When the MSU wrestling team (1-0) takes on No. 17 Edinboro at 7 p.m. Friday at Jenison Field House, both mind and body must be in peak condition if the Spartans want to take down the Fighting Scots.
“The important thing for us is not to worry about winning or losing, or how we’re going to do,” head coach Tom Minkel said. “What’s important for us is to think about how we’re going to wrestle. … We don’t talk a lot about what the outcome is going to be; we talk about how we’re going to perform, and that’s less stressful and that puts them in a positive frame of mind.”
Edinboro has five ranked wrestlers compared to MSU’s one, and Minkel said this dual meet will be a good measuring stick as to were the team is.
“Edinboro’s a very good team, and we’re trying to become a very good team,” he said. “There are a lot of new faces in the lineup from last year, (and) there are only a few guys back in the lineup that were our starters from last year. … I’m really optimistic, I really like the team that we’ve got. We’re working hard and we’ve got a lot of work to do, but this is really a good group.”
The Spartans defeated Eastern Michigan 25-11 on Nov. 16 led by junior Michael McClure, who went 5-0 in the meet.
When MSU and Edinboro faced off last season, the Fighting Scots won 18-15 on a last second takedown of McClure by Ernest James, who he will compete against again Friday, but he said he has changed from last season.
“I’m a totally different wrestler this year. I just feel more confident in my wrestling,” McClure said. “I feel like I can get the job done. … It doesn’t matter who you’re wrestling, you’re just going in there and wrestle as hard as you possibly can.”
One athlete won’t be taking part in any meet this season, as sophomore Terry Turner suffered a knee injury in practice and will miss the entire season. Freshman Christian Olanowski will take his place, and McClure said the team is still in good shape.
“That was really unfortunate that that happened this past week, but I feel like we have some depth in our team and it shouldn’t affect us that much,” he said. “No matter what, or who, you’re facing, you should have the same mindset that you know you’re going in there for the win.”
This is a very young team, featuring only two seniors, and senior Dan Osterman said that youth plays to the team’s advantage.
“One thing that we have this year that we have been missing in the past is a fighting mentality,” Osterman said. “We’re going out there, no matter what the score is, and we’re going to wrestle 100 percent the whole time. In the past, we struggled with that. We would give up a little too easily, and with this young team, they still have a lot of passion and excitement and we’ll use that as an advantage.”
He said his expectations for the meet are to have a good showing against an opponent he knows well.
“I wrestled this kid at the MSU Open and lost a close one and lost in overtime to him last year,” Osterman said. “I know I have it in me, I know I have what it takes, it’s just being consistent this year and having fun. … It’s a good challenge for us to start the season, and I’m ready for everybody to just go out there, wrestle hard, and have fun.”
This might be a young team, but Osterman said there is no limit to how close the team is, or how close they could be.
“Everything is centered around one goal, one focus, one team, and that’s just taking off,” he said. “It’s not just in the aspects of the sport. … Wrestling is an individual sport, but our mentality is to do things together.”
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