Fresno State Athletics
Abas on Track for Another National Championship
3/15/2001 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 15, 2001
FRESNO, Calif. - Stephen Abas (125) and Billy Blunt (285) are 2-0 after Thursday's first and second rounds, and will wrestle in the quarterfinals tomorrow. Ralph Lopez (141) won his first but lost his second match, and Nathan Vasquez (157) lost his first but won his second match. Both will compete tomorrow in the wrestle-backs. Derrick Hayes (133) went 0-2 and is out of the tournament.
Abas pinned Edinboro's Jacob Green in the first round and major decisioned Pittsburgh's Shawn Amistade 11-3 in the second round. Abas will take on Cal State Bakersfield's Ruben DeLeon in the quarterfinals tomorrow. Abas beat DeLeon in dual action earlier this season by technical fall.
No. 7 seed, Blunt, has two decisions in the tournament, the first over Wisconsin's Justin Staebler and the second over No. 10 seed, Arizona State's Kellan Fluckiger. Blunt faces No.2 Ohio State's Tommy Rawlings in the quarterfinals tomorrow
Lopez defeated Seton Hall's Mike Settembrino by a 5-3 decision in the first round, but fell to the No. 3 seed, Eric Larkin by a 10-4 decision. Lopez will wrestle Northern Illinois' Ryan Egan in the wrestle-backs tomorrow.
Ninth seeded Vasquez fell to Pittsburgh's Zach Doll in 6 minutes and 33 seconds in the first round. Vasquez then made a strong comeback, pinning George Mason's Sean Early in 4 minutes and 14 seconds. He will face Illinois' Griff Powell in the wrestle-backs tomorrow.
Hayes fell to No. 1 seed Eric Juergens of Iowa in the first round and then to Lock Haven's Scott Bair in the wrestle-backs.
The third session of the NCAA Championships will begin at 8:00 a.m. and will end at approximately noon Friday.
