In a scenario that can only happen in wrestling, Northwestern will be in two places at once this weekend.
The Wildcats’ dual team will be in Pennsylvania and Ohio wrestling against two of toughest squads in the country. On the other half of the country in Colorado Springs, Colo., NU unattached wrestlers Brandon Precin (125) and Jason Welch (157) will be at the Dave Schultz Memorial International Championship.
NU embarks on a four-game road stretch against ranked opponents when it faces No. 12 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State this weekend.
“From a team standpoint, this weekend we want to wrestle hard and win our matches,” said redshirt freshman Brian Roddy Jr. (174), who is 5-2 in duals this season. “Individually I’m looking to go 2-0.”
On Friday night the Cats (5-8-1, 0-2 Big Ten) go to University Park, Pa., to face the Nittany Lions (10-5-1, 1-2 Big Ten). Sunday won’t be any easier, as the Cats head west to face the Buckeyes (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten) in an early morning match in Columbus, Ohio.
“We actually match up well with both teams,” coach Tim Cysewski said. “I like our chances against Penn State, especially in the 125 and 133, and John Schoen (197) should win both his matches.”
It has been an unusual season for the Cats, considering their top two returning wrestlers are taking this season off. Both the senior Precin (125) and the sophomore Welch (157) are returning NCAA tournament qualifiers, but they are unable to contribute in dual meets for the Cats because of their redshirt status.
“We’d be better right now with them in the lineup, but it’s going to payoff next year,” Cysewski said.
Both can participate in individual tournaments by wrestling “unattached,” meaning their results have no impact on the team’s record. Precin is 19-1 on the year heading into this weekend’s tournament in Colorado. Welch has not wrestled yet this season because of a hand injury.
“It has definitely been an adjustment,” Precin said. “Now I’m experiencing the competition from a different perspective. It can be tough to sit and watch the team because I want to be out there competing, but I’ve learned a lot by observing.”
Welch, who is competing in the 74 kg. weight class, will try to start off his season the way his last one ended, when he finished 2-2 in the NCAA tournament and ranked as high as 13th in the country. Precin plans to relish the international side of this weekend’s tournament, when he will be among wrestlers from more than 22 different countries.
“I’m hoping to get a world-class experience,” Precin said.
Welch’s and Precin’s teammates haven’t had much going for them lately. This weekend’s trip comes on the heels of consecutive losses to No. 14 Indiana and No. 22 Illinois. The pressure won’t go away next weekend when the Cats travel to No. 1 Iowa and then face No. 13 Wisconsin. NU will get a break from ranked opponents when it wraps up its Big Ten season against Michigan, in a battle that could determine who finishes in the Big Ten cellar.
“All the guys know this is the best, most competitive conference in the country,” Cysewski said. “We realize that because of the competition almost every team has five to six real good players. Right now we’re focusing on getting ourselves to nationals. The Big Ten prepares you better than any other conference for that.”
With the Cats’ hopes of finishing in the upper half of the Big Ten waning, both Cysewski and Roddy said the focus is on preparing individual wrestlers for both the Big Ten and NCAA tournament.
“Against ranked teams every point counts, and we know every match is tough for us to win,” Roddy said. “A lot of these guys on ranked teams are not individually ranked, and that’s what counts.”[email protected]
