Wrestling prepares for difficult dual meet at Missouri and Reno tourney

After almost three weeks without a major team competition, the wrestling team is preparing for what may be its most difficult dual match of the season, as the team will wrestle Missouri on Saturday.

Over the past two weekends, a number of the Tigers' younger wrestlers have competed in various tournaments in the region.

A few of the starters, including juniors Brian Kirschbaum and Matt Hawrilenko, competed in the Kutztown Open two weeks ago, and a number of the less experienced wrestlers split up to wrestle in State College, Pa. and Manhattan to compete in the Penn State Open and the NYU Open.

These two tournaments had several high-level wrestlers, but head coach Mike New decided to give his starters the weekend off.

"The tournaments are great for the younger guys," New said. "Most of them will probably not wrestle in any varsity matches this season, and both tournaments have a lot of great wrestlers competing in them." With a different plan from last year, the team is preventing the starters from wrestling too often early in the season. The Tigers will have a couple of great matches over winter break, facing Missouri and then competing in the nationally renowned Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 19. Missouri and Reno will provide the starters with a major challenge early in the season.

But, unlike last year, the Tigers will not be facing numerous top-ranked teams right before the beginning of their Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association and Ivy League schedule begins.

A number of the wrestlers entered the Ivy League season injured last year, and that hurt the Tigers' record.

The Tigers realize that winning at Missouri and Reno is not very likely. A few wrestlers will have a good chance to pull victories, however, and the matches are excellent for gaining national recognition.

Seniors Joe Clarke and Greg Parker have been two of the Tigers' top wrestlers since their freshman year, and they are both capable of competing for a national championship. After Parker's second place at the National Championship last year, he no longer has the element of surprise when wrestling other top wrestlers, but surprise was never a major component of his strategy.

Clarke has started off his season well, winning a number of matches at the Missouri Open in mid-November. At the tournament, Clarke wrestled a very close match against the No. 2 seed Nate Parker of Oklahoma, and only lost the match after Parker had a strong third period.

After moving into the losers' bracket after his loss to Parker, he then won his way through the tournament, and only lost again when he faces Parker four matches later.

Junior Joe Looke is questionable for the Missouri tournament after a pre-season injury. Hawrilenko placed third at the Kutztown Open and he has filled in well at heavyweight for the injured Looke.

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Kirschbaum has also been wrestling well and he has a chance of winning his match against Missouri. Kirschbaum won the 133 lb. class at the Kutztown Open and he has been one of the Tigers' most consistent wrestlers this season.

The Tigers did not fare well against ranked teams last year, losing all of their matches against a ranked opponent. Greg Parker was the only Tiger to win consistently when facing ranked teams last year, but with Clarke back in the lineup and with Kirschbaum wrestling well, there are a number of Tigers who can win at Missouri.

Parker did not have a great showing at the Missouri Open in November, and he is looking forward to facing more of the top wrestlers next week.