Ryan Dunn’s fairy-tale ending was not to be.
Dunn already beat the No. 1 wrestler in the nation this season, and the No. 1 seed during the first day of the Pacific-10 Conference Championships at McArthur Court; however, it was his opponent, Boise State’s Cory Fish, who walked off the mat the 133-pound champion Monday night, defeating Dunn 3-1.
“It might have gotten a little out of my hand, but that’s wrestling,” Dunn said after receiving his second-place trophy. “You always want to win, I just wanted to wrestle my best and put a good show on.”
Fish’s takedown in the first round was the difference in the match, and Dunn fought throughout the last two periods to score a takedown. In front of the crowd of 1,634 fans at Mac Court and with a second left in the third period, Dunn attempted an acrobatic last-ditch effort at a takedown.
“I’ve never seen it work, but there’s always a first time,” Oregon head coach Chuck Kearney said of the leap. Regardless of the result, Dunn was assured of a berth to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis March 20-22 by wrestling the final.
“He wrestled with great intensity,” Kearney said of Dunn after the match. “I’m disappointed in the outcome, extremely pleased in the performance.
“I couldn’t be more proud of how he competed.”
The only other Duck to wrestle during Monday night’s championship round, redshirt freshman heavyweight Charlie Alexander, lost to top seed Nick Smith of Boise State 5-2 in the third-place match.
“I didn’t go out there and get the job done like I should have,” Alexander said. “I really want to go to nationals and hopefully I’ll get a wild card and get to go.”
“In a tournament like this, when somebody gets upset, it’s a tough go,” Kearney said. Cal State Bakersfield’s Mitchell Monteiro upset Smith in the semi-finals and finished second in the class. “Charlie competed, and if he doesn’t ease up at the edge of the mat it’s a different match.”
Alexander was hopeful for an at-large NCAA Championship bid, and Kearney believed the redshirt freshman had a good shot at earning it.
“There will be eight wild-cards selected and I hope he’s one of those eight,” Kearney said.
After the matches ended Monday night, seven Ducks were classified in the top eight of the 10 different classes. Along with Dunn and Alexander, senior Joey Lucas finished eighth in the 125-pound class, junior Cody Moulton finished sixth in the 141-pound class, sophomore Kyle Bounds finished sixth in the 157-pound class, sophomore Zack Frazier finished sixth in the 165-pound class, and sophomore Ron Lee finished eighth in the 174-pound class.
Boise State finished with the team championship, just ahead of Stanford in second and Oregon State in third. The Ducks finished ninth. Boise State, Oregon State, Arizona State and Cal Poly all had two weight-class champions at the end of the night; Stanford and Cal State Fullerton won one class apiece.
The last match?
Charlie Alexander’s third-place heavyweight match may or may not be the final Oregon wrestling match, as Duck coaches and wrestlers remained hopeful that the program would continue at the University.
“There’s a little bit of sadness, but with an atmosphere like this it’s kind of a shame it won’t be like this anymore,” Dunn said.
“Keeping the program here is the right thing to do,” Kearney said. “I’m a firm believer that with our hard work and effort from the wrestling community, we’ll make it happen.
“I’ve fought a lot of losing battles, and I’m still here. This isn’t over.”