The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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BIG TENS: WRESTLING pare to the buzz saw that is the Big Ten Wrestling Champion- ships. Michigan entered the 2012 edition No. 14 in the coun- try, but found itself looking up at six other Big Ten schools in the national rankings. In all, 10 of the conference's 12 teams reside in the USA Today Coaches' Top 25 poll, including six among the top eight. But that doesn't make the dissatisfaction any less penetrating for a U-M squad that struggled at the conference meet March 3-4 in West La- fayette, Ind., and finished the competition in seventh place. "I think our performance as a team was in- Wolverines Hope Big Ten Battles Lead To National Success Few postseason tournaments in collegiate athletics com- when Mark Churella repeated in the 150-pound weight class (he won the 167-pound title in 1979). This year, while Russell will undoubtedly, and deservedly, grab headlines throughout the NCAA's national showcase, the Wolverines insist they are much more than a one-man show. "Obviously we are going to be led by Kellen, but we need consistent," head coach Joe McFarland said. "The Big Ten is just a brutal conference, and this tournament is always going to be an absolute dog fight. Not everyone on our team was ready to go to war right off the bat. "To do well at the Big Ten tournament as a team, you need to have all of your athletes performing. We had too many guys that got off to slow starts and didn't have the type of tournament we needed. eliminated after dropping their first two con- tests on day one, and three others finished in seventh place or worse: fifth-year senior Jutin Zeerip (seventh, 174 pounds), redshirt sophomore Dan Yates (seventh, 165 pounds) and redshirt freshman Max Huntley (eighth, 197 pounds). Once again, fifth-year senior Kellen Russell Of Michigan's 10 combatants, four were " provided the highlight for the Maize and Blue, becoming the first wrestler in Michigan his- tory to capture a Big Ten title four times with his win in the 141-pound weight class. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore Eric Grajales took third in the 149-pound division and se- nior Zac Stevens wrestled to fourth place in the 133-pound weight class. No one was satisfied, though. "Overall, we didn't wrestle a great tournament and had quite a few guys who didn't wrestle up to their seed," said Stevens, who had a 4-2 record. "We didn't finish where we wanted to, and it is disappointing. We have a lot more tal- ent than we showed. We know we are capable of more than that, but — for whatever reason — we just didn't wrestle up to par. the horizon; the Maize and Blue will send seven wrestlers to the NCAA Championships March 15-17 in St. Louis. "Some guys didn't manage the Big Ten's early tournament very upbeat and excited, we're hoping to rebound and get ready for a strong performance in the NCAAs. Luckily for the Wolverines, one more opportunity lies on " pressure well and it affected our performance, but the NCAA is a whole new tournament, shirt junior heavyweight Ben Apland will make the jour- ney from Ann Arbor to St. Louis, with Russell defending the 141-pound national championship he earned in 2011. Michigan last successfully defended an NCAA crown in 1978, Huntley, Zeerip, Yates, Grajales, Stevens, Russell and red- " McFarland said. "The guys seem " Fifth-year senior 141-pounder Kellen Russell became the first wrestler in Michigan history to capture four Big Ten titles. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS all of our guys to have a strong tournament," McFarland said. "That is the mentality we need — to go in there with all of the guys focused on doing their part. "We have some guys that can win a championship, but we need to make sure each guy goes out and has a great tour- nament and the points will take care of themselves. "I think a top-10 finish would be a good performance, but a "I think all seven of us have a great shot at getting to the podium [as a top-eight finisher]," Stevens added. "If we can get even three or four up there, it will really prove that our program is headed in the right direction, and that Michigan is the place to be right now. " squad that found themselves black, blue and floundering in West Lafayette, but it may be the depth of the conference and gauntlet nature of its championship tournament that provides the vital, battle-tested experience necessary for a team to ascend the national ranks. "The Big Ten Tournament greatly helps us prepare for the NCAAs," McFarland said. "It is grueling, there is no doubt A top-10 national finish is a lofty goal for a Maize and Blue " " — Kevin Minor top-five finish would mean a lot because it really would take a collection of strong individual performances. about it, but you're not going to face stiffer competition than we do in the Big Ten throughout the whole season, especially within the tournament. APRIL 2012 THE WOLVERINE 97