Terriers Face Tough Competition At Las Vegas Invitational
November 30, 2001 | Men's Wrestling
Las Vegas, NV - The Terriers traveled across the country to take part in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 30. Perennially one of the elite tournaments in the country, the invitational once again featured national powerhouses such as Michigan, Nebraska, and Oregon State.
Sophomore Benjamin Schilens (Westlake, OH), junior Jason Holder (Salem, NH) and senior Ali Abri (Ashland, VA) led the way for the Terriers, all finishing with records of 3-2. Abri's three victories included one win by way of pinfall, as he defeated Dennis Parker of Central Oklahoma State 4:23 into the match. Holder's victories included an 8-3 decision over Jeremy Baker of nationally-ranked Nebraska, and Schilens overpowered Kyle Smith (Central Washington), Tanner Betsinger (Air Force), and Josh McDonald (San Francisco) en route to his three wins.
Mark Laramee also faired well for the Terriers, as he finished the tournament with a 2-2 record. His wins included a major decision over Arsh Nejafi (Columbia), 18-4, and a 9-3 decision over Shane Barnes (Adams State). Ed Strauss also broke even, finishing 1-1. Strauss' lone win came when he pinned Aaron McKeever (Embry-Riddle) 3:42 into the match.
Also competing for the Terriers were Steven Beovich, Chad Grant and Jose Leon. Leon finished 0-2 after being forced to forfeit his first match, while Beovich and Grant also finished the tournament 0-2. Freshmen Joey Rivera and Courtney Howard fought hard but also left without recording a victory. Both finished 0-2.
Michigan took first place overall with score of 163, far out distancing second place finisher West Virginia, which recorded a score of 127.
