To go from facing the top wrestling programs in the nation to facing non-Division I wrestling teams from Oregon could be considered a little bit of a letdown.
But in the Oregon wrestling team’s case, lower-level competition may be just what the Ducks need.
Not that No. 14 Oregon is overlooking Southern Oregon, Portland State, Central Washington and Pacific, but a trip to Portland is much less daunting than last week’s trip to Oklahoma to face the No. 3 and No. 6 teams in the nation.
“The big challenge that you face after wrestling big powers, then wrestling people of lesser caliber, is keeping your intensity up,” Oregon head coach Chuck Kearney said. “We are going to have to get up to wrestle.”
The Ducks return to action in the state of Oregon today at the Oregon Classic Duals at Portland’s Memorial Coliseum. The Duals are a round-robin tournament in which each team faces four other teams from around the Pacific Northwest. Oregon takes on Southern Oregon at 10 a.m., followed by Portland State at noon.
Southern Oregon is currently ranked fifth among NAIA schools and boasts a 6-1 dual match record. The match against Portland State will count toward the Pacific-10 Conference standings.
The Vikings boast two players who are ranked nationally. No. 13 John Fasana will face the Ducks’ No. 14 Shaun Williams at 125 pounds. At 184 pounds, Oregon’s Doug Lee will take on No. 19 Jeremy Wilson of Portland State.
After a break in the afternoon, Oregon will return to action at 6 p.m. against Central Washington and then tangle with Pacific two hours later. Central Washington is ranked No. 18 among Division II schools while Pacific is 15th among Division III teams.
“Their seasons will be made by beating an Oregon wrestler,” Kearney said. “They are still solid wrestlers.”
The Ducks will be the highest-ranked team at the Duals and bring in a strong lineup with six wrestlers ranked nationally, five in the top-10. Williams is the highest ranked at sixth among 125-pounders.
Senior All-Americans Chael Sonnen and Lee are ranked seventh at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively, while sophomores Brian Watson and Eric Webb remained in the top-10 at 133 pounds and heavyweight, respectively.
“We’ve made some real big improvements over the last month in how tough we compete,” Kearney said. “We’re no longer a bunch of guys who walk into a gym and feel like we can’t compete. We’re making progress across the board and hope to continue to make improvements.”
The Duals mark the last multi-team tournament of the season before the Pac-10 Championships on Feb. 25-26 and the National Tournament on March 15-17.
“We’re on the home stretch in my mind because every weekend here on out we have one weekend match,” Kearney said. “That allows you to get better training in without traveling days.”