Oregon wrestlers Justin Pearch and Ronnie Lee enter this weekend’s national championship tournament at opposite ends of their college careers.
Pearch is a senior and former All-American who is putting the finishing touches on his college career with a trip to its biggest tournament.
“This weekend will be a culmination of his collegiate career, and there’s a certain amount of excitement with that but there’s also a certain amount of pressure in that what he does this weekend will define what his college career was,” said coach Chuck Kearney, who placed fifth in the national tournament his senior season at Oregon. “I think that pressure is exciting him right now and he’s looking forward to getting in the mix and wrestling.”
Lee is a freshman getting his first taste of the big time.
“For Ronnie this is a great opportunity for him to compete in this tournament. He’ll walk into an arena with seventeen or eighteen thousand people who are there to see the best wrestlers in the country, and he’s going to be a part of that and feel that excitement,” Kearney said. “When you walk into that environment for the first time its something you never forget and it will be a great motivator down the road.”
Though these two wrestlers might be on opposite ends of their careers, both fought similar battles to get to the national tournament. Both wrestled through injuries and were able to come up with victories at less than one hundred percent.
Pearch sprained his knee in early January and wrestled hurt on Oregon’s trip to Oklahoma, going an incredible 3-0 on the trip despite the injury. He wrestled his way back to health and placed second in the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament to secure his spot in the national tournament. The injury is far behind him now and he goes into the tournament in the best shape of his career.
“He’s had a great two-and-a-half weeks of training since the Pac-10 Tournament,” said Kearney. “He wrestled solid at the Pac-10 Tournament and he’s in top physical condition. That builds up his confidence.”
Lee broke his leg, also shortly before the Oklahoma trip in January, and wrestled anyway, going 1-2 in his matches and wrestling in pain that was obvious to his coaches. When the team returned from the trip, X-rays were taken, the break was discovered, and Lee was sidelined for the rest of the regular season.
Lee made his return to the mat at the Pac-10 Tournament and placed fifth in the 174-pound draw. His performance prompted the Pac-10 coaches to select him as one of the conference’s alternates to the national tournament. Qualifier Andy Patrick of Boise State withdrew with an injury and Lee’s ticket was punched.
“It takes courage to step out there when you know you’re not one hundred percent,” said Kearney. “People that know Ronnie and are around him know that he’s got tremendous courage and he’s a tough-minded competitor.”
Wrestling begins Thursday morning at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich. and will continue through Saturday night’s finals. The finals will be aired live on ESPN at 7 p.m. Saturday. ESPNU will carry both of Friday’s sessions (10 a.m., 6 p.m.) and Saturday’s morning session (9 a.m.) live.
Updated brackets and team standings will be available throughout the tournament at ncaasports.com.