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Click Here 45 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, February 1, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend January 25, 2004 Lightweights lead SOU to rout over Pacific By ROB MCCALLUM for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — The lower weights have been an Achilles’ heel for the Southern Oregon University wrestling team all season, but not Saturday night, as the Raiders received 19 team points from their lightweights en route to a 40-6 rout of visiting Pacific. SOU, which improved to 3-4 in dual meets, won eight of 10 matches against its longtime rival, including three of the first four. Junior Lee Ottow got the Raiders off to a good start at 133 pounds with a pin, just after a decision by freshman Junior Valladolid at 125 pounds. "That really helped us," said SOU coach Mike Ritchey. "The lightweights haven’t been our strength this season, but tonight was a sign that we’re coming on." It marked the first time all season that SOU won the opening two matches. Advertisement "The whole team is putting things together real well, and that’s showing in our lower weights," said Ottow, who took only 1 minute, 24 seconds to dispose of Pacific’s Aaron Fernandez. "It’s been there in our heavyweights, but now we’re seeing it everywhere." All-American Colin Murphy, wrestling for the last time at McNeal Pavilion, did his part to extend the SOU lead. The senior turned a tight match at 157 pounds into a major decision with a takedown in the closing seconds, coupled with a bonus point for riding time advantage. Another senior finale for SOU was 165-pounder Brian Wilson. The All-American scored five takedowns, a reverse and three near-fall points in a 18-7 shellacking of Cory VanSteenwyk to improve his season record to 23-9. While SOU’s lightweights showed different form Saturday night, it was business as usual for the heavyweights. David O’Brien, Grant Thompson and Wes Balensifer killed any hopes of a Pacific rally by turning a 23-6 lead into the 34-point final margin. O’Brien, ranked fifth nationally at 184, scored nine points by near-fall to earn a technical fall and five team points against Judd Vincent. "I was just going out there to wrestle," O’Brien said. "It didn’t matter whether I got a technical, a pin or a win." Thompson returned from a December shoulder injury to earn his sixth pin of the season, a 4:34 fall of Garren Bremer. Balensifer barely broke a sweat in the nightcap, a 48-second pin of Austin Bissonette. "I was pleased with the way we wrestled," Ritchey said. "We were aggressive and went after it." The Boxers’ lone wins came from Garrett Miyake at 141 pounds and Mick Davis at 174 pounds. "They’re two of their best wrestlers," Ritchey said. "We knew that we’d be underdogs in those, so we were hoping to sneak a win out of those matches." The win kept hope alive for a 34th-consecutive winning dual-match season for the Raiders. SOU must win three of its final four matches, which includes a rematch with Pacific in Forest Grove on Feb. 6. "We’re confident that we’ll be able win out," O’Brien said. "Especially if we continue to wrestle the way we have been." 125 — Junior Valladolid, SOU, dec. Kevin Spangler, 12-8; 133 — Lee Ottow, SOU, pinned Aaron Fernandez, 1:24; 141 — Garrett Miyake, Pac, dec. Dan Herb, 8-5; 149 — Colin Murphy, SOU, major decision over Jason Smith, 13-3; 157 — Jimmy Grochowsky, SOU, pinned Lucas Nakaoo, 1:31; 165 — Brian Wilson, SOU, major decision over Cory VanSteeenwyk, 19-7; 174 — Mick Davis, Pac, dec. Rick Story, 7-2; 184 — David O’Brien, SOU, technical fall over Judd Vincent, 5:03; 197 — Grant Thompson, SOU, pinned Garren Bremer, 4:34; 285 — Wes Balensifer, SOU, pinned Austin Bissonette, :48. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times