Grapplers focus on Big Ten tourney

Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series previewing the Big Ten wrestling tournament. Today's story highlights Penn State's major opponents.

Following Penn State's final dual meet of the season on Feb. 22, a 24-10 triumph over Lehigh, Nittany Lion Jeremy Hunter thought about his team's next task -- the Big Ten Tournament.

"It's like a mini-nationals," the freshman 118-pounder said.

That is because the Big Ten has dominated wrestling throughout the sport's existence. This season is not any different. The Big Ten placed eight teams in the final NWCA/AWN Intermat rankings, including four in the top five. Oklahoma State is the lone non-conference school in that upper echelon, and it sits atop the poll.

The numbers do not stop there. The conference owns 39 ranked wrestlers with four ranked No. 1, three at the second slot and seven who are third in the nation at their weight. The conference's power also is evident in the 69 NCAA qualifying spots that are up for the taking at the tournament.

"If you aim to peak at the nationals and not the Big Tens," said Ohio State coach Russ Hellickson, "you're going to get buried."

The team that attracts the most attention in the Big Ten, as well as nationally without regard to its No. 2 ranking, is Iowa (15-1). The Hawkeyes, this year's No. 1 seed, have won 16 national championships along with 25 Big Ten titles, including 23 straight.

"I think you have to favor Iowa," Lion coach John Fritz said, "because they're probably going to have three or four top-seeded wrestlers."

The last time Iowa did not win a Big Ten crown was in 1973, when it finished second. That is three seasons before current head coach Dan Gable took the helm and before any wrestlers on the 1996-97 squad were born. Do this year's wrestlers feel any pressure to once again come out on top?

"I don't think they do," Gable said. "The coach sometimes has to take on the extra pressure."

The Hawkeyes carry six ranked wrestlers, five of whom are All-Americans, including three at No. 1 in Mark Ironside (134 pounds), Lincoln McIlravy (150) and Joe Williams (158).

While much of the focus is on McIlravy, who is a finalist for the Hodge award but is still making up for the six weeks he missed because of a concussion, and Joe Williams, last season's Big Ten and national champion, Gable said his best competitor is Ironside, who also grabbed a Big Ten title last year.

"He's my most prepared athlete by far," Gable said. "He's proved that every day at practice."

However, don't hand the championship to the Hawkeyes just yet. The next three ranked teams -- Minnesota, Illinois and Penn State -- look to give Iowa a tough battle for the crown.

"We hope to wrestle aggressive throughout and dominate," Minnesota coach J Robinson said. "That's what we're looking for."

The Golden Gophers (16-4) also boast six ranked wrestlers, four in the top four. The most notable wrestler is 118-pounder Brandon Paulson, a silver medalist at the 1996 Olympic Games, but he is not ranked because he missed significant action this season with an injured ankle.

"Minnesota's got a seeded wrestler at every weight," Fritz said.

The most prominent are returning All-Americans Jason Davids (142) and Chad Kraft (150), ranked No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. The Gophers also will send out established competitors at 167 with No. 6 Zac Taylor and 190 with No. 3 Tim Hartung. With a healthy Paulson, the Gophers look to have the ability to break Iowa's string.

Illinois, which owns five ranked wrestlers, posted a 14-1 record this season and jumped ahead of Penn State to No. 4 in the Feb. 19 poll. The Fighting Illini have held the spot since.

Four of Illinois' five ranked wrestlers have at least 24 wins, with Eric Siebert (150) and Lindsay Durlacher (118) leading the way with 28 and 27 victories, respectively. The Illini's best hope for a title comes from No. 2 Ernest Benion, who finished 24-2 this season. However, the 158-pound Benion must knock off Iowa's Williams for a crown.

The sleeper of the tournament may be Michigan State, which placed third last season. The No. 16 Spartans registered a mark of 9-16 but have three ranked wrestlers in the top four of their weight classes.

"Michigan State has some ranked guys," Fritz said. "They just don't have the record."

Two of those ranked wrestlers -- 118-pounder David Morgan and 190-pounder Brian Picklo -- won Big Ten championships last season. While Morgan, along with teammate Erich Harvey (177), look to have top seeds, defending champion Picklo does not.

He probably will be seeded third behind Minnesota's Hartung and Iowa's Lee Fullhart, who Picklo beat in the conference final last season. The seeding at this weight once again shows the high level competition in the Big Ten.

"There used to be days when we used to train through this period," Fritz said. "You can't afford to do that because the Big Ten tournament is so tough. You have to be ready."