Bellevue grapplers to wrestle in college

Bellevue wrestling coach Tom Ovens announced Tuesday that Jin Hong Park and Erik Ovens will wrestle collegiately next season. Hong Park will attend Johns Hopkins University and will wrestle for the Blue Jays, while Erik Ovens will wrestle for the Orediggers at the Colorado School of Mines.

Bellevue wrestling coach Tom Ovens announced Tuesday that Jin Hong Park and Erik Ovens will wrestle collegiately next season.

Hong Park will attend Johns Hopkins University and will wrestle for the Blue Jays, while Erik Ovens will wrestle for the Orediggers at the Colorado School of Mines.

Hong Park was a four-year letterman for the Wolverines and was a two-time state participant. He had 62 career victories for Bellevue and is twice had 20-win seasons.

Erik Ovens was also a four-year letterman and two-time state participant who placed fourth in 3A at 152 last season. He won KingCo and Region 1 title twice, just one of two wrestlers to repeat as champion. Ovens had 92 career victories and had 72 pins in his career, passing Aki Chinen’s mark last season.

Wrestler Will Fields will play football at Montana Western. The three-year letterman had 59 career victories for Bellevue and was a two-time state participant.

“Will, Jin and Erik are the first group of seniors to all make it to state two years in a row,” Tom Ovens said in an email to the Reporter. “Their work ethic and commitment helped to turn the program around.”