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Al Case, Ashland Daily Photo

SOU falls to top-ranked Grand View in National Duals championship

1/10/2015 5:26:00 PM

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – If the 2015 NAIA Wrestling Championships play out like this weekend's National Duals did, a fourth straight title won't come as easily for top-ranked Grand View (Iowa) as the last three did.

On Saturday at Memorial Coliseum, the Vikings held on for dear life in a 23-13 title win against second-ranked Southern Oregon. The Duals championship was Grand View's fourth straight.

The Raiders – who advanced in the 16-team gala Friday with a 40-9 win over Cumerbland (Tenn.) in the first round and a 32-9 win over ninth-ranked Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) in the quarterfinals – began Saturday with a 43-3 semifinal thumping of fourth-ranked Campbellsville (Ky.).

SOU was spotted 12 points due to two Campbellsville forfeits but ultimately didn't need them. Devin Poppen (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City), a freshman 133-pounder, stayed hot with a second-round pin of Ryu Ballard to set the Raiders' tone, and Campbellsville didn't score until the 197-pound class when it was already 40-0. Dalton Urrutia (Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon) (157) and Brock Gutches (Central Point, Ore./Crater) (174) worked second-round pins, Garrett Urrutia (Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon) added an 11-3 major decision at 165, and the Raiders got decisions from Tyler Cowger (Sweet Home, Ore./Sweet Home) (149), Jacob Abrams (The Dalles, Ore./The Dalles-Wahtonka) (184) and Clayton Burtis (Colton, Ore./Colton) (285).

In the championship dual, Poppen's 14-8 win over Jacob Colon was sandwiched by technical falls by top-ranked Grand View wrestlers Ryak Finch (125) and Brandon Wright.

However, the dual swung on tight decisions with which the Vikings' two other two top-ranked wrestlers barely escaped: In the 149-pound bout, Gustavo Martinez defeated Cowger 2-1 on riding time; in the 184-pound bout, Christian Mays scored a last-second win over Abrams, 3-1.

Two Raiders other than Poppen came away with decisions: Dalton Urrutia (Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon) won 3-1 against Grant Henderson and top-ranked 174-pounder Brock Gutches (Central Point, Ore./Crater) defeated Thomas Momam, 4-1.

Second-ranked Taylor Johnson (Redmond, Ore./Redmond) scored a 10-2 major decision over Derrick Hawkins at 197, but the Raiders were in need of a couple pins down 20-9 by the time the dual reached him.

Grand View had defeated its first three opponents by a combined score of 115-11.

SOU last won a National Duals title in 2009 and lost the title to Grand View by a score of 20-18 in 2013, its most recent prior appearance.

The Raiders ended the weekend with a dual record of 8-2 and will be back on the mats for duals Thursday at Pacific University and Warner Pacific.

SEMIFINALS: No. 2 SOU 43, No. 4 Campbellsville (Ky.) 3

125 – Coleman Johns (Placerville, Calif./El Dorado), SOU, wins by forfeit

133 – Devin Poppen (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City), SOU, p. Ryu Ballard, Camp., 3:51

141 – Trevor Hancock (Pendleton, Ore./Pendleton), SOU, wins by forfeit

149 – Tyler Cowger (Sweet Home, Ore./Sweet Home), SOU, dec. Kyle Terry, Camp., Camp., 5-2

157 – Dalton Urrutia (Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon), SOU, p. Shawn McGhee, Camp., 3:43

165 – Garrett Urrutia (Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon), SOU, maj. dec. LJ Henderson, Camp., 11-3

174 – Brock Gutches (Central Point, Ore./Crater), SOU, p. Travis McIntosh, Camp., 4:42

184 – Jacob Abrams (The Dalles, Ore./The Dalles-Wahtonka), SOU, dec. Chuck Sharon, Camp., 7-2

197 – Nate Knauf, Camp., dec. Ryan McWatters (Hesperia, Calif./Sultana), SOU, 3-1

285 – Clayton Burtis (Colton, Ore./Colton), SOU, dec. Nat Jackson, Camp., 4-1

CHAMPIONSHIP: No. 1 Grand View (Iowa) 23, No. 2 SOU 13

125 – Ryak Finch, GV, tech. fall Coleman Johns (Placerville, Calif./El Dorado), SOU, 18-3

133 – Devin Poppen (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City), SOU, dec. Jacob Colon, GV, 14-8

141 – Brandon Wright, GV, tech. fall Trevor Hancock (Pendleton, Ore./Pendleton), SOU, 24-9

149 – Gustavo Martinez, GV, dec. Tyler Cowger (Sweet Home, Ore./Sweet Home), SOU, 2-1

157 – Dalton Urrutia (Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon), SOU, dec. Grant Henderson, GV, 3-1

165 – Jimmie Schuessler, GV, maj. dec. Garrett Urrutia (Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon), 14-4

174 – Brock Gutches (Central Point, Ore./Crater), SOU, dec. Thomas Momam, GV, 4-1

184 – Christian Mays, GV, dec. Jacob Abrams (The Dalles, Ore./The Dalles-Wahtonka), SOU, 3-1

197 – Taylor Johnson (Redmond, Ore./Redmond), SOU, maj. dec. Derrick Hawkins, GV, 10-2

285 – Dean Broghammer, GV, dec. Clayton Burtis (Colton, Ore./Colton), SOU, 6-0

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