Yesterday was one of the coolest things I have ever been a part of. Not just b/c the outcome of the dual meet was a win (trust me, that was big too...Maryland is a very very tough team), but because I saw a group of men come together with total focus and drive to accomplish a goal they had set for themselves. I saw a group of kids believing in themselves, believing in their training, believing in their coaching and not letting anything stand in their way. On paper we weren't supposed to win that dual meet. In recent history w/ that team, we have always "lost close" but not found a way to win...well that stopped yesterday!! Our kids came together and pulled off a huge win in front of their home crowd. I told them after the match to just simply enjoy it. I wanted them to enjoy the fruit of their labor. They earned it.
Quick recap: Matt Snyder came out and defeated a very tough opponent in Matt Gentry 7-0 to start the dual meet off right and our guys never looked back. At the next weight (133) Matt Nelson gutted out a nail biter w/ star freshman Geoff Alexander to keep the momentum going. Then Nick Nelson, always solid as a rock, came out and does what he usually does. He controlled the tempo of the match, minimized mistakes and defeated a good kid in the process. Then came a huge major decision win for Gus Sako. Gus is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated wrestlers in the entire country. His opponents don't seem to respect him until he is winning by 7 or 8 points..then you can see the look on their faces as if to say "geez...who is this kid?". We think Gus has tons of star power and is one of most exciting guys within our program to watch. Jedd Moore just kept the momentum rolling with a big upset win over previously top ten ranked Kyle John of Maryland. John is flat out a total stud and for Jedd to get this win really made a statement. Much like Jedd, somebody forgot to tell Nick Sulzer that he was facing undefeated and #2 ranked Josh Asper of Maryland in the next bout. Nick took Asper down as the buzzer sounded in the second period to tie the match up 3-3. Nick let up an escape in the third period however and lost a very close 4-3 decision. Nick is getting closer and closer. Maryland picked up a bonus point win of their own before Jon Fausey ignited the crowd w/ perhaps the biggest fall in our programs dual meet history. When he got the pin I actually think people were passing out in the stands they were so happy (only half kidding here). It was awesome!! This pin iced the match for us and lifted a huge weight off our shoulders. It was a heck of a day. A big thank you to all who were in attendance. The crowd was as fired up as I've ever seen them and our kids fed off of your energy.
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