College men’s wrestling: Mountaineers drop dual to Corban
Published 10:00 am Thursday, January 13, 2022
- Eastern Oregon University senior Noel Orozco, right, an All-American at 285 pounds, returns for the Mountaineers this season. The Mountaineers are ranked No. 19 in the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll
PENDLETON — The No. 20 Eastern Oregon University men’s wrestling team lost its dual with Corban 38-17 on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at Pendleton High School, dropping to 7-4 in duals this season. The conference loss dropped Eastern’s record in the Cascade Collegiate Conference to 5-3 this season.
The Mountaineers were missing several key wrestlers and had to forfeit three weight classes, but the team managed to hang close with the Warriors well into the match. The win for Corban improved the team’s record to 4-2 on the year.
Eastern started off strong, securing 11 of its 17 points in the first two matches. At the 125-pound weight class, junior Adrian Guevara picked up a forfeit victory to earn six points for the Mountaineers.
In a 133-pound matchup against Corban’s Ryan Davis, sophomore Zach Mauras earned a 23-7 technical fall to push Eastern’s lead to 11-0 out of the gate.
Corban scratched 12 points back through wins in the following two matches. Junior Monte Zufelt was defeated by Corban’s Thomas Nixon by fall at 141, while sophomore Vincent Cramer was defeated by Corban’s Michael Murphy via fall at 149. The Mountaineers surrendered three more points in the following round as junior Malakai Moyer was defeated by Corban’s Yasyf Sorensen via 7-5 decision at 157.
At 165 and 174, Corban took two straight forfeit victories to extend its lead to 27-11 midway through the dual. A tough loss by junior Ryan Redford to Corban’s Tyson Stover in a 19-4 technical fall put the Mountaineers behind 32-11. A forfeit at the 197-pound weight class all but sealed the deal as the Warriors extended the lead to 38-11.
In the final match of the dual, senior Noel Orozco helped the Mountaineers finish on a high note. The 285-pound wrestler earned a forfeit to take six points for Eastern.
After a tough dual, the Mountaineers will have just over a week to prepare for the team’s next competition. Eastern will travel to the Midwest to compete at the Missouri Valley Invitational in Marshall, Missouri. The wrestling is set to begin at 10 a.m. on Jan. 21 and conclude at the end of the day on Jan. 22.
