WRESTLING NEWS

ESPN and the Cougars!?

For the past two weeks an ESPN crew has been filming practices, competitions and conducting interviews pertaining to 184 lber Richard Jensen’s’ life story. They also traveled with the team to the NJCAA Championships and will be back on campus to finish their story.

 

This marks the first time that ESPN has been on the college’s campus. Jensen finished 1-2 at the Championships and continued to inspire and support his team to the 7th place finish. More information to come…

Cougars take 7th in National Tournament
Cougars have another solid performance on National stage!

February 23, 2008
Rochester, MN - The Clackamas Community College wrestling team competed at the National Junior College Championships this past weekend.

 

Of the 8 qualifiers the Cougars sent to the Championships they returned with 3 All-Americans. Sophomore 285 pounder John Bates (Oregon City HS) was the National Runner-up for the Cougars and the first finalist since Glen Garrison in 1997.

 

“John wrestled an amazing tournament and I could not be prouder of him and his accomplishments,” exclaimed Head Coach Josh Rhoden. 

Bates is now a 2-time wrestling All-American for CCC and was also honored with a second selection to the Academic All-American Team.

 

Also earning the All-American honors were sophomore 133-pounder Vance Beeson (Eagle HS, Idaho) and sophomore 141-pounder Derick Bartlemay (Sprague HS, OR) each finishing in 4th place respectively.

 

“Vance wrestled a great tournament and has worked hard this year to get to where he is”, said Rhoden.

 

Bartlemay finished his time at CCC as a 2-time Wrestling All-American and was also honored as an Academic All-American for the Cougars this season.

 

“I am very proud of the way Derick competed this weekend…his weight class was talked about as being one of the toughest at the tournament”, added Rhoden.

 

With 57 points, the Cougars led all Region 18 teams taking 7th place in the Division I, scholarship division, and 9th overall. The region's next best team showing was North Idaho, who finished a distant 13th place (15th overall) with 34.5 points.

 

Weight	Name	W-L	Place
133	Vance Beeson	5- 2	4th Place
141	Derick Bartlemay	5- 2	4th Place
149	Mike Beeson	2- 2
157	Stephen Gonzales	0- 2
165	Kris Spencer	2- 2
174	Brandon Jackson	0- 2
184	Richard Jensen	1- 2
285	John Bates	3- 1	2nd Place

“The team wrestled very well as a whole and we were very proud of the effort they put forth”, said Rhoden. “It was nice to out place all of the teams that beat us this season in dual meets and it was great to beat North Idaho.”

 

This is the first season that Clackamas Community College has both beaten North Idaho in a dual meet and out placed them at the National Championships.

 

In addition to this, six Cougar Wrestlers were selected to the Academic All-American Team. As a team Clackamas CC finished 4th in the academic team competition. “This is a great testament to the job being done here at Clackamas by the assistant coaches and support staff here at the college."

 

Complete Tournament results are available on this link:
http://www.rochsports.org/wrestling/2008home.htm

 

Wrestler fights back from drug addiction
to inspire team

By Andy Hamilton - Special to ESPN.com

Richard Jensen spent 17 years wrestling with an opponent he seemingly couldn't beat -- until he scored the biggest escape of his life.

 

For Richard Jensen, even the toughest wrestling matches don't compare to the battles he's faced.

 

Those were his toughest battles. Those were his darkest days.

 

Tangling with the top junior college wrestlers in the country? Spending hours each day priming his body to compete for seven minutes with athletes half his age?

 

That is the easy part for the 37-year-old sophomore at Clackamas Community College. It is nothing compared to what he's been through.

>> Read more on ESPN.com...

 

Region 18 Championships

February 10, 2008

Oregon City, Ore. - The Cougars had high expectations heading in to Saturday's tournament but fell just short of the team award for 2nd place. The annual tournament is a qualifier for the NJCAA National Championships for the Region.

 

Taking the top two honors were North Idaho College of Coeur d’Alene, ID (152 ½ pts) and Southwestern Oregon C.C. (117 pts) from Coos Bay, OR. The Cougars as a team finished in 3rd with 114 points.

 

“We just came up short of what we wanted to do as a team," said Coach Josh Rhoden. Clackamas will be sending seven qualifiers to the NJCAA National Championships this year, one better than the number they qualified last year.

 

“It looked like things were going pretty well early on,” added Rhoden. Rhoden is referring to the Cougars six championship finalists and two consolation finalists on the day. The Cougars went one and one in the Consolation finals getting Stephan Gonzales (157 lbs) to the National Tournament.

 

In each of the six finals matches, Clackamas was pitted against wrestlers from North Idaho College. Clackamas had expectations of at least winning half of those matches, but only heavyweight John Bates succeeded. “It was the most frustrating thing to have to sit and watch because we have beaten them in four of those weights this year,” said Rhoden. “North Idaho just came out fired up and ready to go. All I can say is this will help us stay focused and hard at work for the next two weeks."

 

Rhoden was selected the Region 18 coach of the year.  This is Rhoden's second season at the helm of the Cougar wrestling program.

 

National Qualifiers for Clackamas were 133-Vance Beeson (2nd); 141-Derick Bartlemay (2nd); 149-Mike Beeson (2nd); 157-Stephan Gonzales (3rd); 165-Kris Spencer (2nd); 184- Richard Jensen (2nd); and 285-John Bates (Champion). [View Full Results]

 

Clackamas honors the past: Prior to the finals matches, Coach Rhoden introduced each of the previous coaches of the Clackamas C.C. wrestling program in honor of their dedication to the program. In attendance and presenting awards for the Cougars (in chronological order) were: Coach Larry Wright, Coach Norm Berney, Coach Jim Jackson, Coach Mike Haluska, and Coach Lloyd Martindale.

 

“It was so great to be able to have these guys here and for me to be able to honor them was an honor,” said Rhoden. “I mean these are the guys who laid the foundation for those of us who are here at Clackamas now.”

 

Next Up for the Cougars: The Cougars finish up the wrestling season in Rochester, MN at the 2008 NJCAA Wrestling Championships on February 22 & 23. They will attempt to repeat a stellar performance from last year’s championships in which they had six All-Americans and a 5th place finish as a team.

