SALEM — As the saying goes, the only thing harder than winning a title is defending it. Not so for the Southern Oregon men’s wrestling team on Saturday at the Cascade Conference Championships.
The No. 6-ranked Raiders went back-to-back at the Salem Armory Auditorium and were set in the standings even before sweeping through their five championship matches. They finished with 174 ½ points, 33 more than second-place Providence (Mont.). In seven previous CCC Championship tournaments, no team had accumulated more than 156.
Asher Ruchti, a No. 4-ranked senior, defended his title at 197 pounds and was joined atop the podium by four first-time champions: No. 7-ranked sophomore Isaac Hampton at 125 pounds, No. 22-ranked sophomore Tyler Rhue at 141, No. 6-ranked junior Avant Stepherson at 157, and No. 4-ranked senior Adrian Chavez-Morales at 184…