OSU recruit Hunter Willits won his fourth Colorado state title on Feb. 18.
Photo by: Joe Ammon/Denver Post
Recruits win two state, one national title
March 06, 2017 | Wrestling
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Members of the Oregon State wrestling team's 2017-18 recruiting class combined for two state championships and national junior-college title last month.
Another member of the class, which will join the program for the 2017-18 season, took third at the national junior-college tournament.
Twins Hunter (152) and Grant (132) Willits of Pueblo County High School each captured Colorado state titles at the Class 4A state meet at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Feb. 18. They helped lead PCHS to its second-straight team title.
Hunter finished the season 45-2 and became just the 20th Coloradoan to win four consecutive state titles.
"It feels like a lot of hard work that's finally paid off considering all the time and practices and things on my own I had to do to get to this point," Hunter told the Denver Post newspaper.
"They showed a video of all the four-time state champions on the video board before the meet started, and to be a part of that group now is surreal."
Grant went 44-3 and earned his third state championship. He most likely would have joined his brother as a four-time champion, but he forfeited two matches in 2015 after not making weight, by 0.1 pound, on the second day.
"It haunts me a little bit, knowing I could've been a four-timer like my brother, and when people would bring it up back when it happened, it was really hard to talk about," Grant told the Denver Post.
"But now, I don't worry about it too much. At the time I couldn't believe it happened to me, but I definitely think it made me stronger in the long run because it made me wrestle with a chip on my shoulder."
The brothers were a combined 29-2 in four state tournaments at the Pepsi Center.
"They just keep doing what they've grown up doing," PCHS coach Eddie Soto told the Denver Post. "They've been wrestling for a long time and they've traveled all over the place to compete in big venues.
"So this is just another tournament for them. Performing here just comes naturally to them."
Clackamas Community College sophomore Colt Doyle defeated Adrian Lyons-Lopez of SWOCC 8-2 to win the 174-pound title at the NJCAA national championships on Feb. 25 at Council Bluffs, Iowa. He is from Lakeside HS in Poway, Calif.
Teammate Kurt Mode won four straight matches after a second-round loss to take third place in the 141-pound weight class. Also a sophomore, he is from Crook County HS in Prineville.
CCC placed second at the national tournament. Doyle and Mode also won West Region titles to lead the Cougars to their fourth consecutive title in that event.
Current Beavers Joey Palmer (133), Jack Hathaway (141), Joey Delgado (149), Corey Griego (197) and Cody Crawford (hwt.) leave next week for the NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 16-18 at St. Louis. Palmer and Griego were Pacific-12 Conference champions. Hathaway and Griego took second, Delgado third.
For more information on the Oregon State wrestling team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/Beaverwrestling, or by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateWrestling.
OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.
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Another member of the class, which will join the program for the 2017-18 season, took third at the national junior-college tournament.
Twins Hunter (152) and Grant (132) Willits of Pueblo County High School each captured Colorado state titles at the Class 4A state meet at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Feb. 18. They helped lead PCHS to its second-straight team title.
Hunter finished the season 45-2 and became just the 20th Coloradoan to win four consecutive state titles.
"It feels like a lot of hard work that's finally paid off considering all the time and practices and things on my own I had to do to get to this point," Hunter told the Denver Post newspaper.
"They showed a video of all the four-time state champions on the video board before the meet started, and to be a part of that group now is surreal."
Grant went 44-3 and earned his third state championship. He most likely would have joined his brother as a four-time champion, but he forfeited two matches in 2015 after not making weight, by 0.1 pound, on the second day.
"It haunts me a little bit, knowing I could've been a four-timer like my brother, and when people would bring it up back when it happened, it was really hard to talk about," Grant told the Denver Post.
"But now, I don't worry about it too much. At the time I couldn't believe it happened to me, but I definitely think it made me stronger in the long run because it made me wrestle with a chip on my shoulder."
The brothers were a combined 29-2 in four state tournaments at the Pepsi Center.
"They just keep doing what they've grown up doing," PCHS coach Eddie Soto told the Denver Post. "They've been wrestling for a long time and they've traveled all over the place to compete in big venues.
"So this is just another tournament for them. Performing here just comes naturally to them."
Clackamas Community College sophomore Colt Doyle defeated Adrian Lyons-Lopez of SWOCC 8-2 to win the 174-pound title at the NJCAA national championships on Feb. 25 at Council Bluffs, Iowa. He is from Lakeside HS in Poway, Calif.
Teammate Kurt Mode won four straight matches after a second-round loss to take third place in the 141-pound weight class. Also a sophomore, he is from Crook County HS in Prineville.
CCC placed second at the national tournament. Doyle and Mode also won West Region titles to lead the Cougars to their fourth consecutive title in that event.
Current Beavers Joey Palmer (133), Jack Hathaway (141), Joey Delgado (149), Corey Griego (197) and Cody Crawford (hwt.) leave next week for the NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 16-18 at St. Louis. Palmer and Griego were Pacific-12 Conference champions. Hathaway and Griego took second, Delgado third.
For more information on the Oregon State wrestling team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/Beaverwrestling, or by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateWrestling.
OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.
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Players Mentioned
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