 

Getting past the pain

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

OREGON CITY -- As the referee lifted his hand in victory, Richard Jensen was assessing which body parts hurt -- and how much.

When the ref finished, Jensen trotted to one side of the wrestling mat to shake hands with the opposing coach, then trudged back toward the Clackamas Community College bench in search of Kevin Arizo, the Cougars' trainer.

 

"Kevin, where's an ice pack?" asked Jensen, touching the knot rising from his chin.

 

Jensen found the ice pack in the red plastic cooler behind the bench and then sat on the floor. As he gently iced his chin, a fan in the stands to his left hollered.

 

"Keep livin' the dream, Richard!"

 

Jensen, a 37-year-old sophomore, looked up and smiled.

 

Under the best of circumstances, the human body isn't intended to absorb the blows of competitive wrestling at age 37. And Jensen has abused his body more than most people. He's a former methamphetamine addict and ex-convict who last year returned to the mat after a 17-year layoff.
>> read full article

 

2008 Region 18 Wrestling Championships
Clackamas will host the championships Feburary 9th

Oregon City, Ore. - The Clackamas CC Wrestling Team will be hosting the NJCAA Region 18 Wrestling Championships on Saturday, February 9th, starting at 10 am in Randall Hall Gymnasium. Junior College Teams from Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and Washington will take to the mats in an attempt to earn a birth to the NJCAA National Championships.

"This has to be one of the top regions in the nation," said Head Wrestling Coach Josh Rhoden. "Just look at the results from last year's tournament," he added.

 

Rhoden is referring to the top three teams in last year's Regional: North Idaho College, Southwest Oregon and Clackamas who placed 3rd, 6th and 5th at the National Championships, respectively.

This year's tournament promises to be every bit as good as previous regional championship based on the level of talent in the region. "This is a great opportunity for us (Region 18) to showcase our talent," said Rhoden.
This should be a great tournament to come out and watch. We hope to see you here!  [campus map & Randall Hall]

 

Marty Eng leads Cougars at Boxer Open

February 2, 2008

Freshman Marty Eng led the Open/Redshirt Cougars at this weekends Boxer Open in Forest Grove. Eng defeated Jesse Kane from Oregon State University to win the tournament crown by a 9-5 margin.

 

"Marty has had a nice year this year for us and we expect great things from him in the future," said Coach Josh Rhoden. "It was nice to see him having fun and competing well."

 

Clackamas finished with five placers overall with Kyle Wirkuty, Adam Thies and Caleb Kociemba earning runner up honors and Josh Banta placing 4th. Our redshirt crew has done a fantastic job in the room and on the mat in competition. We are very excited about what the future has in store for us.

 

2008 BOXER OPEN RESULTS

125 (Round Robin): 1, Marty Eng, Clackamas CC (unattached). 2, Jesse Kane, Oregon State (unattached). 3, Justin Phelps, Pacific. 4, Austin Quarles, Stanford.

133: Championship: Kelly Kubec, Oregon State (unattached), def. Kyle

Wirkuty, Clackamas CC (unattached), 9-3. Third Place: Trevor Lofstedt,

Southern Oregon (unattached) win by maj. dec. over Tyler Phillips, Oregon

State (unattached), 10-0

141: Championship: Barry Johnson, Southern Oregon, def. Joey Jannsen,

Southern Oregon, injury default. Third Place: Garrett Drucker, Oregon State

(unattached), win by tech. fall over Ryan Harold, Oregon State (unattached),

15-0.

149 (Round Robin): 1, Seth Roy, Southern Oregon. 2, Tomas Rosa, Southern Oregon. 3, Kody Kramer, Pacific. 4, Blaine Shippy, Tam Hammer.

157 (Round Robin): 1, Gana Sanjaa, Utah Valley State (unattached). 2,

Anthony Peressini, Oregon State (unattached). 3, Kyle Temple, Southern

Oregon. 4, Josh Banta, Clackamas CC (unattached).

165 (Round Robin): 1, Josh Stalcup, Oregon State (unattached). 2, Adam

Thies, Clackamas CC (unattached). 3, Jimmy Ulrey, Southern Oregon. 4,

Shamseddeen Moussouni, Oregon State (unattached).

174: Championship: Jason Appleton, Southern Oregon, def. Brandon Perkins, Oregon State (unattached), 11-5. Third Place: Alex Muller, Stanford, def.

Andrew Marshall, Southern Oregon (unattached), 4-1.

184 (Round Robin): 1, Ricky Farrell, Southern Oregon. 2, Caleb Kociemba,

Clackamas CC (unattached). 3, Brad Darrington, Utah Valley State

(unattached). 4, Mike Leslie, Southern Oregon (unattached).

197 (Round Robin): 1, Chad Hanke, Oregon State (unattached). 2, Nick Locke, Pacific. 3, Kyle Simmons, Southern Oregon. 4, William Gardner, Southern Oregon.

285: Championship: Marcus Moore, Southern Oregon, win by fall over Mark

Shughart, Stanford, 2:02. Third Place: Clayton Jack, Oregon State

(unattached) def. Skylar Massey, Southern Oregon, 6-1.

 

Apodaca Duals Prove to be Big Test for Cougars

January 28, 2008

Powell, WY - The Clackamas Community College wrestling team traveled the 1100 miles to Northwest College to take on the Nation's best this past weekend.

 

Clackamas matched up Friday night against top-ranked Iowa Central and eighth-ranked Northwest Wyoming in the first of four dual meets. On Saturday, the Cougars took on University of Great Falls and sixth-ranked Western Wyoming.

 

“We wrestled pretty flat and we just looked like we were unprepared in our matches Friday” said Coach Josh Rhoden. “We were able to see the best teams and how we compared…we know we have some work to do.”

 

"When you look through the scores notice how our guys wrestled some top kids very well. On the other hand we had some matches that we wrestled very poorly, unfortunately."

