' Wrestling
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guy* jyhere you get the takedown
andTet the guy go. It’s trying to score
points, apd control the opponent
rather than getting the pin. ”
| Wiffiams’ go-for-it-all style of
wrestling is contagious amongst his
teammates.
“Anytime you see a guy on your
team beat up on another guy, it fires
; the whole team up,” freshman Luke
Larwin said. “His style of wrestling
fits in well at Oregon and with what
we’re trying to accomplish. Shaun
is exciting to watch. ”
Williams learned the fast and fu
rious style of wrestling in his native
South Africa, where freestyle
wrestling is the predominant style.
“Freestyle is similar to collegiate
wrestling except that in freestyle there
are more throws and takedowns,”
Williams said. “I prefer freestyle but
collegiate wrestling is OK. I’m much
♦ more competitive in freestyle.”
Williams has made a quick transi
tion from freestyle to junior college
and finally to Division I wrestling.
His skills at fast-paced freestyle
have helped Williams out in the tal
ented 125-pound class.
“The transition is going all right,”
Williams said. “I’m still learning
even though I’ve been wrestling in
college for five years. The hardest
part about freestyle to college is get
ting out of the bottom position.”
The No. 13-ranked Williams has
compiled a 5-4 record against seven of
the top-10125-pounders in the nation.
Williams has beaten No. 9 in-state
rival Nathan Navarro of Oregon
State twice and split decisions with
Oklahoma State’s No. 4 Matt Brown.
The most memorable win for
Williams was a 7-3 upset over North
Carolina’s then-No. 3 Chuckie Con
nors in early December. The win
was Williams’ first over a Division I
I
ranked opponent and vaulted him
onto the national scene.
“That weight class is like most of
them — anyone in the top-10 can win
that weight,” Kearney said. “I think
that Shaun is capable of being in that
mix at the national tournament even
though he’s not the favorite. But they
wrestle tournaments because the fa
vorites don’t always win.”
The road to Oregon
South Africa is not exactly
known for its wrestling, which hin
dered Williams growing up.
“Wrestling in South Africa is
probably smaller than in other
countries in Africa, which isn’t that
big,” Williams said. “But I still think
that we have some talent out there.
It’s just that we are so disconnected
from the rest of the world. It’s an
eight-hour flight to Europe and a 14
hour flight to America, so we can’t
really compete internationally.”
Williams earned a break immedi
ately after high school, when he was
invited to train with the Sunkist
Kids Wrestling Club in Phoenix,
Ariz.
“They usually have a lot of
wrestlers in the Olympics and
World Championships so I was ex
cited,” Williams said. “I wanted to
stay in ‘95, but I ran out of money so
I went back home. ”
Back in his hometown of Pretoria,
Williams began training with the
South African Olympic team.
Williams easily qualified for 1996
Olympics at 119 kilograms and be
lieved that he would be returning to
America. Unfortunately, politics in
tervened.
“It was in ‘96, two years after the
first democratic elections,”
Williams said. “For political rea
sons I was not selected for the
Olympic team — even though I
qualified. The International
Olympic Committee allocated spots
for previously underprivileged peo
pie who basically went to the
Olympics to be spectators.”
Williams said that South Africa
had around 300 slots but only sent
180 athletes. He also mentioned how
there were seven South African
wrestlers who qualified, but only two
were selected to participate.
“It was a big thing; people weren’t
happy,” he said. “But there’s noth
ing you can do.”
Williams plans on going to the
Olympics in 2004 and possibly
2008.
“Due to limited participation in
freestyle competition, I didn’t have
the qualifications for last year,”
Williams said. “I will be done with
college next year, and I will definite
ly g°-”
Williams shrugged off the setback
and enrolled at North Idaho Junior
College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho,
where he was the national champi
on at 125 pounds in 1999 and run
ner-up in 1998.
When his junior college eligibili
ty ran out in 1999, Williams was
wooed by Big-10 Conference pow
erhouse Minnesota. After signing a
letter of intent and going on a re
cruiting trip, however, Williams de
cided that the Midwest wasn’t for
him.
“When I got there it was a big city,
and my fiance at the time, now my
wife, couldn’t adapt to it,” said
Williams, who is nearing the one
year anniversary of his wedding.
“Right when I got there I decided I
didn’t like it.”
Fortunately for Oregon, Williams
and his wife did like the Pacific
Northwest.
“I really like the area,” he said. “I
was looking for a small town with
more diversity. I grew up on a farm,
and I like smaller towns. ”
This weekend, Williams will
wrestle for the last time this season
in Eugene at the Pacific-10 Champi
onships on Feb. 25-26 at McArthur
Chrystal McConnell Emerald
South African Shaun Williams (left) has a 24-8 record and leads the team in extra point
decisions.
SHAUN WILLIAMS
Weight: 125 pounds (lightweight)
Year: Junior (TR)
Hometown: Pretoria, South Africa (Langen Hoven/North
Idaho College)
2000-01: Record: 24-8,11-3 Pac-10
Accomplishments: Ranked No. 13 by Amateur Wrestling
News. Has upsets over No. 4 Chuckie Connors of North
Carolina, No. 3 Matt Brown of Oklahoma State and No. 7
Bo Maynes of Oklahoma.
Before Oregon: Qualified for 1996 South African Olympic Team at 119 kg. Na
tional Junior College Champion at North Idaho College. Placed at the 1995 ES
POIR World Championships.
Court. Williams will be the favorite
but will receive stiff competition
from Navarro, Cal State-Bakers
field’s Reuben DeLeon and Boise
State’s Ben Vombaur.
And no matter who Williams
faces, one thing is for certain about
the match: It will be fast and furious.
Law School 101
An Introduction to Legal Education for Students of Color
Friday, February 23
Program begins at 9:45 am
and ends at 2:00 pm
William W. Knight Law Center
1515 Agate St., University of Oregon
To Register please contact Teresa Specht:
(541) 346-1810 or
tspecht@law. uoregon .ed u
*No Fee to Attend
ou are invited to attend break-out
sessions with current law students and
discuss timely current events
profession and all of us as
citizens. Program
activities include a simulated law class, lunch and
an admissions information session
11200
The program includes remarks by Ibrahim Cassama,Associate Professor at the University of Oregon School of Law and
distinguished recipient ofseveral awards for his contribution to human rights. Most recently, Gassama was honored with the SALT
award for his work on behalf of South Africa and its citizens. Also speaking is Associate Professor Keith AokL He has served on the
editorial board ofthe Harvard Environmental Law Review and on the editorial staffofthe Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review
A highlight of the program is a film about Native American issues and experience. Introducing and discussing the film is Dean of the U0
law school. Remand Strickland a distinguished legal scholar and specialist In Native American law and heritage.