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Reader and Varner Victorious at All-Star Classic
11.22.2009 | Men's Wrestling
FULLERTON, Calif. ? Iowa State's representatives wrestled and won twice Sunday at the NWCA All-Star Classic, presented by the William and Mary Wrestling Alumni Group, held on the campus of Cal State-Fullerton. Three-time NCAA finalist Jake Varner and two-time All-America honoree Jon Reader won their respective matches at the 44th edition of the annual event.
“We're going to continue getting better,” head coach Kevin Jackson said. “We'll continue to grow from this experience out here at this event. We need to make the necessary connections in practice and then we'll be able to dominate the way we're training to dominate. The team's goal is to be the best in March.”
Reader hit the mat first for the Cyclones and scored a bonus-point victory over Bucknell's Andy Rendos, 11-2 at 165 pounds. Reader, a native of Davison, Mich., notched four takedowns in the match. The ISU junior decisioned Rendos at both the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Championships.
Top-ranked Varner wrestled to his third career victory at the All-Star event in a rematch of the 2009 NCAA Championships final round. The ISU senior 197-pounder controlled Nebraska's Craig Brester by decision, 5-3. The Cyclone senior, hailing from Bakersfield, Calif., recorded a takedown, reversal and had the riding time advantage in the match. Brester's three points came on escapes.
ISU matches the two victories it recorded at last season's NWCA All-Star Classic in Columbus, Ohio. Cyclones Nick Gallick and Varner notched wins at 141 and 197 pounds, respectively.
“(Jon) Reader and (Jake) Varner completely dominated the action,” Jackson said. “They looked to be the more aggressive wrestlers in both of their matches. I think Jake (Varner) wrestled strong but we'd like him to be up higher in the third so that a late takedown can't tie the match.”
Second-ranked ISU senior heavyweight David Zabriskie fell in his first All-Star invite to Cal State-Bakersfield's Mitch Montiero by decision, 6-3. The two-time All-American Iowa Stater gave up a crucial third period takedown to the sixth-ranked Bakersfield grappler.
“David (Zabriskie) didn't wrestle like how we've been training him to do,” Jackson said. “He knows that and if he can start wrestling like we've been getting him to in practice, he'll be dominating. He knows what the coaching staff wants out of him.”
Iowa State's Gallick, a two-time 141-pound All-American, traveled to the event but did not compete.
The All-Star Classic matches are considered exhibition bouts and are not figured into ISU career record totals or national rankings.
Iowa State has had 68 participants in the NWCA All-Star Classic since its inception in 1967. The total ranks third behind Oklahoma State (81) and Iowa (74).
The Cyclones next hit the mat Dec. 6 against intrastate rival Iowa at home in Hilton Coliseum at 6 p.m.
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