It’s finally slowed down.
The Oregon wrestling squad rode a rollercoaster this season, and with the NCAA Championships two weeks past, the Ducks now have time to settle back into the offseason.
After losing one of the team’s top wrestlers to injury in the team’s first tournament, then almost upsetting the No. 3 team in the country two months later, the Ducks showed
moments of brilliance but never found a groove to carry them through the season.
Eric Webb, ranked in the top 10 nationally at heavyweight, had to end his collegiate wrestling career one weekend into his final season when the redshirt senior suffered his fourth concussion in less than two years. In early January, Webb decided he would not return to the mats after the late-November concussion.
Two weeks after Webb’s announced departure, Oregon hit the road and faced Oklahoma and Oklahoma State — ranked No. 6 and No. 1, respectively, at the time. The Ducks won only three of the 10 weight classes, and were within two points with two matches left after freshman Tony Rolen pinned his opponent at 184. The Ducks couldn’t pull out the win, but lost the other seven weight classes by an average of two points per match.
Oregon ended the dual meet season with its first shutout in 21 years. The Ducks blanked Portland State 49-0, including a pin by freshman Bob Pool in the second matchup. It was Pool’s first collegiate dual meet. Oregon’s win included three major decisions and two wins by forfeit.
The Ducks stumbled at the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament two weeks later, finishing fifth as a team. Sophomore Shane Webster led Oregon with a second-place finish, improving on his third-place finish as a freshman.
Casey Hunt finished third at 141, joining Webster at the NCAA Championships as both wrestlers earned an automatic berth.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Larwin finished fourth, but lost his berth by losing a “true fourth-place” challenge match.
Jason Harless finished fifth at 133, just missing an automatic spot at the national tournament. The redshirt junior was named one of the two wild-card wrestlers — for the second time in two years — by conference coaches, earning a trip to nationals.
Two other Ducks — junior Branson Phillips and sophomore Martin Mitchell — finished fifth in their weight classes, missing a spot at the NCAA tournament.
Senior Tony Overstake made an early exit from the conference tournament. After winning the conference championship at 157 as a junior, Overstake spent the season at 149 but lost his first two matches in the tournament, ending his season. He finished his collegiate career with a 85-46 record, going 18-10 during his senior season.
Webster led the Ducks with a 31-8 season record at 174, earning All-American honors with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
“Shane Webster had a good tournament,” head coach Chuck Kearney said. “It was neat to see him achieve one of his goals — to become an All-American. We’re pleased with how he competed.”
Hunt made his second appearance in the national tournament in as many seasons. In his final NCAA tournament, the senior lost two straight matches and was knocked out of the brackets.
“His first match, he wrestled the No. 6 guy in the country and lost to him on riding time,” Kearney said.
Harless battled back from a late-season knee injury to earn his NCAA berth. The redshirt junior lost his second match to a two-time All-American after being shut out in his first match.
“(Hunt and Harless) both had very good years,” Kearney said. “I’m extremely proud of the work (the team) put in. As a program we are on the threshold of becoming the program we have to be.”
For the 2003-04 season, the Ducks will lose only Overstake and Hunt to graduation with two recruits already committed to Oregon.
During the offseason, Kearney said the team will focus on “lifting and getting stronger.” And maybe staying off the rollercoasters, as well.
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