Fresno State Athletics
Abas Wins Second National Championship
3/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 17, 2001
FRESNO, Calif. - Stephen Abas won the 2001 NCAA Championships at 125 pounds Saturday in Iowa City, Iowa with a 13-10 decision over Iowa's Jody Strittmatter in the finals. His victory makes him a two-time National Champion and three-time All-American.
Abas recorded the first four points on two takedowns in the first period, and moved quickly to extend his lead to 8-2. Strittmater closed the gap to 10-7 by the end of the second period. Abas scored on another takedown, but Strittmatter rallied late to close within 13-0.
Abas finishes the season with a 33-0 record, 10 wins by pin and 10 by technical fall. His 2001 record is the best in winning percentage in Fresno State history, as he is the first Bulldog to go undefeated through an entire season. Abas also holds the best career win percentage (.964) with a record of 108-4.
Abas' first national title came in 1999, while he used last year as a redshirt year to train for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Abas is the first Bulldog to win two titles, and with one more year to go, he could become Fresno State's first three-time National Champion and second four-time All-American. Abas' brother, Gerry, who graduated from Fresno State in '95, is the only Bulldog to have earned All-American status four times.
Billy Blunt (285) earned All-American status with a fifth place finish at the tournament. Blunt lost to top seeded Garrett Lowney of Minnesota (4-3) in the consolation semifinals, but went on to beat sixth seeded Paul Hynek of Northern Iowa with a 6-2 decision for fifth place. Lowney went on to beat Oklahoma's Leonce Crump by fall in 42 seconds to finish in third.
