2001-02 Michigan State Wrestling Season Outlook
11/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 5, 2001
In order for a team to win championships, the lineup must be solid without weaknesses in any weight class. Any hole in the lineup could be the difference in winning or losing. With this year's Michigan State wrestling team, Coach Tom Minkel believes that one of his most solid lineups in years could produce an outstanding season for the program. Four NCAA qualifiers, including three All-Americans, return to a team that placed 14th in the NCAA Championships last season, which was the program's seventh consecutive Top 25 finish at the NCAA's.
"I think this will be a very strong season for us," Minkel said. "We have a more mature team this year. With six juniors and a senior in the lineup, this team is much more experienced than years past."
Coach sees several strengths on his team that will help the Spartans be competitive in dual meets in one of the toughest conferences in the nation.
"The toughest thing in wrestling is being strong in all 10 weight classes," Minkel said. "This year, for the first time in awhile, we're not going to have any weight classes where we come in and know they're going to get a win off us. Our biggest strength right now is that we have a solid lineup from top to bottom. We also have more depth than we've ever had before."
Another ingredient to win championships is team chemistry, and Coach Minkel is pleased in what he has seen in the preseason.
"Even though wrestling is an individual sport, team chemistry is very important," stressed Minkel. "Because of the difficulty and nature of the training, if you're going to be successful, you're going to need good team chemistry. This team shows more unity, focus, purpose and direction than we've had in some time. Chemistry is a hard thing to foster, but right now, it's stronger than I can remember in some time."
While Minkel expects success in dual meet action, he is also looking to win championships at the national level.
"If you are going to be successful at the national level, you have to have guys who can compete for the national title," Minkel said. "We have a number of those guys already, including several newcomers who I think will surprise some people. I feel like we have enough quality wrestlers to make an impact on the national scene."
Minkel has every reason to believe his team can compete for a championship at the national and conference level. The squad has strong leadership from the four returning NCAA qualifiers, who are once again looking to get back to the NCAA championships.
At the head of the list is senior co-captain Chris Williams, who will start at 125 pounds. Williams enters the season ranked fifth by InterMat Wrestling and sixth by The Amateur Wrestling News and Wrestling International Magazine. Williams finished seventh in the nation last year and placed third at the Big Ten Championships. Williams posted a career best 34-11 record in 2000-01, along with an 14-10 mark in Big Ten action.
Junior Nik Fekete, at 197 pounds, is the other co-captain of this year's squad who is looking for a national title. After being redshirted in the 1999-2000 season, Fekete came back strong last season, boasting a 34-12 record. Fekete, who enters the season ranked sixth according to three major wrestling rankings, finished eighth in the NCAA Championships to earn his first All-America honors in 2000-01.
Junior Gray Maynard (157) is the third All-American to return for the Spartans this season. Maynard enters the 2001-02 season with high expectations, as he is ranked fifth by three major wrestling rankings. Maynard earned All-America honors by placing eighth at the NCAA Championships. Maynard, who finished with a 26-5 record and a 10-1 mark in the Big Ten, finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships. Minkel said he expects Maynard to contend for a national title this season.
Karl Nadolsky (149) rounds out the NCAA qualifiers from last season. Nadolsky begins the season ranked as high as 18th by the Wrestling International Newsmagazine. The junior had a 27-16 mark, including five pins, in the 2000-01 season.
Other returning starters for Coach Minkel's lineup include John Wechter (184) and Mike Keenan (HWT). Wechter had a 15-20 record last season, while Keenan went 15-19.
Besides the returnees, Minkel is looking forward to coaching his newcomers. Minkel has recruited four junior college national champions the past two years, and expects two of them to be in the starting lineup this season. Sophomore Ryan L'Amoreaux (133) went a perfect 22-0 at Muskegon Community College last season and looks to fill the vacancy left by three-time All-American Pat McNamara. Rashad Evans, who also won a junior college national title, will start at 184 pounds.
"We've had some excellent recruiting classes the past few years, and these newcomers have added to our depth," Minkel said. "These guys have some great experience and will greatly improve our team."
With all of the talents on this year's team, Coach Minkel is excited about the prospects of the season.
"I really think that we will be a solid team," Minkel said. "My best team was in 1995 when we finished third in the NCAA's. This squad has more talent that my 1995 team. This year, we not only have talent, but also a great work ethic and excellent team chemistry, so I'm optimistic that this is a team that can achieve a lot. At the same time, we'll have some young guys in the lineup that are really going to have to prove themselves."