 

"All excuses aside the trip alone took it out of us. In the future the best thing may be to fly out there. We ended up 0-2 on Friday and 1-1 on Saturday which is less than stellar. However, we took a lot away from the weekend because wrestling and life both require us to overcome adversity…this weekend we did that in many ways. These guys will head back to work this week with the thought of what it will take to be an All-American looming large over them"

January 25, 2008

Clackamas C.C. 12 vs. #1 Iowa Central 37

125- #1 Terrance Young fall over Buck Contrares (CCC) 1:49

133- #7 Vance Beeson (CCC) fall over #5 Jon Henslee 4:04

141- #1 David Greenwald fall over #6 Derick Bartlemay 2:38

149- #2 Matt Burns Dec Mike Beeson (CCC) 8-5

157- #3 Carrington Banks MD Stephan Gonzales (CCC) 18-5

165- #2 Brad Lower fall over Kris Spencer (CCC) 1:10

174- Terry Overton Maj. Dec Brandon Jackson (CCC) 10-0

184- #8 Joe Johnson Maj. Dec Richard Jensen (CCC) 15-1

197- Kevin Kelley Maj. Dec Jim Halicki (CCC) 12-4

285- #2 John Bates (CCC) wins default over #5 Matt Sixta

 

Clackamas C.C. 12 vs. #8 Northwest College 28

125- #2 Jeremy Ensly Fall Buck Contreras (CCC)

133- #7 Vance Beeson (CCC) Tech Fall Luis Carranza 19-3

141- #8 Anthony Varnell Dec. #6 Derick Bartlemay (CCC) 12-5

149- Mike Beeson (CCC) Dec. Travis Lamborn 10-6

157- Keenan Funk Dec Stephan Gonzales (CCC) 10-7

165- #6 Mason Peebles Dec. Kris Spencer (CCC) 12-6

174- #8 Corey Green Fall Brandon Jackson (CCC) 2:42

184- Josh Clark Dec. Richard Jensen (CCC) 12-9

197- #3 Nathan Barzee Maj. Dec. Jim Halicki (CCC) 8-0

285- #2 John Bates (CCC) winner Forfeit

 

January 26, 2008

Clackamas C.C. 25 vs. University of Great Falls 17

125- Jason Costello Tech Fall Buck Contreras (CCC) 18-1

133- Vance Beeson (CCC) winner forfeit

141- Derick Bartlemay (CCC) Maj. Dec. Ryan Montang 15-6

149- Mike Beeson (CCC) Dec. Blake Risk 4-2

157- Jake Butenhoff Dec. Stephan Gonzales (CCC) 11-8

165- Kris Spence (CCC) Dec. Matt Pen 11-8

174- Brandon Jackson (CCC) winner forfeit

184- Robert Hazenburg Tech Fall Richard Jensen 16-0

197- Scott Lucas Maj. Dec. Jim Halicki (CCC) 12-2

285- John Bates (CCC) Dec. Garrett Johnson 5-2

 

Clackamas C.C. 19 vs. #6 Western Wyoming 23

125- #4 Lyle Evans Tech Fall Buck Contreras (CCC) 15-0

133- #6 Nick Mamlis Dec #7 Vance Beeson (CCC) 12-9

141- #6 Derick Bartlemay (CCC) Dec. Garret Brinkman 10-4

149- Mike Beeson (CCC) winner forfeit

157- Thad Zempel Tech Fall Stephan Gonzales (CCC) 21-4

165- Nate Meyers Dec. Kris Spencer (CCC) 15-12

174- Brandon Jackson (CCC) winner forfeit

184- Richard Jensen (CCC) Maj. Dec Mike Hautala 12-2

197- #4 Skip Crooks Maj. Dec. Jim Halicki (CCC) 16-5

285- #1 Brandon Rupp Dec. #2 John Bates (CCC) 7-4

 

Next Up: The red shirts and open wrestlers will rap up the season at the Boxer Open in Forest Grove, OR this Saturday starting at 10 am. Then on February 9th the Clackamas CC Wrestlers will host the Region 18 Championships here at CCC in Oregon City, OR. Wrestling starts at 10 am and we invite you all to come out and support the Cougars as they attempt to win the Region Championship!

 

Eng, Kociemba take 3rd at Clackamas Open

January 19, 2008
The redshirt and unattached members of the Cougars Wresting Team took to the mats on Saturday at the annual CCC Open. The tournament which is hosted by the wrestling team had a great turn out with teams from all over the Northwest represented at the meet.

Top wrestlers in the meet for the Cougars were Marty Eng at 125 lbs and Caleb Kociemba, 184 lbs.  Both took 3rd place on the day against a quality field.

 

"Marty and Caleb both continue to wrestle well in the open meets," said Coach Josh Rhoden.

 

Kociemba's only loss on the year was to the meet's eventual 184 champion from Utah Valley State.

 

Consolation finalists Kyle Wirkuty (133 lbs) and Nigel Bond (285 lbs) wrestled very well and finished in the top six at the tournament. "Nigel and Kyle both wrestled good and continue to impress us with their improvements each week," commented Coach Josh Rhoden.

 

Next up: Eleventh-ranked Clackamas wrestles at the Apodaca Dual Showdown in Powell, WY on January 25-26.  The team will take on top-ranked Iowa Central CC, 2007 California Junior College Champs Sierra College, sixth-ranked Western Wyoming, and eighth-ranked Northwest Wyoming CC. This will be a great place for us to see where we sit among the top teams in the Nation.

Cougars split in duel meets with Highline and North Idaho

January 18, 2008
Oregon City, Ore. - The Clackamas wrestlers took on Highline CC and North Idaho College in a double dual Friday night at CCC. The Cougars opened with a convincing 32-18 win over Highline, avenging an early season loss to the Thunderbirds in Des Moines, WA.

 

“The team wrestled well but we were out of sorts,” said Coach Josh Rhoden. Referring to a week in which Brandon Jackson (174), Vance Beeson (133) and Stephan Gonzales(157) missed matches due to injuries.

 

“It was just one thing after another,” added Rhoden. “I was proud of the rest of the guys who stepped up and put that stuff out of their minds long enough to wrestle their matches.”

 

In the match against Highline Mike Beeson (149) really stepped up and redeemed himself from an early season loss to Chessjuan Monk. “Mike wrestled good and he has been putting in a lot of time and effort, especially since the last meeting,” said Rhoden.

