Feb. 1, 2004
TEMPE, Ariz. - After dropping two duals in a row, the No. 16 Arizona State wrestling team needed a victory and got just that Sunday with its 24-11 defeat of Oregon in Pac-10 wrestling action inside Wells Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils (8-6, 4-0 Pac-10) got wins at seven weight classes and built a 12-0 lead after the first three bouts to send the Ducks to their ninth loss of the year (1-9, 0-5 Pac-10). The win also was the 16th in a row over conference opponents at home for ASU and the 20th in a row in which it has either won or tied.
The dual opened at 197 with No. 4 Ryan Bader (So., Verdi, Nev.), coming off an upset of No. 3 B.J. Padden of Nebraska Friday night, scoring a 15-0 technical fall over Jake Leair in just 3:11. Leading 5-0, the Sun Devils' Clifford Starks (Jr., Phoenix) scored a 6-2 decision at heavyweight over Chris Dearmon to send the hosts to an 8-0 advantage.
No. 9 Christian Staylor (Fr., Chesapeake, Va.) followed the first two Sun Devil wins with an 11-0 major decision at 125 to put ASU out in front, 12-0. At 133, Jason Harless secured the first UO win with his 10-0 major decision over Curtis Ray (Fr., Mesa, Ariz.), who was filling in for an injured No. 11 Mike Simpson (Jr., Anaheim, Calif.). With a 12-4 lead, Jeremy Mendoza (So., Temecula, Calif.) added to the team advantage with his 4-0 decision at 141.
No. 11 Patrick Williams (Jr., Homestead, Fla.) held a comfortable lead at 149, and fought off a tough rally from Cyle Hartzell, to eventually win, 16-10, and being the team score to 18-4. From there, the Ducks would win the next two bouts to close the gap to 18-11. In those wins, Joey Bracamonte scored a takedown with 11 seconds remaining in the match to upend Brian Stith (Fr., Hampton, Va.) at 157 before Jamie Robbins (Fr., Mesa, Ariz.) dropped a 14-2 major to Luke Larwin at 165.
With two bouts remaining and the team outcome still undecided, Ron Renzi (Sr., Burke, Va.) stepped in a 174 and handed Chet McBee a 9-5 decision to put the dual out of reach for the visitors with the Sun Devils ahead, 21-11. With a slim, 6-5 lead, Renzi fought off a surge by McBee and scored a takedown and two near fall points in the final 16 seconds to secure the win.
In the final bout of the dual, Jason Trulson (Fr., Fountain Hills, Ariz.), who has been mired in a 10-match losing streak, entered the third period trailing 2-1 and brought the crowd to its feet as he broke his streak with a 7-4 victory. In the final minute of action and trailing 3-1 with a riding time point for Dustin Fisher, Trulson tied the bout with a takedown and trailed by one on a Fisher escape. With 13 seconds remaining, Trulson scored a takedown and two near fall points on the edge of the mat to take the victory. In a heavyweight exhibition match, ASU's Andrew Luckenbill (So., Glendale, Ariz.) lost a 15-6 major decision to Cody Parker.
The Sun Devils take to the road for a grueling three dual slate next weekend as they battle Portland State, Cal Poly and No. 22 Cal State Bakersfield, all conference matches. ASU battles the Vikings Friday in Portland, Ore., in a 7:30 p.m. dual before flying to California for a pair on Sunday. The Sun Devils will visit the Mustangs in San Luis Obispo, Calif., for a 1 p.m. dual before heading to Bakersfield, Calif. to battle the Roadrunners at 7:30 p.m. The matches will be the final on the road for the Sun Devils until the NCAA Championships.