Senior Brian Kirschbaum provides leadership for wrestling

"He's not scared of any of his opponents," sophomore Tim Prugar said of wrestling's senior co-captain Brian Kirschbaum. "A wrestler like that is incredible to watch."

Kirschbaum has spent his last four years at Princeton dedicated to the wrestling program and is now midway through his final season of collegiate wrestling. An inspiration to those on the team around him, as well as a leader amongst his peers, Kirschbaum's graduation will leave a hole in the team and some large shoes to fill.

"As a leader, Kirschbaum personifies everything a captain should be," Prugar said. "He is one of the hardest workers I've ever been on a team with, and he leads by example."

Kirschbaum grew up in the Livingston, NJ, a small suburb scarcely an hour north of Princeton. He began wrestling at the age of eight for the town's small recreational program, a program that had developed into one of the top teams in the area by the time Kirschbaum reached middle school. Until he got to high school, Kirschbaum switched off between wrestling for the recreational program and different club teams in the area.

"I'm not really sure why I decided to wrestle," Kirschbaum says, "other than the fact that I was a typical kid, full of energy, and maybe it was a way for my parents to get rid of me for a few hours a week."

Yet wrestling was also in his blood. Kirschbaum's father wrestled in college at Hofstra and was invited to attend the Olympic trials, though he declined this invitation. Kirschbaum said that his father never pushed him to wrestle, but added that "the idea was always out there."

Kirschbaum split his time between wrestling and soccer during high school at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark.

Though the wrestling program was good at St. Benedict's and the team won the Prep Nationals his senior year, Kirschbaum noted that the program lacked the experience of other nationally ranked schools, and he was one of the few guys who had wrestled before high school. When pressure came to specialize, Kirschbaum felt torn between soccer and wrestling.

"I really went out on a whim and chose wrestling," Kirschbaum said. "I would have done both if I could, but I guess intramural soccer will have to do."

Kirschbaum's athletic endeavors in both of the two sports he loves have taken him around the country and the world. He traveled to England in middle school and spent two and a half months in Bolivia in high school playing soccer. Kirschbaum's wrestling has led to domestic as well as international travel, taking him to the exotic locale of Fargo, N.D. three times to compete in the Freestyle and Greco Roman Wrestling Nationals. He also traveled to Belarus to train at the Olympic Training Center for three weeks in high school. Throughout high school and college, Kirschbaum's achievements speak for themselves. He was Prep School All-American while in high school, and during his Princeton career he has placed twice at the EIWAs, a conference tournament for wrestling.

"Kirschbaum came to us as one of our primary recruits after his senior year," head coach Mike New said. "He has been a four-year starter for us and has had his ups and downs, but his physical development has finally caught up with him and added to his ability to wrestle."

Kirschbaum's college success has been due in part to superior technique. "He is second to none in technique," Prugar said. "He goes out every match looking for the fall. He wants to beat his opponent, beat him badly, and get bonus points for the team."

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New noted that Kirschbaum's quiet intensity sets him apart from many other wrestlers. "He is very capable and very focused, but he's not as aggressive as some. He has it all within his reach...he just has to keep reaching for it."

Kirschbaum said that, despite the rough practices, the ups and downs of the season, and the sacrifices he has to make physically, his love for the sport always gets him through whatever tough times he faces.

"Practices are grueling, cutting weight sucks, but there is no better feeling than stepping off a mat with your hand raised, knowing that all the effort you put in before paid off and you won," he said.

Kirschbaum also appreciates the strong friendships that have come from his time on the wrestling team.

"The best thing about wrestling at Princeton is not only the challenge of such a demanding sport, but the close ties that come out of participating," he said. "Many of my best friends at schools are wrestlers. Anyone who has wrestled knows the challenges and demands of the sport."

As for his time at Princeton, Kirschbaum noted, "The real accomplishment has just been being able to stick with [wrestling] for four years and not fail out of this place. My personal goal is to make it out to St. Louis for Nationals, not as a spectator but as a competitor. From there, anything is possible. This is a once in a lifetime chance, and you just have to make the most of it."