 

In the second match of the night, Clackamas started down 18 points due to injury forfeits and never recovered from the deficit against North Idaho. The Cougars previously defeated the Cardinals 18-15 at North Idaho in December.

 

“Coach Whitcomb has a great team and we cannot expect to beat great teams with two thirds of a line-up,” said Rhoden.

 

CCC lost the match 34-10. The wins for the Cougars came from sixth-ranked Derick Bartlemay (141), second-ranked John Bates (HWT) and Kris Spencer (165).

 

"We have time to heal and correct our mistakes," added Rhoden.  "I think, that when healthy, we are one of the best teams around. Hopefully we can get everyone back before this weekend's matches in Powell, WY."

Clackamas 32 vs. Highline 18
125: Kyle Heath dec Buck Contreras (CCC) 13-8
133: #7 Vance Beeson (CCC) tech fall Marcus Sanchez 16-1
141: #6 Derick Bartlemay (CCC) tech fall Ionica Hanson 20-5
149: Mike Beeson (CCC) fall over Chessjuan Monk 4:35
157: CCC forfeit to Marshal Giovanni
165: HCC forfeit to Kris Spencer (CCC)
174: CCC forfeit to Pano Dreves
184: Richard Jensen (CCC) maj dec James Jensen 11-2
197: Michael Morales dec Jim Halicki 4-1
285: #2 John Bates (CCC) fall Zach Corbett

Clackamas 10 vs. North Idaho 34
125: Nektoe Demison fall Buck Contreras (CCC) 5:40
133: CCC forfeits to Kevin Mitchell
141: #6 Derick Bartlemay (CCC) dec #8 Chris Harris 7-4
149: # 8 Tim McGoldrick dec Mike Beeson (CCC) 8-6
157: CCC forfeits to Isaak Lawlor
165: Kris Spencer (CCC) dec DJ May 7-2
174: CCC forfeits to #3 Dino May
184: Stevie Vasquez maj dec Richard Jensen (CCC) 14-2
197: #5 Brett Fredrickson dec. Jim Halicki (CCC) 7-2
285: #2 John Bates (CCC) maj dec Tim Ofield 10-2

 

Cougars perform well at Oregon Classic Open

January 12, 2008
The team continued the weekend in Redmond, Ore. at the Oregon Wrestling Classic. The tournament saw wrestlers from UC Davis, Northern Colorado, Portland State, San Francisco State and others square off in the College Open. The Cougars took the momentum of Friday's win over SW Oregon into Saturday and finished with six placers.

 

“There were a ton of positive things that happened today and we are very proud of the performance from our guys,” said Coach Rhoden.

 

The Cougars lone Champion was Caleb Kociemba at 184lbs. Caleb is red shirting this year for the Cougars and saw his first action of the year on Saturday. In his debut Caleb only allowed 3 points to be scored against him en route to his tournament title. Placing 3rd for the Cougars were Derick Bartlemay (141), John Bates (285) and red shirt Nigel Bond (285). Finishing in 6th place for the Cougs was Marty Eng (125) and Brandon Jackson (174).

 

Next up for the Cougars: Friday the 18th of January the Cougars take on Highline CC at 6 pm and North Idaho College at 7:30 pm. On Saturday, Jan 19 the Cougars host the Clackamas Open. The open meet begins at 10 am.

Cougars overpower Southwestern Oregon 32-6

January 11, 2008
The Cougars improved to 5-1 on the season with another big win at home and this time it was against in-state rival SW Oregon CC.

 

The Cougars won eight out of ten matches on Friday to tally a total of 32 points against the Laker’s six.

 

“These guys continue to work very hard and it is nice to see that hard work payoff,” said Coach Josh Rhoden. “The thing that we don’t like to see was us dropping a match in overtime and another with 10 seconds left.”

 

One of the highlights of the dual meet was the pairing of NJCAA second-ranked John Bates (CCC) vs. fifth-ranked Ryan Hoover (SWOC). Hoover controlled the first two periods of the match 4-2 until a late flurry by Bates in the third period led to a takedown and near fall points. The match finished with an 8-5 score in favor of Bates.

Clackamas 32  Southwestern Oregon 6
125- Buck Contreras (CCC) win Forfeit
133- #6 Vance Beeson (CCC) Tech Fall John Sutten (SWOC)18-0
141- #7 Derick Bartlemay (CCC) Dec Joseph Michel (SWOC) 8-4
149- Mike Beeson win Forfeit
157- Zolboo Enkhbayar (SWOC) Dec Stephan Gonzales (CCC) 4-2 OT
165- Kris Spencer(CCC) Dec Adam Fugitt (SWOC) 7-5
174- David Laird (SWOC) Dec Brandon Jackson (CCC) 10-7
184- Richard Jensen (CCC) Dec Fernando Pedraza (SWOC) 8-1
197- Jim Halicki (CCC) Dec Jason Troxell (SWOC) 9-6
285- #2 John Bates (CCC) Dec #5 Ryan Hoover (SWOC) 8-5
# - NJCAA ranking

 

Cougars dominate Pacific University and Yakima Valley

January 05, 2008

Following a brief holiday layoff, the squad was back in action this weekend and rang in 2008 with huge wins over Pacific University and Yakima Valley Community College.

 

In twenty matches, the Cougars lost only three decisions on the weekend and gained momentum going into next Friday’s match against in-state rival Southwestern Oregon Community College.

 

“Friday night's match was a great environment to watch a dual!  We had more people at CCC watching wrestling than I have probably ever seen,” said Coach Josh Rhoden.  “We have a great product out there on the mat and we are proud to showcase it,” he added.

 

The Cougars began against Pacific at 125lbs where they gave up a forfeit but followed that up with seven straight wins, a loss by decision and concluded the match with fall by NJCAA second-ranked heavyweight John Bates.

 

“We are currently trying to tighten some things up at 125 so that we are even tougher,” said Rhoden.

 

The momentum carried into today's match against Yakima Valley where the Cougars ran away with 34-6 victory. The match highlight was 133lb Vance Beeson’s 12-0 major decision over the Yaks' NJCAA seventh-ranked Kellen Hopkins.

