Head coach Chris Pendleton (left) with Associate Head Coach Nate Engel (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Oregon State Beavers
"We are trying to compete against the best in the country, regardless of conference, regardless of geographical location. We're gonna be a little bit of 'road warriors' this year." --Head Coach Chris Pendleton
A busy off-season for the Oregon State coaching staff hasn't stopped their wrestlers from making strides leading up to the start of competition just weeks away. "Having [Associate Head Coach] Nate Engel gone with our RTC athletes chasing World and Olympic titles, Isaiah [Martinez] able to focus on his training -- we wouldn't have been able to do this stuff without having buy-in from the athletes," explains Coach Pendleton, noting that he and staff have enjoyed the benefits of a strong upperclassmen corps -- a bit of a coach's dream insofar as team-leaders that can be depended upon to keep the team on-task and to continue developing younger members of the roster despite, say, the absence of a coach in the room.
With a blend of seniority coming from proven, program wrestlers as well as well-heralded graduate-transfers, the Beaver program has continued to raise its level on all fronts in the preseason. For Coach Pendleton, the focus and enthusiasm in the wrestling room is palpable. "The buy-in has been unbelievable with our leadership from our upperclassmen. That has actually helped free us up as coaches to be able to go on the road and do the recruiting and fundraising, all the while knowing that the kids are back getting work and progressing the program."
"We have Devan Turner and Grant Willits as our returning team captains from last year, but we've also added in guys, like Cory Crooks and Gary Traub, that have seamlessly integrated into the team -- and brought leadership immediately. It's been kind of fun watching that 'meshing' of the new kids and older kids, but it's looking really well. … The younger guys are buying into the older guys."
Blessed with the fortune of depth in their roster, the Beaver staff has the opportunity to redshirt many of their younger upstarts while fielding a nationally competitive team from top-to-bottom. While the younger Beavers absorb as much wisdom as they can from their older counterparts, a salty line-up of NCAA qualifiers aim to make an impact on the national scene after a 2021 season marred by quarantines and restricted workouts. For then first-year Head Coach Pendleton, it was an odyssey from the very beginning. "I got hired in April, I didn't meet the team until June/July, we didn't get to have practice until July/August -- and that was outside in little quad-groups where we couldn't [make contact]. It was one of those deals where we felt like we were playing catch-up to everybody all season long. Our team had five, 14-day quarantines. We were quarantined for 14-days until the Thursday or Friday before the Pac-12 tournament, seven out of ten of our starters. So we had a lot of that adversity … Felt like we were constantly picking ourselves up off the ground and dusting ourselves off."
On the cusp of a full season ahead, the Beavers are now emboldened by their adversity-filled experience during the 2021 season. With the ability to train consistently at a high level back in their training regimen, the Beavers feel strong about what they can do in the season to come. "It's been one of those 'shots in the arms' -- we're stronger this year because of last year."
TOP RETURNERS
With all six of their 2021 NCAA qualifiers returning to the mat, there isn't much to miss for the Beavers entering the 2022 season. Among the line-up that now boasts nine previous NCAA qualifiers are 2x Pac-12 Champions and 3x NCAA Qualifiers Devan Turner (133) and Grant Willits (141), the most highly-ranked of eight Beavers and returning team captains. Turner and Willits enter the year ranked #13 and #10 at 133 and 141, respectively, by InterMat. Not to be overlooked is Hunter Willits, himself a 3x NCAA qualifier, ranked #15 at 157lbs.
NEWCOMERS
Oregon State brought in a slew of transfers in the off-season, including four NCAA qualifiers. Graduate transfers Cory Crooks (Arizona State), Tanner Harvey (American), and Gary Traub (Ohio State) join freshman transfer Trey Munoz (Arizona State) as new, quality faces on the Beavers' squad. Coach Pendleton considers such a migration a sign of the program moving in the right direction. "Having [transfers] come in … shows that they can see, nationally, that we're doing things the right way and they want to be a part of it."
WRESTLERS TO WATCH
Without exaggeration, fans should be keeping tabs on this entire Beaver squad. Pendleton and staff lead a hungry, #24-ranked dual-team into the season with quality and depth at virtually every weight, in the form of nine NCAA qualifiers. We are all eager to see which Beavers will breakthrough and earn postseason honors at the big dance.
POTENTIAL LINEUP
125: #33 Brandon Kaylor (So), NCAA Qualifier (2021)
133: #13 Devan Turner (Sr), Pac-12 Champion (2020, 2021), NCAA Qualifier (2019, 2020, 2021)
141: #10 Grant Willits (Jr), Pac-12 Champion (2019, 2021), NCAA Qualifier (2019, 2020, 2021)
149: #25 Cory Crooks (Grad-Tr), NCAA Qualifier (2021)
157: #15 Hunter Willits (Jr), Pac-12 Runner-up (2018, 2019, 2021), NCAA Qualifier (2018, 2019, 2021)
165: Matthew Olguin (Fr)
174: Trey Munoz (Fr-Tr), Pac-12 Runner-up (2021), NCAA Qualifier (2021)
184: #16 Tanner Harvey (Grad-Tr), NJCAA Champion (2018), NCAA Qualifier (2019, 2020)/
Ryan Reyes (So), Pac-12 Runner-up (2021), NCAA Qualifier (2021)
197: #27 JJ Dixon (So), Pac-12 Runner-up (2021), NCAA Qualifier (2021)
285: #24 "Gas Tank" Gary Traub (Grad-Tr), NCAA Qualifier (2020)
The Oregon State bench reacts to a win by Grant Willits at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com)
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