DETROIT, Mich. -- Cal Poly's list of national champions in Division I wrestling remains at two.
Evan Wick and Bernie Truax both lost in semifinal-round matches Friday night at the 2022 NCAA Championships inside Little Caesars Arena.
Wick surrendered a takedown at the edge of the mat with one second to go and lost 7-6 to Shane Griffith of Stanford in the 165-pound weight class.
Bernie Truax faces top-seeded Myles Amine of Michigan.Truax was extended into overtime before falling 3-1 to Myles Amine of Michigan in the 184-pound semifinals.
Both Mustang wrestlers will compete in the wrestlebacks Saturday morning with a chance to finish as high as third. Both already are guaranteed All-American honors.
Cal Poly's only two NCAA Division I champions are Tom Kline in 1969 and Mark DiGirolamo in 1976.
Wick Overcame two early takedowns by Griffith with a pair of escapes and a takedown of his own, tying the match at 4-4 after one period. Griffith escaped with 16 seconds left in the second period for a 5-4 lead and Wick escaped just eight seconds into the final period to tie the match again at 5-5. Wick also compiled enough riding time for a point, but Griffith secured the late takedown which was upheld upon review for the win.
Wick had beaten Griffith three times earlier this season by scores of 6-2, 6-1 amd 8-7.
Wick, the top seed at 165 and now 21-1 for the year, will face Alex Marinelli (24-2) of Iowa in the consolation semifinals Saturday morning. While at Wisconsin, Wick was 1-4 against the third-seeded Marinelli.
Truax, who finished fourth in the 2021 NCAAs at 174 pounds, allowed Amine to escape just five seconds into the second period and answered with an escape of his own nine seconds into the final period, forcing overtime. In the two-minute sudden-death first period, Amine scored a takedown with 1:05 left for the victory.
Seeded fifth, Truax takes on No. 7 seed Kaleb Romero (17-4) of Ohio State in Saturday's consolation semifinals. The two are meeting for the first time.
In the wrestlebacks earlier Friday, Mustang 174-pounder Adam Kemp, seeded 16th, was eliminated in a 4-1 decision by No. 15 Anthony Mantanona of Oklahoma. After a scoreless first period, Mantanona scored an escape and takedown in the second period and riding time in the final period while Kemp managed only a third-period escape.
Kemp finished his redshirt sophomore year with a 15-6 record.
Cal Poly enters the final day of competition in 22nd place with 20 points. With 108 points, Penn State leads Michigan (84.5) and Arizona State (63).
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