 

“We have been competing very well and right now we just need to stay healthy and focused.” exclaimed Rhoden.

Next Up: Clackamas (4-1) wrestles next Friday the 11th at 2:00 pm in Randall Hall Gymnasium against in-state rival Southwestern Oregon Community College.  The Cougs will then hit the road to Redmond, Oregon for the Oregon Classic on Saturday the 12th.

Clackamas 41   Pacific University 9
125: Justin Phelps (PAC) win Forfeit
133: Vance Beeson (CCC) win Forfeit
141: #8 Derick Bartlemay (CCC) fall over Zach Rousslang 4:23
149: Jace Lewis (CCC) fall over Kody Kramer 5:59
157: Stephan Gonzales (CCC) dec Justin Barden 10-8
165: Kris Spence (CCC) dec Bryson Vivas 6-2
174: Brandon Jackson (CCC) fall over Marshall Cook 2:29
184: TJ Callaway (CCC) win Forfeit
197: Nick Locke dec Jim Halicki (CCC) 7-0
285: #2John Bates technical fall Jordan Branson 19-4

Clackamas 34   Yakima Valley 6
125: Jacob Thomas (CCC) win Forfeit
133: Vance Beeson (CCC) Major Decision #7 Kellen Hopkins 12-0
141: No Match
149: Mike Beeson (CCC) Technical Fall Mike Guzman 19-4
157: Stephan Gonzales (CCC) fall over Nathan Nilson 2:12
165: Kris Spencer (CCC) Major Decision Russell Luellen 11-3
174: Jared Smith decision Brandon Jackson (CCC) 15-10
184: Benji Martin decision TJ Callaway (CCC) 7-3
197: Jim Halicki (CCC) decision Tyler Bullington 10-4
285: #2 John Bates (CCC) fall over Kenny Henle 0:41
Exhibition match:
149: Jace Lewis (CCC) decision Mike Guzman 8-1

Cougars give back to community

Christmas break began with a win at North Idaho College and the ever tough Reno Tournament of Champions. Also included in the break was Clackamas Wrestlers volunteering at the Salvation Army in Northwest Portland. In conjunction with Roy Pitman of Peninsula Park Wrestling Club, the Cougars helped unload trucks of food, clothes and other items for families in need.

 

“Coach Pitman presented the idea to us and the team overwhelming jumped at the chance to help out others,” exclaimed Head Coach Josh Rhoden. “It was a great way for our group to give back to the community.”

 

Clackamas upsets North Idaho 18-15
13th-ranked Cougars edge 5th-ranked Cardinals

December 13, 2007
Coeur d’Alene, ID - Clackamas CC wrestling traveled to North Idaho College for a match up of two of Region 18's top ranked teams on Thursday. In what proved to be a great night of wrestling highlighted by seven of the Nation's top junior college wrestlers, Clackamas beat NIC 18-15.

 

“This was one of those duals that you want to be a part of as a wrestler or a coach,” stated Coach Josh Rhoden. “We really wrestled with a lot of confidence and it showed in each match.”

The match was back and forth most of the evening.  The Cougars picked up early momentum with a win at 165 lbs, then traded points with the Cardinals through the next five matches. The match was finally sealed for the Cougars when they scored three straight wins in the 133-149lbs weight classes late in the contest.

 

Clackamas freshman Kris Spencer opened the match with win by decision over DJ May 7-4 at 165. "Kris was prepared for the match and wrestled very well. Spence is a tough kid and he just flat out-wrestled May," said Rhoden.

At 174 lbs, Brandon Jackson controlled the match against third-ranked Dino May until a late near fall in the second period put Brandon behind and he was unable to recover, dropping the decision 10-4.

 

Cougar Richard Jensen did his part picking up the 184 lbs decision over Ben Lecoultre 13-9 and at 197 lbs, Jim Halicki wrestled fifth-ranked Brett Fredrickson to an 8-2 loss keeping the two squads tied at six points.

 

The heavy weight match saw second-ranked John Bates wrestle Tim Ofield to a 5-1 win. “They [North Idaho] always try to coach their kids up to try and beat Johnny which makes it tough going for him.  They slowed John down a bit but he continues to show why he is one of the best," exclaimed Rhoden.

At 125 lbs, Buck Contrares lost by fall to sixth-ranked Nektoe Demison which put the Cougars down in the match for the first time at 9-12.  "The kid was real tough, but we already have a few things that Buck can change to close the gap there," commented Rhoden.

 

133 lbs saw Vance Beeson back in action for the Cougars against fifth-ranked Kevin Mitchell. Vance dominated the match from whistle to whistle with a 5-1 win and 4 plus minutes of riding time.  The win again tied the match at 12-12.   "We were very pleased with how Vance wrestled tonight and he is only getting tougher."

 

Two of the Nation's top 141 pounders squared off with the Cougars' eighth-ranked Derick Bartlemay and the Cardinals' fifth-ranked Chris Harris. Derick controlled the tempo of the match, scored the only takedown and secured his victory on a 3-2 decision. "We thought there were a couple of times that D should have been rewarded a takedown on the edge but wasn’t. It was a great match!"

With Clackamas leading 15-12, 149 lber Jace Lewis won the biggest match of the night against Jordan Anderson 7-3 to secure the dual meet win for the Cougars. "Jace knew what was needed and he went out and got it. It was a really gutsy performance by him," commented Rhoden.

 

Needing a fall to tie the match, the Cardinals could only tally three points in the final draw as Cougar Stephan Gonzales dropped a close match to Tim McGoldrick 11-7. "McGoldrick is a tough kid and even though he was winning the match Gonzo broke him and was on the comeback."

 

The match win puts the Cougars at 2-1 on the season.

