This time around, Tom Clum will be ready for the big show. An overtime loss at last year’s NCAA wrestling championships cost Clum the status of All-American. Now, Wisconsin’s 125-pounder is not ready to let another opportunity slip by.

“Last year I got a match to be All-American and I got a quick lead and gave it up in overtime,” Clum said. “I thought we went out of bounds and we didn’t. I just have to keep wrestling the whole entire time.”

After going 19-12 in his freshman campaign, Clum has avoided the sophomore slump en route to a 25-4 record and No. 4 national ranking. Winning is nothing new for Clum, as he earned three state championships and a 148-1 prep record. Still, he had to compensate for the lack of competition in Colorado by training year-round and going to every summer tournament he could.

“It’s not very competitive,” Clum said of Colorado wrestling. “The fan base is huge, but the level of wrestling isn’t as high as the rest of the country. I wrestled the whole year round and went to all the summer tournaments.”

Even after the extra work, Clum said he needed his redshirt season to adjust to Big Ten wrestling.

“I wasn’t up to the level especially when it comes to mat wrestling,” Clum said. “I can hold my own on my feet with most of the guys, but on the mat I was getting killed. I just needed to refine my technique and just learn how to bring the intensity level up a notch.”

Former Badger All-Americans Kevin and Tony Black were Clum’s first practice partners and provided the adjustment he needed.

“The level of competition in the practice room every single day was the biggest adjustment,” Clum said. “Just getting beat on by the older guys. Kevin and Tony were my practice partners and they beat the hell out of me. I’m not a very good mat wrestler and they are both exceptional.”

Whatever the Blacks taught Clum, it seems to be paying off. Head coach Barry Davis has noticed a number of improvements in Clum’s wrestling since the end of last year.

“He has controlled his weight better, and his skills overall are better,” Davis said. “On his feet, getting in position, and getting away on the bottom — his overall skills have really improved. Going to nationals last year I think he knew he was right in there, and right now he is showing a lot of great things. His whole mental frame of mind is there.”

If his loss in overtime at the NCAA championships was not enough, then an overtime loss to Iowa’s Luke Eustice just a few weeks ago should be enough to push him over the edge. The 5-7 sudden victory loss to the nation’s No. 2 125-pounder was Clum’s only conference defeat.

“I was so mad from that last match,” Clum said. “I’m looking forward to meeting him, but it will be tough to get to him. We’re on opposite sides of the bracket and I’ll have at least two good matches before that.”

Tough might be an understatement. During conference action, Clum faced ranked opponent after ranked opponent on his way to a 7-1 conference record.

When Clum is not fighting his way to the NCAA championships, he often finds himself hunting elk and deer with teammate Tyler Laudon.

“Hunting and fishing are my main hobbies,” Clum said. “I’m really into traditional archery. [Laudon and I] actually did make a trip back to Colorado this year and did some elk hunting. We didn’t do too well elk hunting, but we saw some nice deer.”

The opportunity to hunt and continue his hobby was just one of the reasons why Clum decided to attend Wisconsin. He said the main reason he decided to come to Wisconsin, however, was the coaching staff.

When Clum is not hunting, he likes to spend time with friends and listen to country music. One thing that has irked Clum since the beginning of the season is the short song played before each of his home matches. Before the first home duel, Clum requested any country song, and they delivered on that request. Since then, Clum’s intro has been a hip-hop song to the tune of bagpipes.

“They asked what song we wanted at the beginning of the year and I said any country song,” Clum said. “The first match they had a country song, and every match since they’ve had that Scottish song, and I don’t like that. I want a country song.”

Like the Flaherty brothers, who have a brother wrestling at Minnesota, Clum has a brother wrestling at Wyoming. Younger brother Danny wrestles at 149 pounds for the Cowboys but has not seen much action this year.

Next year, Clum will have the opportunity to give back what the Blacks taught him when a highly anticipated and very talented group of freshmen join the team. Among the newcomers will be Jordan and Josh Crass of Medford, Wis.

Both brothers have not lost in more than three years, and each carry high national rankings. Jordan and Josh will likely redshirt their first years on the team, but Clum said he is looking forward to having them on board.

“I can’t wait for the next few years,” Clum said. “I think we’re only going to get better because we are good right now and we have good kids coming in. Having [the Crass brothers] will only be good. It will only bring the level of competition in the room up. It will be no bad with those two guys.”

Until then, Clum will have his hands full at the Big Ten Championships with one of the strongest weight classes in the country. Clum said the current goal is to be a high-placing All-American, but that the national championship is always the ultimate goal.

“Everyone always says the goal is always to win and to be a national champion,” Clum said. “Really, my goal is just to wrestle as good as I can and see what comes from that.”