The 2000-2001 season was forgettable for the Northwestern wrestling team. For the first time in head coach Tim Cysewski’s 13-year tenure, the Wildcats did not win a Big Ten match.
In addition to its dismal 4-13-1 overall record, the injury-riddled team did not send one wrestler to the NCAA championships, and then-senior Jason Erwinski was NU’s top finisher at the Big Ten championships, finishing a mediocre eighth in the 157-pound weight class.
But as the team begins this year’s campaign, the sentiment in the locker room is one of optimism and excitement. Last year’s bruises, breaks and tears have healed, and the healthy squad expects to factor in as more than just a spoiler in the Big Ten, a conference known for its dominance in collegiate wrestling.
“We want to go into our meets with the attitude that we’re going to win them all,” Cysewski said. “We don’t want to just barely win. We want to beat people and beat people bad.”
The Cats have already competed in the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Mich., and the Northern Open in River Falls, Wis. NU wrestlers fared well in both tournaments. Junior John Giacche won the 141-pound weight class at Michigan State and took third in River Falls. Giacche, who might be the Cats’ most promising prospect this year, was ranked 14th in his weight class in InterMat Wrestling magazine’s preseason national collegiate rankings.
“(Giacche) is going to be competing in a weight class and a conference that’s going to be one of the toughest in the country,” Cysewski said. “But at the same time, he’s one of the better wrestlers in the conference and one of the better wrestlers in the country at that weight class.”
In addition to contributing to NU’s leadership and strength, Cysewski believes that Giacche, an All-America candidate, will qualify for NCAAs.
Junior Brendan Curran and his brother, sophomore Andrew Curran, gained valuable experience last year, wrestling in place of injured starters. Brendan took third place in the 197-pound weight class at the Northern Open and finished fifth in East Lansing. He is also a preseason favorite to reach the NCAA tournament. Andrew is still developing, his coach said, but he is competing with and learning from Brendan.
“They both trash talk each other,” Cysewski said, “but they’re also each other’s biggest cheerleaders.”
The 149-pound weight class is one of the deepest for the Cats. Sophomores Josh Ballard and Ryan Cumbee are competing for the starting position.
“I’ve improved from last year, and the Michigan State Open was a great opportunity to gain some experience,” Ballard said. “But I still have a lot of work to do.”
Although Ballard and Cumbee are grappling for the spot, Ballard is considering redshirting this season.
The Cats face a schedule that features such Big Ten powers as Iowa and defending-national champion Minnesota. They also will face intrastate rivals Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois and Eastern Illinois, as well as nonconference foes Princeton, Brown and Stanford.
The team’s next meet is the Northwestern Duals, held on Dec. 8 in Patten Gym.
For the first time in two years, the Cats are injury-free, strong and hungry for success in the competitive Big Ten.
“We know what we’ve got to do to win at this level,” Cysewski said. “We just have to make sure that we’re ready to compete every weekend.”
