On the surface, it doesn’t seem like the Northwestern and Michigan wrestling teams have much in common.
NU (5-6, 0-2 Big Ten) is the only Big Ten team not to creep into the national rankings over the past two years. The No. 10 Wolverines (6-4, 1-0) have taken down several higher-ranked teams throughout the season.
While these two teams will be coming from opposite poles when they meet Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich., at 7 p.m., Michigan coach Joe McFarland is looking past the rankings.
“(The Wildcats) have some kids in there that are pretty tough,” he said. “We keep our kids focused on no let-downs and wrestling hard every time they step on the mat.”
It is not uncommon for wrestlers to be shuffled around the weight classes, but for fifth year seniors Jason Erwinski from NU and No. 16 Mike Kulczycki of Michigan, their last year of competition has brought them to a new weight.
While Erwinski spent most of 2002 at 174 pounds nursing an injury, Kulczycki excelled at 149, garnering third place at the Big Ten championships, and qualifying for NCAAs.
“Mike was an outstanding wrestler at 149,” McFarland said. “He just couldn’t stay at 149 anymore, and wanted to move up to 157, but we already had two great guys, so we moved him up to 165.”
Erwinski has won all three of his matches since making the move Jan. 24 against Michigan State.
As the two seniors get a feel for the new weight, it is consistency in the 141-pound weight class that has plagued NU’s John Giacche and Michigan’s Clark Forward this season.
Giacche was NU’s most successful wrestler last season, placing sixth in the Big Ten tournament and qualifying for the NCAA Championships. But after beginning the season in a self-described “funk,” Giacche has struggled to regain last year’s form. His most recent match, against Wisconsin’s Tyler Laudon, ended in an overtime loss.
“Giacche was wrestling a great match and did what he wanted to, but then unfortunately, he thought the match was over and stopped wrestling in the last minute and a half of the period,” Cysewski said of the Wisconsin match.
Michigan’s Forward, ranked No. 17 in the nation, wasn’t able to compete in any postseason matches last year because of a staph infection in his ankle. But after getting back into competition in the 2002-03 season with a shaky start, Forward seems to be regaining his poise since he had a “big win” at Michigan’s win over No. 7 Illinois on Jan. 24, according to McFarland.
“(Forward) is struggling a bit this year with his confidence — but he seems to be getting (it) back,” he said.
Although the numbers may not match up right now for the Cats and the Wolverines, this weekend Michigan may find that they have more in common with NU than it thinks.
“We’re going to take them as individual matches and try to keep guys focused on competing hard,” McFarland said. “We don’t take anyone lightly in the Big Ten — when you start doing that, bad things happen.”
NU (5-6, 0-2 Big Ten) at No. 10 Michigan (6-4, 1-0)
7 p.m., Saturday
Cliff Keen Arena, Ann Arbor Mich.