Next Up: Clackamas CC travels to Reno, NV to compete in the Reno Tournament of Champions. The TOC is a NCAA Division I tournament that will allow us to get exposure for our top guys and get our young guys some experience in big time tournaments. Follow the Cougars throughout the tournament at http://www.rtoc.net/

North Idaho Match Results (parenthesis =  team scores)
165-Kris Spencer (C) dec. DJ May (NI) 7-4  (3-0)
174-Dino May (NI) dec. Brandon Jackson (C)  10-4  (3-3)
184-Richard Jensen (C) dec. Ben Lecoultre (NI) 13-9  (6-3)
197-Brett Fredrickson (NI) dec. Jim Halicki (C) 8-2  (6-6)
285-John Bates (C) dec. Tim Ofield (NI) 5-1 (9-6)
125-Nektoe Demison (NI) win by fall Buck Contrares (C) 4:27 (9-12)
133-Vance Beeson (C) dec. Kevin Mitchell (NI) 5-1  (12-12)
141-Derick Bartlemay (C) dec. Chris Harris (NI) 3-2  (15-12)
149-Jace Lewis (C) dec. Jordan Anderson (NI) 7-3  (18-12)
157-Tim McGoldrick (NI) dec. Stephan Gonzales (C) 11-7  (18-15)

Cougars Fall to Thunderbirds 29-11

December 7, 2007

The Clackamas CC wrestling team traveled to Des Moines, WA Friday to take on the Thunderbirds of Highline Community College (5-1) for what was anticipated to be a very good match the Cougars (1-1). The T-Birds had other expectations, jumping out to a substantial lead and never looked back.

 

"Highline is a very good team and they are very well coached," said Coach Josh Rhoden. "With that said, if we expect to walk into gyms across the country and win simply by showing up then we have another thing coming," Rhoden added.

 

The match started at the traditional weight class of 125 lbs where the Cougars dropped the first match of the night in sudden victory. Then Cougar Branden Mina scored a major decision 15-1, but the wheels fell of the wagon for Clackamas as the Cougars dropped the next seven matches

 

"We lost two matches in overtime and in both matches our conditioning was not the factor.  We simply made mental errors that cost us matches. The guys need to wrestle with a sense of urgency and we just didn't see that," stated Rhoden.

 

Bright spots on the night were at 133, 174 and heavyweight. Branden Mina attempted to right the ship in the second match of the night with a 15-1 drubbing of Marcus Sanchez.

 

"Mina wrestled great. He really earned the victory and he deserved it," said Rhoden.

 

At 174 lbs Brandon Jackson continued to impress with his intensity level and effort in a 8-4 win over national qualifier Pano Dreves.

 

"Brandon needs to keep right on rolling with the momentum he is building because he is doing the right things and it is paying off."

 

At heavyweight John Bates continued his dominance as the region's top heavyweight with a 14-4 major decision over Zach Corbett.

 

"John is wrestling very well and he is always ready to get back to work the next day, that is what makes him great!"

 

Also doing a nice job last night was Kris Spencer at 165. "Kris wrestled a very tough kid who is undefeated this year so far and we had him beat a couple of times and just couldn't finish him off," commented Rhoden.

 

Dec 7th Highline Dual Meet Results:
125- Kyle Heath dec Jake Thomas (CCC) 17-15 SV
133- Branden Mina (CCC) Maj. Dec Marcus Sanchez 15-1
141- Anthony Zender (HCC) winner Forfiet
149- Chessjuan Monk fall over Mike Beeson(CCC) 4:42
157- Marshall Giovanni dec Jace Lewis(CCC) 11-4
165- Craig Jackson dec Kris Spencer (CCC) 5-3 SV
174- Brandon Jackson (CCC) dec Pano Dreves 8-4
184- Norman Orr dec Richard Jensen (CCC) 12-6
197- Micheal Morales maj. dec Ransom Portis (CCC) 10-0
285- John Bates (CCC) maj. dec Zach Corbett 14-4

Cougars Roll Past Yakima Valley 34-15
Matmen cruise in first five matches for 24-0 margin

November 30, 2007 [results]

Yakima, WA - The Cougars took on the Yaks of Yakima Valley CC in a duel opener for the Cougars Friday. The Clackamas (1-0) jumped out with big wins at 149, 157, 165 & 184 and never turned back.

 

Freshman Jace Lewis (149) opened with a 11-3 major decision to get the squad off to a great start. 

 

"We talked all week long about being focused; our guys came out ready and Jace really showed that," said head coach Josh Rhoden.

 

Lewis began what was a five match string of wins that included three major decisions, a fall, and a default. 

 

"I was really proud of this win, we had a lot of young guys in our line up and they performed incredibly," added Rhoden.

 

Brandon Jackson had a touch of the Flu but came out and sparked the team with an inspiring performance at 174 lbs. He was up 12-1 when his opponent could no longer continue the match.

 

This was followed by Sophomore Richard Jensen who continued to increase the intensity level on the mat.

 

"Richard wrestled inspired last night and he beat one of their best kids," said Rhoden.

 

We had a good week of practice and the guys wrestling showed it. The fun part for us is we get to go back to work and make some adjustments for next weeks match.

 

Nov 30 Dual Meet Results: (Duel began At 149 lbs)

149-Jace Lewis (CCC) MD Michael Guzman 11-3 4-0

157-Stephan Gonzales (CCC) MD Russell Luellan 9-1 8-0

165-Kris Spencer (CCC) pinned Frank Geiger 2:06 14-0

174-Brandon Jackson (CCC) default Eddie Gray 6:57 20-0

184-Richard Jensen (CCC) MD Tyler Bullington 10-2 24-0

197-Benji Martin dec Jim Halicki (CCC) 7-4 24-3
285-John Bates (CCC) MD Izzy Torres 18-4 28-3

125-Buck Contreras (CCC) win forfeit 34-3

133-Kellen Hopkins pinned Logan Creamer (CCC) 2:14 34-9

141-Eddie Bush pinned Branden Mina (CCC) 5:56 34-15

 

Next Up: The Cougar Grapplers are on the road again this week at Highline Community College (4-1) in Des Moines, WA. The dual begins at 7 p.m.

 

Cougars Gauge Progress at Best of The West

November 17, 2007

Medford, OR - The wrestling team made its annual trip south on Interstate 5 to Medford, Oregon for the Best of the West wrestling tournament. This is always a great way for us to gage talent and see where we need to improve as a group. We always have a lot of fun at this one. The competition is great and it is a good place for our guys to showcase their talent.

