Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1483813
6 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier sports I n his first 16 seasons, Steve Garland has seen his Cavaliers earn 19 ACC individual titles and 14 All-America honors, while qualify- ing 98 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Virginia has notched top-25 team fin- ishes at NCAA Championships in seven of the last 12 years the event was held. He also led the Cavaliers to two ACC titles, claiming crowns in 2010 and 2015. Cavalier Corner: What is your scheduling philosophy and how does that prepare your squad for the postseason? Garland: "The old-school method used to be wrestle-offs to decide starters. We stress real competition because it's much different wrestling your buddy in the team room in a protected environment than wrestling in real competition with real nerves and crowds; there's a different stress. "We want competitors. One of our pillars is to 'compete in such a way' and we want guys to wrestle in a way that is bigger than the result — the way we wrestle matters more than the end result. You can win and embarrass the program or lose and get a standing ovation because of how you com- pete. The brand of our wrestling and the way we compete matters. "We want to thrust our guys into competi- tion early on to see how they handle that. When the spotlight is on, do you rise to the challenge or do you freeze in the moment? It also helps to build up their match totals and gives them the chance to build résumés to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships." Cavalier Corner: You've had a large num- ber of wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Cham- pionships in consecutive years. What does that say about the program and how does it set the tone for the future? Garland: "Having 80 percent of your start- ing lineup go in consecutive years is a big deal. It's so hard to get to the show — espe- cially in a conference like the ACC where there are nationally ranked guys up and down the lineup for every team. Hopefully what it says to everyone is that the expectation at Virginia is that if you're in our lineup then you are go- ing to the NCAA Championships. "We know how to get you there and give young men the opportunity to do something special once they get there." Cavalier Corner: Who are the core return- ees for the 2022-23 season, and who should fans and alumni be looking for this season? Garland: "We have seven returning NCAA qualifiers and a really good group of older guys led by three-time NCAA qualifier Justin McCoy [165-pound weight class], two-time NCAA qualifier Jake Keating [157] and NCAA qualifier Michael Battista [184], who are our captains. They have NCAA experience and experience at the World Team Trials and have beaten lots of nationally ranked guys. "We have other guys who have qualified as well with Patrick McCormick [125] and Jarod Verkleeren [149], but those three guys are the ones we are really leaning on to lead us." Cavalier Corner: You have a highly touted recruiting class with lots of highly ranked recruits. What does that say about where the program is and whom do you expect to make contributions early? Garland: "This class was big from a rank- ings standpoint, but also because it shows other recruits these total studs all came here together. These kids want it, and what separates them right now is their commit- ment to the process. They're working hard on their own, doing extra on their own after practice. It's not just the bare minimum. Their attention to detail, technique and de- sire to learn every day is impressive. "At some point, we will probably lean on each of them at each weight class because the new rules allow us to enter them in up to five events without burning a redshirt. I think they will all contribute in some way to the varsity lineup." Cavalier Corner: How has the standard the alumni set carried over to now? Garland: "I want to honor our alumni every day. I want to honor guys like Kevin Michaels and John Pegues — guys who inspired me and won multiple ACC championships — with the way I coach and the way our guys compete. I want our guys to look up to a guy like Chris Henrich but also want to break his win record. "It's off the mat as well. We haven't had one guy miss a class through nine weeks that I know about. I want our alumni to be proud of that as well. We have some very successful people who have wrestled here and gone off to do great things in the world. I want our alumni to also be proud that these guys are continuing that standard." — Bill Bunting five questions with Wrestling Coach Steve Garland Garland, a former national runner-up at Virginia, is entering his 17th season as the Cavaliers' head coach. (Photo courtesy UVA)