Sports
Wrestlers compete at Division I Championships
Junior Bekzod Abdurakhmonov finishes with a 3-2 record at the Division I wrestling championships in Philadelphia. (Courtesy Photo / The Clarion Call)
Clarion had two NCAA qualifiers competing this year, 157-pound sophomore James Fleming and 165-pound junior Bekzod Abdurakhmonov.
Fleming had a tremendous season this year. He won the Eastern Wresting League and PSAC titles, the Cornell Body Bar and Clarion Knight Point Open titles.
He was second at the Oklahoma Invite in Brockport, and fourth at Midlands.
He had 11 pins and five technical falls this season.
Fleming had a career record of 58-10 entering the NCAA Championships.
Abdurakhmonov finished third at the EWL Championships.
He was the PSAC Champion, placed third at the Oklahoma Invite and the National Collegiate Open in Clarion.
He has posted 10 falls and two technical falls this season.
Fleming was seeded ninth and opened the NCAA’s against Sean McMurray of Michigan State University who placed sixth at the Big Ten Championships.
Fleming defeated McMurray 5-0 in his first match.
He got a takedown at the end of the first period for a 2-0 lead.
In the second he deferred his choice and McMurray took neutral.
Fleming got another takedown with about 20 seconds left in the period to go ahead 4-0.
In the third, Fleming chose down, escaped and the two finished the match on their feet.
Fleming went on to lose a 5-0 decision to No. 8 seed Jason Welch of Northwestern University.
Fleming had a near takedown in the first, but Welch fought off a potential cradle.
Welch scored a first period takedown for a 2-0 lead.
Then it went scoreless in the second period after Welch chose neutral.
Fleming took top in the third and at one point he had what appeared to be an inside cradle, but it was stopped for a potentially dangerous hold.
On the restart Welch got to his feet and reversed Fleming to take a 4-0 lead.
Welch had 2:18 riding time for a 5-0 final score.
Fleming wrestled Oklahoma State University Robert Erisman the next day and lost an 8-3 decision, which eliminated him from the tournament.
Erisman opened quickly with a takedown in the first period.
Fleming answered with a reversal.
He then chose down to start the second and was tilted for three near fall points for a 5-2 Erisman lead.
Erisman chose top in the third, Fleming escaped quickly, but Erisman scored a takedown, and with riding time won 8-3.
Fleming had a very strong season finishing the year with an overall record of 31-4.
He is now a two-time NCAA Qualifier.
In two years with the Golden Eagles, Fleming has a career record of 59-12.
Abdurakhmonov received an at-large invitation and wrestled his first match against No. 9 seed Justin Kerber of Cornell University.
He dropped the match 2-1.
After a scoreless first period, Abdurakhmonov started in the down spot and escaped about 50 seconds into the period.
He had two, good single leg shots during the second but could not score.
In the third, Kerber chose down and was able to escape.
He received a penalty point giving Kerber a 2-1 lead while Abdurakhmonov had 58 seconds of riding time, two seconds short of a riding point.
Off the restart, Abdurakhmonov shot a double leg and was close to a takedown, but time ran out before he could finish the move.
Abdurakhmonov dropped into the wrestle backs and faced Dan Yates of Michigan University.
He defeated Yates 6-4 to stay alive in the tournament.
He scored a double leg takedown with 1:35 left in the first period for a 2-0 lead.
Yates escaped 33 seconds later and Abdurakhmonov led 2-1 after one period.
Yates started down and escaped to tie the match.
Abdurakhmonov then hit another double leg takedown for a 4-2 lead with 1:25 left in the second.
Yates escaped, and then late in the period Abdurakhmonov scored a counter takedown for a 6-3 lead.
Abdurakhmonov chose down in the third and Yates got a point for two stalling calls, making the final score 6-4.
Abdurakhmonov went on to win two matches to get to the All-American round.
He first defeated West Virginia University Donnie Jones 7-1 and then took down Appalachian State University’s Kyle Blevins by a 9-1 decision.
Against Jones, Abdurakhmonov took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a penalty point.
In the second, Abdurakhmonov escaped, then scored a double leg takedown for a 4-0 lead. After a Jones escape, Abdurakhmonov took Jones down again with a double leg for a
6-1 lead.
Jones chose down in the third and Abdurakhmonovscored a riding point for a final score of 7-1.
Against Blevins, he took control early with a takedown 14 seconds into the first period on a quick double leg.
He used a cradle later in the period to score a three-point near fall and lead 5-0 after one period. In the second Blevins chose neutral and Abdurkhmonov responded with a
takedown on the edge of the mat to go ahead 7-0.
Blevins escaped to end the period at 7-1.
Abdurakhmonov chose down in the third and worked for an escape to lead 8-1 and then was awarded a riding point for 3:18 of riding to post his 9-1 decision.
Abdurakhmonov went on to lose his All-American match 5-0 to Maryland University No. 4 seed Josh Asper and was eliminated.
There was no scoring in the first period.
Abdurakhmonov nearly had a takedown, but Asper worked out of bounds.
Asper chose down in the second, escaped and then scored a big takedown with 1:07 left in the period.
Asper then scored riding points in the third to seal the victory.
Abdurakhmonov finished 3-2 at nationals and closed the season with a 38-11 record.
Respond on Facebook
The Call uses Facebook for comments, linking you and your friends' responses with your Facebook Wall. Comments made here will show up on Facebook, and comments made on Facebook will appear here! Posting to your Wall can be disabled by unchecking the box below the text field. If you don't have a Facebook account, you can sign up for one or send your thoughts via e-mail to chief@clarioncallnews.com. You can also respond directly to the author on Michael Collins's page.
