|
Wrestlers Nab Third Place
|
| |
|
by Ken Johnston
|
|
Daily Staff Writer
|
| |
| Looks can be deceiving when one glances at SJSU's wrestling team's win-loss record. |
| |
| The record is 1-8-1 overall, but that's only dual meets. It does not include tournaments. |
| |
| Wrestling coach Danny Kida was extremely pleased with the team's performance in Saturday's San Francisco State
Invitational Tournament, which hosted 11 teams. |
| |
| The Spartans placed third behind second-place Fullerton and first-place Cal State Bakersfield. |
| |
| "We have some talented people on this team and that talent came out in the tournament," Kida said. |
| |
| The Spartans' Ken Brison was the tourney's outstanding player, easily handling opponents in the 142-pound weight
category. His teammate, Arnold Khanbabian, competing in the 118-pound division, came in second. |
| |
| Other individual accomplishments from the wrestling team came from Jack Norton, Joe Zamlich, Scott Benson, and
Dirk Manoukin. |
| |
| Norton placed third in the 167-pound category. Zamlich, Baum, Benson, and Manoukin all placed fourth in their respective
weight divisions of 134, 150, 177, and heavyweight. |
| |
| "Our team is one that is improving with each match," Kida said. |
| |
| In SJSU's previous dual meet against Fullerton State Friday, the squad showed those signs of improvement but fell
short, losing to the Titans 23-21. |
| |
| SJSU was leading 21-13 but lost its final three matches. Brison and Norton both pinned their opponents in the first
round. Khanbabian squared off against Fullerton State's Frank Trujillo, who defeated the nation's number one wrestler
at the SFSI Tournament. |
| |
| Khanbabian lost the match, but he forced Trujillo to go three rounds and the maximum time limit of seven minutes. |
| |
| "They may have won a majority of the decisions (6 out of 10) but our wins were lopsided decisions," Brison
said. |
| |
| "This year is a rebuilding season for us," Kida said. "I feel that we will be among the league's
top teams next season." |
| |
| The Spartans will try and get back on the winning track Friday at 7 pm when they host Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
SJSU met Cal Poly SLO earlier this year, but lost by a wide margin. |
| |
| "It should be a good match because we've improved a lot since our last meeting," said junior redshirt
Shannon Felix. |
