University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI Wrestling: Lujan Earns MAC's Weekly Honor
12/8/2016 7:19:00 AM | Wrestling
CLEVELAND, Ohio – UNI wrestler Taylor Lujan is the first Panther to earn conference honors in the 2016-17 season.
Lujan was named the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week for knocking off No. 8 Zac Brunson of Illinois for a UNI Open title at 174 pounds over the weekend.
Lujan, a redshirt freshman, became the third unranked Panther to knock off a ranked opponent. Lujan stormed his way through the UNI Open with two falls and a decision to reach the finals. He nearly had Zac Brunson of Illinois pinned but wasn't unable to get the fall. His near fall points and aggressive offense earned him a UNI Open title with a 13-10 decision.
Lujan improved to 11-1 overall and 3-1 in duals. He is still perfect in MAC duals at 1-0. His only loss is a 9-7 decision to No. 2 Zach Epperly of Virginia Tech. Lujan is majoring in business.
Last week, Drew Foster beat then-ranked No. 10 Jack Dechow at 184 pounds. Bryce Steiert, who was unranked at 165 pounds, beat then-ranked No. 16 Seldon Wright.
The top-10 win helped Lujan crack the national rankings for the first time in his career with the win. He is now ranked 14th in the nation at 174 pounds by FloWrestling.
The Panthers head to Wisconsin for a dual noon Sunday at the UW Fieldhouse. The dual will be broadcasted on BTN Plus.
Additional Nominees:
Corey Keener, Central Michigan—Senior, Schuylkill Haven, Pa. (Blue Mountain High School)
Central Michigan senior Corey Keener entered the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational unseeded, then went 6-2 to finish in fifth place. Among his six victories was a 4-3 win over Earl Hall of Iowa State, who is ranked fifth nationally by InterMat and is a returning All-American. Keener also recorded a pin, that coming in the fifth-place match, over Kent State's Anthony Tutolo, and a technical fall. Keener is 10-5 on the season.
Anthony Tutolo, Kent State—Sophomore, Concord, Ohio (Lake Catholic High School)
Kent State sophomore Anthony Tutolo defeated two-time All-American Earl Hall (Iowa State) 9-8 on his way to a sixth-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Friday and Saturday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Hall was ranked No. 4 in the latest Open Mat Poll and was the No. 2 seed in the 133-pound bracket. Tutolo battled back from a 6-0 deficit in that match to clinch a top eight spot Saturday. He then defeated Arizona State's Ali Naser 10-3 to advance to the consolation semifinals. Tutolo also won a pair of matches Friday, extending his unbeaten streak to 12 matches. He is 14-3 on the season with eight bonus-point victories.
Steve Bleise, Northern Illinois—Sophomore, Chelsea, Mich. (Chelsea High School)
Northern Illinois sophomore Steve Bleise was one of three Huskies to record a win in the dual match between Northern Illinois University and Old Dominion on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, Ill. Bleise battled Michael Hayes of Old Dominion in an intense contest and came out on top in a 9-3 decision, tying the meeting 6-6. With his win, Bleise improved his record to 11-2 on the season.
Lujan was named the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week for knocking off No. 8 Zac Brunson of Illinois for a UNI Open title at 174 pounds over the weekend.
Lujan, a redshirt freshman, became the third unranked Panther to knock off a ranked opponent. Lujan stormed his way through the UNI Open with two falls and a decision to reach the finals. He nearly had Zac Brunson of Illinois pinned but wasn't unable to get the fall. His near fall points and aggressive offense earned him a UNI Open title with a 13-10 decision.
Lujan improved to 11-1 overall and 3-1 in duals. He is still perfect in MAC duals at 1-0. His only loss is a 9-7 decision to No. 2 Zach Epperly of Virginia Tech. Lujan is majoring in business.
Last week, Drew Foster beat then-ranked No. 10 Jack Dechow at 184 pounds. Bryce Steiert, who was unranked at 165 pounds, beat then-ranked No. 16 Seldon Wright.
The top-10 win helped Lujan crack the national rankings for the first time in his career with the win. He is now ranked 14th in the nation at 174 pounds by FloWrestling.
The Panthers head to Wisconsin for a dual noon Sunday at the UW Fieldhouse. The dual will be broadcasted on BTN Plus.
Additional Nominees:
Corey Keener, Central Michigan—Senior, Schuylkill Haven, Pa. (Blue Mountain High School)
Central Michigan senior Corey Keener entered the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational unseeded, then went 6-2 to finish in fifth place. Among his six victories was a 4-3 win over Earl Hall of Iowa State, who is ranked fifth nationally by InterMat and is a returning All-American. Keener also recorded a pin, that coming in the fifth-place match, over Kent State's Anthony Tutolo, and a technical fall. Keener is 10-5 on the season.
Anthony Tutolo, Kent State—Sophomore, Concord, Ohio (Lake Catholic High School)
Kent State sophomore Anthony Tutolo defeated two-time All-American Earl Hall (Iowa State) 9-8 on his way to a sixth-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Friday and Saturday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Hall was ranked No. 4 in the latest Open Mat Poll and was the No. 2 seed in the 133-pound bracket. Tutolo battled back from a 6-0 deficit in that match to clinch a top eight spot Saturday. He then defeated Arizona State's Ali Naser 10-3 to advance to the consolation semifinals. Tutolo also won a pair of matches Friday, extending his unbeaten streak to 12 matches. He is 14-3 on the season with eight bonus-point victories.
Steve Bleise, Northern Illinois—Sophomore, Chelsea, Mich. (Chelsea High School)
Northern Illinois sophomore Steve Bleise was one of three Huskies to record a win in the dual match between Northern Illinois University and Old Dominion on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, Ill. Bleise battled Michael Hayes of Old Dominion in an intense contest and came out on top in a 9-3 decision, tying the meeting 6-6. With his win, Bleise improved his record to 11-2 on the season.
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