 

Highlights: On the day Clackamas had four wrestlers reach the quarterfinals in George Mendez (133), Kyle Wirkuty (133), Anthony Weerhiem (141), and John Bates (285). John Bates was the lone semifinalist for the Cougars and finished the day tied for 5th. John wrestled a tough kid from Boise State in the semifinal and he threw everything he could at the guy. We just came up short.

 

Anthony Weerhiem had a great tournament, which I think surprised everyone except our staff. He has been training very hard and is seeing results. On the day, Anthony finished in the top 8 and beat the #3 ranked wrestler in the NJCAA, Joseph Micheal from SWOCC, who was an All-American in 2007.

 

Kyle Wirkuty continued to impress us with his ability. He went 4-2 on the day and finished tied for 5th in the tournament. Kyle beat some very tough kids and his only losses were to the eventual runner-up and 3rd placer.

 

Joining these guys in the late rounds was Henley HS graduate Mike Sandoe at 149 lbs. Mike had a great tournament! He wrestled out of his mind and we could not be happier for him. He finished the day tied for 8th which isnt bad at all. Additionally, heavyweight Nigel Bond was 3-2 on the day and just out of the top 8.

 

View Complete Tournament Results

Clackamas 24th annual Takedown

November 12, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - Clackamas C.C. wrestling hosted the 24th annual CCC Takedown Tournament this past weekend at the Randall Hall Gymnasium. The tournament is held as a fundraiser for the wrestlers and showcases wrestling of all ages.  View Results

Cougar Wrestling 2007-08 Season Preview
Coach Rhoden's Interview with Oregon Wrestling Forum

Cougars look to improve on last season and bring home another team trophy
By The OWF staff
After a surprise finish last year at Nationals for Clackamas Community College, Cougars head coach, Josh Rhoden only sees the team getting better and better with each year and look to contend for yet another top 10 finish. The Cougars had 6 All-Americans last season, with two of them returning in 141lber, Derick Bartelmay and HWT, John Bates. Look for these two, along with National qualifier, Jim Halicki at 197lbs, to lead this squad to the promise land and compete against the likes of national powers North Idaho and Iowa Central.The OWF had an opportunity to chat with coach Rhoden on his thoughts for this season and what we can look forward to from the Cougars.

 

Your thoughts on this upcoming season? Bright points.

The season is off to a great start! We had 65 guys come out to try and make the team which was great. We have a great core of returnees who are helping our younger guys become familiar with the system and get acclimated to college life. I am really looking forward to this season because we want to build on our success from last year. Aside from the National Championship in 1971 it is right up there as one of our best years as a program.

I personally am looking forward to our duals at Northwest Wyoming where we will dual teams like two time JC champs Iowa Central, Sierra College and Northwest Wyoming. We will be able to see where we are at as a team in January and be able to make any necessary adjustments before the NJCAA Nationals. We are particularly excited about hosting the Region 18 Championships in February here at the College. It will be a great weekend for wrestling fans to come out and watch some outstanding competition.

In addition to the new faces, we have added two new coaches to the staff. Brett Born, formally of Lincoln HS in Portland, has joined the team and is already making an impact on our team. He is a solid technician, has great knowledge for the sport and has proven to be a great coach. We also added Rich Vigorito as Strength/Conditioning and assistant coach. Rich wrestled at Southern Oregon University and Pacific Lutheran. As a wrestler Rich won the Best of the West, Placed 4th at the Reno TOC and was a graduate assistant for the Raiders.

Possible starters for this season? 

 

At this point it is hard to say who will start however the standouts so far are as follows. << Click here to read the full season preview at OWF Website

 

Cougar Wrestling Reloads for 2007-08 Season
Rhoden and company haul in top class of matmen

June 21, 2007
Oregon City, Ore. - Clackamas Community College Wrestling team is proud to announce the signings and commitments for the 2007-08 school year. "We have recruited some very talented kids and I am very excited to start working with each of these young men," said Head Coach Josh Rhoden. Coming off of one of the best seasons in Cougar history in 2006-07, Coach Rhoden and company add some top kids from around the Northwest.

 

125 lbs
Marty Eng (Oregon State University/Newberg HS) 3x OSAA State Champion (112 & 103 lbs)... 3x Triple Crown winner... 4x Freestyle and Greco State Champ... 140-7 high school record

Buck Contreras (Mt Baker HS, WA) 2x WA 5th placer... Central Valley League Champ in California as a sophomore

 

133 lbs
Mike Gast (Crook County HS) 4x OSAA Qualifier (2nd in 2007)... 2x Freestyle and Greco State Placer... 2x Junior National Team Member

George Mendez (Pasco HS, WA) 3x WA State Placer... 3rd in 2007

 

141 lbs
Jeff Parker (Southridge HS) OSAA 3rd placer in 2007... 2007 District Champ... National Team Member

Armando Luna (Pasco HS, WA) 2x WA State Placer... 2nd in 2007
7th in 2006

 

149 lbs
Adam Thies (Liberty HS, WA) 4x WA State Qualifier... 3x Regional Finalist
3x State Placer (3rd, 3rd, 1st)

Jon Healy (Gonzaga Prep, WA) 4th in WA State 2007...

Josh Sim (West Albany HS) 3rd in OSAA State

 

157 lbs
Jess Cruise (Crook County HS) 2007 OSAA State Champion

Chaz Huntington (Eagle HS, ID) 4x ID State Placer... 5th in 2007

 

165 lbs
Grant Kutney (North Marion HS) 2007 OSAA Runner-up... 4th in 2006...
3x State Qualifier

 

174 lbs
Brandon Keihn (Pasco HS, WA) 3rd in WA State in 2007... 4th in WA in 2006

Thomas King (Newberg HS)

 

184 lbs
Caleb Kociemba (Hillsboro HS) OSAA Runner-up in 2007... 7th in 2006...
Resers TOC Champion... Finished in top 12 at Senior Nationals

Tyler Bullington (Payette HS, ID) Idaho State Placer

 

197 lbs
Brandon Richardson (Heritage HS, WA) WA State Runner-up in 2007...
4th in 2006... National Team Member

 

HWT
Kyle Stults (Heritage HS, WA) WA State Runner-up in 2007... Junior National All-American (Greco)

Mike Wier (Pacific University/West Salem HS) 8-13 in his freshman season at Pacific University

Cougar Wrestlers Sign with 4-year Schools

June 14, 2007

Oregon City, Ore - Following one of the best seasons in recent history for the Cougar Wrestling squad, the team is proud to announce commitments from their sophomore and red-shirt freshman classes to 4-year institutions.

