2008 Woodie Awards
Wrestlers Prepare for Illini
Anne Carlson/Muleskinner
Issue date: 12/7/06 Section: Sports
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UCM's wrestling team will travel to Champaign, Ill., to compete against the University of Illinois and Findlay (Ohio) University Saturday after competing at the Simpson College Invitational last weekend.
"It's going to be a tough day for us," said head coach Robin Ersland. "We are going to have to be wrestling our best."
Findlay took 8th at the National meet this year. They also returned two national champions from last season Ersland said.
"Findley is a really good Div.-II team," junior Adam Tieben said. "It will be good for us to wrestle against them."
"If we wrestle the way we can against Findley we should be able to get some wins," sophomore Mark Carey said. "Hopefully we can win the dual too."
The University of Illinois also has a strong wrestling team. Ersland said they are one of the top teams in Div.-I.
"They are young," Ersland said. "But in all reality, it doesn't matter if they are young or not because they are going to be good."
"Illinois will really point out our weaknesses," Tieben said. "This match will be really good for people who have been winning a lot because they are going to help us see what we need to improve on."
The Mules placed 5th at the meet by scoring 80 points. UCM was beat by 1st place Wartburg College, 152 points; 2nd place Dana College, 144 points; 3rd place Coe College, 122.5 points; and 4th place school St. John University, Minn., 103 points.
"We were hoping to place a little higher," Ersland said. "Last year, we placed 4th at this meet. They added a couple of good teams this year that haven't been here in the past. If a couple of guys could have just done a little better we would have taken 4th, that is just how close we were."
Carey was the team's top placer with his first-place finish. He not only won his 149-pound weight class, but was also named outstanding wrestler for the meet.
"Mark wrestled the way we know he can," Ersland said. "When things are going good, he is just as good as anyone else in the country. It was nice to see him wrestle like that this weekend."
"Each week, someone new has steps up for us," Tieben said. "This week it was Mark Carey."
The Mules' had four other placers. Tieben took 5th in the 157-pound weight class. Jesse Sheets placed 4th at 174 pounds. In the 184 pound weight class, Jeremy Hudson placed 5th, and John Ott took 6th place at 197.
"[Ott] is a freshman," Ersland said. "It is nice to see him do so well at a good meet like this one." We wrestled really well as a team. We had a couple of bad matches but we offset them by having a couple of really good matches. Overall it was a good day."
Ersland said he is pleased with the team's progress.
"We are wrestling well right now," Ersland said. "I'm happy with where we are at. We just need to keep getting better every week like we have so far."
"It's going to be a tough day for us," said head coach Robin Ersland. "We are going to have to be wrestling our best."
Findlay took 8th at the National meet this year. They also returned two national champions from last season Ersland said.
"Findley is a really good Div.-II team," junior Adam Tieben said. "It will be good for us to wrestle against them."
"If we wrestle the way we can against Findley we should be able to get some wins," sophomore Mark Carey said. "Hopefully we can win the dual too."
The University of Illinois also has a strong wrestling team. Ersland said they are one of the top teams in Div.-I.
"They are young," Ersland said. "But in all reality, it doesn't matter if they are young or not because they are going to be good."
"Illinois will really point out our weaknesses," Tieben said. "This match will be really good for people who have been winning a lot because they are going to help us see what we need to improve on."
The Mules placed 5th at the meet by scoring 80 points. UCM was beat by 1st place Wartburg College, 152 points; 2nd place Dana College, 144 points; 3rd place Coe College, 122.5 points; and 4th place school St. John University, Minn., 103 points.
"We were hoping to place a little higher," Ersland said. "Last year, we placed 4th at this meet. They added a couple of good teams this year that haven't been here in the past. If a couple of guys could have just done a little better we would have taken 4th, that is just how close we were."
Carey was the team's top placer with his first-place finish. He not only won his 149-pound weight class, but was also named outstanding wrestler for the meet.
"Mark wrestled the way we know he can," Ersland said. "When things are going good, he is just as good as anyone else in the country. It was nice to see him wrestle like that this weekend."
"Each week, someone new has steps up for us," Tieben said. "This week it was Mark Carey."
The Mules' had four other placers. Tieben took 5th in the 157-pound weight class. Jesse Sheets placed 4th at 174 pounds. In the 184 pound weight class, Jeremy Hudson placed 5th, and John Ott took 6th place at 197.
"[Ott] is a freshman," Ersland said. "It is nice to see him do so well at a good meet like this one." We wrestled really well as a team. We had a couple of bad matches but we offset them by having a couple of really good matches. Overall it was a good day."
Ersland said he is pleased with the team's progress.
"We are wrestling well right now," Ersland said. "I'm happy with where we are at. We just need to keep getting better every week like we have so far."
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