Nov 1989: Beating Vanni

11/11/89
I took third at the Sunkist Open at 114.5. I'm in Phoenix right now.

I weighed in Thursday at 119. The weight cutting was a real bitch, especially the last sweat on Thursday afternoon. I looked like a prison camp refugee, especially with my short haircut (figured it might shave another ounce or two).

Friday was the first session. I won 19-3 and 7-0 in the afternoon session, then 8-4 in the evening session. Barry Davis wrestled 125.5 and won four (he barely won his second round, 11-10). C.T. Campbell was at 136.5 and went 1-2, so he went out. Chris Campbell won 3 or 4 at 198.

Friday night weigh-ins weren't quite as bad as Thursday, but they weren't fun. I dropped probably 5-6 pounds.

This morning I was in the round-robin in my pool. I won the first match 17-1, then lost to Tony Purler, 15-2 or 17-2 (I didn't check to see if he got the last turn). I just wrestled defensively, thinking I could cut the corner and crotch-lift and stuff. But he was too good from his feet--nice, low singles, elevating quickly, and he won every scramble. I scored a couple of points when I started shooting, but it was too little too late. All the other guys felt very small, but Purler felt big. I'll wrestle him differently next time.

I beat Tim Vanni for 3rd place, 11-4. He was the Olympian at 105.5 last year, so he's obviously good, but he felt really small. I beat him on crotch-lifts and gut-wrenches.

Barry is in the finals against Brad Gustafson tonight, and I think Chris Campbell is also in the finals.

11/17/89
I asked Jenny to marry me. I didn't plan out very well what I was going to say, partially because I was cutting weight and not feeling particularly creative, and partially because I didn't want to think too much about it. More action, less talk.

I gave her the ring box and she said, "What is it?"

I said, "Open it and see."

So she opened it, and there was the ring. I said, "...it's a ring." Pretty suave, huh?

Then I said, "Will you marry me?" and she said "Yes."

11/20/89
My roommate Hruska is ineligible for wrestling this semester. He kept dropping his hard classes every semester, so now he doesn't have enough credits to participate in varsity athletics. He wasn't in the starting line-up anyway--Tom Ryan and Mark Reiland both beat him. But still.

I came home from spending the weekend with Jenny, and the apartment was a pigsty. There were bottles and trash all over the living room. The toilet paper roll in the bathroom was empty, and the new one--half-gone already--was on top of the toilet. There was a bowl full of dried-out, uneaten macaroni sitting on the kitchen table, along with a half-eaten bag of Doritos. All this since I left on Friday.

This is a chilling argument in favor of limiting reproductive rights.