Update
3/16: SF State kept all its current streaks alive at the
National Championships. Joey Bareng and Donald Lockett earned All-American
status in their
weight
classes
by placing
fifth
and second place
respectively, and the team tied for 13th overall. This is the 41st consecutive
year that Gator wrestlers have scored points at the tournament and the
15th consecutive year that at least one Gator has been named an All-American.
In addition,
for the fifth straight year, Gator wrestlers were selected to the Division
II Academic All-American team. Lockett was named to the second
team
and junior Eric Fitzpatrick and freshman Chris Osian were named
to the
first team. The number of Academic All-American wrestlers in school
history now stands at 24.
Gator
wrestlers hope to keep a 39-year-old streak alive by scoring points at
this year's Division II National Championships slated for March 13-14
in Mankato, Minn. Coach Lars Jensen, who was recently inducted into
the San
Mateo Sports Hall of Fame, wants more than the streak.
"We expect all five to place," he said. "That's
why we take them to Minnesota."
High expectations
are nothing new for Gator wrestling. The team was ranked 17th in pre-season
Division II rankings, and while they slipped out of
the top 20 for a couple of weeks during the season, they clawed back
in to the number 20 spot with a fine showing at the 2003-04 NCAA Division
II West Regional/Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Championships
held Feb. 29 in Hays, Kansas. The team finished in sixth place with 71
points and qualified the five wrestlers for Nationals.
The five who advanced to the National Championships are:
- Senior
Joey Barang, a Honolulu native who wrestles in the 125-pound
category, captured
fourth place at Regionals to advance to Nationals. "He
lost a tough match in overtime at Regionals, but he's been
near the top of his weight class all year, and we expect
him to place," said
Jensen.
- Junior
Donald Lockett, a San Francisco native who wrestles at 133 pounds,
took first place at his weight. "He's a local guy from Lowell
High School who scored one of the great upsets this year against
Central Oklahoma," said Jensen. "He also beat the 20th
ranked Division I wrestler in his class [Jason Harless of the University
of Oregon]." Lockett is ranked second in the nation in Division
II at his weight class
- Sophomore
Pacifico Garcia, a 141-pounder from Fresno, was runner-up in
his weight class at Regionals. He is ranked third in Division
II at
his weight. "Pacifico has a tough draw this year, but we expect
him to be an all-American," said Jensen.
- Junior
Luke Santos, who wrestles in the 149-pound class and hails
from Gardena, captured the regional championship in his class. "Santos
placed fifth last year at Nationals," said Jensen. "He
won both the conference and the region and is ranked number
two in the nation (in his weight class)."
- Freshman
Daren Murphy, a Vacaville native, is the one heavyweight in
the group at 285 pounds.
He finished third at Regionals. "Daren Murphy, our freshmen
middle heavyweight, has been a pleasant surprise," said
Jensen. "He's going to surprise some people at Nationals.
He beat some tough Division I opponents this season."
The Gator
wrestlers also hope to continue SFSU's streak of 14 years in a row
with at least one member on the Division II All-American team.
For more
on Gator wrestling, including National Championships coverage, see
the SFSU Athletics Web site.
-- William Morris
Photo: SFSU Athletics
More:
Read a Jan. 20 San
Francisco Chronicle story on the wrestling team.
From the Archives:
Read about SFSU's two-time wrestling national champion Mauricio
Wright.
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