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Up for any challenge Mike Whitehead�s 28-6 mark has him on pace to become just the 26th wrestler in SOU history to win 30 bouts By Kris Henry Mail Tribune ASHLAND � It was Mike Whitehead who went fishing last summer, but Southern Oregon coach Mike Ritchey was the one hauling in the big catch. After finishing fourth at the national championships for North Idaho Junior College at 285 pounds last season, Whitehead began wondering whether another school might be a better fit for a prospective teacher-to-be like himself. The former Crater High state champion began calling around and found a willing taker in Ritchey. The SOU coach had tried to recruit the then-189-pounder when Whitehead was a senior in high school. That year at the state tournament, Whitehead entered his championship finals match needing a win to secure Crater�s second straight state title and his first individual crown. Whitehead exited that match with a 7-4 win over Newberg�s Ryan Sloan and a reputation as someone willing to answer any challenge. "What really impressed me was when he was a senior and he won those two titles at one time," says Ritchey of the individual and team championships. "I thought then that he was the kind of kid you want, someone who can handle that much pressure and go out and perform the way he did. You know if you can get a kid like that, he�s going to breed success because success breeds success." After a few nervous weeks of waiting for Whitehead to make his final choice, Ritchey finally got the commitment he had longed for since that fateful day in 1999. For his part, Whitehead has not disappointed in his first year at SOU. After a summer of dedicated work, the sophomore emerged from the weight room a sturdy 255 pounds � 35 more than when he was at North Idaho � with about 13 percent body fat. "I knew I had to get bigger if I was going to compete with the top guys at 285," says Whitehead, who avoided a scale for fear an unfavorable reading would lead him to alter his training. "I thought I was coming in at 235 or 240, and the first time I stepped on the scale, I was amazed." Buoyed by more confidence thanks to a more solid frame, Whitehead has been dominant this season. His 28-6 mark has him on pace to become only the 26th wrestler in SOU history to win 30 bouts. Whitehead�s 10 pins also rank him seventh on the all-time season list, just three short of former SOU All-American and current Crater assistant coach Nathan Winner. "It definitely has worked out well," Ritchey says of Whitehead�s return to the Rogue Valley. "He�s a great kid and has been a great asset to our program. "To succeed at the college level, you have to be self-motivated because you�re just not going to get all you need in practice. Mike�s just that kind of guy." Whitehead enters the NAIA Championships ranked and seeded No. 2 behind Embry-Riddle�s Ken Kobes, who won a NAIA national title in 1999. Interestingly enough, Kobes also appeared destined for SOU before changing his mind this past summer and remaining at Embry-Riddle. At the time, Whitehead said he welcomed the challenge by Kobes for the vacated heavyweight spot at SOU. Although those day-to-day meetings in the wrestling room never came to pass, the two recently met in the Northwest Conference Championships, with Kobes coming out on top 4-3 after a gamble by Whitehead didn�t pay off. With the score tied 2-2 and only 30 seconds to go in their championship match, Whitehead decided to take a chance and not let the match go into overtime. Unfortunately, a sloppy shot toward Kobes was easily fended off and turned into defeat. "I wanted to beat him and make a statement," says Whitehead. "I took a chance and it was the wrong time to take a chance. That�s just the way it goes." And as history has shown, Whitehead isn�t one to come up on the short side of the ledger too often. "If I lose to someone, it�s not good for them the second time," he says. And should it come down to Kobes and Whitehead to determine the NAIA team and individual titles? "If it comes down to that again at the national tournament, I�ll definitely perform," Whitehead says confidently. He�s certainly done it before. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.