West Regional Olympic Trials Come To A Close
March 26, 2000
CORVALLIS, Ore. - - Oregon State freshman Andy Bowlby and former OSU assistant coach Terry Steiner captured second place in their weight classes Sunday afternoon as the West Regional Olympic Wrestling Trials came to an end after three days of competition. OSU's Mike Dalaney took third in the 54 kilogram class as well.
The event brought nearly 500 wrestlers to Corvallis for the weekend, as roughly 300 high school wrestlers competed in the Northwest Junior Regional Championships, which were held in conjunction with the Regional Trials.
"It's been a great experience," OSU coach Joe Wells said of Oregon State hosting the tournament. "The public relations are great for wrestling and the state of Oregon. Any time you bring this many national champions to an event, it's excellent."
Bowlby, who won the 130 kg Greco-Roman championship Saturday, won his first two matches by a combined score of 24-2 while representing the Orange Crush Mat Club. Bowlby's run to a second championship was cut short however, when he was pinned in 22 seconds by Idaho's James Huml in the championship match.
Steiner, who coached at OSU from 1995-96, finished second in the 69 kg class as he lost a 5-4 overtime decision to Chris Bono in the championship bout. Steiner was a three-time All-American at Iowa as well as the 1993 NCAA National Champion.
Beaver freshman Mike Delaney beat Paul Kaiser in the consolation championship bout to take third place. Delaney, who wrestled for Orange Crush, won his first match 14-4 and then dropped his next bout. Delaney then earned a 13-2 technical fall over Kaiser to claim third place.
"We had some kids perform well," Wells said. "It was good preparation for the University Championships coming up in the second week of April."
The champions from each of the eight weight classes earned the right to go to Dallas in June for the Freestyle Final Olympic Team Trials. They will wrestle the top six athletes from the U.S. National Championships as well as the champions from the four other Regional Trials at the Final Trials to determine the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team. The champions from Saturday's Greco-Roman competition will wrestle against the other four regional champions, the Armed Services champion, and the top eight finishers from the U.S. Nationals in the Final Trials as well.
RESULTS (champions advance to Final Olympic Team Trials in their respective styles.)
GRECO-ROMAN CHAMPIONS - 54 kg - Anthony Wilkes, Army, 58 kg - Broderick Lee, Peninsula, 63 kg -Glenn Garrison, Peninsula, 69 kg - Heath Sims, DSWC, 76 kg - Keith Wilson, Army, 85 kg - Chael Sonnen, DSWC, 97 kg - Randy Couture, Sunkist, 130 kg - Andy Bowlby, Orange Crush.
FREESTYLE CHAMPIONS - 54 kg - Eric Albarracin, Army, 58 kg - Yero Washington, Sunkist, 63 kg - H. Leshawn Charles, Sunkist, 69 kg - Chris Bono, Sunkist, 76 - Frank Trigg, Sunkist, 85 kg - Lee Fullhart, Hawkeye, 97 kg - Raphael Davis, DSWC, 130 kg - James Huml, Idaho.
