Thomas leads new middleweight lineup
October 28, 2015 | Wrestling
This is the second in a three-part series previewing the 2015-16 Oregon State wrestling team. Today we look at the 149-, 157-, 165- and 174-pound weight classes.
The Oregon State wrestling team will have different faces manning the middle weights this season.
But they won't be new faces. The Beavers who will fill the 149- and 157-pound weight classes have ample Pac-12 experience and the starter at 165 will be an NCAA veteran.
There will be a newcomer at 174 pounds, but that's the only truly new ingredient in the meat portion of OSU's starting-lineup sandwich.
The switcheroo starts at 149 pounds, where holdover redshirt sophomore Abraham Rodriguez (26-12) has moved up to 157 pounds. The vacancy will be filled by redshirt sophomore Devin Reynolds (23-9), who moves up from 141 pounds, or by redshirt junior Joey Delgado, (15-8), a redshirt junior who backup up Pac-12 champion/NCAA qualifier Alex Elder at 157 pounds last season.
“It's one of those classes where we have two guys with a lot of experience, Delgado and Reynolds,” said OSU coach Jim Zalesky, the 2015 Pacific-12 Conference Coach of the Year who begins his 10th season at OSU with a 111-42-2 record, five Coach of the Year awards and six Pacific-12 Conference championships on his resume.
“Delgado has been to NCAAs,” in 2014 as a redshirt freshman. “He was at 157 last year and had to battle Elder, so he's motivated and hungry to get back in the lineup. He did a good job this summer of making himself a good 149-pounder.”
Reynolds fell one win short of advancing to NCAAs in 2015. He went 9-3 in Pac-12 duals, won 37 team points, and took third at the Pac-12 tournament, but was not chosen as an at-large tournament entrant.
Rodriguez (26-12) also fell one win short of advancing to NCAAs, losing by one point in his last match. Like Reynolds, he just missed out on snagging an at-large NCAA selection.
“Abe learned a lot last year,” Zalesky said. “After NCAAs there were things I told him he has to do, and why he wasn't at the NCAAs when I felt he should have been there.
“It was in his hands to be there but he didn't do the little things he needs to do to get there. He has really worked on what I told him to work on and he looks very good.”
Redshirt freshman Rodney Williams (3-6) will contend for the spot in practice but for now Zalesky said Rodriguez is the favorite.
Senior Seth Thomas (26-14) anchors the 165-pound weight class. He was 8-5 in Pac-12 duals, earned 33 team points, and placed second at Pac-12s after he took a medical default in the championship match.
“He got re-energized last year,” after several injury-filled season that may have tested his desire, Zalesky said. “Last year he turned the corner.
“He made the NCAAs, which was a big steppingstone for him. Now he has to make that next step, and he has looked good. It's his last year and hopefully he will fight to be an All-American.”
Thomas is ranked 12th by InterMat and 19th by The Open Mat in their preseason polls.
Redshirt junior Ali Alshujery (8-9) and redshirt sophomore Tyler Chay (12-6) are in the mix at 174 to succeed graduated Pac-12 champion and NCAA qualifier Joe Latham. Freshman Weston Dobler could also fire in the equation.
“That's an open weight,” Zalesky said. “We'll give the two upperclassmen a look and see if somebody steps up. If not, Dobler will get a look down the road but hopefully one of those two guys can step up.
“It's a question mark in that we don't have somebody who has competed in the season,” as a varsity regular. “That's our first weight class where we will have somebody new in the lineup.”
The Beavers open the season at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 with the annual intrasquad match at Gill Coliseum. They start the regular season at the Northeast Duals in Albany, N.Y., on Nov. 15 with bouts against West Virginia, Northern Iowa and Nebraska.
For more information on the OSU wrestling team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OSU_Wrestling or by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateWrestling.
149
RETURNEES: Jr. Jay Tovey (9-5).
NEWCOMERS: RSo. Devin Reynolds (23-9, moved up from 141); RJr. Joey Delgado (15-8, moved down from 157); Fr. Alex Rich.
LOST: RSo. Abe Rodriguez (26-12, moved up to 149).
157
RETURNEES: RFr. Kennen Lanteri (11-10); RFr. Rodney Williams (3-6); RFr. Joseph DeMatteo (3-6).
NEWCOMERS: RSo. Abe Rodriguez (26-12, moved up from 149).
LOST: Alex Elder (34-12, Pac-12 champ, NCAA qualifier); RJr. Joey Delgado (15-8, moved down to 149); Jordan Henrickson (9-5); Shane Roach (1-4).
165
RETURNEES: Sr. Seth Thomas (26-16, Pac-12 runner-up, NCAA qualifier); Sr. Francisco Castro-Guzman (0-0).
NEWCOMERS: Fr. Collbran Meeker.
LOST: Nick Schlager.
174
RETURNEES: RSo. Tyler Chay (12-6); RJr. Ali Alshujery (8-9).
NEWCOMERS: Fr. Weston Dobler.
