Gophers' Lesnar leads Big Ten heavyweights

Editor's note:This is the last in a 10-part series previewing the 10 weight classes for the Big Ten Wrestling Championships beginning tomorrow in Ann Arbor, Mich. This story previews the heavyweight class.

By RYAN HOCKENSMITH
Collegian Staff Writer

Check Mark Janus' temperature.

Penn State's mercurial heavyweight is the first to admit he has struggled with consistency this season.

That doesn't damage Janus' self confidence as he prepares for tomorrow's Big Ten Championships.

"I feel I can win Big Tens," Janus said. "If I just stop being hot and cold, I can do it."

Janus concluded the regular season with a 14-8 record, 2-4 against Big Ten foes.

The favorite at the weight, Minnesota's No. 2-ranked Brock Lesnar, completed the Big Ten dual-meet season with an unblemished 8-0 mark in the conference, 16-1 overall.

Challenging Lesnar are returning All-Americans Wes Hand of Iowa and Illinois' Karl Roesler. Hand, currently ranked No. 3, grabbed eighth place at last season's NCAA Championships. No. 5 Roesler defeated Hand last year at NCAAs for seventh-place honors.

Purdue's David Pierce rounds out the ranked field, entering the tournament with a No. 15 national standing.

When asked whether Hand or the rest of the Big Ten heavyweight division can beat his entry, Minnesota coach J. Robinson had a quick response.

"No," Robinson said of the opposition's chance at upsetting his Golden Gopher big man.

Janus did not wrestle Lesnar, Hand or Roesler, but did square off against Pierce earlier this season.

The Nittany Lions heavyweight racked up an early takedown before getting caught and pinned in the second period by the much-larger Pierce.

Relatively undersized for heavyweight, Janus said he has benefited from practicing against 290-pound teammate Rick Bolinsky and former All-Americans Kerry McCoy and Dave Hart, both coaching assistants with the team.

"I got a big guy -- Bolinsky, I got an unbelievably untalented guy -- coach McCoy, and then I go to coach Hart," Janus said. "I have the best of everything to wrestle against."

Other wrestlers listed in the pre-seedings in front of No. 7 Janus are Matt Brink of Michigan and Michigan State's Matt Lamb. Janus defeated Brink 6-1, but dropped a 9-4 decision to Lamb in the regular season finale.

Although he pinned Janus in January, Pierce said heavyweights shouldn't look past the Lions junior.

"He can sneak up on people," Pierce said. "He surprised me with his quickness. Guys can't not respect a guy like Janus."

He knows the weight class is loaded and realizes the hot streak required from him to place highly. But Janus is keeping his cool.

"The Big Ten is by far the strongest conference as far as the heavyweight division is concerned," Janus said. "It's gonna take a great day from me to win it.

"But I can do it."

Note: The top seven place winners from each weight class advance to the NCAA Championships. Two wild cards will also advance.