Zach Tanelli, the No. 1 ranked senior wrestler, is putting his season and his career in perspective as he strives to become both the Big Ten and National champion.

The Badgers only have five meets remaining in their schedule, and he is taking every one of them in, enjoying every little detail — even the grueling training. As the top wrestler at 141 pounds, Tanelli must contend with the fact that every wrestler he faces is at his best, trying to tarnish Tanelli’s prominent and promising season. He doesn’t mind, though, and he says he couldn’t be happier.

“It’s great. I love it. I enjoy that type of atmosphere,” Tanelli said. “It’s a perspective thing. All the tough workouts where it crosses your mind, ‘Is this ever going to end?’ The answer is ‘yes,’ and it’s coming a lot quicker than you think. I’m trying to enjoy this season and enjoy this experience for what it is and take it in.”

Tanelli’s head coach, Barry Davis, is proud of how his star wrestler is handling himself and isn’t surprised with Tanelli’s maturity or results.

“He has a goal for himself,” Davis said. “When you focus on the goal, on what you want to achieve, it’s not pressure. It’s something he wants. I knew before he got here he could win, no doubt about it. He had the work ethic; he had the mindset.”

Davis did mention Tanelli became a little overconfident at an invitational in Las Vegas last January and paid for that mistake, losing in the quarterfinals.

“He learned from that,” Davis said. “He sees it now as, ‘If I want to achieve the goal I set out for myself, I have to take it one match at a time. I can’t overlook one guy.'”

“I can’t afford to look past anybody,” Tanelli added. “The next guy isn’t going to be more scared because I tech falled a guy the week before. Everyone is really coming after me, trying to take me down a notch.”

Davis knows how difficult it is for Tanelli to look forward to great things but also stay in the present.

“He sees himself on the stand and those kinds of things,” Davis said. “As an athlete, you have to see that, and that motivates you.”

Tanelli has been wrestling since he was 12 years old, was All-State in high school, and he is now in position to reach the summit of his sport.

“It’s my last year of wrestling, and I don’t have too many opportunities to go out there in front of people and really showcase what I’ve been working on and all the hard work I’ve put in over the years,” Tanelli said. “I really pride myself on how hard I work and how I don’t take shortcuts. That confidence sets me at ease and puts me in a great state to wrestle.”

Tanelli has put in a particularly large amount of training, especially this season, as he had to bulk up and move up a 133 weight class to 141. According to Tanelli, that change defined his career.

“The best thing that I did in my career was to move up a weight class,” Tanelli said. “It enabled me to wrestle in the way and a style that I like to wrestle. And because of that, alone, it has made this year a success.”

Tanelli also cites his work outside of practice and sheer competitive instinct for the success he has found.

“I’m as competitive as they get,” Tanelli said. “Whether it’s wrestling or any type of stupid example you could think of, I want to win. If I’m playing it I want to win. I don’t let anything overshadow the fact that when I step on that mat I mean business, and I want to go and I want to go hard.”

“He’s always been aggressive, which is good,” Davis added.

Tanelli also understands he hasn’t yet reached his goals, and there is plenty of work ahead as he will face competitors who have previously been national champions.

“They’ve proven things that I haven’t proven yet, and I can’t allow myself to believe that I deserve anything,” Tanelli said. “I compete best when I have to prove something to people.”

Tanelli awaits his competition with open, grappling arms as he comes closer and closer to accomplishing the goals he set out for himself at the beginning of this season.

“Everything is leading up to being a Big Ten and National champion,” Tanelli said. “Those are the two goals I have left, and I don’t want to go on without saying that I am those things.”