The hardest thing about a project like this is to figure out what that one grand memory is. What to share with everyone so they can understand what being a Penn State wrestler is? I have mulled over the many great memories that I have from my time there in Happy Valley, sweating and training in Rec Hall. Like my first dual meet where Lincoln McIlravy from Iowa pinned me in front of a standing-room only crowd—nice introduction to the PSU fans.
Or the trip that year in a van down to the Espoir Nationals in North Carolina with the other freshman, Coaches Oishi and Sato and who could ever forget good old [Bill] Tucker? Then there is my first trip to wrestle at NCAAs in Minneapolis where I hobbled around the Mall of America on crutches. Or the trip to California to wrestle Fresno State and Bakersfield where I tore the ligaments in my left knee. Or the trip to Wisconsin later that season where I tore the ACL in my right knee—on my 21st birthday no less.
But those aren’t the best stories either, because undoubtedly I always reflect on my relationships with all my coaches there. The way Oishi would push me to do things that everyone in the world but he thought were crazy. The way Troy [Sunderland], Dave [Becker] or [John] Bove would just be there to help make you better no matter how early you wanted to work out. Coach Lorenzo driving to West Halls on a snowy Saturday to give me research material on Title IX for a paper—oh, and a Diet Pepsi, of course. To Fritzy just being that coach. The way he was always positive and trying to make you believe that you could do anything. I truly believe that all of them helped make me what I am. But, when sitting back and thinking of all those things, one memory keeps coming back to me—THE memory of Penn State wrestling for me.
Our dual meet win over the Hawkeyes of Iowa in Iowa City in 1998.
There are many reason why it sticks out: the history of their only losing once at home to that point in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (to PSU no less), and the fact that it was IOWA. But the biggest reason was that this team of Nittany Lions with no All-Americans on the roster for the first time in years went into their house and pulled off the win.
I think that another one of the reasons the win sticks out for me is the fact that we also went in there with a depleted line-up. We were without starters at 167 and 177, both [Glenn] Pritzlaff and [Rob] Neidlinger were home in State College nursing ankle injuries. With two back-ups in the line-up we went out there and pulled off an upset of the No. 2-ranked team in the country. The way it finished was amazing!
Going into heavyweight Mark Janus took the mat against Wes Hand with a 19–17 lead in the team score. Hand took Janus down twice but couldn’t ride him. Then for some strange reason Mark tried to headlock Hand. I mean, come on, a headlock?!?!?! Well thankfully, Hand tried to step around and throw Janus, but only ended up on his back with Janus on top. Mark did the right thing and stuck Hand early in the second period. What sticks out the most about that trip and meet (no, it’s not the nightclub incident that night!!) was how silent Carver-Hawkeye became the instant the referee slapped the mat. I mean there is more noise in Pattee on a Friday night than there was in C-H that night. Well, that is except for us jumping around and celebrating. It is just a great memory to have now that I am old, knowing that my senior year I went into Carver-Hawkeye with my buddies, and we took out the unbeatable Hawkeyes!! Now remember, at that time they had lost only once in that building. Those were different Hawkeyes than the more recent editions.
Well, I hope this is good. Maybe it will make the website or something. Thanks for giving me this opportunity. Fight on, State!
