Air Force Academy

Dec. 26, 2008

The Air Force wrestling team returns to action Dec. 29-30, at the 46th-annual Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern in Evanston, Ill.

About the Midlands Championships...
The Midlands Championships, one of the premier wrestling events of the season, enters its 46th season this year. It is a double-elimination tournament which will feature 31 teams, including 12 of the teams currently ranked in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Top 25. Session one begins Monday at 9:00 a.m. (CT), with session two starting at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday's action begins at noon with the semi-finals, consolations and seventh-place matches, while the first-, third-, and fifth-place bouts are slated to begin at 7:20 p.m.

Scouting the Falcons...
Leading Air Force in total wins through the first semester of action is sophomore Andrew Zwirlein, who has nine victories on the year. Meanwhile, two others--junior Stephen Makuka and sophomore Wade Stowe--each have eight wins on the year.

Sixteen different Air Force wrestlers have recorded falls so far this season, led by junior Stephen Makuka, who has registered six pins on the year, just one short of the team leader for the 2007-08 season. Meanwhile, Stowe holds the fastest fall of the year, getting the pin in a time of 0:57.

Last Time Out...
The Falcons competed at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the FHSU-Bob Smith Open three weeks ago.

Junior Tyler French was the Falcons' top performer at the Las Vegas Invitational, coming just one victory short of finishing as a placewinner. Meanwhile, Air Force was led by sophomore Andrew Zwirlein at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open. Zwirlein, the lone placewinner for the Falcons at the event recorded a 6-1 ledger on the day to place third at 125 pounds.

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