Friday will be a night of endings and new beginnings at Jenison Field House when the 14th-ranked MSU wrestling squad hosts sixth-ranked Oklahoma.
It will not only be the last home meet of the season, but it also will be the last time four Spartan wrestlers will take the mat at home.
Seniors Pat McNamara, Cory Posey, Mike Castillo and Chris Tyler will all be recognized before the meet as they end their home careers against the Sooners.
Posey said he’s treating Friday’s meet like any other and said he probably won’t be thinking about how his career at MSU is winding down until the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments come around.
“I’m going to continue wrestling after college, so it’s not the end of my wrestling career,” he said.
However, Posey did say he’ll “always miss Michigan State.”
“We have good fans,” he said. “I’ll always miss my teammates and definitely the coaches.”
McNamara has had a stellar career as a Spartan, earning ninth place on MSU’s all-time win list with 106 career wins.
“I can’t believe it’s already done - it seems like I just got here,” he said. “I guess it is going to be a bittersweet night.”
McNamara, who is ranked No. 4 in the nation by www.intermatwrestle.com, said he’s preparing hard for his final home match against Oklahoma’s Witt Durden, somebody who defeated McNamara last year.
“I’m not going to look at it as my last night until the match is over with,” he said. “It’s going to be a big match for me going into the Big Ten and NCAA (tournaments).”
Head coach Tom Minkel said senior night is always a special occasion.
“I think it’s a little bit sad because anytime you end a college career, there’s a certain amount of conclusion that comes with that but at the same time, we’re excited for them to be moving on to the next stage of their lives,” he said.
“That’s kind of the same for us as a team and as coaches, we’re sad to see them go but at the same time we’re excited for their success here.”
Sophomore Nik Fekete, who called the senior class “my teammates and best friends in the world,” said the team will have extra incentive to beat the Sooners and send the seniors out of Jenison on a winning note.
“It should give us extra motivation to come out and fight,” he said. “It should give us an edge.”
Lamb leaves team
Senior heavyweight wrestler Matt Lamb, a four-year starter for the Spartans, left the team following its 31-9 loss to Iowa on Feb. 11.
Lamb wouldn’t comment on specifics of his departure, only saying he had personal reasons for leaving.
“My only wish is that people give as much support as they can to the 10 guys out on the mat,” he said. “Other than that, I have nothing to say about the subject.”
Lamb, who was ranked fourth by Amateur Wrestling News and ninth by www.intermatwrestle.com at the beginning of the year, has finished fourth at the Big Ten championships the past two years and qualified for the NCAA championships.
This year did not go as well for Lamb, who had a 3-8 record in Big Ten action and a 11-13 record overall.
After the match against Iowa, head coach Tom Minkel decided to replace Lamb with freshman backup Mike Keenan.
“Matt’s really struggled since about Christmas,” Minkel said. “Mike Keenan’s been wrestling well and we just decided it was time to give Mike a shot.”
Minkel said if Lamb was wrestling like he had the past couple of years, he would have kept him in the lineup, but added “right now Keenan’s our guy.”
Keenan, who is 2-1 since replacing Lamb in the lineup, said seeing Lamb leave was bittersweet for him.
“I’m disappointed that he didn’t stick it out the rest of the year,” he said. “I don’t want to say it’s best for the team that he quit, but I’m glad I got a chance to step in now and see what I can do.”
Keenan, who sparred with Lamb daily in practice, said he’ll miss the influence Lamb had on him throughout the year.
“He’s a good workout partner,” he said. “He pushed me and I pushed him and I’m going to miss having him to work out with.”
Lamb, 27, joined the team in 1998 after serving a six-year stint in the U.S. Navy. He posted 73 career wins during his time at MSU.
