TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

How high is the anticipation level for you and your teammates regarding this Saturday's season opener at the Oklahoma Gold Classic in Brockport?
I'm very excited. I've yet to get on the mat with another college wrestler other than in our wrestle-offs. I will probably be a little nervous, but I definitely feel I am ready. Our whole team is definitely looking forward to this weekend.

What did it mean for you to win the Pennsylvania State Championship during your senior year in high school?
That was my ultimate goal as a high-school wrestler. I was there during my sophomore year, but failed to win it and finished second. During my senior year, it all came together for me.

How much did you draw upon your experience from your run to the title match as a sophomore?
Being in the finals my sophomore year allowed me to experience the atmosphere of a finals match. I really felt calm and collected during the championship match in my senior year - I knew what to expect and I knew what it was about. Instead of having to adjust, I was able to focus strictly on wrestling.

What type of wrestling did you do over the summer prior to coming to UB?
After I won the state title, I wrestled on the Pennsylvania team at the Dapper Dan Classic - where the all-stars from across the country wrestle the all-stars from Pennsylvania. At that tournament, I won my match and was named Outstanding Wrestler for the Pennsylvania squad. I was also selected to be on the Asics Tiger All-Star Team, which was a national team that wrestled against all-stars from Iowa - similar to the Dapper Dan Classic.

Also, I wrestled in national competitions in both Greco-Roman and freestyle. I placed first in my weight class in Greco-Roman and finished sixth in the freestyle competition.

Have you noticed a major difference in the six-pound increase (119 to 125 pounds) in your weight class?
As a high-school senior, I was basically one of the bigger guys in my weight class. But now, as an 18-year old I could face someone a few years older than me that also comes in at 125 pounds. Obviously, that is a big difference from high school. Personally, I don't believe that I've put on six pounds of additional muscle quite yet, but I'm slowly getting to that point.

What have been the most significant differences you've noticed between high school and collegiate wrestling?
College wrestling requires a lot more mental focus. You get physically beat up during matches, as well as in practice - your body can eventually adapt and handle it, but your mind can break. My feeling is that although there is an increased physical challenge, the mental aspect of the sport contains the most significant change.

How intense are most aspects of your team's practices?
At this point, everything is intense. Even basic drills need to be done quickly and accurately. We try to keep everything fast-paced, but at the same time we realize that our technique has to be perfect. It's intense, especially when we go live against other wrestlers.

Who do you usually wrestle against during practices?
I wrestle with a lot of the other lightweights - the 125 and 133-pounders. Recently, I've been wrestling a lot with the Sebaaly brothers and Mark Budd - those three have been pushing me real hard.

I also wrestle Coach (Brandon) Newill. He was a lightweight his entire collegiate career, and now he's at about 150 pounds, which is perfect for me. It gives me a different feel, wrestling against someone that is bigger and stronger. He works me pretty good - I've yet to beat him and I think I've wrestled him over 10 times.

Do you have any preference as to what point you wrestle at during a dual meet?
During my senior season, the rules in Pennsylvania changed similar to the college rules, where the first match of the meet begins at a random weight class. I prefer to go within the first couple of matches to the middle. I really would rather not draw one of the later matches.

What types of things do you do while you are waiting around for your match to begin?
I like to get my mind off wrestling. Sometimes I will watch some other matches, looking for moves or anything else along those lines. Usually though, I'll just listen to music or talk to some other people. I really don't ever sit around in the bleachers; I'll be up walking around to keep myself busy.

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