Fresno State Athletics

Photo by: Mark Lundy
Hokit places sixth at 2019 Midlands Championships
12/30/2019 7:00:00 PM | Wrestling
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Fresno State Wrestling senior heavyweight Josh Hokit finished sixth at the 2019 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships hosted at the Sears Centre Arena.
Entering the tournament as the No. 6 seed in the heavyweight field, Hokit tallied five victories over the two-day tournament earning three wins on Sunday and added two more wins on Monday in the consolation bracket to earn a top-six finish in the field.
A 2019 NCAA All-American at 197 pounds, Hokit collected two wins by decisions, a major decision and two falls in the tournament. Hokt picked up two critical wins on Monday morning with a 10-2 major decision over No. 4 seed Jere Heino of Campbell and a 6-4 overtime win over No. 8 seed Zach Elam of Missouri to earn a spot in the consolation semifinals.
A 7-2 setback to No. 2 seed Trent Hilger of Wisconsin sent Hokit to the fifth-place match where he had to bow out by a medical forfeit to round out his tournament.
In addition to Hokit, seven other Bulldogs competed at the Midlands as redshirt freshman 184-pounder Hunter Cruz tallied three wins in the tournament advancing to Monday's early session where he fell to No. 4 seed Noah Stewart of Army by technical fall.
The Bulldogs return home on Thursday to host Cal Poly (2-1) at 5 p.m. and Utah Valley (1-3, 0-1 B12) at 7 p.m. at the Save Mart Center.
2019 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships Results
Lawrence Saenz, RFr., 141 pounds (2-2)
Round of 64: No. 9 seed Dylan Duncan (Illinois) won by fall over Saenz, 4:08
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Saenz maj. dec. No. 10 seed Corey Shie (Army), 17-8
Consolation Round of 16 #1: Saenz dec. A.J. Vindici (Penn), 4-0
Consolation Round of 16 #2: No. 13 seed Parker Filius (Purdue) dec. Saenz, 5-3
Jace Luchau, Fr., 157 pounds (2-2)
Round of 32: No. 5 seed Justin Ruffin (SIU-Edwardsville) dec. Luchau, 6-0
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Luchau dec. Jaden Fisher (Bucknell), 4-3
Consolation Round of 16 #1: Luchau dec. Hunter Shaut (Buffalo), 5-4
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Michael Petite (Buffalo) maj. dec. Luchau, 9-0
Adam Kemp, RFr., 165 pounds (2-2)
Round of 64: Kemp dec. Sam Dover (Oklahoma), 8-2
Round of 32: Kemp dec. No. 15 seed Austin Kraisser, 8-4
Round of 16: No. 2 seed Evan Wick (Wisconsin) dec. Kemp, 6-1
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) dec. Kemp, 1-0
Christian Rodriguez, Fr., 165 pounds (0-2)
Round of 64: Jake Stiles (Oklahoma) dec. Rodriguez, 8-2
Consolation Round of 32 #2: No. 15 seed Austin Kraisser dec. Rodriguez, 7-3
Matt Olguin, Fr., 165 pounds (0-2)
Round of 32: Grant Cuomo (Princeton) dec. Olguin, 6-1
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Conor Melbourne (Princeton) won by medical default over Olguin, 2:37
Brandon Martino, RSo., 174 pounds (1-2)
Round of 32: Martino dec. Brad Laughlin (Army), 4-3
Round of 16: No. 3 seed Joey Gunther (Illinois) dec. Martino, 2-1 TB2
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Kenny Moore (Northern Illinois) dec. Martino, 3-1 SV
Hunter Cruz, RFr., 184 pounds (3-2)
Round of 32: Cruz dec. Max Shaw (North Carolina), 4-1
Round of 16: No. 3 seed Tanner Harvey (American) maj. dec. Cruz, 18-6
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Cruz dec. Nikita Nepomnyashchiy (Illinois), 4-0
Consolation Round of 8 #1: Cruz dec. No. 6 seed Travis Stefanik (Princeton), 6-4
Consolation Round of 8 #2: No. 4 seed Noah Stewart (Army) tech. fall Cruz, 16-0 (6:31)
No. 6 seed Josh Hokit, Sr., Hwt. (5-2) - SIXTH PLACE
Round of 32: Hokit won by fall Tony Valentino (Brown), 6:45
Round of 16: No. 11 seed Yaraslau Slavikouski (Harvard) dec. Hokit, 8-7
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Hokit won by fall over Keaton Kluever (North Carolina), 3:38
Consolation Round of 8 #1: Hokit dec. No. 14 seed Max Ihry (Northern Illinois), 6-1
Consolation Round of 8 #2: Hokit maj. dec. No 4 seed Jere Heino (Campbell), 10-2
Consolation Round of 4: Hokit dec. No. 8 seed Zach Elam (Missouri), 6-4 TB2
Consolation Semifinals: No. 2 seed Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) dec. Hokit, 7-2
Fifth Place: No. 5 seed Carter Isley (Northern Iowa) won by medical forfeit
* matches wrestled on Monday
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter: @Fresno StateWRES
Instagram:Â fresnostatewrestling
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Entering the tournament as the No. 6 seed in the heavyweight field, Hokit tallied five victories over the two-day tournament earning three wins on Sunday and added two more wins on Monday in the consolation bracket to earn a top-six finish in the field.
