Grappler lightweights live up to past ideals

In the sport of wrestling, any avid follower could tell you the lightweights are the key to a successful team. These little giants are not only expected to set the pace of a match, but at Penn State, they hold the history and lore within one of the nation's best collegiate programs.

In the past 13 seasons, only two Lion 118-pounders have survived the climb up the monstrous mountain leading to the coveted NCAA crown. Carl DeStefanis won a national title in 1984, while collecting a team-high 39 wins that year. DeStefanis graduated from Penn State after his championship run, leaving behind 114 career victories.

Following in DeStefanis's wake, Jeff Prescott was the next great Penn State lead-off man, and to date, probably the best 118-pounder in school history. Prescott was a three-time NCAA place-winner, capturing consecutive national titles in 1991 and 1992.

He had a career mark of 15-2 at the NCAA tournament while compiling 88 career victories for the Lions from 1988 through 1992. From 1993 to 1995, Penn State was just about average at 118 but started to show promise at the end of last season when Jason Betz made a horrific drop to the weight class from 126.

Enter freshman Jeremy Hunter.

Hunter was the ideal recruit for Penn State last year, since the Lions struggled at 118 for several seasons. Hunter won four Pennsylvania state titles at McGuffey High School, located in southwestern Pennsylvania, and demonstrated he was ready to compete at the collegiate level by winning the 1996 Espoir National Freestyle title at 114.5 pounds.

When Penn State came knocking at his door during the recruiting period, Hunter said the coaching staff mentioned some of the great lightweights in the school's history, trying to identify him with some of the others' wrestling style.

Hunter said he does not feel any extraordinary pressure to do well right away, but that does not mean he does not expect a lot from himself. He has a 22-6 record this season and set his sights on the national tournament.

"There isn't any pressure for me. I just have to be ready to wrestle and take it one match at a time," Hunter said. "I feel I've gotten better week by week, and I want to at least make All-American status this year."

The difference between 118 and 126 in Penn State wrestling history is more than just eight pounds. It lies within two names: Jim Martin and Sanshiro Abe.

Martin is the most-fabled wrestler in Penn State history. He was a four-time NCAA place-winner with an 18-4 career record in the national tournament. Martin was a national champ in 1988 while leading the Lions with 41 wins. He also owns the school record for most career wins with 155.

Martin is co-starred by Abe, who was the 126-pound national champ in 1996. Abe, like Martin, was a four-time NCAA place-winner, but he never finished lower than fourth. He owns a 17-4 career national tournament record while owning 125 career wins.

Many think there will never be anyone who can top the feats Martin and Abe have accomplished, but one wrestler has the potential to become just as good.

Betz is almost a legend himself in high school wrestling, winning three state titles for Warrior Run High School, located in northeastern Pennsylvania, while compiling a career record of 147-2. After sacrificing and making the drop from 126 to 118 for the Lions at the end of last year, Betz went on to place sixth in the Big Ten tournament while finishing 2-2 at NCAAs in Minneapolis.

"Betz is a gamer, and when he gets in a match situation, it brings out the best in him," Fritz said. "His biggest attribute is that he's a competitor."

When considering well-known Penn State 134-pounders, Lynch is the only wrestler who comes to the top.

Lynch, a three-time NCAA place-winner for the Lions, captured a national title during his senior campaign in 1984. Lynch also was known as an aggressive wrestler and led the 1983 squad with 10 falls.

Redshirt sophomore Biff Walizer can associate with Lynch in the category of aggressiveness. In 1996, Walizer led the team in falls, pinning nine opponents while compiling a 32-15 record.

Coming from nearby Lock Haven, Walizer was a two-time state champion and four-time Northeast Regional champion for Bald Eagle-Nittany High School. In his first NCAA tournament last year, he came within one match of earning All-American status.

"A lot of people underestimate what Biff accomplished last year," Fritz said. "He's one of the hardest workers on the team, and with his work ethic, he just continues to get better."

With the hard-nosed intensity Hunter, Betz and Walizer have shown this season, it is safe to say the Penn State lightweight history will not die. In fact, it appears as solid as ever, at least for another four years.