone (AF) fall Scott Hazen, 0:41

197       Dustin Bauman (UNI) dec. Neil Delaney, 3-2

HWT     Christian Brantley (UNI) dec., Stephen Larson, 3-1 (SV)

125       Caleb Flores (UNI) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 6-1

133       Derek Gillespie (AF) fall Joey Lazor, 4:36