Little Rock Wrestling put on a show Sunday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center, honoring its senior class before closing the regular season with a commanding 30-8 Pac-12 victory over Cal Poly.
The No. 12 Trojans claimed eight of 10 matches, including pins from
Brennan Van Hoecke and
Stephen Little, to overcome an early deficit and secure their second straight conference win.
"It's been a really tough season with injuries and a tough schedule. It was emotional," head coach
Neil Erisman said. "To finish the last two duals as we did was very encouraging. We're getting momentum, creating momentum and wrestling well toward the end of the year."
After dropping the opening bout, Little Rock responded with six consecutive wins to seize control of the dual. Van Hoecke sparked the surge with a pin of Anthony Lucio at the 4:31 mark of the 141-pound match. Later, Little delivered another fall, securing the victory at 3:19 in the 197-pound contest against Wesley Wilson.
The Senior Day celebration added to the afternoon's significance.
Jaivon Jones,
Matty Bianchi and
Michael Gasper each earned victories in their final home appearances, closing their careers at the Jack Stephens Center with their hands raised.
Little Rock now turns its attention to the postseason. The Trojans will travel to California for the Pac-12 Championships, hosted by Cal Poly, on March 6.
THEY SAID IT
Jaivon Jones:
"It means a lot to me to get out here and go out with a win. I'm going to get ready for the Pac-12, keep working and improving, just keep wrestling and loving what I do. A career goes by fast, so I'm not taking anything for granted."
Matty Bianchi:
"That was super fun. I like those tough matches — ultimately it's going to be great for me going into the postseason. Those are the types of situations I'll see at Pac-12 and nationals. It's nice to defend our turf, wear our old-school singlets and I'm super blessed by the community, school and all of our wrestling fans."
Michael Gasper:
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to wear the Little Rock singlet. Our team's been through a lot this season, had a lot of injuries, and to still go out and compete and represent all of those who have invested in this program, it's special."
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