Big Ten tourney time is here
Grapplers' top 3 expect big things

By JONATHAN BOMBULIE
Collegian Sports Writer

All 10 starters on the wrestling team are going to the same tournament this weekend -- the Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Bloomington, Ind.

But the experiences they have there will be worlds apart.

There are three distinct groups of Lions vying for conference titles. For four freshmen, it will be a new, daunting experience.

For three seasoned veterans, the tournament will be a chance to add an exclamation point to years of experience in the Penn State wrestling room.

For three others, it is an invitation to glory.

Sanshiro Abe (126 pounds), John Hughes (142) and Kerry McCoy (heavyweight) have the least number of question marks surrounding their tournament outlooks. They are returning All-Americans and favorites to win their weight classes.

"You have to look at the guys who have been proven, who have been there before," Iowa Coach Dan Gable said. "You look at Penn State, who's had one of their worst years. With Abe, McCoy and Hughes, they can score a lot of points."

The Lions' other three veterans -- Tony Bobulinski (150), Matt Hardy (167) and Rob Piper (190) -- have Big Ten conference experience, but will be underdogs. The trio will need big wins to place in the top six and qualify for NCAAs.

"We have some experienced guys who have been there before," Lion Coach John Fritz said. "Some of the guys haven't won a lot of matches. But they have one thing in common -- they have a lot of fight."

Penn State's freshmen are more of a wild card. Two of them -- John Strittmatter (118) and Rob Neidlinger (177) -- are in the same situation as the Lion veterans. They will need an upset to place.

Two others -- Clint Musser (134) and Glenn Pritzlaff (158) -- have legitimate shots to make some noise in the tournament.

"As this season went on, I realized I could be more than just an All-American," Pritzlaff said. "I definitely think I can win Big Tens, and that is definitely my goal."

No matter how these three Lion groups fare, one thing is for sure -- Penn State, or any other Big Ten contender, will need an inspired effort to knock off No. 1 Iowa.

"I like to stay positive, and anything can happen," Fritz said. "But Iowa's going to be real tough to catch."