The 133-pound redshirt junior from Estacada, Ore., scored a 12-11 decision in his NCAA debut over Lock Haven's Billy Ashnaut.
After Ashnault got out to a 5-0 lead in the first period with a takedown and 3-point near-fall, Dunn retook the momentum with his aggressive style and drew within 8-7 at the end of the first period thanks to an escape and three takedowns.
Ashnault added another escape point to open the second period and led, 9-7, but Dunn added two more takedowns via the same single move that worked five times and almost a sixth before the period’s close. Tied 11-11 entering the final stanza, Dunn led off with an escape for the only point of the period.
Ashnault, a freshman, fell to 12-16 on the season and was the Eastern Wrestling League runner-up.
Next up Thursday evening for Dunn is his third match of the year vs. Oklahoma State's third seed Coleman Scott. Dunn upset the Poke junior, then ranked first nationally in Eugene at McArthur Court, 5-3, in mid-February. The returning NCAA runner-up Scott won the pair's first meeting in December's Reno Tournament of Champions with a 14-6 major decision.
Scott won his Thursday opener, 4-0, vs. sophomore Jim Conroy of Pittsburgh.
Also Thursday afternoon, UO redshirt freshman heavyweight Charlie Alexander lost his NCAA opener, 3-0, to Virginia Millitary Institute's Joshua Wine.
With less than a minute left in the opening period, Vine scored the match’s only takedown to go up, 2-0. The Central Point, Ore., product Alexander was never able to score, and the period he started down was unable to escape leading to a third, riding time point for Vine.
Wine, a freshman, raised his record to 9-2, and was the Southern Conference champion two weeks ago.
Alexander next faces freshman Ryan Flores of Columbia who lost 17-0 Thursday morning to top seed Dustin Fox of Northwestern. Flores is 14-6 on the year and placed second in the EIWA conference earlier this month.
For Oregon, Dunn's win Thursday afternoon raised his record to 23-7 and tied him for the team lead in wins with Alexander (23-11).
The pair earned their NCAA invitations thanks to their second- and fourth-place finishes in the Pac-10 Championships at McArthur Court in Eugene three weeks ago.
Action resumes for the Ducks later Thursday evening, and more event information is available at the www.NCAAsports.com and www.intermatwrestle.com websites.
- www.GoDucks.com -
