This year has had its ups and downs for the Wisconsin wrestling team. While starting out the season a perfect 8-0, the Badgers looked poised to challenge perennial wrestling powers Iowa and Minnesota for Big Ten supremacy . However, the momentum gained by an impressive non-conference showing came to a screeching halt on a four-match road trip as UW began the conference season 1-4.
From that point on, it seemed to be one injury after another, and with such a young squad, freshmen were asked to fill the void left when a number of seniors became unable to compete. This, coupled with having to wrestle the best teams in the country week after week, left head coach Barry Davis’ team with a 1-7 conference record and 10th place regular-season finish in the Big Ten.
“We got a lot of freshmen this year,” remarked Davis. “I knew it’d be a tough year, but now the younger guys get a chance to compete for a championship, a chance to redeem themselves a little bit — and they’ll gain a lot of experience from it as well.”
Many of his wrestlers will have that same mentality, as a shot at redemption will serve as motivation this weekend when the Badgers and the rest of the conference converge on the Field House this coming weekend for the Big Ten Championships.
Leaving the dual-meet season in the past won’t present much of a problem for UW, since whoever finishes atop the bracket this Sunday will lay the claim to the Big Ten title, regardless of their previous record. The opportunity this “second season” presents isn’t lost on the UW wrestlers.
“I want to win a Big Ten Championship,” co-captain and No. 4 seed Ralph DeNisco said. “I probably won’t be happy with anything less than that.”
“It’s important to wrestle [the Big Ten teams], win or lose, because we have to know how to prepare ourselves for when we wrestle them in the tournament,” explained co-captain Kevin Black. “The dual-meet season is just kind of preparation and the tournament is where it matters.”
Black’s teammates had no disagreements, as they’ve had this weekend, circled on their schedule for some time, but due to a season-ending knee surgery the 2002 All-American will be forced to watch the tourney from the sidelines. The loss of his leadership, while quite a blow to the team, was partially offset by the other seniors stepping up, especially his brother Tony.
“I think Tony’s really stepped up the past couple of weeks,” commented Kevin. “He was just kind of setting the tone for how hard people are working.”
The Badgers will need the extra effort from the seniors this weekend if they plan on making a move on favorites Minnesota and Iowa. The Big Ten boasts individuals ranked in the top five nationally of every weight class except two, and in six divisions, a Big Ten wrestler is ranked number one overall. With all this talent it’s no surprise that the conference has placed all but one team in the top twenty-five with five squads in the top ten.
“The two favorites would be Iowa and Minnesota right now, but Illinois may have a shot to stick in there too,” predicted head coach Davis. “Those three teams right now are probably the front runners.”
Big Ten wrestling is widely regarded as the best in the nation, and as such, many of the winners this weekend will likely take home NCAA championships later this month.
“Every year it’s that way,” said Davis. “The matches you see in the Big Ten finals, you’ll see in the NCAA championship finals. We could also have four or five teams in the top ten, maybe seven or eight in the top fifteen. Every Big Ten team should be in the top twenty.”
All indications point to the Field House being the place to be this weekend. Being the host to some of the finest and most competitive wrestling in the country has provided the Badgers with a second shot at proving they’re better than their record and are indeed a force to be reckoned with. The path through the brackets won’t be an easy one, but it’s something that the UW wrestlers are confident they’ll be prepared for.
“I think that it will show that our team is able to bounce back and show a little resilience,” said No. 6 seed Tony Black. “If you get knocked down six weeks in a row, you need to get back up and scrap with those guys. We should be right with those teams.”
“A couple of guys come through and we’ll do better than [No. 24 nationally],” voiced Davis. “We’ll get through the Big Tens first though, and then go from there.”