I


Schedule solidified
es and times for the final men's bas-
letball games have been set. Michigan
will host Iowa on Mar. ! and visit
Michigan State or, Mar. 4. Go., oinlint
to see the updated schedule.
michigandaily.com /sports

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY
FEBRUARY 23, 2000

9

THE MEAT GRINDER'
With the Big Ten Tournament around the corner, the real wrestling season is about to begin

By Dan Williams
Daily Sports Writer
Almost a full year of preparation is nearing
blmination for Michigan wrestling.
'There will be no more time to add and drop
pounds as necessity dictates. There will be no
more time in a
muggy, stinky prac-
tice room in a remote yJ
corner of Crisler CHAMP1ONSHIPS
Arena for extreme
conditioning. There will be no more time to per-
feet grappling techniques in dual meets.
In collegiate wrestling, the postseason is the
'ly season. And in the Big Ten tournament in
West Lafayette, March 4-5, the real season com-
mences for the Wolverines.
Even the regular seasons biggest scrub can
forget months of time spent with his back to the
mat. All a wrestler has to do is place in the top
seven of the-l lcompetitors (a repre-
sentative from each Big Ten team) in F
each weight class, to qualify for the
national championships in St. Louis.
two weeks later
It sounds easy enough, but there's a ;
' son why wrestling gurus have
aptly dubbed the Big Ten, "The Meat
Grinder."
The league has no less than four
wrestlers ranked in the top 20 in the
country in each of the 10 weight
classes, with a total of 60 ranked
wrestlers. Plus, six of the country's 10
top-ranked wrestlers hail from Big"
Ten country.<
Michigan will send ten motivated
souls to West Lafayette, hoping to
qualify just as many wrestlers for
NCAAs, and maybe even tally a few
conference champions along the way.
But none of Michigan's representa- Penn State
tives will go into Big Tens as the top way to 26
seed. If the Wolverines are going to
achieve their goals, they will have to topple
some of the biggest, quickest, meanest and most
determined disciples of college wrestling.
THE JACK RABBIT
Elowly recovering from a bevy of off-the-mat
troubles, the Penn State wrestling program has
had one bright spot throughout the season in
Jeremy Hunter, the team's 125-pound wrestler.
Since the Nittany Lions finished fourth at
NCAAs last year, legal problems and inexperi-

ence have been two catalysts of Penn State's
downfall. The team struggled throughout the sea-
son, finishing with a 6-10 dual-meet record.
But Hunter, a senior from West Alexander, Pa,
hasn't let the program's struggles hinder his per-
sonal success.
"I can't let the off the field stuff that I can't
control bother me," Hunter said. "I have a shot at
a national title and I can't let little distractions
bother me."
Hunter not only travels to the Big Tens as the
returning champion, but he also boasts an NCAA
second-place finish last year amongst his titles.
This year, Hunter hopes to storm through the
conference championship and use it as a stepping
stone for a national title run.
In the regular season, Hunter pinned many of
his opponents en route to a 26-0 record. Included
in the long list of wrestlers Hunter has scored
bonus points against is Michigan freshman A.J.
Grant. Hunter got a five-point technical fall

"When the second and third period come, I
have a lot of people worn down," Hunter said.
"They're dead tired and I can still go strong."
With the talent and the credentials, Hunter
appears to be carrying much of this season's
hopes for Penn State on his shoulders. Anything
less than another individual Big Ten title will be
a major disappointment.
THE DYNASTY
It's tough to argue that any university team has
been more successful over the last 25 years than
the Iowa wrestling program.
The Hawkeyes have won 15 of the last 21
national titles. During that stretch, the team has
produced 149 All-Americans and 42 individual
champions, far more than any other school.
In many sports, the playing field would natu-
rally level itself out. Top recruits often head to
schools where they can create their own identity
rather than compete in the shadows of greatness.
But the best wrestlers keep coming to Iowa.
This year, the Hawkeyes boast a
trio of No. I wrestlers in junior Eric
Juergens (133 pounds), junior Doug
Schwab (141 pounds) and junior
T.J. Williams (157 pounds).
For them, the benefits of being
part of the Iowa tradition far out-
weigh the drawbacks of always
being expected to win.
"I don't feel overshadowed,"
Juergens said. "We don't come here
to get recognition. We want to win
team and individual titles"
And for wrestlers who hope to
have a future in the sport after col-
lege, Iowa is the sensible school of
choice.
"They want to be part of the suc-
cess," Iowa coach Jim Zalesky said.
.. "They have high goals and want to
of CollegianInc. do well beyond college. The
year on the Olympics and World
Championships are the dream."
What makes the Iowa wrestling
program so dominant?
In recruiting, the Hawkeyes can boast a stren-
uous conditioning regiment, a knowledgeable
coaching staff and unparalleled fan support.
At home and on the road, loud supportive fans
greet the team. It's not unusual for the home team
to find themselves in a hostile environment when
competing against an Iowa road squad.
This just adds to the intimidation factor of fac-
ing the Hawkeyes. It shouldn't be a surprise if

