Latham, Meeks anchor Beavers at 174, 184 pounds
This is the fourth installment of a five-part series previewing the 2014-15 Oregon State wrestling team. Today we look at the 174- and 184-pound weight classes.
The 174- and 184-pound weight classes should be two of the strongest for the Oregon State wrestling team this season.
Senior NCAA participants who have received preseason recognition in the various national polls return in each classification. Joe Latham anchors the 174-pound spot; Taylor Meeks drops down from 197 to man the 184-pound position.
Latham is ranked 18th by the Associated Wrestling Press and 20th by The Open Mat in their preseason polls. He was 29-16 in 2013-14, with nine majors, and a second-place finish at the Pacific-12 Conference championships. He then won two matches at NCAAs before being eliminated.
“He had a good year,” OSU coach Jim Zalesky said of Latham, who has battled back from two knee operations. “Last year was his first full year in the lineup.
“He was probably our most improved guy, from the start of the season to the end of the season. Now he has to keep that going.”
Latham’s season ended on a sour note when he got in a bad position and was pinned at NCAAs by an opponent he’d dominated a month earlier at the National Duals. Zalesky said Latham’s NCAA experience, while not all positive, should be even more motivation for him to excel in his final go-round.
“It helps him confidence-wise,” Zalesky said of competing at NCAAs. “He has looked good and I’m looking forward to seeing him against some of those top guys.”
Meeks is ranked 10th by the Associated Wrestling Press and 9th by The Open Mat in their preseason polls. He was 29-9 at 197 pounds in 2013-14, with seven majors, a technical fall and eight pins.
Zalesky said Meeks knew “it was best for our team” to move down to 184 after three seasons at the higher weight.
“He could be competitive at either weight,” he said. “Sometimes as a senior you need that extra motivation, that extra dedication, really work at it and be dedicated to get your weight down. Being in the room more and running more [to cut weight] prepares you better.”
Meeks was an All-American in 2013 and entered last season ranked No. 1 at 197 pounds. He won his first 10 matches and 13 of his first 14, but then tailed off somewhat and could not match is 2013 accomplishments.
“He had a bad year,” Zalesky said candidly. “He came in overweight and had to get his weight down. He was unprepared.
“This year he’s prepared. There’s a big difference. He’s had great preparation.”
The annual intrasquad match is set for Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. OSU’s first dual is Nov. 13 against Southern Oregon at Gill Coliseum. A victory would be the 1,000th in school history and the 100th in Zalesky’s tenure at OSU.
For more information on the OSU wrestling team, follow the club’s official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OSU_Wrestling or by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateWrestling.
174
RETURNING: Sr. Joe Latham (29-16, Pac-12 runner-up, NCAA qualifier); Jr. Zac Cardwell (16-9); RFr. Tyler Chay (7-5); Sr. Kurtis Ramsay (6-4); RSo. Ali Alshujery (1-2).
NEWCOMERS: Fr. Kjell Thorsen.
LOST: None.
184
RETURNING: Sr. Taylor Meeks (29-9, Pac-12 runner-up, NCAA qualifier at 197)
NEWCOMERS: Fr. Corey Griego.
LOST: Austin Moorhead (20-12, Pac-12 runner-up, NCAA qualifier); Brian Engdahl (6-8); John Tuck (3-3).