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SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 11-8-76 |
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Gold Grapplers Upset Blues |
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by Ron L. Coverson |
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| In what turned out to be somewhat of a surprise for the opposing coaches, the Gold wrestling team, comprised of
the younger players on this year's varsity squad, upset the older, more experienced Blue squad 26-24 in an intersquad
wrestling meet held at Spartan Gym Thursday night. No one goes into a wrestling meet planning to lose, however, head coach Terry Kerr, who was in charge of the Gold team, admitted that the victory was unexpected and at the same time, quite satisfying. "The older guys were favored to win the meet, but the younger kids showed a lot of enthusiasm and after Rusty Lockwood beat Randy Fleury and Rudy Guevara, and Mike Snipes beat Randy Fleury, the momentum just kept flowing," Kerr said. "Also, my brother, was coaching the Blue team and he was the favorite. It was great to beat him." Fleury was the favorite in his encounter with Snipes of the Gold team, but after the former scored the initial takedown, Snipes rode his opponent well for the remainder of the match and scored a 4-3 upset victory. After Lockwood put on a strong performance in defeating favorite Guevara in their 126 pound match. Guevara, obviously upset with himself, threw his headgear in a fit of anger which cost the Blue team an extra point due to unsportsmanlike conduct. "It was totally uncalled for, and it did nothing except hurt his team's concentration," stated Kerr. These victories set the tone for the remainder of the meet, and behind freshman Doug Johnson's 5-2 victory over Jon Benchley, and freshman Steve Mills' defeat of junior Wes Burris, the Spartan Gold team had secured the upset win. "Johnson really looked super and he's going to be a good one for us this year," Kerr added. A highlight of the meet for the Blue's occurred when junior college transfer Bob McDowell trounced John Sheeport by an 18-4 count. McDowell was the NAIA champion at Graceland College last year. At present the Spartan grapplers are in the process of training for upcoming meets at the Great Plains Tournament on Nov. 12-13, and a meet at Cal State-Hayward Nov. 17. "I'm taking Danny Kida, Joe Tice, and McDowell to the Great Plains Tournament and i expect all three of them to place," Kerr said. The Great Plains Tournament is an AAU tourney, and this is why Kida and Tice, who both are coaches for SJSU are eligible. Kerr will take a team comprised mostly of freshmen when the squad takes on the Pioneers from Hayward State. |
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