intimidation works against Iowa foes once again
in the Big Ten Tournament.
THE MAMMOTH
The terminator. Robocop. Dolph Lundgren.
Insert your favorite machine-man comparison
here when describing Minnesota heavyweight
Brock Lesnar.
His chizzled physique is so impressive that
Minnesota coach J. Robinson signed Lesnar
within a week of watching him compete for
Bismarck Junior College in North Dakota.
"We happened to get him by chance,"
Robinson said. "Once you look at him, you know
he's going to be pretty good."
Intimidation certainly works against the
senior's opponents. Lesnar's size combined with
his near impeccable 22-1 record on the season,
including nine pins, is enough to make the tough-
est heavyweight cower.
But while intimidation may give the weight
room junkie an edge, strength and athleticism get
victories for Lesnar. Michigan knows this all too
well.
On Feb. 11, Lesnar manhandled Michigan
sophomore Matt Brink before pinning him 26
ticks into the second period.
"He's obviously got power, but he's also good
technically," Robinson said. "He's a good ath-
lete."
Lesnar's blend of bulk and agiity has more
than just college wrestling fans noticing. He's
also attracted the eyes of Vince McMahon and
the WWF, a post-college option for Lesnar.
But as long as he's at Minnesota, Lesnar
remains focused on winning a national title. He
lost in the finals last year to Cal State-
Bakersfield's Stephen Neal.
"The national championship is pretty much
everything that he wants to do," Robinson said.
"It's the only thing left"
On the road to NCAA's, another kink in the
armor came Feb. 20, in the last dual meet of the
season, when Lesnar fell 5-3 to Iowa's Wes Hand.
The loss proves that he is not invincible. But it
will probably also mean that the strongest man at
Big Tens will also be the angriest.
THE OUTSIDER
Many of the athletes in the Big Ten grew up
dreaming of playing collegiate athletics, but this
was not the case for Michigan State's Nick
Muzashvili.
It was civil war in his hometown of Tiblisa in
the Georgian Republic that led Muzashvili to flee
to the United States. This instigated his strange
path to stardom at the 197-pound weight class for

e's Jeremy Hunter has torn through all competition thisy
0 record and a No.1 seed for the Big Ten tournament.
against Grant in a 21-6 victory on Feb. 18.
What makes Hunter stand out from the rest of
the fast, lean and wirey grapplers in the smallest
wrestling weight class is superior conditioning.
Hunter is so fit that in practice he often beats
wrestlers in higher weight classes.
"I train as hard as I can," Hunter said. "Usually
the best wrestlers are the ones in the best shape."
In the seven minutes of mat time, it seems that
nobody can keep up with Hunter.

AMIRALI RAISNIA/Lourtesy 0o fTe Minnesota Daily
Brock Lesnar has picked up heavyweights like
paperweights on the road to West Lafayette.
the Spartans.
Muzashvili's relatives wanted him to go sotme
place where he would be safe and could get 4
good education. After competing in junior
national wrestling events, he moved to the United
States with a high school coach from New York.
Michigan State coach Tom Minkel was one of
the few coaches interested in recruiting
Muzashvili, whose background in wrestling was
in the international freestyle form. He learned
this European style of wrestling from his father,
who competed for the former Soviet Union.
Most of the time in freestyle wrestling is-spent
with the grapplers on their feet. Therefore, there
is no use for the on-the-mat skills that are so
See BIG TENS, Page 10


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