A 2019 NCAA All-American at 197 pounds, Hokit collected two wins by decisions, a major decision and two falls in the tournament. Hokt picked up two critical wins on Monday morning with a 10-2 major decision over No. 4 seed Jere Heino of Campbell and a 6-4 overtime win over No. 8 seed Zach Elam of Missouri to earn a spot in the consolation semifinals.
A 7-2 setback to No. 2 seed Trent Hilger of Wisconsin sent Hokit to the fifth-place match where he had to bow out by a medical forfeit to round out his tournament.
In addition to Hokit, seven other Bulldogs competed at the Midlands as redshirt freshman 184-pounder Hunter Cruz tallied three wins in the tournament advancing to Monday's early session where he fell to No. 4 seed Noah Stewart of Army by technical fall.
The Bulldogs return home on Thursday to host Cal Poly (2-1) at 5 p.m. and Utah Valley (1-3, 0-1 B12) at 7 p.m. at the Save Mart Center.
2019 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships Results
Lawrence Saenz, RFr., 141 pounds (2-2)
Round of 64: No. 9 seed Dylan Duncan (Illinois) won by fall over Saenz, 4:08
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Saenz maj. dec. No. 10 seed Corey Shie (Army), 17-8
Consolation Round of 16 #1: Saenz dec. A.J. Vindici (Penn), 4-0
Consolation Round of 16 #2: No. 13 seed Parker Filius (Purdue) dec. Saenz, 5-3
Jace Luchau, Fr., 157 pounds (2-2)
Round of 32: No. 5 seed Justin Ruffin (SIU-Edwardsville) dec. Luchau, 6-0
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Luchau dec. Jaden Fisher (Bucknell), 4-3
Consolation Round of 16 #1: Luchau dec. Hunter Shaut (Buffalo), 5-4
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Michael Petite (Buffalo) maj. dec. Luchau, 9-0
Adam Kemp, RFr., 165 pounds (2-2)
Round of 64: Kemp dec. Sam Dover (Oklahoma), 8-2
Round of 32: Kemp dec. No. 15 seed Austin Kraisser, 8-4
Round of 16: No. 2 seed Evan Wick (Wisconsin) dec. Kemp, 6-1
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) dec. Kemp, 1-0
Christian Rodriguez, Fr., 165 pounds (0-2)
Round of 64: Jake Stiles (Oklahoma) dec. Rodriguez, 8-2
Consolation Round of 32 #2: No. 15 seed Austin Kraisser dec. Rodriguez, 7-3
Matt Olguin, Fr., 165 pounds (0-2)
Round of 32: Grant Cuomo (Princeton) dec. Olguin, 6-1
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Conor Melbourne (Princeton) won by medical default over Olguin, 2:37
Brandon Martino, RSo., 174 pounds (1-2)
Round of 32: Martino dec. Brad Laughlin (Army), 4-3
Round of 16: No. 3 seed Joey Gunther (Illinois) dec. Martino, 2-1 TB2
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Kenny Moore (Northern Illinois) dec. Martino, 3-1 SV
Hunter Cruz, RFr., 184 pounds (3-2)
Round of 32: Cruz dec. Max Shaw (North Carolina), 4-1
Round of 16: No. 3 seed Tanner Harvey (American) maj. dec. Cruz, 18-6
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Cruz dec. Nikita Nepomnyashchiy (Illinois), 4-0
Consolation Round of 8 #1: Cruz dec. No. 6 seed Travis Stefanik (Princeton), 6-4
Consolation Round of 8 #2: No. 4 seed Noah Stewart (Army) tech. fall Cruz, 16-0 (6:31)
No. 6 seed Josh Hokit, Sr., Hwt. (5-2) - SIXTH PLACE
Round of 32: Hokit won by fall Tony Valentino (Brown), 6:45
Round of 16: No. 11 seed Yaraslau Slavikouski (Harvard) dec. Hokit, 8-7
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Hokit won by fall over Keaton Kluever (North Carolina), 3:38
Consolation Round of 8 #1: Hokit dec. No. 14 seed Max Ihry (Northern Illinois), 6-1
Consolation Round of 8 #2: Hokit maj. dec. No 4 seed Jere Heino (Campbell), 10-2
Consolation Round of 4: Hokit dec. No. 8 seed Zach Elam (Missouri), 6-4 TB2
Consolation Semifinals: No. 2 seed Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) dec. Hokit, 7-2
Fifth Place: No. 5 seed Carter Isley (Northern Iowa) won by medical forfeit
* matches wrestled on Monday
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter: @Fresno StateWRES
Instagram:Â fresnostatewrestling
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
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