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56 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, January 26, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds 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 Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 13, 2005 North Medford�s Chris Platt puts a move on teammate Ryan Folsom during practice on Wednesday. Platt is ranked No. 2 in the state at 171 pounds. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Platt’s all business on mat North Medford wrestler has excelled in the sport since he was a 4-year-old growing up in Alaska By DON HUNT Mail Tribune It’s not exactly a Clark Kent turns into Superman type thing, but North Medford High junior Chris Platt isn’t the same person on the wrestling mat as he is off it. His happy-go-lucky, sometimes silly, always engaging personality transforms into a steely-eyed, silent assassin once he pulls on his singlet and headgear. And maybe that’s the biggest reason Platt has piled up a 24-2 record and a No. 2 state ranking at 171 pounds. "Mental toughness — that’s Chris’ greatest asset," says first-year North Medford coach Bill Jones. "When he takes the mat, you can see it in his eyes that he’s all business." Much of Platt’s toughness can be traced to Cordova, Alaska, a small fishing town about 100 miles southeast of Anchorage. Platt spent nearly his entire life there until moving to Medford two years ago. Advertisement His father, John, owns two commercial fishing boats that he operates in bone-chilling seas off Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta. Chris has worked on the vessels the past few years and has made as much as $10,000 during the summer months. "It’s good money but it’s also hard work," says Platt, whose duties include pulling up gill nets. "And sometimes it gets pretty scary out there. We’ve had waves wash over the bow and break out windows. "You just grit your teeth and tough it out. " The deep sea fishing adventures, which can last up to a week, helped to prepare Platt for the physical nature of wrestling. His father introduced him to the sport at the age of four, and not long after that he joined a freestyle club in Cordova. The family traveled to tournaments in the lower 48 states, and Chris won a national freestyle tournament when he was 12. But with good competition scarce in Alaska — Cordova High has less than 200 students — the Platts moved to Medford in the summer of 2002 as Chris was about to enter high school. John Platt hails from the Rogue Valley; he graduated from North Valley High in Merlin. "We just wanted more wrestling opportunities," says Chris Platt. "And we thought I’d get better looks from colleges if I was wrestling down here." Platt enjoyed competing for Kacey McNulty his first two years at North Medford, but when McNulty left to become the Eagle Point head coach last fall, Platt thought about transferring to state power Crater. The family began to look at homes in Central Point, but any thought of transferring ended once Jones — who was an assistant under McNulty — was promoted to the head coaching position at North. "If we would have gotten a new head coach, I would have gone," Platt says. Platt posted a 39-8 record last season as a sophomore and finished third at the Class 4A state tournament. His only loss at state was a 5-4 decision to Marshfield’s Brady Hampton, who was awarded a controversial reversal as the match ended. "There was a little bit of a scramble going on but in no way was that a reversal," Jones says. "The photographer who sells pictures up there just happened to snap a shot as the match was ending, and it’s clear that there was no control. "But that’s OK. It just makes Chris a little hungrier this season." Platt’s two losses this season have been 5-0 to Crater’s Collin Brooks and 7-1 to two-time defending Class 3A state champion Zach Giesen of North Valley. Platt also beat Brooks, who’s ranked No. 1 at 171 pounds, by a 7-3 count. They are likely to meet for a third time Saturday in the finals of the Crater Classic. Platt, no doubt, will have his wrestling face on. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers