Document text
Area wrestlers learn from the best Photo by Jim Craven Wrestling camp participants watch during a camp featuring more than a dozen University of Iowa coaches and wrestlers. NCAA power Iowa runs camp at SOU By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN ASHLAND -- Five-time defending NCAA wrestling champion Iowa has brought its rich tradition and philosophies for success across the country to Southern Oregon University for two weeks of camps. Iowa head coach Jim Zalesky, two assistant coaches and 12 Hawkeye wrestlers are on the SOU campus for the second straight week. They are teaching fundamentals and concepts of good wrestling. It's the Iowa way. Bryson Gutches, 12, right, and Willy Pendleton, 11, tangle with one another as Iowa coach Jim Zalesky watches intently at Southern Oregon University. "We like to promote good wrestling all over the country, if we can," says Iowa assistant coach Tom Brands during a break in the Iowa Elite Wrestling Camp at McNeal Pavilion. Iowa conducts national camps on its campus and holds one each on the west and east coasts, says Brands. Zalesky first came to SOU as an Iowa wrestler 10 years ago to do a camp for former Southern Oregon coach Bob Riehm, an ex-Iowa wrestler. "That's where the tradition of us coming out here to Ashland started," says Brands. "Iowa and Southern Oregon are two of the most successful programs and areas to promote college wrestling. "It's a way for us to get out and see wrestlers from different parts of the country and have a chance to recruit them and teach the sport. We want to add to the sport in any way we can." Eagle Point High junior James Mannenbach, a camp participant, says when he saw that the Iowa program was coming, he made a commitment. "I knew I had to be here when I saw the flyer on the camp," says Mannenbach, who is participating in the team portion of the camp this week. There also have been training and sessions. "I'm learning a lot," says Mannenbach. "I've picked up some new technique on how to attack people and to do set-ups and other moves from my feet." Perhaps the most prominent wrestling name of the 109 this week is Bryson Gutches. The 12-year-old boy from Central Point is the cousin of freestyle world champion Les Gutches, who attended South Medford and Oregon State. "They teach you to work hard and to get in better shape," says Bryson Gutches, who recently won a national AAU junior title at 85 pounds. "Even if you're in good shape, they said you can be in better shape. "They teach you to always attack. That's how I like to wrestle, anyway. But I learned some things here that will help me do it better." Southern Oregon coach Mike Ritchey is designated the host coach for the Iowa camps. "It's great publicity and an honor for us to have the Iowa coaches and wrestlers here for one of their camps," says Ritchey. "It says a lot about the quality of wrestling in this area for them to come here." Cost is $295 per camper for a week of camp, which includes a dormitory room, food and all the wrestling the campers can stomach. The cost is $195 per week for commuters. The second week of an intense training session ended today. It cost $695 for those who attended the camp for two weeks. "We're all in better shape," says Pendleton High wrestler Ian Gadberry, 15-year-old son of former Southern Oregon wrestler Jim Gadberry. "It's an awesome camp," says Gadberry. "Hey, it's the No. 1 college program in the country all the way out here. I wouldn't miss this. "It at least gives you an idea of what college wrestling practices will be like. Since I'm planning to wrestle in college, that's important to me." Brands says the coaches and clinicians from Iowa like to come to Oregon because "it gets us out of Iowa City and gives us a completely different part of the country to see. A lot of our people went deep-sea fishing last weekend, some went to local lakes and others enjoyed this beautiful area." But wrestlers in camp don't have time for sightseeing once the action starts in camp. "It's nose-to-the-grindstone for them," says Brands. "We don't torture them or anything like that, but we work them very hard. They get an idea of what it's like at an Iowa practice. I think that's enlightening for them. "It's nothing fancy. We stay with the basics, and we drive them to get better. We want them to be tough wrestlers who give 100 percent at all times" In this week's team session, wrestlers are getting their lessons in live dual-match situations. Eagle Point, Ashland and Crater teams are well-represented in the camp. "It's good for our program to have a camp like this," says Ritchey. "It shows we're known as one of the better wrestling areas in the country." Iowa leads the country in consecutive dual-match winning seasons at the collegiate level with 31 and Southern Oregon is second at all levels with 29. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.