Oregon State
Oregon
Beavers beat Ducks as Jorgensen Wins 18th Straight
January 14, 2000 | Wrestling
Jan. 14, 2000
EUGENE, Ore. - Oregon State's Eric Jorgensen won his 18th straight match and the 21st-ranked Beavers beat Oregon 24-13 in a Pacific-10 wrestling dual meet Friday night at McArthur Court. Jorgensen, ranked fourth in the nation at 157 pounds, is now 18-1 with two pins this season after an 8-0 major decision over the 19th-ranked Eugene Harris in the Civil War dual, presented by the Northwest Dodge Dealers.
Jorgensen's win started a run of three straight Beaver victories to end the meet. OSU (4-4 overall, 2-1 Pacific-10) ran its all-time record against Oregon (4-3, 3-2) to 93-21-4, including a 14-3-1 mark in the last 18 meetings.
Oregon State returns home next weekend to wrestle Fresno State on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Simon Fraser on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Gill Coliseum.
At Oregon, OSU survived defeats by 20th-ranked Nathan Navarro at 125 pounds and 17th-ranked Ben Richards at 133 pounds. It was a pin by 197-pounder Clint Wilson and a pair of key wins by 141-pounder Shane Cunanan and 165-pounder Donny Kersey that helped the Beavers' third straight win over their in-state rivals, eighth-ranked heavyweight Jason Cooley also recorded a major decision.
"It was a team effort," OSU head coach Joe Wells said. "We had a few people falter, but some others stepped up and that's what you need to do."
After Richards was beaten 4-2 by 15th-ranked Brian Watson of Oregon, OSU's lead was just 10-9. Cunanan, who had a 5-10 record going into the match, stepped in against the Ducks' unbeaten David Watson, who had won his first eight matches of the season. Cunanan scored a pair of first-period takedowns en route to a 6-2 victory that gave OSU a 13-9 lead.
"I like pressure," Cunanan said. "It helps me out, it makes me more intense. That's the first match where I felt really intense in a while ... I know David is coming off mononucleosis, so next time it's going to be a real battle."
Said Wells: "Shane did a nice job. He was coming off three losses last weekend (at the Texas Duals), but he didn't let it bother him, and that's just what you need."
After Cunanan's win, Oregon drew even at 13-13 as Tony Overstake earned a major decision over OSU's Andy Frey by a score of 13-3. That left the dual as a three-match competition, and Oregon State got the jump when Jorgensen beat Harris in the battle of nationally-ranked 157-pounders.
Jorgensen withstood an early surge by Harris and recorded a takedown 45 seconds into the match for a 2-0 lead, then added a three-point near fall with eight seconds left in the first period to take control at 5-0. He added a reversal in the second period and a point for 4:02 of riding time to finish the win.
"After that takedown (in the first period), Eric put the clamps on him," Wells said. "He made a very good wrestler look like he wasn't so tough."
In Jorgensen's 18-match win streak, he has earned team bonus points for a major decision, technical fall or pin 13 times. He has defeated nationally-ranked wrestlers six times during the streak.
At 165 pounds, Kersey had a chance to clinch the team victory for OSU but was just 1-6 going into the match against Oregon's Leif Williams, who was 9-12. Kersey, who won the starting job in December by taking a pair of wrestle-offs against teammate Jake Huffman, rolled to a 12-5 victory that wrapped up the dual for the Beavers.
"I had to step in and prove I wanted to wrestle," Kersey said. "It's been tight between me and Jake. I decided in the last two weeks to pick it up. I want to be a part of this team, and Joe (Wells) gave me the opportunity."
Kersey struck quickly, scoring a takedown just 25 seconds into the match. He was clinging to a 4-2 lead late in the first period when he had to fight off a takedown opportunity by Williams, then, with one second left, he scrambled to score a takedown of his own and make it 6-2.
"He let go of my leg," Kersey said of the moment that put him in control of the match. "I was fighting him off, and I don't know if I might have got him in the face ... the referee said 'Five seconds,' and he might have thought it was time (and let go)."
Said Wells: "Donny just went out and - no problem. Then (Nathan) Coy went out and dominated the way we hoped we would in some other matches."
Coy finished the meet with a 21-8 major decision over Oregon's Jesse Culp at174 pounds. Coy scored nine takedowns and a reversal in the win.
The meet opened with Oregon's eighth-ranked Doug Lee beating Isaac Weber 8-3 at 184 pounds, but the Beavers responded immediately when Clint Wilson pinned the Ducks Jake Leair in just 1:56 to put OSU in front 6-3 and Oregon State never trailed after that.
"Clint got everybody fired up with that pin," Wells said. "He got him on his back and didn't let him off. That's what it's about when a senior (Wilson) wrestles a freshman (Leair). This was Clint's last time at The Pit, and he made it a memorable one."
NO. 21 OREGON STATE 24, OREGON 13
(Amateur Wrestling News national rankings in parentheses)
184 - (6) Doug Lee, UO, dec. Isaac Weber, OSU, 8-3. 197 - Clint Wilson, OSU, pinned Jake Leair, UO, 1:56. HWT - (8) Jason Cooley, OSU, major dec. Eric Webb, UO, 20-8. 125 - Jason Harless, UO, dec. (20) Nathan Navarro, OSU, 5-3. 133 - (15) Brian Watson, UO, dec. (17) Ben Richards, OSU, 4-2. 141 - Shane Cunanan, OSU, dec. David Watson, UO, 6-2. 149 - Tony Overstake, UO, major dec. Andy Frey, OSU, 13-3. 157 - (4) Eric Jorgensen, OSU, major dec. (19) Eugene Harris, UO, 8-0. 165 - Donny Kersey, OSU, dec. Leif Williams, UO, 12-5. 174 - Nathan Coy, OSU, major dec. Jesse Culp, UO, 21-8.
