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SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 12-10-80 |
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Wrestlers Busy During Holidays |
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by Dave Meltzer |
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| If the SJSU wrestling squad can maintain its unbeaten status throughout the semester break, the Spartans should
have a comfortable spot among the nation's top 20 teams. But that's a big if, considering some of the competition just on the horizon. After tonight's 7:30 exhibition dual meet with Athletes in Action at Spartan Gym, the SJSU first team will travel to Utah for a dual meet against conference rival Utah State tomorrow night, and the Beehive tournament Friday and Saturday. But the highlights of the schedule include a trip to Illinois the weekend after christmas, a pair of doubly tough dual meets at Spartan Gym, and the challenge of meeting last season's third-ranked team in the nation on their home turf. The Spartans will take a 5-0-1 dual meet record and an honorable mention top 20 ranking to Utah State tomorrow. Tonight's match with Athletes in Action, a religious organization composed of ex-collegiate stars, will be strictly on exhibition. After SJSU's domination of the Mumby tournament this past Saturday, the Beehive will offer the Spartans an additional opportunity for tournament experience before what could be the toughest tournament of the season. The Midlands Open tournament, which will be held on Dec. 27 and 28 in Evanston, Illinois, is a collection of not only the toughest collegiate competition in the nation, but many older, more experienced grapplers who have completed collegiate eligibility. Placing at the Midlands last season springboarded both Dave Brouhard and Reggie Thompson to national rankings. Brouhard could well be unbeaten when the Midlands rolled around, as could 134-pounder Eddie Baza, Continued success in the Midlands could very well earn Baza a nation rating, while in Brouhard's case, could raise his stock upwards from his current No. 7 rating. Due to budget limitations, SJSU will bring only five wrestlers to the Midlands, which makes individual performances in the Beehive an important criteria towards determining which five will go. "If some of our guys come through at the Midlands, this could be a key to our getting a high national rating," SJSU coach T.J. Kerr said. "if not, we'll have to wait until we meet the Oregon schools." He won't have to wait very long, as SJSU will host back-to-back dual meets against Oregon and Oregon State on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5 at Spartan Gym. Both Oregon schools were ranked in the top 20 this past season. When Oregon State invades Spartan Gym, SJSU wrestling fans will get a chance to see perhaps the finest wrestler in the nation in heavyweight Howard Harris. Harris is not only the defending national champion, but set am NCAA record for the most pins in a season (41) enroute to an unbeaten season which saw him named "Wrestler of the Year." Harris followed that up over the summer in an international meet with the Soviet Union when he upset the Russian heavyweight who had taken the gold medal in the 1976 and 1980 Olympics. Just before the start of the spring semester, on Jan. 22 the Spartans will travel to San Luis Obispo to meet last season's third-ranked team in dual meets, the Cal Poly-SLO Mustangs. "We're hoping we can get a lot of fans to travel to San Luis Obispo for that match," Kerr noted. Last season's meet between the two teams saw SJSU fall 28-17 before 1,300 fans at Spartan Gym. |
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