Air Force Academy

March 14, 2011

OREM, Utah - Six Air Force wrestlers have been named to the 2010-11 Western Wrestling Conference all-conference team, as announced by the league Monday evening. Individuals earned their spots on the respective teams with their finish at the 2011 NCAA West Regional on March 6 at the Air Force Academy.

Earning first-team all-conference honors for the Falcons was sophomore Cole VonOhlen, while senior captain Joseph Stafford garned second-team all-conference honors. In addition, Derek Gillespie, Clayton Gable, Neil Delaney and Jared Erickson were each named All-WWC third-team selections.

VonOhlen, a second-team all-conference honoree as a freshman, earned first-team honors with a dominant performance at the NCAA West Regional, taking the title at 141 pounds. A native of Jackson, Minn., VonOhlen was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the regional tournament, recording a fall and a pair of technical falls without allowing his opponents to score a single point. VonOhlen, who holds a 42-7 overall record on the year, will be competing in this week's NCAA Championships as the ninth seed in the 141-pound bracket.

Stafford, a native of Loomis, Calif., earns the first all-conference honors of his career after claiming second place at 174 pounds at this year's West Regional. Stafford closed out the year with a career-best 22-14 overall record, one of seven Air Force wrestlers to post more than 20 wins this season.

Gillespie, a senior from Chesapeake, Va., received the second all-conference honors of his career, finishing third at 133 pounds for the second-straight season. With a 2-1 record at the West Regional, Gillespie ended the season with a 19-13 overall record.

At 197 pounds, Delaney earned the first all-conference accolades of his career, taking third place in his weight class with a 3-1 record. A senior from Grand Rapids, Mich., Delaney also surpassed the 20-win threshold for the year, finishing the season with a 21-15 overall ledger.

Finally, Erickson, a sophomore heavyweight from Newton, Utah, garnered all-conference accolades with his third-place regional finish. Erickson, who posted a 2-1 record during the tournament, finished the year with a 23-17 overall mark.

Wyoming and Northern Iowa led the conference with seven all-conference selections each, with the Cowboys boasting a league-best five first-team honorees. Northern Iowa added two first-team selections, while Air Force, North Dakota State and Utah Valley each had one spot on the first team. The Falcons' six all-league honorees ranked behind the top-two teams, while the Wolverines garnered four all-conference selections. Each WWC school had at least one individual on the all-conference squads.

The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming.

2011 WWC All-Conference Team

125 - First Team: Michael Martinez (Wyoming); Second Team: Caleb Flores (UNI); Third Team: Ben Kjar (UVU)
133 - First Team: Flint Ray (Utah Valley); Second Team: Casey Cruz (UNC); Third Team: Derek Gillespie (Air Force)
141 - First Team: Cole VonOhlen (Air Force); Second Team: Justin Morrill (UVU); Third Team: Joey Lazor (UNI)
149 - First Team: Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming); Second Team: Brett Robbins (UNI); Third Team: Justin Gaethje (UNC)
157 - First Team: Vince Salminen (NDSU); Second Team: David Bonin (UNI); Third Team: Nick Flynn (SDSU)
165 - First Team: Shane Onufer (Wyoming); Second Team: Steven Monk (NDSU); Third Team: Clayton Gable (Air Force)
174 - First Team: Patrick Martinez (Wyoming); Second Team: Joseph Stafford (Air Force); Third Team: Brad Darrington (UVU)
184 - First Team: Ryan Loder (UNI); Second Team: Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming); Third Team: Kenny Moenkedick (SDSU)
197 - First Team: LJ Helbig (Wyoming); Second Team: Andy O'Loughlin (UNI); Third Team: Neil Delaney (Air Force)
285 - First Team: Christian Brantley (UNI); Second Team: Matthew McLaughlin (Wyoming); Third Team: Jared Erickson (Air Force)