Arkansas Wrestle
(All images via lrtrojans.com)
SAN FRANCISCO – Nasir Bailey has been named Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week, the first weekly conference honor for the Little Rock wrestling program this season and the third in program history. The true freshman hurtled to #8 in the country at 133 pounds following his performances at the Collegiate Duals, making him the highest ranked Pac-12 wrestler in his weight class.
“It’s a great accomplishment, and Nasir definitely earned it,” said head coach Neil Erisman. “We are very happy for him and believe this is the first of many for him.”
Bailey faced three ranked opponents at the Collegiate Duals in Nashville, winning two of the three matches. In the first, he only allowed the defending NCAA champion, #2 Vito Arujau from Cornell, a 4-0 decision, before rebounding fast. He claimed a tech fall in the first period against previous #8 Evan Frost from Iowa State before ending the day with a 12-8 decision over #23 Vinnie Santaniello from Pittsburgh. The Park Forest, Illinois native now sits at 9-1 overall on the season.
It’s the third season in a row that a Trojan has earned a conference honor. Last season, 157-pound starter Matty Bianchi was recognized, and the year before, Joseph Bianchi had the first-ever for Little Rock. Notably, all three are still on the team roster, as the program continues to build.
The Little Rock wrestling team will be back in action soon, heading to the Southern Scuffle on January 1 and 2 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Fans should also make sure to also mark your calendar for Little Rock’s next home dual on Friday, January 19 at 7 p.m. against Pac-12 foes Arizona State.
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
#LittleRocksTeam
2 Comments