OSU: The Ocho - 1/4/18 Edition

Wrestlers Ronnie Bresser (125, 11-3) and Amar Dhesi (HWT, 9-3) lead Oregon State to 47 points and a 12^th place finish at the 55^th Ken Kraft Midlands Classic last weekend. The finish for the Beavers was a nine-spot improvement from a year ago and Bresser’s second finals appearance at the Midlands in three years.

Bresser and fellow redshirt junior Corey Griego (197, 11-4) were the only two Beavers to come into the tournament ranked, but saw polar opposite outcomes. Griego came into the weekend on the Midlands Watch List but saw his tournament end early when he was pinned in the first round by Wisconsin’s Mason Reinhardt and then in again the first consolation round by Central Michigan’s Landon Pelham to finish the weekend 0-2.

( Oregon State University )

Bresser, after receiving a bye in the first round, only needed 31 seconds to pin Wisconsin’s Ethan Rotando in the second round and followed that up with a pin of Harvard’s Nolan Hellickson in the third. After cruising to the finals, Bresser lost by decision 2-1 to #2 Nick Suriano of Rutgers.

Dhesi finished sixth after dominate performances in the second and third round but slipped up against Northwestern’s Conan Jennings and Maryland’s Youssif Hemida, both ranked in the top-20 nationally. Dhesi saw his weekend end in the fifth place match against Jennings, but ended up taking a medical forfeit to earn sixth.

Oregon State will stay east of the Rockies to take on a pair of BIG-12 programs in South Dakota State (4-2-0) and Iowa State (0-3-0). South Dakota State comes in ranked 15^th in dual matches and 11^th in tournaments nationally led by reigning NCAA champion and top-ranked Seth Gross (133, 12-0) and sixth-ranked Nate Rotert (197, 13-3). The 197 class is the only to feature a ranked opponent from each program in Rotert and Griego, which should allow Bresser and Dhesi to take advantage against a very good South Dakota State team.

Sunday will finish the long road trip for the Beavers as they take on Iowa State. Iowa State comes in on the bottom-half of the BIG-12 with a roster containing one ranked wrestler in Jarrett Degen (149, 9-3). While Oregon State will come into the match as the favorite, the Cyclones get the privilege of facing the Beavers in their second dual in three days.

Projected Lineup:

125 – Ronnie Bresser (RJr. / Klamath Falls, Ore. / 11-3)
133 – Devan Turner (RFr. / Dixon, Calif. / 6-8)
141 – Jack Hathaway (RSr. / Iowa City, Iowa / 15-8)
149 – Kurt Mode (So. / Prineville, Ore. / 6-9)
157 – Hunter Willits (Fr. / Pueblo, Colo. / 12-9)
165 – Billy Bigelow (RSo. / Las Vegas, Nev. / 3-8)
174 – Myles Terry (Fr. / St. Helens, Ore. / 4-9)
184 – Seth McLeod (RSo. / Post Falls, Idaho / 9-4)
197 – Corey Griego (RJr. / Apple Valley, Calif. / 11-4)
285 – Amar Dhesi (RSr. / Surrey, B.C., Canada / 9-3)

Oregon State Swimming was unable to keep up with San Diego State’s short-distance, failing to finish better than fifth in each of the four non-exhibition, 50 and 100 events to fall 124-100. The Beavers also failed to finish an event better than second to fall to San Diego State in their fifth consecutive meet.

( Oregon State University )

Sophomores Merritt Allen and Felicia Anderson were the only Beavers to reach the podium in an individual event with Allen taking second in the 200 fly and Anderson finishing third in the 200 free. Anderson also led Oregon State to a third place finish in the 200 medley relay coming in second on her leg, two-hundredths of a second behind the leader.

Oregon State’s next dual will be against UCLA January 12^th at Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis.