CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

DES MOINES, Iowa – Tanner Fischer and Devin Poppen, both seniors from Oregon City, put forth the 229th and 230th All-America efforts in Southern Oregon University men's wrestling history during the first day of the NAIA Championships on Friday at the Jacobson Exhibition Center.

Fischer became a two-time All-American at 197 pounds and Poppen locked down his first top-eight finish at 141, helping the Raiders to 19th in the team standings with 17 ½ points. Grand View (Iowa) is on its way to an eighth consecutive team title with 137 and an 80 ½-point cushion in front of second-place Life (Ga.).

Both Raiders had to win consolation matches after dropping their quarterfinals bouts and can finish as high as third place when the tournament resumes at 8 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday.

SOU 125-pound junior Pancho Barrera also made the quarterfinals and 149-pound seniors Chandler Michael lost a pair of one-point decisions, stopped just short of advancing. Freshman Justin Coon (133) went two-and-out against the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in the 133-pound bracket.

Fischer, the No. 10 seed at 197, eased past Missouri Valley's Terry Martin, 10-4, in his first match. He then upset Southeastern (Fla.)'s seventh-seeded Luis Peguero with a 5-4 sudden victory to reach the quarterfinals, where he lost an 8-0 major decision to No. 2 Isaac Bartel, a Cascade Conference rival from Montana State-Northern. In his "blood round" match, he manhandled Campellsville (Ky.)'s David Richardson to the tune of a 7-0 decision.

Fischer will face ninth-seeded David Hamil of Brewton-Parker (Ga.) in his first match Saturday and attempt to outdo his seventh-place finish of 2017. He'll bring a 27-10 record to the table.

Poppen, now 27-6, no longer has to worry about being the most accomplished Raider ever without an All-America tag. The four-time national qualifier – who sits at No. 5 on SOU's all-time wins list and No. 2 in pins – made sure of that by edging TJ Baun of Providence (Mont.), 4-3, in his consolation match. Before that, he opened with his 19th pin of the season in 3:59 against Midland (Neb.)'s 12th-seeded Tristan Zamilpa, then lost 12-6 to No. 4 Gaige Torres of Indiana Tech in the quarterfinals.

Poppen will see unseeded Oklahoma Wesleyan freshman Dayton Marval in his next consolation match.

Michael, seeded third at 149, was denied a repeat All-America bid and finished his season with a 20-7 record. The four-time qualifier lost an 8-7 heartbreaker to Anthony Maia of Cumberland (Tenn.) in his first match. He stayed alive with a second-round pin of Ottawa (Ariz.)'s John Reina, but was eliminated by No. 6 Latrell Davis, 6-5, two wins short of advancing.

Barrera started his day with a 5-3, sudden-victory upset of Morningside (Iowa)'s third-seeded Keegan Hessler. He couldn't duplicate the feat against his next two ranked opponents – losing 6-5 to No. 11 Koby Millner of Reinhardt (Ga.) and 9-5 to No. 9 Jordan Martinez of Campbellsville (Ky.).

Coon, making his first national appearance, fell 14-0 against No. 8 Brady Moser of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and 5-2 against No. 7 Tanner Irwin of Williams Baptist (Ark.).

COMPLETE SOU RESULTS
125 – Pancho Barrera
R2 – Barrera dec. No. 3 Keegan Hessler, Morningside, 5-3 (SV).
Quarterfinals – No. 11 Koby Millner, Reinhardt, dec. Barrera, 6-5.
Consolation R4 – No. 9 Jordan Martinez, Campbellsville, dec. Barrera, 9-5.

133 – Justin Coon
R1 – No. 8 Brady Moser, Lindsey Wilson, major dec. Coon, 14-0.
Consolation R2 – No. 7 Tanner Irwin, Williams Baptist, dec. Coon, 5-2.

141 – No. 5 Devin Poppen
R2 – Poppen p. No. 12 Tristan Zamilpa, Midland, 3:59.
Quarterfinals – No. 4 Gaige Torres, Indiana Tech, dec. Poppen, 12-6.
Consolation R4 – Poppen dec. TJ Baun, Providence, 4-3.

149 – No. 3 Chandler Michael
R2 – Anthony Maia, Cumberland, dec. Michael, 8-7.
Consolation R2 – Michael p. John Reina, Ottawa, 5:48.
Consolation R3 – No. 6 Latrell Davis, Lindsey Wilson, dec. Michael, 6-5.

197 – No. 10 Tanner Fischer
R1 – Fischer dec. Terry Martin, Missouri Valley, 10-4.
R2 – Fischer dec. No. 7 Luis Peguero, Southeastern, 5-4 (SV).
Quarterfinals – No. 2 Isaac Bartel, MSU-Northern, major dec. Fischer, 8-0.
Consolation R4 – Fischer dec. David Richardson, Campbellsville, 7-0.