The 2002 NCAA Wrestling Championships start today in Albany, N.Y., and five Spartans are looking to claim titles.
Senior Chris Williams and juniors Karl Nadolsky, Gray Maynard, Rashad Evans and John Wechter will take the mat representing the green and white on the national stage.
It will take five-straight decisions for each Spartan to claim the NCAA Championship, but a top-eight finish is enough to garner All-America honors.
Spartan head coach Tom Minkel is confident each wrestler has a chance at becoming an All-American.
“I think all five of them have the potential to have an outstanding NCAA Tournament,” Minkel said.
Last season, the Spartans sent five wrestlers to nationals and four returned with All-America honors - graduate Pat McNamara, junior Nik Fekete, Williams and Maynard.
Nadolsky (24-12) was the only Spartan participating in last year’s nationals not to earn All-America honors. He said becoming an All-American would be nice, but he’s focused on the team.
“It’s an expectation now for me to make it,” he said. “Making it isn’t the accomplishment I want anymore. It’s placing there and earning some points for the team.”
Nadolsky’s first match at the 149-pound weight class will be Nebraska’s Travis Shufelt. He said it doesn’t matter who he faces; last year’s championship in Iowa City, Iowa, taught him how to approach each match.
“I learned from last year that I can’t be complacent about just being there and thinking it’s going to happen,” he said. “This year I’m going into it with more focus and with more determination. No matter what, in every match, lay it on the line as if my life depended on it.”
MSU placed 14th at last year’s championships with 39 points. And with only five wrestlers making the trip again, Minkel said the team title is a long shot.
“You have to have a number of kids get in the finals or semifinals if you’re really going to place high,” Minkel said. “We only have five guys going so we’re a little bit limited. We can’t make many mistakes along the way.
“For us it will be a matter of advancing the entire squad as deep into the tournament as we can. If we do that, then we can have a good tournament.”
Maynard (14-10), who lost in last year’s 157-pound third-place match, said becoming a two-time All-American is his main focus. He’ll open the championships against Hofstra’s Paul Siemon.
“He’s been to the NCAAs and he’s a tough kid,” Minkel said of Maynard. “We expect that he’ll be completely prepared. He’s that kind of kid.”
With two wins at the Big Ten Championships, Williams became the 12th Spartan to eclipse the 100-win mark. But Williams (21-16) said the year as a whole was disappointing.
“My season has been real disappointing,” Williams said. “I haven’t wrestled to my potential all year.”
Williams will begin his pursuit of the 125-pound title against Cleveland State’s Rocco Mansueto. Williams defeated Mansueto 15-5 in last year’s championships.
Williams said another All-America season would be a good way to wrap up his career.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I wanna go out on a winning note, but so does everyone else who’s there. I’m just going to make the most of it.”
