Hall Garners Big 12 Wrestler Of The Week Honors

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State junior Earl Hall's title-winning performance at the Southern Scuffle earned him Big 12 Wrestler of the Week recognition, the league office announced this morning. Hall is the second Cyclone to receive the honor this season.

Hall knocked off three top-10 opponents en route to his 133-pound title, picking up victories over then No. 10 George DiCamillo (Virginia) and No. 5 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State) before defeating No. 8 Rossi Bruno (Michigan) in the championship match.

The Homestead, Florida, native picked up a pair of decisions in his opening two matches, earning a spot in the quarterfinals against DiCamillo, who defeated Hall, 9-2, at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational earlier this season. Hall jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period, but trailed 8-5 entering the third after an offensive barrage from DiCamillo. Just 34 seconds into the final stanza, Hall caught DiCamillo in a front headlock and used his signature cement-mixer to secure the fall and advance to the semis.

In the semifinals, Hall was pitted against Penn State's top-seeded Gulibon. Hall used a pair of double-leg takedowns to take a 5-2 decision and seal his spot in the 133 finals, where he would face Bruno.

The Hall-Bruno match started off very technical and was scoreless after the first three minutes, with each wrestler looking to get a feel for his opponent. The two traded escapes to start the second and third periods, keeping the match tied, 1-1. Late in the final period, Hall defended a Bruno shot and countered, taking the Wolverine to his back and tacking on a two-point near-fall in a move that would clinch the match, which ended with a 5-3 tally.

Hall's performance lifted him six spots to No. 7 in the national rankings. The Cyclone grappler is 17-4 on the season, tied for second on the team in total victories. Hall has also picked up five bonus-point wins in 2014-15, scoring three falls and two major decisions.

The Cyclones return to the mat Sunday, as the Iowa State takes on Penn in its home opener in Hilton Coliseum. Wrestling is slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. CT.

Hall-Southern Scuffle Results (1st Place)
R1: Earl Hall advance via BYE
R2: Earl Hall dec. Jared Browning (Chattanooga), 6-1.
R3: Earl Hall dec. Zach Synon (Missouir), 6-4.
QF: Earl Hall WBF No. 10 George DiCamillo (Virginia), 5:34.
SF: Earl Hall dec. No. 5 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), 5-2.
Finals: Earl Hall dec. No. 8 Rossi Bruno (Michigan), 5-2

2014-15 Big 12 Wrestlers of the Week/Month
November: Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State, Jr., 165
December 8: Kyven Gadson, Iowa State, Sr., 197
December 22: Nolan Boyd, Oklahoma State, So., 184
January 6: Earl Hall, Iowa State, Jr., 133

Players Mentioned

Kyven Gadson

Kyven Gadson

Earl Hall

Earl Hall

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics