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cavalier sports five questions with Redshirt Fourth-Year Wrestler Will Schany just the sport that makes you so close we're all working as hard as possible. I would call it a brotherhood." Cavalier Corner: What life lessons will you take with you from your UVA education and sports opportunity? Schany: "There's no way to describe how much I will take from this. I came in as an 18-year-old and I obviously grew up a lot in college, but you also face a lot of adversity within wrestling and in school itself. "It just all makes you grow up. I will always be thankful for the education I received at Virginia, and the great opportunity to wrestle. You learn lessons such as when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and you really learn how to manage time. "When you're playing a sport, it's like a full-time job. I'll just take so much with me. The great UVA experience that I hoped to receive has happened for nearly five years." — Jerry Reid R edshirt fourth-year wrestler Will Schany — a four-time state champion out of Blair (Neb.) High School — has steadily im- proved since arriving in Charlottesville in the fall of 2014. After posting a 9-13 mark at 184 pounds in 2015-16, he compiled a 23-16 record and placed third at the ACC Championships the following season. Last year, he moved down to 174 pounds, went 18-14 and was an NCAA qualifier as an at-large selection. This year, Schany has moved back to 184 pounds and has his sights set on taking the next step at the NCAA Championships. Cavalier Corner: What attracted you to the University of Vir- ginia? Schany: "When I first was thinking of coming to Virginia, what sold me the most besides Virginia were the wrestling staff and team. When looking at it I always compared it to other schools because I was looking for the total package. "Just the athletic opportunity and resources here as well as the academics, and then I got along with the team — it's an awesome team — and all of the coaches I really got along with. That all helped me to come here when I was really considering other schools a lot closer to home that I was more familiar with. Coach [Steve] Garland and his staff really did a great job recruiting me and show- ing me that I wanted to be here." Cavalier Corner: Why did you opt to pursue wrestling rather than other sports? Schany: "I don't know — it was sometimes weird because when I was younger I hated it [wrestling]. My dad got me started at a pretty young age [8 years old]. I would cry if I lost in tournaments and I would always try to get out of it. "I played other sports like golf and football [he was all-state in both as a prep senior], but wrestling just keeps you coming back. You just keep on doing it. It's unlike any other sport when it's just you and another person out there. "Winning and losing, you know it's all on you. I was lucky enough that when I got older I started to have some success. I stuck with it and it gave me the opportunity to come to Virginia." Cavalier Corner: Who are some of these indispensable people in your life and what do they mean to you? Schany: "Coach Garland said, 'We are all lucky enough to come from great families.' We really are and my family is no different. My mom and dad, sister Katelyn and brother Jake were always support- ive of me. "They and others always drive from Nebraska to Virginia for all of my matches. And my high school coaches were huge in my development as a wrestler. They put in a lot of time to get me to Virginia. "There's so many people to talk about — pretty fortunately all of those people are indispensable and responsible for my success." Cavalier Corner: How much does the team aspect of this sport at Virginia mean to you? Schany: "It's funny that wrestling is an individual sport, but it's so team-driven as well. We always talk about putting on the Virginia uniform for the person right next to you. "You're doing that for the teammates that you spend 90 percent of your time with. You're eating with them, you live with them. It's Last year, Schany notched an 18-14 record at 174 pounds and qualified for the NCAA Championships as an at-large selection. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA 10 CAVALIER CORNER