Beavers Open Season on Monday

Monday, November 6

Corvallis, OR

7:00 PM

Oregon State

Orange & Black Scrimmage

Photo by: Dave Nishitani/Oregon State Athletics

November 03, 2017 | Wrestling

USA Today/NWCA Coaches Rankings 2017-18 Schedule

By: Athletic Communications

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State wrestling team returns seven starters and three NCAA participants from a 2016-17 team that finished fourth in the Pac-12.

"Training has been going well," said 12th year head coach and six-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year Jim Zalesky. "I thought the fall was one of the best we've had in a long time. The guys are feeling good and looking forward to competing."

In the first USA Today/NWCA Division I poll the Beavers were unranked but receiving votes. They will square up against four schools this season who are ranked in the initial Top 25: Michigan (4), Arizona State (11), South Dakota State (16) and Stanford (21).

Future opponents Wyoming and CSU Bakersfield were also receiving votes.

Pending results from the annual Black & Orange Intrasquad scrimmage, the Beavers have veterans at seven weight classes. The scrimmage if free to attend and begins at 7 p.m. in Gill Coliseum.

"Griego (Corey) is back at 197, Crawford (Cody) at heavyweight and Hathaway (Jack) at 141," continued Zalesky. "You can expect to see guys who have proven themselves before, but of course they have to earn it through the wrestle-off."

Defending Pac-12 Champion Cory Griego (197) is one of three returnees who wrestled at the NCAA's a season ago; he is joined by Jack Hathaway (141) and Cody Crawford (HWT.) Redshirt senior Amarveer Dhesi (HWT) and redshirt junior Ronnie Bresser (125) also have NCAA-tournament experience.

"We have other weights like 149, 157 and 165 where guys are going to have to step up and perform in some weights we struggled with," said Zalesky when talking about filling holes left from last year.

Bresser returns to the mat at 125 having missed most of last season, but qualified for the NCAA's in 2015. Redshirt junior Kegan Calkins and redshirt freshman Devan Turner are slated to battle for the 133-pound spot.

Hathaway looks to get the nod for the spot at 141. Last season he went 2-2 at NCAA's and was the Pac-12 runner-up.

A handful of guys will compete for the spots at 149 and 157.

"149 is hard to tell who will earn the spot," continued Zalesky. "Everyone looks good in the room some days, so we are looking for consistency. In the practice room is one thing, competition is another."
Redshirt junior Rodney Williams who wrestled last season at 165, is making a play for the open spot in the 157-pound weight class.

"Williams dropped down to 157, he will battle Hunter Willits for that spot," remarked Zalesky. Willits, a four-time Colorado individual wrestling state champion has been impressive in the preseason.

A couple questions remain as to who will get the nod at 165 and 174. Sophomore Bob Coleman finished fifth at the Pac-12 Championship last season at 174.

Oregon State opens the regular and dual-meet season on Thursday, Nov. 9 at home in Gill Coliseum against Eastern Oregon. The Beavers first tournament of the season is the Mike Clock Open in Forest Grove, Ore. on Nov. 12.

Oregon State opens Pac-12 competition on Jan. 20 at Arizona State.

"Arizona State won the Pac-12 last year and has a few guys back," said Zalesky when talking about the conference as a whole. "Stanford had a pretty good year and has some good guys coming back as do we here at Oregon State. I think it will be a solid season for the Pac-12."

Former Oregon State wrestler, and 2017 Pac-12 Champion at 133 pounds, Joey Palmer joined the wrestling staff in the offseason as a volunteer assistant coach.

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2017-18 Beavers Quick Facts
125
RETURNING: RJr. Ronnie Bresser (7-2); RJr. Kegan Calkins (11-17).
LOST: None.
NEW: None.
NOTES: Bresser is ranked 11th by InterMat, 13th by The Open Mat and 13th by WIN. He is a two-time NCAA qualifier who holds a 3-2 record at the NCAAs.

133
RETURNING: RFr. Devan Turner (2-2).
LOST: Joey Palmer (29-7).
NEW: Fr. Grant Willits.
NOTES: NCAA qualifier and Pac-12 champion Joey Palmer graduated and leaves a big question mark at 133. Palmer is on the staff as a volunteer assistant. Calkins could move up from 133 to battle Turner for the spot.

141
RETURNING: RSr. Jack Hathaway (19-13); RSr. Izaak Tobin (0-2); So. Zach Evans (7-6).
LOST: Hans Rockwell (4-6); Zack Wigzell (4-1).
NEW: None.
NOTES: Hathaway is ranked 11th by The Open Mat, 13th by WIN and 18th by InterMat. Hathaway was runner-up at the Pac-12s last season and went 2-2 at the NCAAs.

149
RETURNING: RSo. Alex Rich (9-7); So. Conner Noonan (11-9).
LOST: Michal Carr (3-6); Joey Delgado (19-12); Zach Evans (7-6); Bryce Parson (8-11); Amari Sengsavanh (2-4).
NEW: So. Kurt Mode. RSo. Dakota Wall.
NOTES: Rich and Noonan move up from 141. Wall is a transfer from Boise State after they cut the wrestling program.

157
RETURNING: RJr. Rodney Williams (4-17).
LOST: Bryce Parson (8-11).
NEW: Fr. Hunter Willits.
NOTES: Williams move down from 165 where he wrestled a season ago. Willits is a highly touted recruit and four-time individual state champion in his home state of Colorado.

165
RETURNING: RJr. Joseph DeMatteo (6-10); So. Drake McKee (7-10); RSo. Collbran Meeker (11-6).
LOST: Rodney Williams (4-17) moved to 157; Weston Dobler (8-18); Riley Jaramillo (2-4); Abraham Rodriguez (7-16).
NEW: RSo. Billy Bigelow; Fr. Aaron Olmos.
NOTES: Williams bumps down a weight class from 165 to 157 this season. DeMatteo is the only returner with multiple years of experience, carrying a 14-22 overall record. Bigelow is a Nevada state champion.

174
RETURNING: So. Bob Coleman (6-21).
LOST: Ali Alshujery (0-0); Weston Dobler (8-18).
NEW: RSo. Colt Doyle.
NOTES: Coleman is the lone returner at 174 with an overall record of 6-21. Doyle is a transfer from Clackamas Community College who won the 174-pound NJCCA National Wrestling title last season.

184
RETURNING: RSo. Seth McLeod (7-9); So. Adam Rateb (5-8).
LOST: None.
NEW: None.
NOTES: McLeod is a transfer from Boise State who went 7-9 in his inaugural season for the Beavers finishing sixth at the Pac-12s. Rateb is 5-8 in his career.

197
RETURNING: RJr. Corey Griego (25-10).
LOST: Kuloly Tudela (0-0).
NEW: None.
NOTES: Griego is ranked 14th by The Open Mat, 14th by WIN and 16th by InterMat. He returns as the lone starter at 197 from a season ago where he won the Pac-12 and went 1-2 at the NCAAs.

Heavyweight
RETURNING: RSr. Cody Crawford (24-9); RSr. Amarveer Dhesi (0-0); RSr. David Henry (17-9); RSr. Josh Parazoo (6-4).
LOST: Jimmy Millea (6-4).
NEW: None.
NOTES: Dhesi is ranked No. 3 by WIN, No. 5 by InterMat and No. 6 by The Open Mat. In 2016, Dhesi placed fifth at NCAAs and earned All-America honors. He was Pac-12 champion and the Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year in 2016. Crawford returns after a Pac-12 runner-up finish and a 2-2 record at the NCAAs last season. Parazoo managed a 6-4 record last season, while Henry pumped out a 17-9 record.