Feb. 4, 2009

By Amy Farnum Novin
NCAA.com

Nebraska-Kearney’s Taylor May turned in a stellar week, knocking off two of the top three wrestlers in Division II’s 165-pound weight class.

The junior began by upsetting No. 3 Mike Morgan of Central Oklahoma, lifting the Lopers to a 24-17 over the fifth-ranked Bronchos Jan. 29.  He returned to the mat with a surprise 3-2 decision against top-ranked Aaron Denson in the Lopers’ loss to No. 1 Nebraska-Omaha over the weekend.   May, ranked No. 6 at 165 pounds, recorded a takedown with 26 seconds remaining in the third period to come away with the win, improving his season mark to 23-10.

May garnered Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Wrestler of the Week for his accomplishments.

CRUISING TO VICTORY: Second-ranked Newberry College pushed its’ home dual winning streak to 12 with a convincing 45-3 victory over UNC-Pembroke Feb. 3 as the team improved to 21-2 on the season.
 
Senior Cy Wainwright, ranked second at 285 pounds, was one of nine Newberry wrestlers to post bonus points as he pinned Andrew Evans to conclude the dual meet.  The native of Green Cove Spring, Fla., bettered his record to 27-0 on the year, while extending his winning streak to 29 matches.  His pin of Evans gives him 28 career falls, which ties the school’s all-time record.

Newberry’s only losses of the season have come at the hands of Division I’s UT-Chattanooga and top-ranked Nebraska-Omaha during the NWCA Duals in January.

MILESTONE MOMENT: Western State’s Larry Wilbanks’ 100th career victory probably holds a little extra meaning after it helped the Mountaineers to a 25-18 win over arch-rival Adams State on Jan. 30.

Wilbanks, a senior 174-pounder, posted a technical fall (16-0) against ASC’s Don Medina in the second period to earn the milestone win.

The native of Payson, Ariz., boasts a 100-35 career record and is a two-time All-American and two-time Regional/Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Champion.

The sixth-ranked Mountaineers remained perfect in dual competition against RMAC foes with the win over No. 7 Adams State.  They return to the mat against No. 4 Nebraska-Kearny on Feb. 6.

NOTABLE:  Chadron State’s Brent Hunter downed Cal State Bakersfield’s with an 18-4 major decision to win the 174-pound title in the California Collegiate Open on Jan. 31 in San Francisco.  Hunter, a senior from Rushville, Neb., also notched wins in the Eagles’ dual wins over No. 13 San Francisco State and Menlo the previous day.  He is the school’s all-time wins leader with 123 … Limestone College senior Trey Moss become the first wrestler in the program’s brief history to collect 100 career victories as the seventh-ranked heavyweight pinned Kutztown’s Kevin Bolinsky on Jan. 24.  The native of Lexington, S.C., then added to his all-time record in a loss to Division I’s The Citadel on Jan. 31.  Moss improved his record to 20-3 as he edged Aaron Brown, 3-2, in the 21-13 team loss … University of Mary junior Dusty Vliem proved to be a bright spot in his squad’s two losses to nationally-ranked teams last week as he registered a pair of pins on the weekend.  The 197-pounder from Lodgepole, S.D., pinned Matt Norton of No. 9 Upper Iowa, and came back the next day with a pin of St. Cloud State’s Luke Munkelwitz.  Vliem, who was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Week, has won three straight matches by pinfall.