The Oregon wrestling team will face an important test this weekend when they travel to Boise State and then to Arizona State.
Coming off three weeks of intensive training and two wins last weekend over Pacific and Central Washington, the Ducks begin a stretch run when they will face six Pacific-10 Conference opponents and host one nonconference foe (Fresno State) in the next 20 days.
The Ducks are currently 2-1 in Pac-10 meets. They began the season with commanding wins over Stanford and UC-Davis. Then on Dec. 12, Oregon traveled to Corvallis to face Oregon State and lost the match 16-16 by way of criteria “g,” which awards the win to the team with the most near-fall points.
In the latest polls, Oregon is fighting to crack the top-25, listed as one of the teams receiving votes.
Arizona State is ranked No. 10 by both Intermat and the coaches’ poll. The Ducks’ other opponent this weekend, Boise State, did not make the coaches poll, but holds the No. 24 slot on Intermat’s rankings.
Last season, Arizona State and Boise State topped the Pac-10 standings while Oregon placed fourth, and in the latest Pac-10 rankings, the Sun Devils sit on top of the conference above Oregon State, Oregon and Boise State, respectively.
In tonight’s meet, the Broncos of Boise State (6-3 overall, 3-1 Pac-10) will feature No. 4 Ben VomBaur (16-3) in the 125-pound weight class. Boise State’s two other ranked wrestlers are No. 14 Gabe Vigil (18-9) at 141-pounds and No. 10 Collin Robertson, who has won 12 matches in a row and is 18-3 at 149 pounds.
VomBaur and Oregon’s Shaun Williams, who is now ranked No. 12, met three times last season, with Williams winning twice.
Along with the Broncos’ excellent 125-pounder, Williams will have to face Arizona State’s No. 11 freshman Mike Simpson, who leads the team with 22 victories and five major decisions.
Oregon’s 141-pounder, No. 19 Brian Watson, who has jumped into the national rankings this week, will also have top competition. After taking on Vigil at Boise State, Watson will face the No. 1 wrestler in the country in his weight class, the Sun Devils’ Eric Larkin (21-2).
Including Larkin and Simpson, Arizona State has seven ranked wrestlers in its starting lineup. Two of the other key matchups during Sunday’s meet will be at 165-pound and heavyweight classes.
Oregon’s senior captain, Eugene Harris, is now ranked No. 5 and will face No. 18 Nick Frost (13-2). No. 19 Eric Webb, who sat out of the Ducks’ last two meets against Pacific and Central Washington due to his lingering toe injury, is paired against No. 9 Kellan Fluckiger (20-6). Webb’s toe will probably still be a factor in the match.
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