Feb. 27, 2000
DAVIS, Calif. - Senior Zach Zimmerer (Billings, MT/Billings Central HS) won his first career Pac-10 title Sunday evening at UC Davis at 133 pounds, qualifying him for the NCAA Championships. Senior Warren McPherson (Hillsboro, OR/Hillsboro HS) also qualified for the NCAA Championships with a fifth-place finish at 157 pounds. Stanford finished seventh at the Pac-10 meet, scoring 40 team points.
By virtue of winning the Pac-10 title, in a tiebreaker over Oregon's Brian Watson, Zimmerer becomes the Cardinal's first league champ since Tod Surmon in 1996. Zimmerer also becomes the first wrestler in Stanford history to qualify for the NCAA Championships four consecutive years. McPherson, who missed the 1999 Pac-10 Championships with an injury, was one of three wild cards selected to compete at the NCAA meet. The top four place-winners in each weight class qualify automatically, while McPherson was one of three fifth-place finishers who were selected to represent the conference by a vote of the league's coaches. It will be his first NCAA appearance. Senior Rudy Ruiz (S. Milwaukee, WI/Thomas More) did not place at 125 pounds, ending his streak of NCAA appearances at two. Sophomore Andy Hunter (Sacramento, CA/Hiram Johnson HS) placed fifth at 197 pounds and senior Clay Hackerman (Houston, TX/Kincaid HS) placed sixth for the Cardinal.
Zimmerer and McPherson will compete in St. Louis, Mo. March 16-18 at the NCAA Championships.
Pac-10 Championships at UC Davis (Stanford results only)
125 pounds: Rudy Ruiz (0-2) - pinned by K.C. Rock (Boise State), fall in 6:36, lost to T.J. Hill (Fullerton), 5-3.
133: Zach Zimmerer (3-0, Champion) - pinned Charlie Griggs (Boise State), fall in 1:38, def. Ben Richards (Oregon State), 7-3, def. Brian Watson (Oregon), 2-1 TB for CHAMPIONSHIP.
141: Justin Walker (0-2) - lost to Jonathon Archuleta (Bakersfield), 8-3, lost to James Gross (Cal Poly), 4-2 SV.
149: Isaiah Camp (0-2) - lost to Eric Arbogast (Portland State), 10-4, lost to Jay McGuffin (Boise State), 9-5.
157: Warren McPherson (2-2, fifth place) - def. Burt Pierson (Davis), 4-0, lost to Eric Jorgensen (Oregon State), 6-1, lost to Eugene Harris (Oregon), 4-3, def. Burt Pierson (Davis), 3-2 for FIFTH PLACE.
165: Clay Hackerman (2-2, sixth place) - lost to Adrian Garcia (Davis), 8-2, def. Jake Huffman (Oregon State), 6-4, def. Kenny Murray (Fullerton), 8-3, lost to Adrian Garcia (Davis), 7-1 for SIXTH PLACE.
174: Harold Penson (0-2) - lost to Jesse Culp (Oregon), 13-2, lost to Kyle Klonizos (Boise State), 15-3.
184: Chuck Fairbanks (0-2) - pinned by David Cobb (Davis), fall in 6:46, lost to Will McCleve (Arizona State), 13-8.
197: Andy Hunter (2-2, fifth place) - lost to Erik Gladish (Arizona State), 4-0, def. Mike Maben (Davis), 11-8, lost to Robert Odell (Bakersfield), 11-4, pinned Jason Lovell (Oregon State), fall in 2:37 for FIFTH PLACE.
Heavyweight: Brad Selby (1-2) - pinned by Brandon Arsenault (Davis), fall in 1:50, def. Eric Rodriguez (Cal Poly), 6-2, lost to John Devine (Bakersfield), 13-6.
Team Scores:
1) Boise State 133.5
2) Arizona State 125.5
3) Oregon State 102
4) Cal State Bakersfield 101.5
5) Oregon 72.5
6) Cal State Fullerton 64.5
7) Stanford 40
8) Portland State 38
9) Cal Poly 28.5
10) UC Davis 24