|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 2-12-80 |
||
|
|
||
|
Wrestlers Oppose Defending League Champs |
||
|
by Dave Meltzer |
||
| The SJSU wrestling team entertains defending PCAA champion Utah State at 7:30 tonight in Spartan Gym. The Spartans are still hampered by a flu bug which has infected over half of the starting team. Spartans who have missed the weekend road trip were right out of the middle of the lineup, where Cal State-Bakersfield dominated Friday's dual meet. 126-pounder Eddie Baza (22-5-1), 134-pounder Steve Lutz (14-13), 142-pounder Dennis McDowell (12-11), 150-pounder Reggie Thompson (24-12), 167-pounder Dave Brouhard (25-4), and 177-pounder Ken Klein (23-8) were all out of action. "Baza and Lutz should be ready to go tonight," coach T.J. Kerr said. "I don't know for sure about anyone else." "Our overall depth isn't as good as it was early in the season, so we may have to wrestle some of the guys who are sick," Kerr added. Utah State brings a 10-4 dual meet record to San Jose. The Aggies' four losses include two to teams ranked in the top 20, Oregon and Oregon State. They have also lost to Brigham Young and Nevada-Las Vegas. The Spartans bested Las Vegas earlier this season. The Aggies won the PCAA championships last year by a scant 2.25 points over SJSU. "It was so close that one man who we had that was injured, if he could have just taken the mat for his final bout, we would have gained enough points for the overall title," Kerr said. The Aggies' top performer is 118-pounder Tracy Moore. Moore, 24-2, is ranked eighth nationally. He will oppose SJSU's Wayne Jones. Jones, 27-8, is coming off an impressive tournament win in Biola. "Jones looked simply awesome in the tournament," Kerr said. "I'm really anxious to see what he can do against Moore." If Baza wrestles at 126, he will have a tough foe in Dale Gardner, who has a 14-5 record. Another key Aggie grappler is 134-pounder Steve Weight. Weight, 13-5. is the defending PCAA champion. Kerr believes that other Aggies to watch are 150-pounder Steve Durow, 13-7, and 190-pounder Jim Dreyer, 17-9-1. "Utah State, along with Fullerton State, should be our toughest competition in the PCAA tournament," Kerr said. The Spartans placed four wrestlers in the Biola tournament Saturday. Jones was the lone champion, while heavyweight Casey Gulliford took second. Gulliford dropped his final match to UCLA's Mike Haschak, ranked third in the nation. Haschak decisioned Gulliford 25-1. Gulliford nearly beat Haschak when they met Feb. 1 in San Jose. 190-pounder Jerry Morrison took third place finish. Morrison beat Nevada-Las Vegas' Mike Lammori 10-2 in the consolation match. 126-pounder Mike Rodrigues placed fourth. The Spartans finished 40.25 points, placing fourth out of ten teams. UCLA, who the Spartans beat in a dual meet Feb. 1, was the overall winner with 90 points. Nevada-Las Vegas placed second with 77 points. League rival Fullerton State placed third with 57.5 points. SJSU finished ahead of powerhouses Cal Poly and Bakersfield, but both schools didn't send full squads to the meet. The Spartans also finished ahead of host Biola, Cal State-Los Angeles, and Claremont College. |
||
