2005-06 Wrestling Outlook

Oct. 20, 2005

After taking a significant step forward in 2004-05, the Michigan State wrestling team will look to build on its 7-6-1 campaign with a deeper, more experienced squad in 2005-06.

"Last season was filled with many ups and downs, but I think overall it was a significant step forward for us," head coach Tom Minkel said. "We were a very young team last year and this year we should have much more depth and experience."

Despite battling injuries and sickness during crucial stretches of the season, the Spartans garnered a top-20 finish at the NCAA Championships and fourth place in the Big Ten regular season.

Most notably, Joe Williams, was unable to complete the season due to knee injuries. R.J. Boudro also wrestled the majority of season with knee and rib ailments, and All-American Andy Simmons fought a nagging knee problem that forced him to injury default during the medal rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Because of the injuries, the Green and White had a disappointing showing at the 2005 Big Ten Championships in Iowa City, Iowa, finishing eighth.

"Had Joe been healthy, we would have had five compete in the NCAA Championships which would have eased the disappointment, but we still came up short in a few weight classes," Minkel said.

Nick Simmons, however, had a great Big Ten tournament becoming the first Spartan to win a Big Ten Championship since Nick Muzashvili in 2000. Both Nick and his brother Andy went on to claim All-American honors in their sophomore year of eligibility.

"It is clear that both Nick and Andy will compete for national titles this year," Minkel said. "I think Darren, R.J. and Joe will be contenders as well."

Looking forward to the upcoming season, the thing that excites the coaching staff the most is the arsenal of talent they have to work with. Last season, the team had a non-redshirt squad of 12-14 wrestlers, while in 2005-06, that number should inflate to 24 or 25.

"The depth will serve two key roles for us," Minkel said. "One, it will give us some protection against injuries, and secondly, it will increase the level of competition in the room, which makes everybody better. The battles should be pretty fierce at some weight classes."

State returns four seniors: NWCA Academic All-American and two-time NCAA qualifier Darren McKnight at 149 pounds, Jeff Clemens at 197 pounds, Max Lossen at 285 pounds and R.J. Boudro, who will move down a weight class to 165 pounds.

"I think we will be a very good dual meet team because of the depth we have, but we should also do well at the national tournament with the high level of individual talent we have," Minkel said.

In addition to Boudro's move from 174 pounds to 165 pounds, Joe Williams will drop from 184 to 174 pounds.

"While Joe and R.J. are two of the best conditioned members of our team, against the top four or five guys in the nation, they lacked a just a little of the power they needed," Minkel said. "I think the move down will definitely make them more competitive at the national level."

These moves along with the return of nine of last year's 10 starters make expectations high for 2005-06.

"With essentially our entire team returning, there is no question we are a deeper, better team this year, and we are all looking forward to a good year."

125
Junior Nick Simmons is coming off a stellar summer of wrestling, but still has some unfinished business at the NCAA's despite being a two-time All-American.

Wrestling at the highest level of competition, Simmons won the University National Freestyle Championship and the University World Team Trials. He also took third at the U.S. Senior Nationals and the U.S. World Team Trials, two key steps in fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming an Olympian. Simmons traveled to Turkey in August where he claimed fifth at the University World Games.

"Nick is the returning Big Ten Champion at 125, and it is a tough, tough field with national finalists Kyle Ott from Illinois and Joe Dubuque from Indiana," Minkel said. "But he has his mind set on winning the whole thing."

133
Sophomore Ryan Froese returns at 133 pounds with a year of experience, but look for redshirt freshman Jeff Wimberley to seriously challenge for the spot.

"Jeff had a terrific year of wrestling unattatched in his redshirt year, and is a great competitor," Minkel said. "He trained very hard this summer and is ready to compete in the Big Ten."

141
Junior All-American Andy Simmons returns at 141 pounds after suffering a knee injury at the end of last season, forcing him to injury default his final two matches at the NCAA Championships.

Although he missed several tournaments because of the injury, he got significant training time this summer in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Fargo, N.D., with the U.S. National Team.

"The biggest thing with Andy is that we make sure he doesn't over train. Sometimes I think he trains harder than what is good for him," Minkel said of the junior. "But there is no doubt he will be a national contender again this season."

149
Two-time NCAA qualifier Darren McKnight is once again the favorite at 149 pounds and should be refreshed after spending the summer at an accounting internship in Chicago.

"Honestly, I think the break was good for Darren. He trains very, very hard and I think he was starting to get a little stale at the end of last season," Minkel said. "Darren can compete with anyone and we expect him to be in the mix at both the Big Ten's and the NCAA Championships."

McKnight will be challenged by talented redshirt freshmen Nick Fallico, who spent most of last season injured, and prep star Eddie Skowneski.

