Dhesi makes All-American
March 19, 2016 | Wrestling
New York City – Oregon State redshirt sophomore heavyweight Amarveer Dhesi (pictured) earned All-American honors on Friday at the NCAA Championships at Madison Square Garden.
Dhesi (31-4) went 2-1 on Friday and advanced to Saturday's third-place semifinals, where he will face fifth-seeded Adam Coon of Michigan. It will be the second time they've met this season; Coon won 6-3 at Ann Arbor on Jan. 7.
Dhesi is OSU's first All-American since Taylor Meeks (197), Scott Sakaguci (149) and RJ Pena (157) earned All-American recognition in 2013. He is OSU's first heavyweight All-American since Clayton Jack in 2012.
Dhesi lost 16-5 in the quarterfinals to second-seeded Kyle Snyder of Ohio State, the reigning world freestyle champion, snapping a 15-match winning streak. He then defeated Tanner Hall of Arizona State 3-2 and ninth-seeded Michael Kroells of Minnesota 8-5.
He can finish as high as third by winning two more matches, or as low as sixth. He is the lone Beaver remaining in the tournament.
The most recent Beaver to finish as high as third was 142-pounder Oscar Wood in 1998. Les Gutches was OSU's last NCAA champion, in 1996.
The Beavers are in 23rd place in the team standings with 19 points. They are one point out of 19th place and could move up with a big finish from Dhesi on Saturday.
Sophomore Ronnie Bresser (125) went 2-1 in the wrestlebacks and was eliminated one win short of All-American consideration. He pinned unseeded Sean Russell of Edinboro in 4:41; got a late escape and takedown to defeat 13th-seeded Tim Lambert of Nebraska for the third time this season, 5-4, but then lost 3-1 to Connor Schram of Stanford.
Bresser finished 31-9 this season. He lost three times to Schram, the Pacific-12 Conference champion, by a combined five points. Seven of his nine losses were by two points or less.
Redshirt junior Joey Palmer (133) went 1-1. He won by major decision, 11-2, over 13th-seeded Cameron Kelly of Ohio. He then was eliminated 5-4 by 12th-seeded Ryan Taylor of Wisconsin and finished the season 26-12.
Redshirt junior Joey Delgado (24-14) was eliminated after a 5-4 loss to 12th-seeded Geo Martinez of Boise State. Delgado led 4-3 with about 40 seconds to go, but Martinez escaped to tie the match and won with a point for having 1:07 in riding time.
Senior Seth Thomas (22-11) was eliminated following a 15-6 loss to seventh-seeded Anthony Perrotti of Rutgers, who also defeated him on Nov. 21. A graduated senior who finished his career 82-38 all-time, Thomas also earned Pac-12 and National Wrestling Coaches Association academic honors.
Redshirt freshman Corey Griego took fourth-seeded Domenic Abounader of Michigan to overtime but he lost 3-1 in sudden victory. He finished his first varsity season 24-12.
For more information on the Oregon State wrestling team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OSU_Wrestling or by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateWrestling.
OSU results:
RONNIE BRESSER (125): Dec. by Dalton Macri (Cornell), 6-5, 2 TB; dec. Eddie Klimara (Oklahoma State), 2-1, TB; pinned Sean Russell, Edinboro, 4:41; dec. Tim Lambert (Nebraska), 5-4; dec. by Connor Schram (Stanford), 3-1; eliminated, did not place.
JOEY PALMER (133): Dec. by Zane Richards (Illinois), 5-4; dec. Austin Eicher (NIU), 6-0; maj. dec. Cameron Kelly, Ohio, 11-2; dec. by Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin), 5-4; eliminated, did not place.
JOEY DELGADO (149): Dec. by Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State), 11-8; dec. Alex Kocer (SDSU), 9-7; dec. by Geo Martinez (Boise State), 5-4; eliminated. Did not place.
SETH THOMAS (165): Maj. dec. by Chad Welch (Purdue), 13-4; dec. Dakota Juarez (EMU), 8-5; maj. dec. by Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers), 15-6; eliminated, did not place.
COREY GRIEGO (184): Maj. dec. by Willie Miklus (Missouri), 15-6; dec. Victor Avery (Edinboro), 11-5; dec. by Domenic Abounader (Michigan), 3-1, SV; eliminated, did not place.
AMARVEER DHESI (hwt.): Pinned Jeramy Sweany (Cornell), 1:17; maj. dec. Collin Jensen (Nebraska), 12-4; maj. dec. by Kyle Snyder (Ohio State), 16-5; dec. Tanner Hall (Arizona State), 3-2; dec. Michael Kroells (Minnesota), 8-5. Still wrestling.
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