TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

This Saturday at 7 pm, Clarion visits Alumni Arena. What are the advantages of competing at home for a wrestler?
The night before, you get to sleep in your own bed - meaning you will get a better night's sleep. The workout facility we have here is much better than anything we can get on the road at a hotel. We have a number of options as far as working out prior to a match that you don't get on the road. Obviously, you are a lot more relaxed in the home setting, as well.

What type of a leadership role have you had to take on with such a young team?
I wouldn't say that I feel a lot of the responsibility, because we are fortunate to have a lot of leaders on our team. But what I do try to do is simply to work hard in the wrestling room and do the right things outside of athletics, like doing well academically.

Along those same lines with a young squad, how significant has it been to start of with a 9-2 team dual meet record?
I think the fact that we are young has actually helped us get to this point. A lot of guys came in with a fresh attitude and have tried to do their best. That has translated into success on the mat for our entire team.

In early December, your team posted a 21-13 victory over Mid-American Conference rival Kent State? What did that early-season conference win mean to you?
It was a very good feeling. That was one of the first big signs of our hard work paying off. But we also knew there was a lot of work left. We have confidence now that we are continually going to get better, as well.

But really, all of the dual meets and tournaments mean the same thing to us at this point in the season. We're always going out there to do our best.

You won the individual title at 133 pounds during last week's UB Open and then took two of your three matches at last weekend's Buckeye Duals. What do you attribute your most recent personal success to?
I have to give a lot of the credit to the coaching staff. They push all of us very hard and expect a lot out of us. That makes us work all that much harder.

Do you feel that you have benefited from moving down a weight class from where you wrestled last season?
Last season I came in a little heavy, so I fit in at the 141-pound weight class. This year though, I came in much lighter and more lean because of the running and light lifting that I did over the summer. Right now, I feel a lot quicker at 133 pounds.

How much does the competition between the two weight classes vary?
There is always a little difference when you move from one weight class to another, but I wouldn't say that it is all that noticeable for me. At 141 pounds there is probably more strength, but the quickness is greater within the 133-pound weight class.

Do you feel your overall approach to wrestling has changed since the beginning of your freshman season?
I feel that I am much more mature as a wrestler. I am much tougher in both a physical and a mental sense at this point.

When you are looking at film of your matches, what types of things are you analyzing?
We look for a lot of little things - what we do wrong and what we could have done differently. Usually, we sit down and watch it with one of our coaches and get their perspective. All told, studying film can help you out tremendously.

How much advance preparation do you usually have for future opponents? Do you utilize that much or do you just focus on your own wrestling instead?
Once in a while you may hear something specific about an opponent. For instance, if you know he has a good headlock, you will look out for that and try not to tie up with him. Personally though, I really don't scout my opponent - I just go out there and wrestle.

-The "10 Questions with…" feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.