By Stephanie Caine
Source: BigTenNetwork.com
Posted: Thursday, March 06, 2008 12:56:00 AM EST
Published: Thursday, March 06, 2008 12:58:51 AM EST
Posted: Thursday, March 06, 2008 12:56:00 AM EST
Published: Thursday, March 06, 2008 12:58:51 AM EST
MADISON, Wis. — The No. 7 Wisconsin wrestling team heads to the Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota this weekend for the Big Ten Conference Wrestling Championships, where the competition will be fierce.
Wisconsin (5-3, 14-4-1) is just one of six Big Ten teams ranked within the nation's top ten. Iowa is ranked No. 1 after going 8-0 in the conference (21-1 overall) to become the regular season dual champion. No. 9 Ohio State (6-2, 19-4) finished second, while No. 10 Illinois finished third with a record of 5-3, 13-4. The two other Big Ten teams in the top ten are No. 6 Penn State and No. 8 Minnesota, the host school and defending champ.
UW head coach Barry Davis previewed the tournament at a press conference on Monday, evaluating his team's shot at a title.
"I think we're kind of on a roll right now, you know. We had won our last three duals by two points, had some great individual wins in there," Davis said. "Everybody is relatively healthy. So I think it's kind of a good way to go into the Big Ten tournament."
One of the great individual wins was by junior heavyweight Kyle Massey, who dealt Northwestern's Dustin Fox his first loss of the season on Feb. 22. Fox was ranked number one at the time. Wisconsin won the dual against Northwestern at home, 21-19.
The team should return to the Williams Arena with positive feelings, having upset Minnesota there 20-17 on Feb. 17. In that meet, No. 6 sophomore Kyle Ruschell defeated No. 3 Manuel Rivera. Two days earlier, the Badgers had started their late season winning trend by winning 20-18 over another higher-ranked opponent, Michigan. According to Davis, the Badgers need more close wins and impressive individual performances if they want to win a championship.
"I think whatever team wins the close matches is going to win the tournament," said Davis. "So it's going to come down to who wins; basically, whoever wrestles above their seeds is going to win the tournament. I think it's going to be between probably four different schools that have a shot to win it. I think we're one of those schools."
Badgers to Watch:
Kyle Massey, HWT
Massey locked down the No. 3 preliminary seed in the heavyweight division, behind Ohio State's J.D. Bergman and his recent foe Fox. Coming off of his first career Big Ten Wrestler of the Week award, Massey sits at number two in the polls. His last loss was back on Dec. 10, to Bergman.
Massey earned praise from his head coach:
"Hopefully, he has a shot to win it, but again, he's got to do the little things right and wrestle the way he's wrestling. Then he'll do well. But the good thing about him is, he's a good mat wrestler."
Kyle Ruschell, 141
Ruschell is Wisconsin's highest seeded wrestler, taking the No. 2 slot at 141 pounds. Coach Davis hopes he can step up again like he did against Minnesota's Rivera, who incidentally occupies the 6 seed. Ruschell finished regular season play with a 5-2 record in the Big Ten, going 23-5 overall.
Craig Henning, 157
Senior two-time All-American and last year's third place finisher, Craig Henning wrestles as the No. 5 seed for the Badgers at 157 pounds. A part of his team's winning momentum, Henning notched a win in each of the season's last three duals. He finished the year 6-2 in the conference and 22-3 overall.
Other pre-seeded Badgers include junior Dallas Herbst, No. 4 at 197 pounds, seniors Danny Clum at 174 and Collin Cudd at 125, both seeded No. 8, along with junior Zach Tanelli who is No. 4 at 133 pounds.
Stephanie Caine is a Big Ten Network intern.
Information from uwbadgers.com was used for this report.
Wisconsin (5-3, 14-4-1) is just one of six Big Ten teams ranked within the nation's top ten. Iowa is ranked No. 1 after going 8-0 in the conference (21-1 overall) to become the regular season dual champion. No. 9 Ohio State (6-2, 19-4) finished second, while No. 10 Illinois finished third with a record of 5-3, 13-4. The two other Big Ten teams in the top ten are No. 6 Penn State and No. 8 Minnesota, the host school and defending champ.
UW head coach Barry Davis previewed the tournament at a press conference on Monday, evaluating his team's shot at a title.
"I think we're kind of on a roll right now, you know. We had won our last three duals by two points, had some great individual wins in there," Davis said. "Everybody is relatively healthy. So I think it's kind of a good way to go into the Big Ten tournament."
One of the great individual wins was by junior heavyweight Kyle Massey, who dealt Northwestern's Dustin Fox his first loss of the season on Feb. 22. Fox was ranked number one at the time. Wisconsin won the dual against Northwestern at home, 21-19.
The team should return to the Williams Arena with positive feelings, having upset Minnesota there 20-17 on Feb. 17. In that meet, No. 6 sophomore Kyle Ruschell defeated No. 3 Manuel Rivera. Two days earlier, the Badgers had started their late season winning trend by winning 20-18 over another higher-ranked opponent, Michigan. According to Davis, the Badgers need more close wins and impressive individual performances if they want to win a championship.
"I think whatever team wins the close matches is going to win the tournament," said Davis. "So it's going to come down to who wins; basically, whoever wrestles above their seeds is going to win the tournament. I think it's going to be between probably four different schools that have a shot to win it. I think we're one of those schools."
Badgers to Watch:
Kyle Massey, HWT
Massey locked down the No. 3 preliminary seed in the heavyweight division, behind Ohio State's J.D. Bergman and his recent foe Fox. Coming off of his first career Big Ten Wrestler of the Week award, Massey sits at number two in the polls. His last loss was back on Dec. 10, to Bergman.
Massey earned praise from his head coach:
"Hopefully, he has a shot to win it, but again, he's got to do the little things right and wrestle the way he's wrestling. Then he'll do well. But the good thing about him is, he's a good mat wrestler."
Kyle Ruschell, 141
Ruschell is Wisconsin's highest seeded wrestler, taking the No. 2 slot at 141 pounds. Coach Davis hopes he can step up again like he did against Minnesota's Rivera, who incidentally occupies the 6 seed. Ruschell finished regular season play with a 5-2 record in the Big Ten, going 23-5 overall.
Craig Henning, 157
Senior two-time All-American and last year's third place finisher, Craig Henning wrestles as the No. 5 seed for the Badgers at 157 pounds. A part of his team's winning momentum, Henning notched a win in each of the season's last three duals. He finished the year 6-2 in the conference and 22-3 overall.
Other pre-seeded Badgers include junior Dallas Herbst, No. 4 at 197 pounds, seniors Danny Clum at 174 and Collin Cudd at 125, both seeded No. 8, along with junior Zach Tanelli who is No. 4 at 133 pounds.
Stephanie Caine is a Big Ten Network intern.
Information from uwbadgers.com was used for this report.
