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SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 11-30-82 |
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SJSU Wrestlers A Proven Power |
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by 'Moke' Jones |
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| There is a sport at SJSU which had two All-Americans least season, finished in the Top 10 in the nation, yet very
few people know about it. That sport is not football or basketball, but wrestling. Yes, wrestling, the sport where two opponents, dressed in skimpy little outfits, grab hold of each other and try to pin the other on his back. Since taking over the Spartan helm 11 years ago, coach T.J. Kerr has been very responsible in getting SJSU into the national limelight of collegiate wrestling. In that time he has proved that SJSU is one of the finest wrestling schools in the country. Under Kerr, the Spartans have been a powerhouse in the PCAAs winning eight out of the last 10 championships. They are favored to win it once again this season. Kerr has led the Spartans to PCAA championships in 1973-77 and 1980-82. On the only two seasons they did not win the title, 1978-79, they finished second. Before last season, the highest the Spartans had finished in the NCAA championships was 22nd in 1973. That was the year Danny Kida took All-American honors by finishing fifth, which was the highest national finish by a Spartan wrestler until last season. In 1981 the Spartans finished 23rd in the nation, led by Dave Brouhard and Eddie Baza who captured All-American honors. But last year was, as Kerr described, an "unbelievable" season. The Spartans surprised everybody by finishing ninth in the nation and placing two wrestlers, Baza and Wayne Jones as All-Americans. Jones capped off an incredible season by taking third at 126 pounds. Baza capped off an incredible career by taking fourth at 134 pounds, his fourth appearance in the NCAA championships. In the 1981 championships he took fifth in the 134-pound division. Incidentally, both Jones and Baza are now Spartan assistant coaches. But the Spartans did not finish as high as they did just on the performances of Jones and Baza alone. Four other wrestlers, Bard Gustafson (118), John Middlestead (142), Andy Tsarnas (167), and heavyweight Casey Gulliford also won PCAA titles and participated in the NCAA. |
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