After opening the Big Ten season with a big win at home against then-No. 10 Penn State last weekend, the Badger wrestling team has a tough task ahead. Tonight they head to Northwestern, and Saturday they head to perennial powerhouse and Coach Barry Davis' alma mater, Iowa.
"This is going to be a tough weekend," Davis said. "We've got to take care of business at Northwestern first. Then we'll head to the locker room, re-group, and talk about Saturday and Iowa."
Davis is using the same type of "one match at a time" mentality that has been successful for both Bret Bielema and Bo Ryan. The 9th ranked Badgers are off to a 15-0 start after defeating Penn State 17-16. The win total is the second highest in school history, and yet they are only at the midpoint of the season.
"Beating Penn State was huge," sophomore Zach Tanelli, 133 lbs., said. "The Big Ten is one of if not the toughest wrestling conference in the nation. Beating a team like that in the conference opener is a huge confidence booster."
Against Penn State, the unranked Tanelli upset the 6th ranked wrestler in the 133 lbs. weight class. For his effort Tanelli was named the Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week. Tanelli is currently 15-0 in dual competition this season.
"It's a great honor to be named wrestler of the week," Tanelli said. "But (I) can't let awards during the season overshadow my own goals and our team goals. I'm honored, but at the same time I have to focus on this weekend and Northwestern."
Northwestern comes into the match tonight with a 10-5 overall record in dual matches, but is 0-2 in the Big Ten after losing twice on road last weekend at Illinois and Iowa.
"Each one of us have to do our own thing this weekend," sophomore Dallas Herbst, 197 lbs., said. "Coach always tells us that if we each take care of business then everything else comes together."
Saturday the Badgers travel to Iowa, a familiar place for Davis. The Badgers coach was a four-time Big Ten Champion and All-American at Iowa, as well as a three-time NCAA Champion in the 1980's. Davis still holds the Iowa record for most wins in a season and a career.
"Coach is an awesome guy," senior and team captain Tyler Turner, 149 lbs., said. "He knows the sport and cares about not only us as wrestlers but us as individuals. The energy he has for the game is great, and that spreads to all of us."
Although Davis and the Badgers are focusing on Northwestern first and will turn their minds to Iowa after Friday's match is over, there are some things the Badgers must be keeping in the back of their minds. Wisconsin has lost the last 32 meetings against Iowa. In fact, the last time the Badgers defeated the Hawkeyes was in Iowa way back in 1966.
"Beginning of the year we get the schedule, and we see this weekend on it," Davis said. "Now that we are in the Big Ten season, we have to kick it up to a whole other level. Our young guys are doing a great job, and hopefully their hard work will give us some good results this weekend."
