While most of us are busy anticipating the lazy days and study-free nights of winter break, the UW wrestling team is gearing up for what they’re hoping will be a championship season.
Instead of lying in bed all day, wallowing in their classless state or gorging on holiday feasts, the wrestlers for the Badgers will be working hard and staying focused with the goals of Big Ten victories, NCAA tournament berths, and the subsequent titles on their minds.
“Right now in the season there are certain things you work on, each match by match,” said Justin Staebler. “Figuring out what’s working early on in the season and getting into better and better condition. Later on in the season, it’s towards winning the Big Tens, winning the NCAAs. Those are the ultimate goals.”
It appears as though the team is right on track, coming into the 2001-2002 season with three top-20 ranked returning wrestlers in Kevin Black (5th at 133 pounds), Tony Black (12th at 125 pounds), and Grant Hoerr (13th at 141 pounds).
Other top returners leading the team this season include Ralph DeNisco (184 pounds) Ryan Lewis and Ryan Turner (165 pounds), and Justin Staebler (HWT), all of whom either qualified for the NCAA tournament or placed in the top 10 in the Big Ten tournament last year.
Add to that a team that is very strong in itself — currently sitting on the No. 18 spot — and the aspirations of a championship season is indeed a goal within reach.
Not that UW isn’t going to face challenges this season. Wisconsin has the task of replacing previous title winner Donny Pritzlaff, who claimed back-to-back NCAA championships in 2000 and 2001 at the 165-pound mark, and it also has to face the toughest conference in wrestling, which boasts eight teams ranked in the top 25.
“We’re approaching the Big Ten like we’re competitive with all of them,” said Staebler. “We think we can [match up] at random with each and every one of them. Each match is going to be close, but we think we can win all of them.”
The obstacles don’t seem to put a kink in the Badgers’ winning philosophy. The team feels confident in the ability of each and every man to step up and play a part in a successful season, claiming the youth, kinship and wisdom of the team as key factors in reaching their goals while taking each game one step at a time.
“There are a lot of key guys on our team that are really stepping up and doing a good job, leading the way for younger guys,” said DeNisco.
Last weekend’s match at Iowa State was a revelation for the team. Though the Badgers failed to pull out a victory against the sixth-ranked Cyclones, falling 24-21, they were bolstered by the close score against such an acclaimed squad.
“I think the confidence in the room is a lot better since last weekend,” said DeNisco. “I think we realize how good we are, and I think that people are starting to get a lot of confidence in themselves and are starting to step up. There are a lot of good things to come.”
The Badgers will take that confidence into this weekend’s matchup against Hofstra tonight at 7 p.m. at the Stoughton Community Building. UW is in no way overlooking the non-conference match, acknowledging the tough competition the Badgers will be facing on the mat.
The Hofstra wrestling squad is home to four members ranking in the top 20 and is pulling in national poll votes as a team as well. Saturday, the Badgers travel to Northern Iowa to conclude the weekend meets and add to the prophecy of what is to come in UW’s season.