157
"157 is our mystery weight," Minkel said. "We have a lot of things to sort out there before the start of the season."

Junior Tony Greathouse looks to be the front runner going into the season. Greathouse lifted weights and trained hard all summer, bulking up considerably from last season.

Both junior Mike Escobedo and sophomore Bryan Harney hope to make the drop to 157 pounds, but making weight could become an issue. Redshirt freshman Rex Kendle will also compete for the position.

165
R.J. Boudro will drop a weight class for his senior year, after finishing third at the Big Ten Championships in 2004-05 at 174 pounds.

Boudro struggled with injuries last season, but persevered to advance to the NCAA Championships for the first time. With his strong work ethic, maturity and experience, Boudro is ready to compete at both the conference and national levels.

174
Joe Williams was not able to train much during the summer due to major operations on both his knee and shoulder, but has rehabbed hard and will drop to 174 pounds.

"Joe is as talented a wrestler as we have," Minkel said. "With some experience under his belt, I think he will surprise some people at 174. After competing at 184 last season, he is still kind of in the shadows."

184
Redshirt freshman John Murphy will try to make a name for himself at 184 pounds, as he looks ready to make the jump into the starting lineup.

"John is kind of a quiet, unassuming kid. However, he is very tough on his feet and in the top position, which is unusual at the upper weights," Minkel said.

Wrestling unattatched last season, Murphy took fifth at the Eastern Michigan Open, his first-ever collegiate tournament.

197
Senior Jeff Clemens has been the starter at 197 pounds for the past three seasons, but redshirt freshman Josh Cross is committed to breaking into the lineup.

"I think it will be good to have Cross, a three-time high school state champion, pushing Clemens for that starting spot throughout the year," Minkel said. "It will improve them both."

285
One of the best things that happened to the Spartan wrestling squad this summer was head strength coach Tim Wakeham taking senior Max Lossen under his wing.

"Tim personally trained Max all summer and he has bulked up from 235 to around 260, which is a huge improvement for him," Minkel said. "I think Max is ready to have the breakout season we have been waiting for."

Schedule Outlook
The Green and White will once again kick the season off at the Eastern Michigan Open Nov. 5. Much of the team will compete unattatched in the tournament, especially those who didn't wrestle competitively during the summer.

The following weekend, Nov. 12-13, MSU will host the Michigan State Open, which is known as one of the toughest preseason tournaments in the nation.

"Our tournament is always a tough, wide open couple of days of wrestling, and I don't think this year will be any exception," Minkel said.

As usual, the team will face a brutal dual-meet schedule, wrestling seven of the top nine finishers in last year's NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo.

State opens its dual-meet campaign by hosting two-time defending national champion Oklahoma State, Nov. 27. OSU enters the season on a 21-match winning streak and returns six All-Americans, four of them national champions, from last year's squad.

After going to the North Carolina Open the first weekend in December the past two seasons, MSU will head to the Penn State Open on Dec. 4 this year.

State then heads up to Mount Pleasant, Mich., for a dual meet with Central Michigan, Dec. 7, and winds down the first semester's schedule against Cleveland State on Dec. 10.

"I think three duals before Christmas may be a first for our team," Minkel said. "I like it this way because it gives us a little more breathing room the second semester."

Michigan State will head to one of the great tournaments in the country, the Midlands Championships, on Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, Ill. Nick Simmons took the title at 125 pounds at the Midlands a year ago, while Andy Simmons claimed second place at 141 pounds, losing a thrilling overtime match to national runner-up Nate Gallick of Iowa State in the finals.

After a long training session to start the second semester, MSU will wrestle two new opponents in Pittsburgh, Jan. 20, and Edinboro, Jan. 22. The Spartans have not wrestled either team during Minkel's 14 years in East Lansing.

The team hits the Big Ten section of its schedule Jan. 27 in State College, Pa., against Penn State and finishes at home against Minnesota 23 days later on Feb. 19.

The two most notable matches of the conference season come Jan. 29, when the Spartans travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face national runner-up Michigan and Feb. 5, when Iowa makes its first appearance at Jenison Field House since the 2002-03 season when the Spartans shocked the No. 2 Hawkeyes, beating them on criteria.

"Iowa at home is always interesting," Minkel said. "It certainly was three seasons ago."

MSU rounds out the regular season against Oklahoma on Feb. 23.

The 2006 Big Ten Championships will be held in Bloomington, Ind., for the first time since 1995, March 4-5, and the wrestling world will convene on the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, March 16-18, for the 76th NCAA Championships.

"It is a tough schedule, as it always is," Minkel said. "But, I think if we stay reasonably healthy, and manage our training, we'll have a solid year."