Oregon State ready to take on top-quality field
from across the nation at Las Vegas Invitational
This release as a pdf document.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6 - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7
Oregon State at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational; Las Vegas, Nev.; all day
Oregon State (0-0 overall duals, 0-0 Pacific-10 duals) takes a big step into counting competition this weekend when the Beavers travel to the two-day Las Vegas Invitational at the Las Vegas Convention Center. OSU competed in the non-scoring Southern Oregon Open on Nov. 23, crowning five champions, but this will be the first meet of the season in which team scores are kept.
The Las Vegas Invitational annually draws around 50 teams; this year's field includes 11 teams in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association top 25: No. 1 Minnesota, No. 5 Michigan, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 9 Illinois, No. 10 West Virginia, No. 11 Missouri, No. 12 Arizona State, No. 13 Nebraska, No. 18 Boise State, No. 23 Purdue and No. 25 Wisconsin.
"It's going to be great tournament," OSU head coach Joe Wells said. "There will be a number of nationally-ranked kids at every weight, so we'll get chance to see how we stack up against some of the best guys in the country. It's important to get those matches in at this point in the season."
The Beavers will also get an early look at most of their Pacific-10 competition. Along with Arizona State and Boise State, other Pacific-10 teams at the tournament will be Portland State, California-Davis, Cal Poly, Cal State-Bakersfield and Cal State-Fullerton.
The Beavers will be without two potential starters this weekend, as 125-pounder Michael Delaney and 149/157-pounder Jordan Barich continue to heal minor injuries. Both were in Oregon State's starting lineup last season.
OSU brings back two wrestlers who placed in the Las Vegas Invitational last season, and both were part-time starters for Oregon State a year ago who have moved into the starting lineup full-time this winter. At heavyweight, Andy Bowlby placed fifth last year as he filled in for the injured Jason Cooley; at 174 pounds, Jake Huffman placed eighth while taking the lineup spot of Nathan Coy, who missed the tournament for personal reasons.
Casey Horn placed fourth at 141 pounds a year ago, but he is recovering from injuries and will not wrestle this season.
Ancient history
OREGON STATE AT THE LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL IN PAST YEARS: Last season, the Beavers placed ninth in the 53-team field. Placing fourth for OSU was Casey Horn at 141 pounds; placing fifth were Isaac Weber at 184 pounds and Andy Bowlby at heavyweight; and placing eighth was Jake Huffman at 174 pounds.
Oregon State is going to the Las Vegas Invitational for the fifth consecutive season and the 10th time overall; OSU's first trip to the tournament was in the 1991-92 season. The Beavers' best finish in Las Vegas was second in both 1993-94 and 1998-99; OSU also placed fourth in 1992-93 and 1994-95 and was fifth in 2000-01.
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