Northwestern University Athletics
Rivera Goes 2-0, Advances at NCAA Championships
3/16/2018 2:16:00 PM | Wrestling
CLEVELAND — Redshirt first-year Sebastian Rivera (125) is one win away from becoming the first Northwestern All-American since 2015.
Rivera went 2-0 in the third session at the Quicken Loans Arena on Friday afternoon, including one ranked win.
The beginning of day two also saw the seasons of three Wildcats come to a close. Action for Session IV — which includes the "blood round" and quarterfinals — will start at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Consolation Round 3
Rivera continued his hot wrestle-backs with a 5-2 decision of former All-American Ryan Millhof (Arizona State), the 13th-ranked wrestler in the nation.
Colin Valdiviez (133) ended his storybook run in the Championships with an 8-0 setback to Mizzou's John Erneste, the fifth-ranked 133-pounder in the nation. In the same vein, Ryan Deakin (149) dropped a close, 4-2 decision to Iowa's Brandon Sorensen to bring his season to a close. Johnny Sebastian (174) controlled most of his bout against Army's Ben Harvey until a flurry of late points ended with a late 9-6 decision in Army's favor.
Consolation Round 2
Rivera pinned Elijah Oliver (Indiana) in four minutes and 49 seconds to advance to the next round of wrestlebacks. For Rivera, it was his third time pinning the Indiana grappler in three tries this season.
After trailing due to a quick takedown by (14) Korbin Myers of Edinboro, Valdivez exploded for five unanswered points to top the 13th-ranked wrestler in the nation. When his fate looked like it was in jeopardy due to Myers riding out Valdiviez throughout most of the second period, Valdiviez responded with a late-time reversal to take the lead. In the third period, the pair started neutral and Valdiviez notched a takedown and rode out the Edinboro wrestler to take the 5-2 victory.
Deakin started his first bout of the day scoring 13 unanswered points against Fresno State's Khristian Olivas, ending up with a 16-1 Tech Fall (7:00) over his foe.
Sebastian was the second Wildcat to face a ranked wrestler in the second round of consolations, and the second to notch a win. After a close first period, it was all Sebastian against CJ Brucki (Central Michigan), the 13th-ranked wrestler in the nation, as the Ramsey, New Jersey, native ended with an 11-2 major decision.
Results
Consolation Round 2
125: (10) Sebastian Rivera (NU) Fall Elijah Oliver (Indiana), 4:49
133: Colin Valdiviez (NU) dec. (14) Korbin Myers (Edinboro), 5-2
149: (7) Ryan Deakin (NU) Tech. Fall Khristian Olivas (Fresno State), 16-1 (7:00)
174: Johnny Sebastian (NU) maj. dec. (16) CJ Brucki (Central Michigan), 11-2
Consolation Round 3
125: (10) Sebastian Rivera (NU) dec. (15) Ryan Millhof (Arizona State), 5-2
133: (5) John Erneste (Missouri) maj. dec. Colin Valdiviez (NU), 8-0
149: (2) Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. (7) Ryan Deakin (NU), 7-2
174: Ben Harvey (Army) dec. Johnny Sebastian (NU), 9-6
Rivera went 2-0 in the third session at the Quicken Loans Arena on Friday afternoon, including one ranked win.
The beginning of day two also saw the seasons of three Wildcats come to a close. Action for Session IV — which includes the "blood round" and quarterfinals — will start at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Consolation Round 3
Rivera continued his hot wrestle-backs with a 5-2 decision of former All-American Ryan Millhof (Arizona State), the 13th-ranked wrestler in the nation.
Colin Valdiviez (133) ended his storybook run in the Championships with an 8-0 setback to Mizzou's John Erneste, the fifth-ranked 133-pounder in the nation. In the same vein, Ryan Deakin (149) dropped a close, 4-2 decision to Iowa's Brandon Sorensen to bring his season to a close. Johnny Sebastian (174) controlled most of his bout against Army's Ben Harvey until a flurry of late points ended with a late 9-6 decision in Army's favor.
Consolation Round 2
Rivera pinned Elijah Oliver (Indiana) in four minutes and 49 seconds to advance to the next round of wrestlebacks. For Rivera, it was his third time pinning the Indiana grappler in three tries this season.
After trailing due to a quick takedown by (14) Korbin Myers of Edinboro, Valdivez exploded for five unanswered points to top the 13th-ranked wrestler in the nation. When his fate looked like it was in jeopardy due to Myers riding out Valdiviez throughout most of the second period, Valdiviez responded with a late-time reversal to take the lead. In the third period, the pair started neutral and Valdiviez notched a takedown and rode out the Edinboro wrestler to take the 5-2 victory.
Deakin started his first bout of the day scoring 13 unanswered points against Fresno State's Khristian Olivas, ending up with a 16-1 Tech Fall (7:00) over his foe.
Sebastian was the second Wildcat to face a ranked wrestler in the second round of consolations, and the second to notch a win. After a close first period, it was all Sebastian against CJ Brucki (Central Michigan), the 13th-ranked wrestler in the nation, as the Ramsey, New Jersey, native ended with an 11-2 major decision.
Results
Consolation Round 2
125: (10) Sebastian Rivera (NU) Fall Elijah Oliver (Indiana), 4:49
133: Colin Valdiviez (NU) dec. (14) Korbin Myers (Edinboro), 5-2
149: (7) Ryan Deakin (NU) Tech. Fall Khristian Olivas (Fresno State), 16-1 (7:00)
174: Johnny Sebastian (NU) maj. dec. (16) CJ Brucki (Central Michigan), 11-2
Consolation Round 3
125: (10) Sebastian Rivera (NU) dec. (15) Ryan Millhof (Arizona State), 5-2
133: (5) John Erneste (Missouri) maj. dec. Colin Valdiviez (NU), 8-0
149: (2) Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. (7) Ryan Deakin (NU), 7-2
174: Ben Harvey (Army) dec. Johnny Sebastian (NU), 9-6
••••••
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