Spring Break
Four set for NCAA tourney
After qualifying two wrestlers with auto-bids, OSU sends four to St. Louis for NCAA tourney
Sol Allen
Issue date: 3/13/09 Section: Sports
Four Oregon State wrestlers will be heading to St. Louis to compete in the NCAA tournament from March 19 to 21 for a chance to prove themselves to be the best in the nation in their respective weights classes.
Two Beaver wrestlers, 133 pound redshirt freshman Kelly Kubec and 149 pound senior Heinrich Barnes were able to earn automatic bids to the tournament after taking second place in their respective weight classes at the Pac-10 tournament. Two others were able to take at-large bids as voted on by a committee, those being 165 pound junior Keegan Davis and heavyweight redshirt freshman Clayton Jack.
As a large underdog in the Pac-10 tournament, Kubec was able to overcome the No. 6 seed positioning and finish the tournament in true second place, only losing to the No. 1 seed, Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State in the finals. In his first year of competition, Kubec finds himself in the NCAA tournament and will be looking once again to use his underdog status to surprise his competition.
"I am really working to peak," Kubec said. "This is when you want to do your best, wrestle your best against the best. I'm putting the blinders on, with finals and everything, it's going to be tough, but I'm keeping my main focus on nationals."
In his final season at Oregon State, Barnes was the only other Beaver to secure an automatic bid. As the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Barnes' only loss came in the final round in a very close match against No. 2 seed, Jason Chaimberlain from Boise State. Holding the best record on the Oregon State squad, Barnes' record for the season is 35-5, and as an Olympian for his home country of South Africa, Barnes is ready for another big tournament.
"This is important to me as my first and last NCAA tournament," Barnes said. "I'm not done after this season; I am still going to compete internationally, and so this season has helped me see where I still need to improve."
Besides these two Beaver wrestlers, the rest of the members of the squad were left to wait in anticipation to see if they would be selected as an at-large bid for the tournament. Davis was able to make the cut, taking third place in the Pac-10 tournament and accruing a 29-13 record over the course of the season. This will be Davis' first NCAA tournament appearance as well, and after an explosive season in which he won more matches than he had over his first two seasons combined, he is ready to face up with the best.
Two Beaver wrestlers, 133 pound redshirt freshman Kelly Kubec and 149 pound senior Heinrich Barnes were able to earn automatic bids to the tournament after taking second place in their respective weight classes at the Pac-10 tournament. Two others were able to take at-large bids as voted on by a committee, those being 165 pound junior Keegan Davis and heavyweight redshirt freshman Clayton Jack.
As a large underdog in the Pac-10 tournament, Kubec was able to overcome the No. 6 seed positioning and finish the tournament in true second place, only losing to the No. 1 seed, Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State in the finals. In his first year of competition, Kubec finds himself in the NCAA tournament and will be looking once again to use his underdog status to surprise his competition.
"I am really working to peak," Kubec said. "This is when you want to do your best, wrestle your best against the best. I'm putting the blinders on, with finals and everything, it's going to be tough, but I'm keeping my main focus on nationals."
In his final season at Oregon State, Barnes was the only other Beaver to secure an automatic bid. As the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Barnes' only loss came in the final round in a very close match against No. 2 seed, Jason Chaimberlain from Boise State. Holding the best record on the Oregon State squad, Barnes' record for the season is 35-5, and as an Olympian for his home country of South Africa, Barnes is ready for another big tournament.
"This is important to me as my first and last NCAA tournament," Barnes said. "I'm not done after this season; I am still going to compete internationally, and so this season has helped me see where I still need to improve."
Besides these two Beaver wrestlers, the rest of the members of the squad were left to wait in anticipation to see if they would be selected as an at-large bid for the tournament. Davis was able to make the cut, taking third place in the Pac-10 tournament and accruing a 29-13 record over the course of the season. This will be Davis' first NCAA tournament appearance as well, and after an explosive season in which he won more matches than he had over his first two seasons combined, he is ready to face up with the best.
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