Arizona Christian University's wrestling team dominated their Friday night home matches, sweeping all three duals against club programs in convincing fashion. The Firestorm showcased their depth and talent, securing decisive victories against GCU's club team (50-6), OUAZ's club program (46-6), and Utah Tech's club team, which is currently ranked #7 in the NCWA (51-3).
The home crowd was treated to an impressive display of bonus-point victories throughout the evening. Against GCU, the Firestorm started strong with
James Maheras securing a technical fall at 125 pounds, setting the tone for the night. The team continued to build momentum with falls from
Ian Gutierrez (149),
Kevin Courseault (165), and
Gary Smith (174).
In the dual against OUAZ, ACU's success continued with
Shamar Baines and
Jason Ramirez securing first-period falls at 125 and 133 pounds respectively.
Christian Gallardo added to the highlight reel with a commanding 15-0 technical fall in the 165-pound match.
The marquee matchup against #7 ranked Utah Tech demonstrated ACU's potential. The Firestorm dominated from start to finish, winning nine out of ten matches. Gianluca Munoz impressed with a 19-3 technical fall at 149 pounds, while
Josiah Bohn,
Kevin Courseault, and
Makoa McCreadie all secured victories through falls or major decisions.
What makes this performance particularly impressive is that it was powered largely by underclassmen, with freshmen and sophomores leading the charge. Every Firestorm wrestler who weighed in had the opportunity to compete, and the team responded by winning an outstanding 35 of 40 matches on the night, with most victories coming by bonus points.
"We are extremely proud as our team walked away 3-0 as a team," said Head Coach
Michael Butterfield. "All of our wrestlers that weighed in took the mat and nearly all of them scored bonus points in their victories, helping us to dominate in all 3 duals."
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The Firestorm will look to build on this momentum as they prepare to host Southern Oregon University next Friday for senior night, where they'll aim to continue their impressive run of form. The match will take place in the Firestorm Recreation Center (FRC) at 5:00 pm.
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