Wrestler Troy Sunderland is considering taking time off from competition to get his weight under better control.

Sunderland, currently ranked No. 1 at 142 pounds, has been cutting 13 to 15 pounds of water to make weight before every meet. He did not wrestle against Iowa State this weekend because he was six pounds over weight.

"I got sick of making weight and just wanted to eat all the time," Sunderland said.

Sunderland reviewed his options with the coaches after the meet. He could control his weight better and wrestle at 142 against West Virginia and Pitt this weekend, he could compete at 150 at the Edinboro Open this weekend, or he could simply rest.

"It's strictly his decision," Coach Rich Lorenzo said. "I really don't care if he wrestles this weekend or not.

"Every time he walks into the practice room he's not thinking about being a national champion or better. He's thinking, 'I've got 15 pounds to lose.' "

Sunderland said he weighed about 152 or 153 pounds after practice two weeks ago. After last week's practices, he weighed about 155 or 156 pounds. Sunderland's mind refused to let him make weight for the fourth straight week, Lorenzo said.

"After a while of just sitting on the bike sweating, you break mentally, I guess," Sunderland said. "You just don't want to put up with it anymore. . . . Once you start losing a lot of water weight, about 10 pounds, nothing matters to you anymore. You just quit."

Sunderland failed to make weight before the Oklahoma match because he injured his back and could not work out effectively. He did make weight later that week for the national dual meet championships, but rode a stationary bike in his hotel bathroom most of the day and weighed in just 15 minutes before the scales closed.

"He's looking at it as being deprived, but if he's eating 2,400 calories to 2,500 calories (a day) he should feel pretty darn happy," Lorenzo said. "You can put 20 or 30 apples on the table -- that's in the neighborhood of 2,500 calories. It's not starving to death to eat 20 or 25 apples. It's not like we're putting one doughnut hole in his stomach."