Wrestling with the future

In a performance that epitomized the Vikings’ success on the mat over the past few years, senior Alex Bubb, at 157 pounds, was the only Portland State wrestler to record a victory over PAC-10 rival Oregon State.

In a lackluster season, Bubb’s performances on the mat have been one of the only things that fans of the Portland State wrestling team and program have had to cheer about lately.

While the dual match against Oregon State was full of close finishes and near misses, it was Bubb’s performance that helped the Vikings stave off the shutout attempt by the Beavers, 40-3.

And though the lack of recent success and possibility that the squad could be on the athletic department chopping block after this season, Bubb says, there are plenty of reasons to get behind the team.

Athletic director Torre Chisholm has convened a task force that is looking at the viability of the wrestling program under second-year head coach Mike Haluska. That group will look at the possibility of shutting down the program completely, keeping the program intact or even increasing funds.

The decision, which will not be announced until late February, caught Bubb, generally a good-natured and friendly guy, off guard.
Not necessarily what you would expect in a successful wrestler, Bubb is casual, friendly and given to loud bursts of so-warm-it-melts-in-your-mouth laughter.

He clearly enjoys wrestling for Portland State and delights in the history of the program, quickly mentioning the Olympic medals that wrestlers from the university have won.

But Bubb’s laugh disappears when he begins to talk about the relationship between the wrestling team and the university.

“It’s like they don’t want us,” Bubb said, pointing out with pride that wrestling participates in the PAC-10 Conference, likely the toughest competition for any sport at Portland State.

Bubb said that the team has struggled of late against their opponents because of lack of funding, not talent.

“A lot of people don’t know this, but a lot of the guys on our team work campus jobs like at the Stott Center,” Bubb said.
The program has enough money to support just two full scholarships for their 26-man roster.

The lack of funding, according to Bubb, prevents the team from recruiting and keeping the athletes to compete against the other schools in the conference.

The Vikings are one of the members of the PAC-10 Conference, likely based on the fact that the conference’s charter members do not all carry the sport. Of the traditional PAC-10 schools, only Arizona State, Oregon State and Stanford sport wrestling teams.

Schools that normally participate in other athletic conferences, such as the WAC, Big West and Big Sky, make up the rest of the conference.

Although Bubb may possess a winning record at 9-7 and a perfect 5-0 since 2009 began, he has also been frustrated by a lack of promotion and fan support by the Portland State community.

“On trips to the Midwest the match will be sold out and the venues full of people,” Bubb said. “This is evidence that the sport can be viable with the right backing and promotion among the student body.”

Bubb sees nothing but benefits for Portland State, should they choose to keep the wrestling program alive.

“It’s a good way for the university to get its name out there,” Bubb said.

And while he acknowledges that the team has struggled—a fact based on the squad’s youth more than anything else—Bubb still thinks that the team can compete on a high level if they are given more support.

His own personal goal for the year is to compete in the NCAA wrestling tournament, which he could earn a spot in with a solid performance at the PAC-10 Tournament the first weekend of March in Fullerton, Calif.

The ultimate recommendation about the team’s future will lie in the hands of Torre Chisholm and the athletic department, Bubb has made himself an example of the kind of success that can be experienced in the South Park Blocks under the right circumstances.

Now he has to just sit back and see if anybody is listening.