Feb. 21, 2007

Bakersfield, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton competes in the Pac-10 Wrestling Championships this weekend at Cal State Bakersfield with an eye on repeating their performance of 2004, when they were one controversial decision away from the title.

"This Fullerton team reminds me of the one a couple years ago that came out of nowhere to place third," said Head Coach Dan Hicks. "We had seven guys place with only one in the finals.

"Oregon State looks to be the front runner this year. They have several seniors and a solid line-up throughout. Many teams have been hit by injuries or academic issues, making this Pac-10 tournament very even for the rest of the teams."

Morgan Atkinson is ranked No. 1 at 149 pounds and has the best shot among the Titans for a Pac-10 title. T. J. Dillashaw at 133, Bryan Tice at 165 and heavyweight Wade Sauer all could finish in the top three at their respective weights. Tice is the only Pac-10 competitor to have beaten defending champion Pat Pitsch from Arizona State.

"I think the guys are rested and ready to perform well at Pac-10's," Hicks continued. "We have no seniors, so we are excited to get the experience and continue to build towards being a top 20 team nationally."

Live video streaming of the Pac-10 Championships will be available via the button at www.pac-10.org.

The probable Fullerton lineup:
125 - Jaime Hernandez, Jr. (5-18)
133 - T. J. Dillashaw, Soph. (1-10
141 - Teddy Astorga, Soph. (6-3)
149 - Morgan Atkinson, Jr. (24-4)
157 - Paul Tice, Jr. (7-12)
165 - Bryan Tice, Jr. (18-8)
174 - Ryan Budd, Soph. (14-14)
184 - Bobby Musser, RFr. (2-9 at other weights)
197 - John Drake, RFr. (17-12)
Hvy - Wade Sauer, Soph. (22-11)