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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 3, 2006 The sky's the limit at OSU By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune If you ask an Oregon State fan, any time is a good time to be a Beaver Believer. Now more than ever, however, they might be right. With an eye toward building on the recent success of the football and baseball programs, Oregon State Athletic Director Bob De Carolis introduced a pair of coaches also eager to vault their programs into national prominence during Wednesday's Beaver Huddle at Rogue Valley Country Club. Second-year women's basketball coach LaVonda Wagner and recently hired wrestling coach Jim Zalesky joined De Carolis in assuring about 50 Beaver backers that OSU has just touched the surface of its capabilities as an athletic and academic institution. A great deal of that optimism was provided five weeks ago when the Pat Casey-led Beavers shook up the College World Series with a remarkable run to the school's first-ever national championship in baseball. Advertisement "When you look at the baseball championship," said De Carolis, "I think you can conclude that it can happen in Corvallis. We're trying to do that for all our programs." Case in point is the addition of Zalesky, who knows a little bit about national championships himself. While at Iowa, Zalesky's teams won NCAA titles in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and finished as runners-up in 2001 and '04. "It was kind of a no-brainer for us," De Carolis said of targeting Zalesky to replace Joe Wells at OSU. "We just needed to convince him and his family to make the move out west, and it all worked out pretty well for us." Zalesky had the daunting task of replacing legendary wrestling figure Dan Gable at Iowa in 1997, and obviously fared well with the Hawkeyes earning seven top-four finishes in his nine seasons. Iowa was seventh in 2005 and eighth in 2003. The past two seasons saw a slip in the Hawkeyes' performance at the Big 10 Conference and NCAA levels, however, with Iowa placing in the middle of the pack in the Big 10 tournament and failing to notch a Big Ten or NCAA champion. Saying that a coaching change needed to be made for Iowa to regain its elite status, Iowa AD Bob Bowlsby fired Zalesky in March even though he had one season remaining on his contract and was coming off a fourth-place finish at the NCAA meet. The decision was met with mixed reviews, with current Hawkeye wrestlers upset with losing the caliber of person they'd come to know in Zalesky, while others had no qualms with Iowa's insistence that the program needed to be kept too a higher standard. Regardless, De Carolis was quick to swoop in and claim someone he believed would be a perfect fit at OSU. "I remembered watching him wrestle as a collegian at Iowa when I was at Michigan," said De Carolis of the three-time NCAA champion. "I knew his background and work ethic, and everybody always talked about what a solid guy and person he was, let alone a solid coach." Zalesky showed that and more Wednesday, speaking of the great tradition Oregon State had in wrestling back in the late-1960s and early-70s under Dale Thomas and of how excited he is to take over a program Wells led to a 13-2-1 dual-meet record last year and fourth-place finish in the Pac-10 tourney. "It's a great opportunity for me to come out to Oregon State," said Zalesky, who was a four-time All-American and capped his wrestling career with an 89-match winning streak. "I think there's great wrestling out here. The tradition's there, you've just got to up the expectations a little bit." Zalesky said that mind-set starts at the top, but cannot be accomplished without the right kind of wrestlers in the room. He said a priority will be placed on seeking recruits who have done well on the national level and have aspirations to excel on that stage. None of those ideologies, however, will preclude Zalesky from fielding a predominantly Oregon and Northwest-based roster. "Iowa's got a tradition and a reputation," said the 45-year-old, "but I feel there are just as good high school wrestlers in the state of Oregon as there are there. It's just about getting them to college and bringing them along." And while the Rogue Valley hasn't had too many of its wrestlers in the Beaver wrestling room in recent years, Zalesky said he's been made well aware of the talent in this area. "They've got a great tradition in this area," he said. "I know Southern Oregon University has done well and Crater High School and Eagle Point and Grants Pass have all done well." "You go with what kids you need," he said of his approach to recruiting. "If you need a 125-pounder and the best one is here, then you go after him. If he's someplace else, then you go there. But we're here to recruit the state of Oregon first and the Northwest. I'm not looking to bring kids from the Midwest, I'm looking for local kids here that want to be good." Zalesky said his coaching philosophy is the same as when he was a competitor: to be the best you can be. In wrestling, he said, you get out of it what you put into it. "So we're going to put a lot into it," he added. "I expect a lot from our coaching staff and I expect a lot from our athletes as well." So far his approach has gone over well inside the OSU community. Zalesky said he's thankful for the reception he has gotten since joining the Beavers in April. "There's great support there in Corvallis," he said. "Not just for wrestling and athletics, either. It seems like you've got great academic support there, too, and people are pulling for you. You don't find that in a lot of college towns anymore." After having already been through her first season with the Beavers, Wagner echoed that sentiment. "I think I came to Oregon State at a great time," said Wagner, who led OSU to a 16-15 record and a trip to the Women's NIT last season. "There's a great enthusiasm about the total athletic department. But I also think I got in the Pac-10 at the right time, too. Supposedly, the Pac-10 is not a women's basketball conference, and that's not the case anymore." The Pac-10 had seven of its teams qualify for postseason play — including six in the Women's NCAA Tournament. "And it's only going to get better with the talent that each institution is bringing into their program," added Wagner, who wouldn't mind adding a few Southern Oregonians to her roster in the coming years. Predicted to finish last, Wagner led the Beavers to a 7-11 conference record and seventh-place showing in her inaugural season. Led by four seniors, including three starters, OSU showed a 10-win improvement on the previous campaign. For her efforts, Wagner was awarded a one-year contract extension through the 2011 season. Wagner said now it's a matter of the Beavers showing consistency and continuing to make strides over the next few seasons as they revamp their roster. "We have a very young team and don't have a lot of experience coming back," Wagner said. "I think for us, the main thing is that we have to continue to build and stay the course, if you will, and stay on track." "I think this is going to be an interesting year for us because we are so young," she added. "We're going to have to stay positive because you just can't coach experience." Regardless of wins or losses, De Carolis said that he believes that all of OSU's programs are on the right track to lasting success. The ongoing projects to improve academic and athletic sites at the school are on target, and he's pleased that the school's been able to hold onto coveted coaches like Casey to provide stability. "We're trying to get all our programs to be highly competitive in the Pac-10," said De Carolis. "And once you do that, by definition, I believe that will make you highly competitive nationally." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s