SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 2-20-74                   Grapplers Win 21-19             by Terry Day           Winning streaks are for the teams that can prove they deserve it. The SJSU wrestling team is by no means an exception. With 13 consecutive dual meet wins under their belts, the Spartans went after Fresno State for No. 13, only this one was going to be tougher. And it was, SJSU won 21-19. The Spartans started off with Danny Kida in the 118 pound class. The first round was extremely close with both grapplers even, trying to find an opening. Finally Kida was caught off-guard by FSU's Dave Hernandez and was on the mat for a 2-point takedown, with 20 seconds left in the round. Kida, trying to wrestle from the disadvantage, had Hernandez in trouble, but let him slip away for an escape and another point, with 1:40 left in the second round. Facing a 3-0 deficit, Kida went to work on Hernandez gaining an escape with only five seconds elapsed in the final round. At 1:15 Kida tied the match, 3-3, with a takedown and held on until only three seconds showed on the clock. Working fast, Kida reversed position on Hernandez for the final two points as the buzzer sounded. In the 126 division, Oscar Trevino turned a close match into a rout. FSU's Rick Rio Frio gained the upper hand in the first round with a 2-point reversal, but that was about all Rio Frio was going to get. Trevino tied the score at 2-2 and then went on a point exchanging spree with Rio Frio until Trevino put the match away in the third round out-scoring his opponent 7-0. With the two decisions SJSU took a 6-0 going into the 134 pound class. The Spartans' Steve Dick had the roughest match of th night, trying to handle Jeff Gerry. Gerry is the defending conference champion at 134 and proved it by soundly defeating 20-2. That cut the Spartans' team margin to 6-4. The 142 match proved to be a tactical struggle with SJSU's Jim Lucas shutting out FSU's Gary Lyman 1-0. Lucas' one point came on a warning from the referee for stalling by Lyman. That's all Lucas needed to secure the match and team points. FSU cut the margin to two points as Mike McGough made quick work of George Jagger. McGough won, in unimpressive fashion 4-0. After that match SJSU led 9-7. Jim Niskanen got the Spartans back on the winning track with a 7-3 decision over Dave Newman. Wrestling at 158 pounds, Niskanen took total control of the match which frustrated Newman so much, that he and the FSU coach Dick Francis complained to the referee of illegal holds. The complaint was disallowed and Niskanen breezed to the decision. SJSU lengthened the lead when FSU lost by forfeit in the 167 pound class. Although both wrestlers were announced, FSU's Nick Quintanna failed to who on the mat for the match with Dean Prescott. The Spartans turned right around and forfeited the 177 and 191 matches which left them on the short end of the team score by one point. SJSU heavyweight Donnell Jackson was supposed to win by forfeit also, but was forced into a match with FSU's John Berg, normally a 191 contender. Jackson found it was a little tougher than he expected when Berg took a 3-2 lead with 1:03 left in the match. Jackson rose to the occasion by reversing position on Berg for a 4-3 win. Jackson was surprised. "I was sitting there joking, then i had to go out and wrestle. The whole thing was he wasn't wrestling for a win, he was wrestling for a tie...that's hard to beat and try to get up for," Jackson said. Right now the Spartans are the team to beat. Then sights turn to the PCAA finals March 2 in, of all places, Fresno. Is there no justice!