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Neck Injury Sidelines Heavyweight Sauer
Feb. 26, 2008
Fullerton, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton junior heavyweight Wade Sauer has been scratched from this weekend's Pac-10 Wrestling Championships at Eugene, Oregon, due to a neck injury suffered Feb. 17 in a match at Northern Colorado. Sauer is ranked No. 1 in the Pac-10 and No. 5 in the nation. He placed sixth at the 2007 NCAA Championships. He had a 27-3 record including a 17-0 mark in dual matches until he had to default at the end of the first period to Reece Hopkin of Northern Colorado in the final match of the regular season. Kurt Klimek, a sophomore from Oceanside and Carlsbad High School, will replace Sauer in Oregon. Klimek has a 12-4 record but is only 1-0 in dual matches. With a share of the Pac-10 dual meet championship in their pockets, the Titans compete for the real prize over the weekend in Eugene as the University of Oregon hosts the 2008 Pac-10 Championships in what apparently is the Ducks' final season of wrestling competition. The Titans were ranked as one of the favorites along with Boise State, Stanford and Cal Poly SLO but suffered a major blow when heavyweight Sauer was scratched. He was one of three No. 1-seeded CSF wrestlers along with T. J. Dillashaw at 133 and defending champion Morgan Atkinson at 149. Teddy Astorga, Ian Murphy and John Drake are rated No. 2 at 141, 184 and 197 pounds, respectively. The Titans also will need some points from Andre Gonzales (No. 8 at 125), Devin Velasquez (No. 6 at 157), Teddy Bristol (No. 7 at 165) and Todd Noel (No. 7 at 174). The Titans have not finished in the top three in the team standings since 2004, when they were one victory away from the championship and finished third. Fullerton never has won a conference championship but has placed second on five occasions and third six times. All but the 2004 finish occurred more than 20 years ago. Individuals will be trying to qualify for NCAA Championships to begin March 20 in St. Louis, Missouri. The top three finishers in each weight qualify and there are a limited number of "wild cards" taken from fourth-place finishers. Four Titans qualified last season including Dillashaw, Atkinson and Sauer. The Titans haven't had more than four qualifiers since a school record seven went in 1991. Complete Pac-10 Rankings in PDF Format
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Cal State Fullerton Athletics Wrestling
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