7 p.m. Friday – Cal Poly Humboldt at SOU | Tickets
3:30 p.m. Saturday – SOU vs. Pacific (at Linfield)
5 p.m. Saturday – SOU at Linfield | Live Stream

*Note: Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online prior to arrival at souraiders.com/tickets. Effective December 1, 2024, in-person ticket sales will be charged a $1 convenience fee.

ASHLAND – Southern Oregon will get its first look at Cal Poly Humboldt's resurrected men's wrestling program when the teams hook up for a dual at 7 p.m. Friday inside Bob Riehm Arena.

The Lumberjacks (0-1) – formerly known as Humboldt State – restored the team under Lennie Zalesky, who was a three-time All-American at University of Iowa and served previously as head coach at UC Davis and Cal Baptist. The Raiders last saw Humboldt during the 1987-88 season, when a 47-2 victory made them 19-7 in the all-time series. The Jacks are now part of the NCAA Division II's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, which also comprises San Francisco State and former Cascade Conference members Menlo (Calif.) and Vanguard (Calif.).

SOU is off to a 7-0 start in dual action for the first time since the 1990-91 campaign. The Raiders were No. 9 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, released on Nov. 21, with nine nationally-ranked individuals. Six Raiders are top-10 in their respective weight classes, though two three of those are out of Friday's probable lineup.

The Raiders will dual twice more on Saturday, travelling to McMinnville to face NCAA D3 opponents Pacific at 3:30 p.m. and Linfield at 5 p.m. SOU has won 26 of its last 27 matchups with Pacific and 14 in a row against Linfield.

SOU PROBABLE LINEUP (overall record/dual record)
C – Cascade Conference ranking; N – NAIA ranking
125 – 3C/12N Vonn Fenn (8-1/4-0): A national qualifier last season as a 21-match winner, Fenn continued his strong start with a third-place showing two weeks ago at the Life Open. He has three pins already, two of which he recorded in dual matches.
133 – Dylan Clark (12-2/6-1): Clark, a two-time OSAA state champion at Henley High, has earned a starting role as a true freshman and won five consecutive consolation rounds to place fifth at Life. Of his 12 victories, nine have come with bonus points.
141 – Tyler Rhue (16-3/5-0): A redshirt last season, Rhue has taken advantage of his opportunities by winning a title at the Boxer Open, taking third at the Mike Clock open and placing fourth at Life. He has four major decisions, three pins and a pair of technical falls on the year.
149 – 1C/2N Evan Potter (8-0/3-0): Potter, the three-time All-American, is ranked only behind the man who defeated him in last year's NAIA 141-pound final, Hartwell Taylor of Saint Mary (Kan.). He'll wrestle up a weight class on Friday after winning a Life Open title two weeks ago. The senior has scored bonus points in all eight of his matches and is creeping up on 100 career victories, needing just eight more to reach the milestone.
157 – 3C/3N Aaron Gandara (8-0/3-0): Gandara earned his Life title with sudden victories in each of the last two rounds, defeating the Nos. 11 and 16 wrestlers in his weight class. The three-time national qualifier, two-time Cascade Conference champion and 2022 All-American now owns a 79-25 career record.
165 – 7C Paul Ortiz (3-1/3-1): Ortiz will be in action for the first time since going 3-1 at the Simpson Duals on the opening day of the season. The Clackamas C.C. transfer placed fifth last year at the NJCAA Championships.
174 – 7C Noah Talavera (10-4/4-0): Talavera reached the quarterfinal round at Life following a fourth-place effort at the Mike Clock Open. He has four wins by fall, including two in dual action.
184 – Braylin Ruchti (4-3/2-1): Ruchti was another quarterfinalist at the Life Open, which he started with back-to-back decisions. In dual matches, he owns two technical falls.
197 – 1C/9N Asher Ruchti (9-2/4-0): Ruchti's stock has risen as fast as any Raider's, thanks in large part to his 9-1 upset of then-No. 11 Eric Karas in SOU's dual victory over Eastern Oregon. The Oregon State transfer has scored bonus points in eight of nine wins. At the Life Open, he pinned three opponents before forfeiting the third-place match, which would have been his seventh of the day.
285 – 8C/25N Sebastian Echeverria (4-3/2-1): Echeverria is still among eight CCC heavyweights who are listed in the NAIA Top 25. The sophomore peaked with a No. 19 ranking last season.

HUMBOLDT PROBABLE LINEUP:
125 – Caleb Tatad or Isaiah Miller
133 – Josh Neiwert
141 – Nathan Aguilar
149 – Jayson Victoria
157 – Gil Mossburg
165 – Cole Zoller
174 – Diego Robles
184 – Empty
197 – Abdurrahman "Manman" Garner
285 – Liam Clark or Carson Hatch