The Barometer Online

Issue date: 5/20/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Curtis Barnard

Every young athlete has dreams. Some dream of winning a National Championship. Some dream of becoming an NCAA Individual Champion. Some dream of receiving a Division-I scholarship, while others dream of representing their country at the most prolific international competition, the Olympic Games.

Oregon State wrestler Heinrich Barnes was one of those dreamers. "Ever since I was a little kid, I've wanted this," said Barnes of his qualification of making the South African Olympic Wrestling team.

Barnes is a junior majoring in business administration. His future plans after wrestling involve moving back to South Africa where he hopes to take over his father's iron casting company.

In his first season with the Beavers, Barnes had a record of 22-7 in the 141-pound weight class. He had a solid dual meet record of 13-2 and an undefeated major decision record by 8-14 points of 8-0. But he struggled at the 2008 Pac-10 Championships due to knee surgery. After the Pac-10 Championships, he headed to Tunisia to compete in the FIFLA-African Senior Continental Championships at 66 kilograms (about 145.5 pounds) where he defeated three opponents, which gave him a ticket to Beijing for the summer Olympics.

"I am so proud to represent my country," Barnes said. This won't be the first time he is representing South Africa - he placed 16th in his weight class at the World Championships back in September.

"It is such a great honor for him to represent his country. This is the reason we compete in our sport, for the chance to reach the highest level of competition," said Oregon State wrestler Kyle Bressler and fellow teammate of Barnes.

While wrestling in college is hard enough, training for the Olympics is a bit different, according to Coach Zalesky.

"There are different rules and styles on the international level than on the collegiate level," said Zalesky. An international wrestling match features two three-minute matches, in which one competitor needs to win two consecutive matches to beat the opponent. In wrestling in college, also known as "scholastic wrestling," wrestlers have a seven-minute match to try and pin their opponent or accumulate as many points as possible before the end of the match.

"It's a bit like tennis in the sense that an opponent needs to win two matches," said Coach Zalesky.

Continued...

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