Beaver wrestling keeps building, brings in blue-chip class
Nolan Tolentino was 10-7 this past season and will be a strong contender to earn a regular nod at 149 pounds as a redshirt freshman next season (courtesy MatFocus)
Is Oregon State wrestling ready to take the next big step during the Chris Pendleton era?
In 2021-22, the Beavers finished 12th at the NCAA Tournament with four grapplers achieving All-America status.
This past season, they claimed their first Pac-12 championship since 2016.
In 2023-24, his fourth season at the OSU helm, Pendleton and his coaching staff have pulled in its biggest and most accomplished recruiting class, with hopes it will result in a succession of conference titles and national top-10 finishes in the years to come.
“We’re excited about this freshman class,” Pendleton says. “Across the board, there is talent and potential. This is a class we targeted and expect to take us to the next level. That’s not something we say lightly. We set the bar higher than we have in the past.”
Among the freshman recruits:
• Aden Attao, a heavyweight from Boise who was bronze medalist at the 2022 U20 World Championships in Greco-Roman.
“He is one of the top young heavyweights in the country, if not the world,” OSU associate head coach Nate Engel says. “He will redshirt next season and make a run at the 2024 Olympic team in Greco.”
Adds Pendleton: “He’ll be a fan favorite for years to come.”
• McKinley Robbins, a two-time state champion from Greene County, Iowa, who will contend at 141 or 149.
“He’s a stud,” Pendleton says.
• TJ McDonnell, the California CIF state champion for Fountain Valley, Calif., who will wrestle at 184.
“We’re really excited about him,” Engel says. “He’s as strong as can be.”
• DJ Gillett, Crescent Valley High, a four-time state champ who will wrestle at 149.
“It’s important to us to keep the best kids in state,” Pendleton says. “DJ is one of them. He will be challenging right out of the gates.”
• Justin Rademacher a state champion at 182 from state 6A champion West Linn.
Says Engle: “He just beat Lenny Pinto — a kid who handed (Beaver star) Trey Munoz one of his four losses this past season — and placed top eight at the U20 World Juniors.”
• Dagen Condomitti, a four-time regional champion from Northampton, Pa., who will contend at 157 or 165.
“His brother was a big-time recruit out of high school who is now at Nebraska,” Engle says. “He’s lanky and tough on top.”
• Sergio Montoya, a California CIF state champ from Clovis, Calif, who will wrestle at 184.
• Cade White, a three-time state champ from Meridian. Ida., who could figure in at 149 or 157.
The Beavers have landed one transfer so far, Victor Jacinto, a third-place finisher nationally in 2022 at Clackamas Community College, where he wrestled under current OSU assistant coach Josh Rhoden.
“In the next few weeks, we could add a couple of more (transfers),” Engel says.
The large freshman group is an anomaly that is unlikely to be repeated.
“When we took over (in 2020), we had only 20 guys on the roster and had a lot of walk-ons,” Pendleton says. “In the future, we won’t bring in as a big a recruiting class. Every year, we keep leveling up with talent, and the (wrestling) room has gotten deeper. Everyone will get an opportunity, but it’s going to be hard for the freshmen to get onto the mat next season. We have a lot of young guys who have been waiting in the wings.”
And a lot of proven talent returning, too.
Oregon State loses four regulars, including Mateo Olmos, the Pac-12 champ at 174. But the Beavers return six starters, including four Pac-12 champions — seniors-to-be Brandon Kaylor (125) and Cleveland Belton (141) and juniors-to-be Matt Olguin (165) and Munoz (184). Munoz was the only All-American of the group, placing sixth after reaching the semifinals before suffering torn cartilage in a knee that caused him to withdraw from the competition.
Trey Munoz, Oregon State’s Most Outstanding Wrestler and a Pac-12 champion and All-American at 184 pounds this season, returns for his junior season in 2023-24 (courtesy Allie Grant/OSU athletics)
Kaylor was 24-9, Belton 18-10, Olguin 24-6 and Munoz 27-4 last season.
The other regulars returning are seniors Jason Shaner (21-13, second in the Pac-12 at 133) and Isaiah Crosby (8-8, third at 157).
Among the wrestlers waiting in the wings are redshirt freshman Noah Tolentino, who was 10-7 at 149 and 157 last season; redshirt freshman Gabe Whisenhunt of Crescent Valley, who was 9-3 last season and could contend at 133; senior Jackson McKinney, 8-3 last season and a strong candidate at 197, and heavyweight Charley Hastriter, a redshirt sophomore who also hails from Boise and was 7-4 last season.
“We have some guys who had a lot of success this year and will come back hungrier,” Engel says. “We also have a lot of young guys with talent who will be another year older and ready to go.”
Next year’s schedule will feature a visit from defending national champion Penn State to Gill Coliseum.
“(The Nittany Lions) are already a dang tough team, and they have four All-America transfers coming in,” Pendleton says. “We’re going to continue to wrestle the best opponents we can. The last two seasons, that has shown us where the bar is. This is what we’re pushing toward.
“Every year, we want a marquee match at home. In 2024-25, we’ll have Iowa and Oklahoma State. Ohio State is on the horizon.”
Awards for the 2022-23 Oregon State team
Joe Wells Team Impact: Junior Brandon Kaylor
Chad Flack Most Improved Wrestler: Sophomore Matt Olguin
Len Kauffman/Larry Bielenberg Most Pins: Senior Tanner Harvey
Bill Brickey Most Dedicated: Senior Tanner Harvey
Greg Strobel Team First: Junior Jason Shaner
Dale Thomas All Around: Senior Mateo Olmos
Robin Reed Outstanding Wrestler: Sophomore Trey Munoz
Thanks, also, to members of the OSU coaches and members of the wrestling committee who bestowed upon me the first “OSU wrestling media award” at the banquet. Much appreciated, everyone.
Kerry Eggers, flanked by OSU wrestling committee president Bob Tomasovic and committee member John Kowalewski, was presented the first media award at the Beavers’ postseason banquet last week at Trysting Tree (courtesy Allie Grant/OSU athletics)
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