Wrestlers Head to Big Ten Championships
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 5, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Big Ten Preview-With the dual meet season now concluded, the Spartans will focus their attention on the 1999 Big Ten Championships. They will attempt to improve on their performance in the 1998 championships where they finished seventh with 57.5 points. This season Michigan State has fielded a very young squad, with three freshmen in the starting lineup. At times this led to some inconsistency and growing pains, but coach Tom Minkel is pleased with the way his young team has matured as the season has progressed. In many respects, MSU is a stronger team in a tournament than in a dual meet based on the strong performances of a few individuals.
Big Ten Contenders- The 1998 squad had six members qualify for the NCAAs. Four of those wrestlers will compete in Ann Arbor this weekend as they hope to make a return trip to nationals.
At 133, Pat McNamara is ranked #1 by the Big Ten Coaches and fifth in the nation. He placed 4th at 126 last year. Issac Miller finished sixth at 134 in 1998 and is looking for a strong performance in his last season. At 174, Will Hill will try to better his fifth-place finish at 167 last year. He is ranked #5 by the Big Ten Coaches. Nick Muzashvili enters the Big Tens as the hottest Spartan wrestler. He posted an 8-0 record in February including five major decisions and his first career pin. In '98 he placed sixth at 190.
Also look for strong performances from Matt Lamb and Mike Castillo, who finished 8th at HWT and 142 respectively last year, missing the NCAAs by just one position.
Dual Season Recap- The Spartans' 6-11-1 record can be deceiving at first glance. Like many years before, Michigan State boasts one of the most difficult dual meet schedules in the nation. Only four opponents (Findlay, Wisconsin, Montana St. Northern, and Eastern Michigan ) did not appear in the Division I NWCA Top 25 at some point during the year. (Of those four, Findlay and Montana St.-Northern are in the top 5 in the NAIA.) The Spartans easily handled those opponents, winning by an average score of 31.25-8.25. During the season, MSU also upset Arizona State, 17-16, in Tempe, Ariz. At the time of the dual, the Sun Devils were ranked eighth in the nation.
Spartans in the Rankings- Three members of the MSU squad are ranked among the top wrestlers in their individual weight classes according to the Amateur Wrestling News and/or InterMat Wrestling. Pat McNamara is fifth/fifth at 133, Will Hill is 13th/14th at 174 and Nick Muzashvili is sixth/eighth at 197.
Keeping Up with the Spartans- There are now more ways than ever to stay current with Michigan State wrestling. Fans can visit the MSU website at www.msuspartans.com. The wrestling program has also recently launced a new website. For complete results, Spartan wrestling merchandise or any other information on MSU wrestling visit www.msuwrestling.com. Finally, be sure to call the Spartan wrestling hotline for results updated within minutes of every match. Call (517) 355-0289.