Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Las Vegas Invitational
Wrestlers Place in Top Ten at Las Vegas Invitational
12/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 4, 2000
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State wrestling team placed 9th at the Las Vegas Invitational with 70.5 points Sat., Dec. 1-2, 2000. The Bulldogs scored higher than 43 of the teams participating in the tournament, including eight schools they will face in dual meets this season. Arizona State, Oregon and Boise State were the only schools they will later wrestle that placed higher than the `Dogs.
Stephen Abas placed first in the 125 division, Derrick Hayes placed fifth in the 133 division, Nathan Vasquez placed sixth in the 157 division and Eddie Gifford placed eighth in the 165 division.
Abas was seeded first going in to the tournament and went 5-0 to earn the title. He defeated A.J. Grant of Michigan by decision (10-2) in the final round.
Hayes, seeded ninth, went 3-0 before losing to Brian Watson from Oregon by decision (6-4) in the semi-final round. Hayes was then defeated by Rad Martinez from Clarion, putting him in fifth place.
Vasquez, seeded seventh, went 3-0 before Bryan Snyder of Nebraska, second seed, won by decision in the fourth round. Vasquez went 1-1 in the consolation rounds to place sixth.
Gifford was seeded tenth and went 3-0 before a loss to second seed Chris Martin of Virginia. He went 1-1 in the consolation rounds to finish eighth.
