On the mat with Andy Simmons
11/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 22, 2005
Junior Andy Simmons looks to contribute his leadership and experience in the Spartans lineup in 2005-06 at 141 pounds. Simmons earned All-American honors for the first time in his career last season, finishing sixth in the 2005 NCAA Championships. He is one of four captains for the Spartans, which includes his older brother Nick Simmons, Darren McKnight and R.J. Boudro.
"These four men have not only had great success on the mat, but they have demonstrated outstanding leadership skills as well," head coach Tom Minkel said.
Simmons went 5-0 with two technical falls to win the 141-pound title at the EMU Open on Nov. 5. He won three matches before losing to No. 10 Ryan Lang of Northwestern, in a 6-5 decision in the MSU Open finals.
Simmons will look to gain revenge against Daniel Frishkorn, who defeated him by injury default in last year's NCAA consolation semi-finals. The Spartans wrestle their first dual meet against Three-time defending national champions, Oklahoma State, Sunday Nov. 27.
I caught up with Andy before practice to speak with him about the current season.
Q: Why did you choose to wrestle for MSU?
A: "My hometown's about 10 to 15 minutes away, so there's a lot of local people who come out and support me and my brother. My parents come to a lot of the meets. Me and my brother grew up State fans our whole lives."
Q: What's it like being on the same team as your older brother?
A: "It's fun because you get to share all your victories with each other. It's also someone to look to, like if it comes down to tight matches in the middle of the finals in a tournament or the NCAA Championships, you know there is someone else there that you can look to."
Q: What's the key to your success on the mat?
A: "Being tenacious in all areas top, bottom, and on your feet; trying to score as many points as possible; having a winning attitude."
Q: What pressures do you face as a first-time All-American?
A: "I don't think there's really any pressure. There are expectations that I put on myself that I want to achieve. It's an accomplishment that I'm thankful for, but I want to be national champion. All-Americans great, but I'm here to win national titles."
Q: What do you think your weaknesses are?
A: "There's always technique and moves you can learn when preparing for a match. I try to improve in every area as much as I can. I'm still a student of the sport. I'm always learning because you're never too old to learn."
Q: How has the team improved since the 2005 NCAA Championships?
A: "We got a lot of good training in this summer. I went to the Olympic Training Center for a few weeks and trained with those guys."
Q: What are your goals for this season?
A: "Becoming the Big Ten Champion and a national champion. It will be a disappointment to me if I don't reach those goals."
Q: What obstacles do you face as a student-athlete?
A: "It's obviously a time crunch. There's a lot of different things going on like making weight, traveling to competitions, and homework, but I've learned to manage it."
Q: How has your role changed, now that you're an upperclassman?
A: "It hasn't really changed since I got here. Even though I was an underclassman, I still tried to lead by example."
Q: What was going through your mind when you were forced to forfeit the final two matches at the 2005 NCAA Championships?
A: "It was a disappointment because the guy who took third I had beaten in the quarter-finals. The guys I had to forfeit to I had already beaten; it was frustrating but I couldn't do anything about it. The thing now is I'm health and ready to go this season."
Q: Has your brother's success had any impact on how you approach the game?
A: "Yes. We just try to support each other. I want to him to do just as good as me or better if he can. If he loses I take it just as hard as he does."
Q: Are you excited for your match against Daniel Frishkorn of Oklahoma State?
A: "Yes, I'm really looking forward to that match. I get a chance to get a little revenge for last year when I had to forfeit to him. It'll be fun that's for sure."
