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Show Grappiers enter RMAC Tourney "It is going to be one heck of a tournament." That is how Southern Utah State's Wrestling Coach, Joe Lopour, foresees the 1978 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference meet. The T-Bird grappiers join host Adams State (defending champion), Western State, Mesa College, Ft. Lewis, Colorado Mines, and New Mexico Highlands Saturday in Alamosa, Colorado, for the annual affair. Lopour will send a squad that returns three place winners from last year's action When SUSC finished , fourth. John Marshall (134, senior, Springville) leads the way. Marshall is a three-time three-time placewinner in the RMAC. Last year Marshall finished third at 126, as a freshman and sophomore he placed fourth and second at 118. 4, Babcock 2-11-2, Laird 2-14-1, and Hardy 1-8-1. Adams State is probably the odds on favorite to win its sixth straight RMAC Title. The Indians are currently ranked number two in the NAIA and return two champions and two second place finishers from last year's action. Inky Johnson (118) and Staff Polk (167) were champions last year, while Tom Tice (158) and Herb Stanley (190) placed second. Stanley has moved up to heavyweight this season. Western State returns defending Champ Russ .Waggoner (177) and Scott Williams (158) second at 167 last year. The Mountaineers have lost to Adams, 25-10, but Coach Tracy Borah could make some lineup changes and it should make Western a strong challenger. Phil Howa (190, sophomore, Price) and Dave Moat (158, senior, Duschene) finished fourth. Moat placed at 177. "We have been working in certain areas where we need to improve," says Lopour, "and we have done some extra work so that we can be in the best mental and physical shape." The rest of the lineup will include Kary Laird (freshman, (fresh-man, Cedar City) at 142, Randy Jarvis (sophomore, Mesa, AZ, 150), Chris Hardy (sophomore, Hurricane, 167), Rene Van Dyke (sophomore, Lyman, 177) and Phil Babcock (sophomore, Salt Lake City, HWT) or Roger Tree (junior, Heber City, HWT). Lopour won't enter anyone at 118 or 126. Howa leads SUSC in wins with a 9-7 record. Van Dyke stands 6-5 with Marshall 5-2, Moat 7-13, Jarvis 4-8, Tree 4- Colorado Mines and Mesa could be the darkhorses. Mines has a vastly improved squad from a year ago and owns a dual victory over Adams. Gary Weigs (142), and three-time placewinner and Bob Young (167) are the Orediggers best hopes. Mesa returns Monte Griffith (158), champion at 150 and Bernie Geiske (134), third last year. Randy Le Blanc (150), second in 1976, also returns to make the Mavericks a tough tournament tour-nament squad. Ft. Lewis's hopes rest on Andrew Carnero (126) third at 118 last year. T-Birds who are expected to get in the top four seeds are Marshall, Van Dyke, and Howa. To qualify for the NAIA Nationals at Wisconsin -Whitewater March 2-5, a wrestler must place in the top three in his weightclass. |