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SOU lands wrestling recruits By RICH ROSENTHAL For the Tidings Southern Oregon University wrestling coach Mike Ritchey announced Monday the addition of 14 high school standouts and nine transfers to the Raider grappling ranks. The list includes six transfers from Pacific Lutheran University, which discontinued its intercollegiate wrestling program last March, as well as 13 competitors who placed in Oregon high school state tournaments. Ritchey said he expects transfers Bobby Brokenshire (PLU), Sean Gregg (Oregon State), Josh White (Southwestern Oregon CC) and freshmen Kyle Simmons (Ridgefield, Wash.) and Andrew Swanson (Sweet Home) to make an immediate impact. Brokenshire, the Lute 133-pound starter last season, qualified for the national junior college tournament at Highline CC in 2000-01 and won a Washington state freestyle championship while attending Franklin Pierce High in Tacoma. "Bobby has an aggressive and somewhat unorthodox style that has been effective," Ritchey said. "He's long and lean for a 133-pounder, and he's a very good leg-rider." The PLU exodus also includes junior Rich Vigorito, a 17-bout winner at 157; sophomore Matt Holt, a 2001 149-pound NCAA Div. III tournament qualifier; sophomore Trique Meininger, a 2002 Washington state champion; sophomore Joe Hathaway (165); and sophomore Rick Story (184). "Most of PLU's best wrestlers decided to come here (to SOU)," Ritchey said, "and it's a real boon for our program. They're excellent students, and I'm flattered they chose us over several other options." Gregg, a three-time Class 3A placer at Estacada High who redshirted last season, and Simmons, a two-time Washington state tournament finalist, bolster the Raider 197-pound class. "Both are excellent athletes who have their best wrestling still ahead of them," Ritchey said. "They both have the ideal physical frames to be a 197-pounder." White, a Grants Pass High graduate, came a victory away from placing at the 2003 junior college tourney as a 149-pound Southwestern Oregon Community College sophomore. "We've seen Josh wrestle in several college tournaments the past two seasons, and we're getting a mentally tough competitor who is blossoming as a wrestler," Ritchey said. Swanson, a three-time state placer and a prep freestyle All-American, is a strong contender to occupy the vacant Raider 125-pound starting role. "Andrew placed nationally in freestyle but I think he's a better collegiate-style wrestler," Ritchey said. "He's fundamentally solid and a hard worker." Ritchey cited the school's participation in the Western Undergraduate Exchange program as a key to this year's recruiting class. Successful WUE applicants receive a tuition discount based on academic merit. "Without the WUE program, we probably would have lost all eight of the recruits from Washington to other schools," he said. The signees augment five returning starters and 13 letterwinners from last year's 7-3 SOU squad that extended the school's record-setting consecutive winning season streak to 33 straight, won the NAIA Western Regionals and placed fifth at the national championships. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -