Pair of 5-Pointers Pushes Wrestling to Historic Win against Chadron State, 22-10.

Wrestling | 2/5/2015 11:58:00 PM

RESULTS


LAS VEGAS, N.M. – There were countless moments of the wrestling dual between the Cowboys and Eagles were momentum could have swung to the visitors. However, it was the home team who kept capitalizing on huge moments.
 
New Mexico Highlands wrestling (9-5, 2-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) rallied from a pair of early deficits to win 7-of-10 matches en route to a 22-10 win against Chadron State (7-8, 1-4 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) Thursday night (Feb. 5) in Las Vegas, New Mexico. It was the first Highlands win against the Eagles since the reinstatement of the program.
 
"Like our last home dual, it was a historic win for the program," head coach Doug Moses said. "I hope these huge wins help build even more momentum for the only wrestling program in the state of New Mexico."
 
Key 5-point moves against deficits help powered the Cowboys to key wins. The first came at 133 with Highlands down 3-0. Redshirt junior Tre Humphrey (9-4) trailed 4-0 before an escape brought him and Taylor Summers to neutral. Humphrey took a shot near the edge of the mat and put Summers on his back as Humphrey suddenly led 6-4. Despite giving up the riding point, Humphrey held on for the 8-6 lead.
 
The other big win thanks to a five-point move came from redshirt sophomore Jermey Misalegalu (3-3) at 197. With the Cowboys up 15-10 and a chance to clinch the match, Devan Fors held a slim 1-0 lead in the second. Another quick 5-point move gave Misalegalu a sudden 5-1 lead. He added an escape in the third for the 6-3 win and clinch the match for Highlands.
 
As big as Tre's win was at 133, an early takedown in the first sudden victory period by brother and redshirt freshman Reis Humphrey (15-7) at 149 swung the momentum to the home team. Trailing 3-0 in the second, Humphrey got a late reversal in the second and an escape in the third to force the match to sudden victory. Just 20 seconds in, Humphrey brought Jacob Anderson to the mat to claim the 5-3 win and tie the match at six.
 
It was reversals that gave Highlands its first lead at 157 from redshirt sophomore Jesse Martinez (5-3). Down 4-2 in the second, Martinez got a late reversal at the end of the second then another reversal in the third to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 lead. Martinez rode out Reed Burgener out in the third for the 7-4 win.
 
Highlands doubled up Chadron State, 12-6, thanks to riding time at 165. A tight 2-2 match was decided in favor of redshirt junior Juan Alvarado (11-11), who barely breached the minute of riding time for the 3-2 win.
 
After Chadron State won by major decision at 174 to cut the deficit to 12-10, senior Easton Hargrave (15-9) came through in his penultimate home dual of his collegiate career. Hargrave got the early takedown, but Dylan Fors scored four-straight points to take a 4-2 lead. However, Hargrave rallied for the 6-4 win and put Highlands up 15-10.
 
Despite Misailegalu clinching the match at 197, redshirt sophomore Cody Marquez (17-8) put the exclamation point on the dual. He got a takedown and two back points in the first and a reversal in the second to take a 6-0 lead heading to the third. Two takedowns and the riding point gave Marquez the major win and finished off the historic 12-point win.
 
In other matches of the day, redshirt sophomore Jacob Espana (9-9) used a stalling point to keep Robert Ozuna's win to a decision, 13-7. At 141, Zack Denney took a 3-2 win at 141 against redshirt junior Dan Gaylor (7-12). At 174, Caleb Copeland picked up a 14-6 major win against junior JB Bechtloff (6-11).
 
In exhibition, freshman Jack Gaylor lost 8-3 and classmate Jacob Hawthorne fell 14-6.
 
Highlands will wrestle its final dual of the season Friday at 2 p.m.


RESULTS
NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS 22, CHADRON STATE 10