 

Regional Champion and NJCAA All-American Sam Schmitz has signed a letter of intent with Lindenwood University in St. Louis, Missouri to wrestle 149 lbs next season. He is receiving 3/4 scholarship from the wrestling team and will join a team that has won three consectuive NAIA National Titles.

 

Joining Sam in the NAIA ranks are All-Americans Seth Roy and Brian Jacob who have both committed to Southern Oregon University and will be joining Coach Ritchey's squad next season at 149 and 133 respectively.

 

Additionally, CCC 174 lber Luis Cisnerois will join the SOU team next season to vie for a spot on in a very competitive lineup.

 

Finally, All-American 165 lber Alex Bubb will be competing at Portland State University next season for former CCC Coach Mike Haluska. Alex will be competing in the Pac 10 conference at 157 lb weight class.

 

"There is no doubt that these guys will be greatly missed next season", said Head Coach Joshua Rhoden. "It is up to us to carry on the type of atmosphere and winning environment that these gentlemen helped create here".

 

Rhoden concluded, "I wish each of them the very best and hope that they have continued success on and off the mat as we continue to follow and support them. It is very encouraging to see our wrestlers being recruited by top programs. We hope to be the type of program that produces top wrestlers and students so that other programs recognize and recruit our athletes."

 

NJCAA National Championship Coverage
RECORD SIX COUGARS EARN ALL-AMERICAN!

February 25, 2007
Rochester, MN. - Six Cougars - 125-Brian Jacob (Tillamook HS), 141-Derick Bartlemay (Sprague HS), 149-Sam Schmitz (Newberg HS), 157-Seth Roy (Sherwood HS), 165-Alex Bubb (Skyview HS, WA) and 285-John Bates (Oregon City HS) have all earned All-American honors.

Schmitz and Bates won 3rd place trophys, Bub placed 6th, Bartlemay 7th with Jacob and Roy placing 8th overall.  

The Cougars also won a team trophy as the tournament's fifth place NJCAA DIV I team. This is the first trophy for the Cougars in 18 years and the first for Head Coach Josh Rhoden in his inaugural season with the Cougar Wrestling Program. "It was an incredible experience for us and one that we won't soon forget", said Rhoden.

This is a hallmark tournament for the Cougs as this is the first time in Clackamas CC history that six wrestlers took home All-American honors.  The past record of five All-Americans were held by the 1971 and 1989 teams. Complete brackets can be viewed at the tournament Web site

View Results

Region 18 Championship Results
Cougars qualify six -  Bates & Schmitz Champs

February 10, 2007
Yakima, Wash. - The Cougars, placing 3rd behind Southwestern Oregon (SWOC) and North Idaho (NIC), qualified six wrestlers for the NJCAA National Tournament. Among them were Brian Jacob 3rd at 125, Derick Bartlemay 3rd at 141, Sam Schmitz 1st at 149, Seth Roy 3rd at 157, Alex Bubb 3rd at 165, and John Bates 1st at 285. Sam and John both won their respective weight classes to lead the Cougars at the Region 18 Championships Saturday at Yakima Valley Community College. Also in action for the Cougars were Shane Rhoden (5th at 133), Luis Cisneros (5th at 174), and Jim Halicki (4th at 197).

Schmitz (Newberg, Ore.) went 3-0 on the day and did not allow a single offensive point to be scored against him in the tournament. Sam won by fall against Phillip Ontiveros (Yakima Valley CC) in the first round of action. Then in the semi-final he beat Aaron Kipperberg (SWOC) by a score of 19-4 and in the finals match beat returning All-American Coby Jones (NIC) 9-4 to become the first Region 18 Champion under first year head coach Josh Rhoden. “Sammy wrestled fantastic all day long” stated Rhoden. “That was one of his goals from day one and he was very happy to be able to add that to a great season”

Bates (Oregon City, Ore.) went 2-0 on the day receiving a bye in the first round of the tournament. John also did not allow an offensive point to be scored against him. In the semi-final Bates won by fall in 2:21 over Roy Chambers (Highline CC). John then became the 2nd wrestler to win in the finals for the Cougars when he beat Clay Wunder (SWOC) by a score of 7-3. “ John had won a very close match against Wunder earlier in the year and I thought it would be back and forth, but Johnny really stepped it up and he was never in danger of losing the match”, stated Rhoden.

"To be honest, the guys had some tough matches in the first couple rounds but some of the them came out a little flat. We did give ourselves chances to be in the finals at most every weight, we just lost the close matches”, said Rhoden. “As we watched the finals play out my guys were like, 'I’m ready to get back to work next week'.”

"I really felt like one of the best performances came from Luis at 174.” He inspired the team and left everything on the mat.” added Rhoden. Cisneros upset the #2 seed in the first match and almost won the semi to get into the finals. “He wrestled as well as he has all year on Saturday.".

The Cougars travel to Rochester, MN next week for the Junior College National Tournament which takes place on Feburary 23-24.

Team scores: 1st - North Idaho 172. 5, 2nd - SW Oregon 128.5, 3rd - Clackamas 116.5, 4th - Highline 86, 5th - Pima 77.5, 6th - Yakima Valley 63.5 (Glendale did not compete)

Cougar Final Regular Season Records

February 08, 2007
Oregon City , Ore. - Here is a season summary for each wrestler:

Athlete	Weight	Wins	Losses	Year
Jacob, Brian	125	21	8	RSFR
Rhoden, Shane	133	11	10	FR
Bartlemay, Derick*	141	5	4	SO
Schmitz, Sam	149	24	4	RSFR
Roy, Seth	157	26	5	SO
Bubb, Alex	165	11	9	SO
Cisneros, Luis	174	6	16	RSSO
Halicki, Jim	197	3	14	FR
Bates, John	285	23	5	RSFR

* Injured most of the season