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M/CLOUDY Temp: 50 °F Wind: N at 3 mph Wednesday, February 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend February 6, 2003 Eagle Point�s Tyson Nelson, the 2002 state champ at 171 pounds, is looking to become just the second wrestler in school history to win back-to-back titles. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Motivating factors Tyson Nelson is on a mission to defend his SOC and state titles in the 171-pound division By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune EAGLE POINT — Tyson Nelson seemed to have everything. Yet, in the middle of his senior year, the Eagle Point wrestler was left wanting. He had good health. He had vast experience and skill to dominate most any foe. He had the respect and admiration of coaches and teammates. He had a district championship to his name. Heck, he had a state championship to his name. Still, there was a void. "I didn’t have anyone to push me, no one to pump me up," says the 171-pounder. In the Be-Careful-For-What-You-Wish Department, all of that changed in about a 48-hour span in the middle of December. In a physical fray against Josh Osborne of Roseburg, Nelson threw a punch in retaliation of what he said was a head butt. It resulted in his disqualification — Nelson’s only loss to an Oregon opponent this year — and forced him to sit out the Eagles’ next competition, a tournament the following two days at North Bend. As a spectator at the Coast Classic, Nelson witnessed an attention-getting title run by the one wrestler looming between him and rare back-to-back state titles — top-ranked Luke Hogle of Thurston. "I thought, ‘Oh wow!’" says Nelson, "I need to pick it up. I watched Hogle wrestle in the finals, and it made me realize I could lose, I could get beat." That’s not a comfortable feeling for a defending state champion, but it’s one Nelson has grappled with on more than one occasion leading to these last couple weeks of his wrestling career. Nelson and the Eagles compete Friday and Saturday in the SOC district tournament at Eagle Point. State is two weeks later. Should he repeat as state champion, Nelson would be only the second Eagle to win back-to-back titles. Blake Cam did it in 2000 and 2001. After a slow start last season, Nelson emerged as the Southern Oregon Conference champion, then won five straight matches — all of them nail-biters — at state to claim that crown. It’s been a tough act to follow. "It’s not easy being in the position I’m in," says Nelson, who is 25-3, his other two losses coming against touted out-of-state foes in a big tournament in Reno, Nev., one week after his 48-hour revelation. "Sometimes I feel like, what if I lose?" he says. "I try not to think like that because it makes me nervous. Last year, I had nothing to lose; this year, I have everything to lose." However, a sense of desperation didn’t engulf him at the outset of the season. When fall football turned to winter wrestling, a seemingly never-ending season stretched before the young man who first took the mat at age 4. Though he gave his all in matches and never quit — "That’s not how I work," he says — Nelson admits he didn’t prepare as diligently as he should have. Then came Osborne. Then came Hogle. Motivational tools, both. "There’s always a reason for what happens in life," says Nelson. Nelson doesn’t hide that he’d like to gain revenge against Osborne should the two meet at district. In their fateful match, Nelson led 7-3 when he was disqualified with 22.9 seconds remaining. "I’ve thought about it, and I was totally wrong," says Nelson. "So was he, but I’m not going to blame him for something I did wrong." Should they meet again, "I’ll wrestle my heart out and what comes of it, comes of it," says Nelson. Both he and coach Brad McBee say other opponents have tried to evoke a similar reaction. "I think he learned a lot from it, to be honest," says McBee. "He’s been in similar situations and has taken that frustration out legally. He used it to fire himself up. They try to get in his head, no doubt about it." His growth from that encounter meshes well with other areas. Since last year, Nelson has gotten stronger and gained self-assurance he lacked at times last season. Everything else is about the same. "I try to keep it the same because last year it got me pretty far," he says. Nelson, a quarterback in football and shortstop in baseball — the sport he may well end up playing in college — isn’t overpowering. Rather, his balance, quickness and technique usually provide an upper hand. Generally, the belief is that, with less than a minute to go, if he’s within a two-point takedown of winning, he has matters under control. Like Cam before him, Nelson doesn’t get too high or too low emotionally, and doesn’t go out and thoroughly annihilate opponents. "But you can do it that way and still really dominate a match," says McBee. "Tyson’s not going to try to score five points before he scores two. He just goes about his business. "A lot of guys are happy to come within one or two points of a state champion. If a guy’s content to lose 4-1, we’ll beat him 4-1. Would I like to see Tyson score more points in certain matches? Sure. But at the same time, you don’t want him to get careless." His chief challengers at district figure to be teammate Kevin Miers, Osborne and Crater’s Cody Clark. After that comes Hogle, who likely won’t expend a lot of energy trying to get in Nelson’s head. Hogle and Nelson met last year at North Bend at 189 — each was in the process of cutting to their preferred weights. Hogle led by three points when he caught and threw Nelson to his back for a pin. Hogle went on to win state at 160, then claimed the freestyle national championship. "People talk about how that would be a good match," says Nelson. "It could go either way, but first we have to get to the finals to wrestle each other." He has other challenges to tend to first. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S