TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

Talk about the experience you had at the NCAA Championships last year, and how much picking up a victory at the NCAA's meant to you.
It was a phenomenal experience, especially because they were held in Iowa. They have one of the best wrestling programs in the nation, and to go to there made it that much more special. To win a match was great, and hopefully I will be back at the NCAA's this year.

What has the coaching staff helped you with during your time at UB?
Coach Beichner helps me a lot with wrestling technique on top and bottom. Coach Gibbs is good with speed and explosiveness. I've also benefited from the knowledge of Coach Tomeo and the other assistants. I've learned a lot each year I've been here.

Coach Beichner felt that after picking up a few wins last season, your confidence soared and you took the next step as a wrestler. Do you feel the same way?
Definitely. Towards the second half of last season I won a tournament (New York State Collegiate Championships) and started wrestling better. Confidence is certainly a big part of why I have been winning more.

What has the practice schedule been for your team over winter break?
We've gone double sessions for the most part. We do a lot of running in the mornings, and wrestle and work out in the afternoon. There were only about five days that we got off over the entire break.

The New York State Championships are coming up in less than two weeks. How important are those to you?
It's a pretty big deal to me. I was never a State Champion in high school, so it's an honor to be a State Champion at the collegiate level. Because it was my first tournament victory, it meant a lot to win it last year. There is a lot of tough competition in New York, so it will be tough to do the same this time around.

You've been ranked nationally in the Top 20 of various wrestling programs at your weight class (165 pounds). As a team, you have come close, but just haven't cracked into the Top 25 rankings. How much would that mean for your program to do that?
It's important to get national recognition - not just for the wrestling program, but for the school in general. It's a great thing to see your team listed in the Top 25 in the country, and that is one of the things that we are striving for.

Three seniors on the team - yourself, Bill Jacoutot and Charlie Voorhees - are referred to as "The Rat Pack." What is the story behind that?
Our freshman year, we hung out together all the time. Also included in that group was Chad Caros, who now wrestles at Edinboro. Matt Ricci, who wrestled on the team as well, said we all looked like a bunch of little rats. Over break, we were all supposed to stay at his house, and he said he was taking in "The Rat Pack." The name stuck, so Bill, Charlie and myself are still called "The Rat Pack."

How different is your focus when you are entering a tournament as opposed to a dual meet?
In dual meets you just get ready for one match, then you sit and watch your teammates. When you're at a tournament, you have to remain focused and keep your intensity up for a day that may include four or five matches. You can't look ahead though; you have to take it one match at a time.

As a Derby, New York, native and a graduate of Lakeshore High School, how important was it for you to wrestle at a Division I institution that was so close to your home?
It's nice to have that opportunity. It was a big deal for me to compete at the Division I level, because I never will have to ask myself how I could've done against the best competition. Being close to home is great, because that allows for my family and friends to come and watch me wrestle.

Your team's roster is filled with Western New York talent. Speak to the strength of high school programs in the area and how that has contributed to the success of the UB program.
The staff has done a great job of signing the top wrestlers from the Section VI and Section V high school programs. Even getting walk-ons from this area has affected the program in a positive way and made it that much stronger.

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