SOU senior takes sixth in Reno
December 19, 2005
RENO &
Senior Jimmy sixth-place finish highlighted Southern Oregon University&
s delegation to the prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday and wrapped up a weekend of Raider wrestling victories.
The NAIA&
s top-ranked 165-pounder became only the fourth Raider ever to place at the gigantic meet that featured 28 teams from all collegiate classifications.
improved to 14-1 on the year and charged into the semifinals by topping foes from Southwestern Oregon Community College, Tennessee and Princeton. The Estacada product then dropped bouts to Oregon&
s Joey Bracamonte, Stanford&
s Ray Blake and Northwestern&
s Will Durkee.
Senior Matt Holt won three matches and was a win away from placing at 141, and sophomore Joey Jannsen (149), second-ranked senior David O&
Brien (174) and sixth-ranked senior Rick Story (184) also posted 3-2 marks.
&
We ran into to some pretty tough wrestlers today,&
Raider coach Mike Ritchey said. &
This was a lot tougher of a tournament than in previous years.&
NCAA Div. I top-ranked Oklahoma State successfully defended its RTOC team title, while the Raiders finished 16th.
Complete results are expected to be posted at www.rtoc.net.
On Saturday, the ninth-ranked SOU wrestling team sprang an upset of a top-five team for the second consecutive evening with a 22-14 victory over No. 4 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Reno, Nev.
Hours after dispatching No. 5 Menlo 33-11 in Atherton, Calif., the Raiders improved to 4-1 on the season by claiming six of the 10 bouts against the defending NAIA West Region champion Eagles (0-3-1).
Freshman Barry Johnson (133), senior Matt Holt (141) and sophomore Joey Jannsen (149) staked SOU to a 9-3 lead with decisions, and the team&
s trio of nationally ranked seniors sealed the Ashland school&
s third straight dual win.
Top-ranked Jimmy held off fourth-ranked Calvin DeVault 9-7 at 165, followed by second-ranked David O&
Brien&
s 8-nil major over Nick Walden at 174.
Sixth-ranked 184-pounder Rick Story then capped Southern&
s team scoring by pinning Danny Eller in 2:02.
On Friday, three pins and five consecutive bout wins helped the ninth-ranked Southern Oregon University wrestling team spring a mild-but-convincing 33-11 upset of fifth-ranked Menlo College in Atherton, Calif.
Freshman Trevor Lofstedt (125), second-ranked David O&
Brien (184) and sixth-ranked Rick Story (184) were pinner winners for the Raiders (3-1), while unranked sophomore Jimmy Ulrey posted an 8-7 upset of fourth-ranked Kyle Bickford at 157.
Ulrey, a North Medford High all-state product, led Bickford 6-3 after the first period but needed a third-period reversal to emerge with his most significant collegiate triumph.
Clinging to a 6-4 early lead, Southern also picked up a key win at 141 when senior Matt Holt decisioned Juan Roman, 2-1, as a result of accumulating riding time.
Top-ranked Jimmy broke a 2-2 deadlock and improved to 10-1 by defeating freshman Robert Davis, 6-2, in the 165-pound bout.
The 22-point outcome was the most lopsided Raider win in the six-year rivalry against the West Region rival Oaks (1-1).
&
We wrestled pretty well in what was a tighter dual than the final score indicated,&
Raider coach Mike Ritchey said.