TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

Of your many accomplishments at UB, one title you have never claimed is a New York State Collegiate Championship. What would it mean for you to win the tournament – which takes place at Alumni Arena on Friday, January 17th, and Saturday, January 18th?
Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a state champion. I was a runner-up back in high school, as well as at last year’s State Collegiate Championships. It would be just one more step in the right direction.

A couple of other things make it important to me. It would be really nice to win since it’s at UB. Secondly, I know a lot of the coaches and the wrestlers I will face. I grew up competing against many of them.

Entering the tournament, you had 100 career overall (combined dual meet and tournament) victories. That puts you within striking distance of the school’s all-time mark. How much significance does that have to you?
Records are nice, but there is always a goal at the end of the season that you are working towards. Each day is geared towards winning a Mid-American Conference title and then later becoming an All-American. But it is nice to be close to a record as prestigious as that. I feel that it’s something that will be broken in the next few years anyways, but it’s nice to raise the bar for someone else.

Much of your personal success this season has come in dual meets. In fact, you have an undefeated record of 8-0. What has allowed you to flourish in that format?
Sometimes it’s easier to focus for dual meets. You know you just have the one match and you know when it’s going to be. You’re not sitting around and waiting all day, as you do at a tournament. I also feel a pressure to score points for my team in dual meets, and that has driven me.

You lead your team with three dual meet falls. Do you focus on getting a pin or is it just a matter of taking advantage of an opportunity during a match?
It’s more of a reaction. You’re looking for it, but you can’t force anything in wrestling – the opponents are too good of athletes at this level. A lot of times, you just have to put yourself in the best position to accomplish something like that. Getting a pin is the name of the game, so I take pride in doing that.

Another statistic in which you rank highly in is reversals. Can you detail what goes through your mind when you try to get one?
When I’m on bottom, I’ll first try to stand up and get away. But if I can’t immediately do that, I feel I’m good enough on the mat to attempt a move like that. You can get points by reversing your opponent and getting on top, and then maybe getting some back points as well. Against tougher opponents though, usually the only option is to get an escape.

Have you been more comfortable staying at the 174-pound weight class for the entire season, as opposed to bouncing between 165 and 174 pounds like you did last season?
Absolutely. This year has been great at 174 pounds. When it comes to match time, I make weight and feel good and strong. I think my wrestling has improved because I don’t have to concentrate on my weight, instead I can focus on what occurs on the mat.

How significant is it to have another skilled wrestler to practice against?
It’s definitely important to have a good drill partner that will push you. It’s even more advantageous to have someone in the wrestling room who is better than you, because that forces you to improve in order to compete with them. There’s a lot of pride in the room, which is a great thing.

What are the differences in practices as you approach the day of a meet or tournament?
Usually, the practices will be pretty intense until about two days before a competition. The live wrestling then slows down a bit, and we focus more on technique in those last couple of days. We also make sure we are healthy entering the event.

With a 6-2 team dual meet record, your team must be happy with a solid start. But how much would additional success during the pending MAC matches mean?
It would be huge. The regular season matches determine individual seeding for the year-end championships. Also, since the MAC has only six wrestling teams, you know you’re going to wrestle everyone in your weight class in the postseason, as well. You have to go in with the approach that you want to beat each of them every time that you face them. These are the competitors we train for. We know we have to beat them to qualify for the NCAA Championships. But it’s definitely a very tough wrestling conference.

During the summer of 2001, you participated in the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s All-American Tour, which involved a trip to Bulgaria. Talk about that experience, as well as some of the other highlights during your time at UB.
Being a Division I wrestler has resulted in quite a journey. It’s grueling mentally and physically – everyday I feel older and older. It’s a grind, but it’s really rewarding. I feel like I’m part of a family here. The coaches have become role models to me. All of the athletes here at UB are treated so well. We have the best facilities, best coaches and best support staff. I couldn’t ask for a better experience.

Having the chance to go to Bulgaria was an unbelievable opportunity. I got to go oversees to Europe, something I may never be able to do again. The trip opened my eyes to a lot of things. It was also neat to go over there with some of the best collegiate wrestlers in the country. I definitely won’t ever forget it.

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