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SOU one victory from extending winning streak ASHLAND - The third-ranked Southern Oregon University wrestling team moved within one victory of extending the school's consecutive winning season streak to 32 with a 40-6 triumph against Pacific Lutheran University at McNeal Pavilion Friday night. The defending NAIA champion Raiders (5-2) won eight of 10 bouts against the NCAA Division III Lutes (1-8), including pins by junior Marc Harris (125), junior Chris Huntley (165) and senior Abe Haddon (184), and improved to 31-0 all-time against the Tacoma, Wash., school. Southern Oregon has two shots at extending its NAIA-record winning season string today at home against ninth-ranked Pacific (1 p.m.) and fourth-ranked Montana State-Northern (8 p.m.), which boasts five national championships. "We've been training very hard lately, and we're not as crisp as we will be at the end of the season," Raider coach Mike Ritchey said, "but we're wrestling smart and being aggressive, which is a winning combination for us at this point in the year." Returning to that winning combination was Haddon, who had missed three weeks of action due to injury. PLU never seriously challenged the Raiders after they opened with a 5-2 decision by top-ranked sophomore 197-pounder Wes Balensifer, a forfeit to sophomore heavyweight Mike Whitehead and Harris' first-period pin of Floyd Bangerter. The Lutes registered team points on decisions by Matt Holt (141) and Gustavo Anaya (157), but the Raiders clinched the victory when fourth-ranked Huntley pinned Rich Vigorito two minutes into the eighth bout. SOU's other winners were sophomore Colin Murphy (141), Shannon Slover (by forfeit at 149) and Brian Wilson (174). The Raiders enter today's action winners of six of their past seven home duals. TEAM SCORE - Southern Oregon 40, Pacific Lutheran 6. 197 - Wes Balensifer, SOU, dec. Jasen Bennie, 5-2; 285 - Mike Whitehead, SOU, won by forfeit; 125 - Marc Harris, SOU, pinned Floyd Bangerter, 1:55; 133 - Matt Holt, PLU, dec. Jason Chao, 11-5; 141 - Colin Murphy, SOU, dec. Wade Brzozowski, 5-2. 149 - Shannon Slover, SOU, won by forfeit; 157 - Gustavo Anaya, PLU, dec. Dennis Harada, 13-8; 165 - Chris Huntley, SOU, pinned Rich Vigorito, 2:02; 174 - Brian Wilson, SOU, major dec. Josh Rhoden, 10-1; 184 - Abe Haddon, SOU, pinned Greg Nelson, 2:44. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.