174-pound weight class deepest in wrestling tourney
Editor's note: This is the seventh in a 10-part series previewing the 10 weight classes for the Big Ten Wrestling Championships beginning this Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich. This story previews the 174-pound class.

By RYAN HOCKENSMITH
Collegian Staff Writer

Placing in the top seven at Big Ten Championships doesn't sound too difficult.

With only 11 wrestlers in each weight class, seven out of 11 qualification spots sounds mathematically simple.

One look at the 174-pound weight class and that opinion goes out the window.

Lurking in probably the deepest weight class of the tournament are nine of the top 20 ranked wrestlers in the country, two returning All-Americans and five former Big Ten placers.

Penn State's entry, No. 4 Glenn Pritzlaff, carts a 20-3 record into this weekend's tournament. The Nittany Lions senior won All-America honors for the first time last season with a seventh-place showing at NCAAs. That followed a third-place finish at Big Tens, the third NCAA-qualifying performance of his career.

But after rolling through this season relatively unscathed, Pritzlaff dropped two matches in the final week of the regular season. In a span of seven days, Pritzlaff fell to No. 2 Otto Olson of Michigan and Northwestern's No. 6 Mark Bybee. Pritzlaff had beaten Bybee earlier this season.

No. 2 seed Pritzlaff appears to have forgotten the loss to No. 1 seed Olson.

"I was a little sick," the Lions co-captain said. "I was a little off my game. I definitely wasn't wrestling my best that match."

However, Minnesota coach J. Robinson, leader of the No. 2 Golden Gophers squad, said Pritzlaff's slow homestretch leaves some unanswered questions heading into Big Tens.

"Those late losses aren't a good sign," Robinson said. "That leaves you wondering, 'Is he in shape? Is he focused?' We'll find out."

Robinson added that he considers Olson the favorite right now because of the Wolverine's victories this season against Pritzlaff, Iowa's No. 7-ranked Gabe McMahan and No. 5 Kole Clauson of Wisconsin. Robinson also said Olson, who finished the Big Ten slate with an unblemished 8-0 mark versus conference opponents, has a style necessary to be successful in the always-rugged Big Ten Championships.

Wildcat Bybee, a sixth placer at NCAAs last season, said wrestlers' pasts will have a big effect on the outcome of this weekend's tournament.

"Pritzlaff and myself bring a little more experience to the table," Bybee said. "That will definitely show up this weekend."

Other top 174 pounders include No. 13 Will Hill of Michigan State, Purdue's No. 16 James Crnich, No. 17 Mike Powell of Indiana and Ohio State Buckeye No. 18 Bo James.

Iowa's McMahan, loser of bouts with Pritzlaff, Olson and Klauson this season, agreed the 174-pound division is stacked with talent.

"It's a tough, tough weight class," the Hawkeye said. "There's a lot of guys that are close, a lot of guys that have beaten up on each other. It could go to anybody."

While Big Tens are this weekend, Pritzlaff admitted March 18-20 -- NCAA Championships -- are the dates he has circled on his calendar.

"I am just going to do what I have to do," Pritzlaff said. "There's no denying that it is an important tournament. It's the Big Tens -- it's not the nationals.

"So it's not my biggest priority -- I want to be a national champion."