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--> --> Jan. 21: Ritchey to coach Classic Ashland Daily Tidings Southern Oregon University wrestling coach Mike Ritchey has been selected by the National Wrestling Coaches Association to serve on the coaching staff at next week's prestigious 2002 All-Star Classic in Hempstead, N.Y. The seventh-year Raider guru is one of four coaches picked to serve in the 36th annual event that features the nation's top NCAA Division I wrestlers squaring off against each other in challenge matches for the No. 1 ranking. The fracas, which will take place at 7 p.m. Jan. 28 on the Hofstra University campus in suburban New York City, is considered a preview of potential national championship bouts. Ritchey joins Mark Ostrander (Iowa Central), Mark Johnson (Illinois) and Joe McFarland (Michigan) to form the coaching staff. "Obviously, this is a great honor for me to be able to work with world-class athletes in what has become a great wrestling tradition," Ritchey said. "It's going to be a fun night." This year's lineup features two past NCAA champions and four current top-ranked luminaries. The 149- and 197-pound matches pit the top two ranked competitors, and the 285-pound bout is a rematch of last year's national finals. The most accomplished competitor is top-ranked Cael Sanderson of Iowa State, a senior who enters a showdown with second-ranked John Trenge of Lehigh with a 138-0 career collegiate record. "I was able to watch this event as a young wrestler when it was held in Corvallis, and now to be able to coach in this event is a highlight of my career," Ritchey said. "I've seen a number of the participants compete and I know the intensity level will be very high." Ritchey, who departs for New York Sunday, guided SOU to the school's fourth NAIA team championship last March and earned national coach-of-the-year honors in the process. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing