2023 NAIA The Season: Eastern Oregon

 

In so many ways on so many levels it seems that west coast wrestling has suffered. Don't get me wrong we still have some great programs out west, but looking over California, Washington, Oregon and then into Nevada, Idaho & Montana our sport has been hit exceptionally hard with discontinuation. In more recent times we've seen the elimination of Fresno State & Life Pacific. We had to fight like crazy to restore Stanford shortly after it was eliminated. Go back in time, it wasn't all that long ago we had to do the same thing with Arizona State.  Collegiate wrestling on the West Coast in so many ways has had to fight for its very survival.  Seems the only place where it hasn't & where it not only exist but thrives is within the NAIA Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC).  A 12 (11 this season after the discontinuation of Life Pacific) team conference where the talent is so deep that some weight classes qualified as many as 7 to the NAIA championships last season.  It's arguably some of the best wrestling the NAIA has to offer.  Four Oregon based programs, three in California, two in Arizona & two in Montana. It's rewarding to see wrestling thriving in areas where frankly, it needs to be thriving. One of the toughest programs in the CCC is Eastern Oregon. 

The Mountaineers brought six to the NAIA championships last season & return all six of their qualifiers. With others looking to step it up this season, I say Eastern Oregon should qualify at least 8 to the NAIA championships. 

125 lbs 
Luciano Fasulo 

The Alaskan native was an NAIA qualifier in 2021, but missed out on qualification last season after a 5th place finish at the CCC tournament. He will look for a second NAIA qualification this year. 

133 lbs
Zach Mauras

An NAIA qualifier last season, Zach Mauras was 6th in the CCC last season, going 1-2 at his first national tournament. He will look to improve finishes at both tournaments this season. 

141 lbs 
Jaxon Morlan 

Utah native Jaxon Morlan had himself an outstanding freshman campaign last year making the CCC finals & coming within one match shy of NAIA All American status. Not many from the state of Utah have earned the distinction of "three time All American" but that is a goal that is most certainly within his reach. 

141
Chad Muenzer 

Fellow freshman & also a fellow 141 lbs wrestlers, Chad Muenzer was one match shy of earning NAIA qualification with an impressive 3rd place finish at the CCC tournament. Probability says that he'll make his first of what will eventually be three appearances at the NAIA championships this season. 

174 lbs
Keegan Mulhill 

One of the wrestlers who will be taking advantage of the 5th year COVID-19 rule is three time NAIA qualifier Keegan Mulhill who was 6th at the 2021 championships. The super-senior will be looking to earn his fourth qualification & his second All American honor. 

184 lbs
Kyle Knudtson 

Also a right handed pitcher on the Mountaineer baseball team, Kyle Knudtson had an outstanding season last year as he won the CCC tournament & he took 4th place All American honors at the NAIA championships. He'll look for another conference title, his third NAIA qualification & his second All American honor this season. 

197 lbs
Jay Smith 

Washington Native Jay Smith made the CCC finals last season and went a respectable 2-2 at the NAIA championships. He'll look to have another standout season this year as a junior. 

HWT
Noel Orozco 

Another Super Senior for the Mountaineers will be two time NAIA All American Noel Orozco.  7th in 2021, he was 6th this past season. He will look to become a three time All American this season. 

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