TEMPE, Ariz. -- The No. 8/9/11 ranked Oregon State wrestling team took home its second straight Pac-12 Championship and third in the last four years with 158 total points, Saturday in Tempe. OSU added three individual championships into the mix plus an additional three who finished as runners up in their weight class.
The Beavers who claimed the second-to-last Pac-10 Championship in 2010 and the first Pac-12 title in 2012, finished 21.5 points ahead of second place Boise State (136.5) and saw Mike Mangrum (141 lbs.), Taylor Meeks (197 lbs.), Chad Hanke (HWT), win individual weight class crowns. For Mangrum it was his second straight Pac-12 Championship, while Meeks and Hanke each walked away with their first.
As a unit OSU did not have a wrestler place lower than third, as Scott Sakaguchi (149 lbs)., RJ Pena (157 lbs.), and Seth Thomas (165 lbs.) were runners up in their weight classes, while Joey Palmer (125 lbs.), Drew Van Anrooy (133 lbs.) and Ty Vinson (184 lbs.) all finished third.
Mangrum (3-0), Meeks (3-0) and Hanke (2-0) were perfect on the day going a combined 8-0, while Palmer, Van Anrooy, and Weishoff went 3-1 in competition. Pena also earned a 3-1 mark including his wrestle off with CSU Bakersfield’s Adam Fierro following the awards ceremony.
Mangrum, competing in his final Pac-12 Championships received the award for the most pins as he earned two falls out of the three matches he wrestled in, including one over CSU Bakersfield’s Timmy Box (3:33), in the 141 lb. title bout.
As a team, Oregon State went 26-7, in its 33 total matches during Pac-12’s and eclipsed its 2012 point total of 138.0 by 20. The 158 points put up on the board by Jim Zalesky’s squad was the most by a conference school since Boise State scored 172.5 in 2009.
Looking ahead toward the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Oregon State will send at least seven members, including Mangrum, Sakaguchi, Pena, Weishoff, Vinson, Meeks and Hanke. First timers Weishoff and Hanke will join Meeks and Vinson who are making their second straight appearance. Sakaguchi and Pena will be making their third, while Mangrum will make his fourth straight trip to Nationals.
The 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships will take place from March 21-23 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
OSU Pac-12 Championship gear is available for purchase by going here: www.gamedaymerchandising.com
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