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SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 3-3-80 |
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Spartans Take PCAA Championships |
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by Dave Meltzer |
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| A balanced team effort, with eight of ten wrestlers making the final four, gave the SJSU wrestling team the 1980
PCAA championship Friday night in Logan, Utah. The Spartans, with 85 points, finished with a comfortable margin of victory over second place Portland State's 66.75. Portland State's second-place finish was a minor surprise as they forced host Utah State into third place with 60 points. The Aggies had won the league championship the past two seasons. Fullerton State placed fourth with 47.25 points, followed by Long Beach State with 41.5, and Fresno State bringing up the rear at 31.75. The Spartans were led by four individual league champions. 126-pound Eddie Baza, 167-pound Dave Brouhard, 190-pound Jerry Morrison, and heavyweight Casey Gulliford all took top tournament honors. The PCAA champion in each weight division qualifies for the NCAA championships March 13-15 at Oregon State University. Baza, a sophomore, won his second consecutive league crown, decisioning Utah State's Dale Gardner 19-9 in the championship match. Brouhard, a junior, was league champion as a freshman in 1977. After red-shirting last year, Brouhard returned with a strong season, moving his record to 19-4 with three one-sided victories in the tourney. Ranked seventh in the nation, Brouhard solidified that position with his PCAA title. Portland State's Pete Lucas 17-6 in the championship match. Morrison, a freshman, was last year's California State high school champion. He had a rocky road getting the championship. In the semi-finals Morrison met Fullerton's Byron Bantum, going to a regulation 9-9 draw. When three over-time periods failed to produce any points, the referee gave the nod to Morrison because Bantum had one warning for stalling. The finals saw Morrison win on disqualification from Fresno State's Amos Scott in 7:39. Scott was cautioned for stalling five times before the referee disqualified him. Gulliford, a junior pinned all three of his opponents enroute to the league crown. Stopping Utah State's Mark Heagren in his first match in :55, Gulliford followed by pinning Dwayne Washington of Fullerton in 3:35, and taking the crown with a pin of Tom Gilbert of Long Beach in 3:11. Utah State's Tracy Moore, ranked No. 4 in the nation, won his third consecutive crown in the 118-pound class. Moore avenged an earlier defeat at the hands of SJSU's Wayne Jones in the finals, winning 10-6. Moore took a quick four point lead and Jones was never able to close ground on him. Jones overwhelmed and honorable-mention All-American, Fullerton's Victor Duarte 20-8, to get into the finals against Moore. Spartan 158-pounder Reggie Thompson also took a second, losing the championship match 8-5 to Portland State's Kevin Benson. Benson, who had earlier pinned defending champion Warren Flynn of Fresno, looked very tired against Thompson. But Thompson looked sluggish as well and was unable to capitalize on his tired foe. Mike Elliot, 150-pounds, of Fullerton State became the first four-time champion in PCAA history. Elliot, named PCAA "Wrestler of the Year," easily defeated Utah State's Steve Duroe 20-4 to win the title. Elliot had earlier claimed a 16-1 decision over SJSU's entrant, Adam Elias. SJSU coach T.J. Kerr was named PCAA "Coach of the Year" for the third time. Kerr previously won the honors in 1975 and 1977. Spartan 177-pounder Ken Klein, was a major disappointment. Neither Klein nor co-favorite Tony DePaoli of Fullerton made it to the finals. Klein ended in fourth, losing his consolation match in overtime to Long Beach's Bob Grimes 10-1 after they drew 6-6 in regulation time. SJSU's Dennis McDowell took third in the 134-pound division. McDowell won the consolation match. |
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