Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Arizona St
No. 23 Wrestling Upsets No. 10 Arizona State
2/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 17, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - The Bulldog grapplers upset No. 10 Arizona State Sunday 22-20 to close out their regular season. The Bulldogs and Sun Devils split the 10 matches, but Fresno State banked extra points with a forfeit, pin and major decision.
Arizona State led for the majority of the meet and was up 20-9 with just three matches left. Fresno State showed that the meet was far from over with three clutch victories from the 174 to 197 divisions.
The first Fresno State miracle came from freshman Britt Mooney who got his first pin of the season to cut the deficit to 5 points. Mooney pinned Chris Petrie in 2 minutes and 49 seconds in the 174 division.
Junior Eddie Gifford kept momentum up for the 'Dogs with an imperative 9-2 decision over Arizona State's Will Carr in the 184 division. All Marcio Botelho needed was a decision for Fresno State to squeak by, but the redshirt-freshman got a 11-3 major decision over Scott Hollingsworth to put the Bulldogs ahead 22-20 once and for all.
"I'm thrilled," Fresno State head coach Dennis DeLiddo said. "We haven't beat Arizona State in something like 10 years."
Last season the Bulldogs lost 24-14 to the Sun Devils at home. The undefeated Pac-10 team falls to 9-4 while Fresno State finishes its season 14-7.
Arizona State's 9th-ranked heavyweight, Kellan Fluckiger, major decisioned Grant Harrington 14-0 to start the meet. The Sun Devils then forfeited the 125 division for unspecified reasons. DeLiddo said he thinks it was because Arizona State figured it could not beat No. 1 Stephen Abas, however, Abas did not make the trip to Tempe, Ariz., because he was resting a sore right elbow.
Things turned ugly for the Bulldogs when No. 6 David Douglas (ASU) beat 16th-ranked Derrick Hayes in overtime in the 133 division. Then No. 1 Eric Larkin (ASU) pinned junior Ralph Lopez in the 141 division. After four matches the Sun Devils led 13-6.
The Bulldogs got their first earned win in the 149 division as Jim Medeiros decisioned Evan Larkin 10-8. Fresno State lost its next two before its big comeback. Ben Baca lost to No. 11 Rocky Smart and Darrick Duran lost to No. 18 Nick Frost in the 157 and 165 divisions respectively.
The 'Dogs host the West Regional on Saturday, March 9, in the North Gym. Wrestling will begin at 9 a.m.
Team Results
No. 23 Fresno State 22
No. 10 Arizona State 20
Individual Results
HWT: (9) Kellan Fluckiger (ASU) major dec. Grant Harrington (FSU), 14-0 (4-0 ASU)
125: Justin McLelland wins by forfeit (FSU) (6-4 FS)
133: (6)David Douglas (ASU) dec. (16) Derrick Hayes (FSU), 5-1 ot (7-6 ASU)
141: (1) Eric Larkin (ASU) fall Ralph Lopez (FSU),0:44 (13-6 ASU)
149: Jim Medeiros (FSU) dec. Evan Larkin (ASU), 10-8 (13-9 ASU)
157: (11) Rocky Smart (ASU) dec. Ben Baca (FSU), 7-4 (16-9 ASU)
165: (18) Nick Frost (ASU) major dec. Darrick Duran (FSU), 11-3 (20-9 ASU)
174: Britt Mooney (FSU) fall Chris Petrie (ASU), 2:49 (20-15 ASU)
184: Eddie Gifford (FSU) dec. Will Carr (ASU), 9-2 (20-18 ASU)
197: Marcio Botelho (FSU) major dec. Scott Hollingsworth (ASU), 11-3 (22-10 FS)
