Forum › Forum › Lehigh Sports › Lehigh Wrestling › 'Hawks are peaking
This topic contains 18 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by ngineer 10 years ago.
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February 10, 2015 at 3:58 am #18346
Great weekend rolling over Harvard and Brown. Team win was expected, but not by that margin. Riddick’s win over Fox was tremendous and helps greatly for seeding. Assuming LU beats GMU Saturday, possible collision with Ohio State in Iowa City!
February 10, 2015 at 5:04 pm #18352With an unusual hoops schedule this week I’ve got some downtime in my usual LU sports obsession – ha! So I’m doing some wrestling homework, trying to get informed. In following some links about the dual regionals coming up, I came away with questions. Some wrestling junkies wanna help me out?
First, it appears that in recent years there was a notion of adding some meaning to the dual championships, by awarding team points for the NCAA individual championships. Did anything ever come of that, or dead idea?
I also get the that sense the dual championships are diluted because some of the major programs choose not to participate. As of a few years ago, it looks like Penn St. was a prime offender. Is this still true? Key programs skip it?
I definitely come away with the feeling that the importance of dual meets is a topic of serious controversy. Interested in how you guys feel about it. On the surface, to a casual fan, it seems like giving it more meaning would be good for the sport. I’d like to root for Lehigh, rather than just individuals. I’m guessing this would be true for many less-than-hardcore fans. It also seems like an opportunity to “over achieve”. Have a few guys have huge days and win upsets, beat somebody you wouldn’t expect to – get a big bump.
Also seems like a way to add some more excitement. If just a handful of programs can qualify a lot of guys at a lot of weights, seems like a tough environment to overcome. What would the impact be on Lehigh, do you think? Beating Cornell seems like it could be a big deal and source of excitement, if it meant more.
For background, I was a track guy in high school, and it seems like there are parallels there. While everybody wanted to qualify individually for districts and states, for example, team championships were a BIG point of pride. Winning your conference or district was a big deal; put that patch on a jacket!
I get the sense, from quick web reading, that the “traditionalists” don’t like the idea. “It’s good like it is, wrestling is an individual sport”.February 10, 2015 at 6:17 pm #18353Todd,
I’ll tell you what I know on the subject. From a fan’s standpoint, dual meets are very important. The major programs can still draw really big crowds for good dual meets. For the coaches and wrestlers, everything points to the individual championships. Of course programs need fan support hence we try to schedule the best duals possible.
The problem with the team championships as I was told is scheduling. On the state level, high schools don’t schedule dual meets during the 2-3 week period because no one knows who is going to make it to and through districts. That’s a long time for individual wrestlers to be idle. Pat never liked them for this reason. Lehigh was always a cusp team. What if we were not invited or didn’t get past the 1st round. The format must have changed because we were guaranteed to host a 1st round match against a team we should beat handily which gives us at least 2 duals during this period.
The Big 10/14 schools don’t particularly like it since most of the top teams come from that conference. The are already restricted in terms the # of OOC meets they can schedule and they tend to shy away from wrestling teams multiple times in the same year.February 10, 2015 at 6:43 pm #18354OK, that much makes sense I think. Had LU not qualified, we’d be sitting idle during this time period. I wonder what teams that are kind of right behind us do? Bucknell, Penn, etc.? Do they just assume that they won’t make it? Interesting that Drexel is in, while ranked behind those two in EIWA…
February 10, 2015 at 7:45 pm #18355In the past, we declined to participate, I believe for that reason. We just scheduled additional duals. I was aware of the George Mason match when I ordered tickets this year, so the slate must have already been set. Bucknell, Penn etc will continue wrestling dual meets in preparation for the EIWA tournament to be held here.
February 11, 2015 at 3:19 am #18367Any guess who we will get in the next round?
February 11, 2015 at 3:35 am #18368Much depends on the results saturday but the word on the street is that Ohio St. will be our next opponent. They just recently beat Minnesota and Penn St.
February 11, 2015 at 3:45 am #18369That will be gruesome. Better we meet them next year. Well,guess I’ll root for us getting a big upset
February 11, 2015 at 7:17 pm #18385Dual meets are important from the fan base standpoint. While there is the “individual” aspect of wrestling, the dual meets also serve to build a team concept as well and setting goals. There is a lot of nuance in many dual meet victories with the difference many times whether a kid who loses does not give up the bonus points. I agree with many of the points TMH made about why teams do or do not participate in the National Duals. It’s difference each year…depends on how the ox is being gored. While OSU is formidable, they have had some injury issues of late and maybe we just get a little lucky.
February 16, 2015 at 2:53 pm #18542Looks like we had a good showing against George Mason this weekend. When will we find out who we face in the next round?
February 16, 2015 at 3:06 pm #18543Right now
Ohio State
February 16, 2015 at 3:13 pm #18544Thanks! Gathering that will be a pretty daunting challenge…
February 16, 2015 at 3:30 pm #18545actually the guys were a little sluggish against Mason, will need to step it up a quantum against OSU or whoever they draw next
February 16, 2015 at 3:44 pm #18547Much of it depends on how dinged OSU is right now and who they decide to put on the mat. If they go with their best lineup, then it is very daunting.
Possible if not probable for OSU
125 #7 Tomasello vs #29 Parker
133 #10 DiJuilius vs #11 Beckman
141 #1 L. Stieber vs #20 Cruz
149 Hunter Stieber (would be ranked but has been hurt) vs Longo
157 #12 Demas vs #20 Minotti
165 #5 Jordan vs #29 Peppleman
174 #13 Martin vs Santiago
184 #10 Courts vs #5 Brown
197 #3 Snyder vs #13 Riddick
HWT #10 Tavanello vs #24 VollaroThe 1st taem listed is OSU for those not following wrestling
February 16, 2015 at 3:48 pm #18548Daunting at the least. A competitive match will be a good feat. Need a couple of upsets and some fire.
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