The Daily Universe celebrates 50 years

By James Randall

It may have seemed like a funeral for collegiate wrestling in Provo, but the BYU Cougars made sure they went out in grand fashion on Saturday night.

In what was most likely the final home meet ever at BYU, it seems only fitting that a program feeling pinned under Title IX, budget constraints and administration, would end its meet the same way the program is ending – Pinned! Pinned! Pinned!

Except on this night it was the BYU wrestlers doing the pinning.

Back-to-back-to-back pins from the three final wrestlers - Adam Bendorf, Brandon Ruiz, and Chris Miller – helped the Cougars rally from behind to beat the Air Force Academy, 28-15.

"Bendorf stared off with a pin and a boom, boom, boom," BYU head coach Mark Schultz said. We needed that first pin sp bad- that made the whole difference."

"That pin turned the corner," assistant coach Terry Geuling said.

The team finished the season strong, beating nationally ranked Oregon State last week and pinning a talented Air Force team this week.

Heavyweight Chris Miller has finished particularly strong, beating a nationally-ranked wrestler last week and pinning his man this week.

"I think it really boosts our confidence. It shows us where we're at and kind of sets a gauge to what we need to do in two weeks at regionals," Miller said.

Rangi Smart BYU's hottest wrestler with a 10-match winning streak, agrees with Miller.

"I think it has given us a lot of confidence going in," Smart said. "Last year we beat Oregon State, but we lost to Air Force. It kind of took the wind out of our sails. This year has been the exact opposite. We'll all be looking to wrestle even better."

The three pins that put BYU on top came from the three heaviest weight classes.

"Heavyweights are a different breed," Schultz said. "A lot of times you get impatient. It's magnified in heavyweights – one mistake and it's done."

From a meet in the Delta Center with wrestling powerhouse Iowa, to Trent Rollins losing a match at the very last second, to a finale with Air Force that included three consecutive pins for a come from behind win, this year has been memorable for the BYU wrestling team.

Copyright Brigham Young University 8 Dec 2005