According to Oregon wrestling coach Chuck Kearney, the Ducks have one big advantage heading into this weekend’s Pacific-10 Conference Championships: Home-court advantage. The Pac-10 meet will take place at McArthur Court, with two sessions Sunday evening and the championship session on Monday. Sessions start at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday and 3 p.m. Monday afternoon.
“I’m excited, I think I wrestle better in Mac Court than I do anyplace else,” redshirt freshman heavyweight Charlie Alexander said.
Said Kearney: “Historically that’s been a real big advantage. Traditionally in wrestling you don’t see it except at the conference tournament.”
Kearney added that the conference championship host usually has a strong showing at the tournament, which might help the Ducks succeed – and possibly send a few more wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in March.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys that are right on the bubble,” Kearney said. “With good tournaments, they’re capable of qualifying.”
Both Alexander and Joey Lucas were pointed out by Kearney as Ducks with a great chance to earn NCAA Championships bids.
“Charlie’s having a real good year and is in a real good position to make things happen,” Kearney said. “Joey Lucas has had the best three weeks he’s had all year.”
Sophomores Kyle Bounds and Zack Frazier and juniors Shaun Dee, Ryan Dunn and Cody Moulton were also highlighted by Kearney as wrestlers who have a chance to surprise this weekend, possibly earning their way to the NCAA tournament in St. Louis either as conference champion or as an at-large berth. In the most updated version of the Pac-10 wrestling rankings, Lucas sits sixth in the 125-pound weight class, Dunn is fourth at 133 pounds, Moulton is eighth at 141 pounds, Bounds is fourth at 157 pounds, Frazier is fifth at 165 pounds, Dee is eighth at 197 pounds, and Alexander is the third-ranked heavyweight.
Both Alexander and Lucas are ready to compete.
“I’m looking forward to doing my best and trying to be a Pac-10 champion and go to nationals,” Alexander said.
“I am very focused,” Lucas said. “It’s not so much a jittery excitement, it’s more just kind of a calm focus.
“It’s been so long in coming that it’s just how things are.”
Kearney’s emphasis this week is on preparing the team, trying to give Oregon the best chance to send the most Ducks to the NCAAs.
“We could qualify six, seven, eight guys. At worst we could qualify three. It all depends on how we show up to compete,” he said. “We can control how we show up and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Last match at Mac Court?
When the final match ends Monday and the last champion is crowned, wrestling at McArthur Court might officially come to a close as well. Despite hosting an alumni event to try to keep the wrestling program a part of Oregon varsity sports, Kearney said the focus from the coaches is on the meet, in order to best serve their athletes.
“We owe it to the young men that have committed to this program,” Kearney said. “Because of the work that’s been put in to this program, we owe it to the program to go out and compete at our best.”
Kearney is optimistic the team will be ready for the matches to start Sunday.
“These guys will be ready,” he said.
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