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59 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, March 6, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 11, 2005 Amuchastegui is cool under pressure Phoenix sophomore wrestler believes hecan beat anyone and usually, he does By DON HUNT Mail Tribune PHOENIX — Spend five minutes with Nick Amuchastegui and you’d swear you were talking with a 20-year-old college junior instead of a 15-year-old high school sophomore. Smart, well-spoken and self-assured, Amuchastegui is a straight-A student at Phoenix High. He’s also one of the top wrestlers that head coach Harry Mondale, now in his 37th season leading the Pirates, has ever had on the mat. Amuchastegui (A-MOOCH-as-tag-ee) and the rest of the Pirates will shoot for the school’s sixth straight Skyline Conference district title — and their 24th in 37 years seasons under Mondale — at Henley High. Advertisement The two-day tournament begins at 2 p.m. today and picks up at 10 a.m. Saturday. The championship finals are scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday. Amuchastegui piled up a 30-5 record and finished third at 125 pounds at the Class 3A state tournament last year as a freshman. This season, he’s 33- 4, and his four losses have come by a combined eight points. "He’s one of those kids you get maybe a half-dozen times during your coaching career," says Mondale, 73, who launched his teaching and coaching careers in 1958 and has been at Phoenix since 1969. "He’s a tough, aggressive, athletic kid and he absorbs everything you tell him." Amuchastegui also has a strong sense of humor. Asked about how he got started in wrestling, he points to Mondale and says: "I started in the third grade and Harry was one of the first guys I ran into. He was a pretty nice guy back then. Now he’s an evil monster who drills me into the ground. "He tricked me. He lured me." Amuchastegui can get away with such banter because, No. 1, Mondale knows he’s kidding and, secondly, Amuchastegui brings an unsurpassed work ethic to practice and matches. Amuchastegui noticed early-on that there was a direct proportion to practice habits and success on the mat. That’s one of the main reasons wrestling appeals to him. "What you put into it is what you get back," Amuchastegui says. "When you win, it’s all you, and when you lose, it’s all you. And when you lose there’s a huge incentive to work harder so you can beat that guy the next time out." Amuchastegui likely will get his chance in that regard this weekend. He and Illinois Valley’s Adam Miller are seeded 1-2 at 140 pounds. Amuchastegui pinned Miller at a tournament in Eugene on Jan. 22, but lost 4-2 five days later in a dual meet. "I got cocky," admits Amuchastegui, who’s ranked No. 2 at 140 pounds in the 3A classification. Amuchastegui’s only other setbacks this season have been to Newberg’s Sam Schmitz (8-7) and to Estacada’s Josh Stalcup (5-3 and 8-5), who’s ranked No. 1 in 3A. What makes Amuchastegui so difficult to beat is that he’s so well-rounded. He’s tough on his feet, on the top and on the bottom. And his brute strength — which comes via his work on his family’s ranch as well as the weight room — makes him a constant pinning threat. Amuchastegui’s greatest asset, however, might be his fearlessness. "Last year as a freshman, he had ice water in his veins," Mondale says. "I’d never had a kid that young who was so cool under pressure. "He’d just walk out there on the mat, steely-eyed, and say, ‘Let’s go."’ Amuchastegui attributes his supreme confidence to his parents. "My parents have always taught me to believe in myself and to face every challenge full-steam," he says. "If you don’t have that attitude in wrestling then you’ve already lost." Phoenix has only 16 participants this season, one of its smallest turnouts ever. The Pirates head into the district tourney expecting a dogfight between themselves, Illinois Valley and North Valley. "We’ve got our hands full this year," Mondale says. "We’ve got some good kids, but our lack of depth might catch up to us ." Phoenix boasts six No. 1 seeds compared to four for North Valley and three for Illinois Valley. Along with Amuchastegui, other top-seeded Pirates are Kris Kaufman (125), Anthony Broskey (135), Doug Stewart (145), Ricky Farrell (171) and Riley Gibson (189). Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress Advertisement s