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SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 3-13-87 |
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Spartans Earn Tourney Bids |
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by John Bagley |
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| Despite placing eighth in a field of nine, the SJSU wrestling team had something to smile about at last week's
Pac-10 championships, won by Arizona State. SJSU wrestlers Arnold Khanbabian, David Love, and Matt Toves each earned themselves a trip to the NCAA championships March 19 at the University of Maryland. Khanbabian (21-0-1), the most experienced member of the SJSU team, placed second in the tournament in the 118-pound weight class. The Spartans' three-year letter winner has a career record of 64-37-2. In his first match at the tournament, Khanbabian got by University of Oregon wrestler Horashio Orche. He continued on the winning track when he beat Fullerton's Kent Yamimoto in the semifinals. "It's something i've been working on for 10 years now and to finally make it (to the championships) feels great," Khanbabian. Khanbabian was undefeated during the regular season and he absorbed his first loss of the year in the Pac-10 tourney against Arizona State's Zeke Jones 9-7. "In a way losing takes a lot of pressure off of me because people would have been gunning for me if i was undefeated going into the tournament," Khanbabian said. Love, wrestling in the 134-pound weight class, won his first match, beating Stanford's Brian Veit. In the semifinals he got by Cal Poly's Brian Martin, but lost to Utah State's Dave Zunga in overtime in the finals. His third place finish, however, was enough to qualify him for the tournament. Toves, finishing fourth in the 150-pound weight class, earned the trip by being voted in as a wildcard by the Pac-10 coaches. "Having three guys going is great, especially Matt," Khanbabian said. "He had a losing record last season and to turn it around is great." According to SJSU assistant wrestling coach Andy Tsarnas, the top-three wrestlers in each weight class automatically qualify for the tournament. Eight wildcards are then given out to fourth-place finishers. The coaches vote on which eight should represent the Pac-10. In Toves' first match, he lost to Arizona State wrestler Oritiv. He then rebounded to beat Oregon's Brian Puttman and Fresno State's Derdin Laoarn. In the finals, however, he lost to Cal Poly's Malcom Boykin, which placed him fourth for his weight class. Toves originally wrestled in the 158-pound class, but after the 1986 season, he decided to shed the eight pounds. Tsarnas said all of SJSU's wrestlers could do real well in the tournament if they apply themselves. "All of these guys have a chance to place in the tournament," Tsarnas said. "It's just a matter of how much they want it and how hard they are willing to work." "They have all got to enter the tournament with a winning attitude. Once the negative thoughts come up, their chances aren't as good." |
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