Ben Elder
Sports Editor
As the weather gets colder in Stillwater, the heat of the wrestling room approaches a championship level, leaving egos and sweaty bodies aiming in one direction: an NCAA National Championship.
For 10 lucky starters, the most important part of becoming a champion is preparation and as of now, preparation remains in full swing for the Cowboy wrestling program.
“Practice is going great,” assistant coach Pat Smith said. “We are just coming in here every day and trying to get in a little bit better shape and just getting ready for the season.”
With two All-Americans and four national champions returning, most have already written the Cowboys off as the 2006 NCAA National Champions.
Although that might be easy to say, a room full of national champions would tell you different.
“This year, it is almost tougher than the year before because people are gunning after you,” said 149-pound national champion Zack Esposito. “This year it is time to prove that you are the No. 1 guy out there. I think it’s even harder to repeat than it is to win it the first time.”
Although preparation and conditioning in the off-season remains crucial, taking time to let your injuries heal proves to be the most rewarding for some.
Jake Rosholt spent most of the season this past year hampering a knee injury. Now, the senior said his knee feels the best since he came to OSU. Considering Rosholt has already won two national championships, feeling the “best” could be a scary thing for the rest of the 197-pound weight class.
“I feel good,” Rosholt said. “My knee feels the best since high school. I have had some time to recuperate. We have also been gettin’ back on the mat and going hard. It’s been a lot of fun.”
While holding the glorious position of No. 1 might seem to be the ultimate goal for OSU national champions, making a run for the top remains a goal for others.
Sophomore All-American Coleman Scott said he believes after just one year of wrestling at OSU he has seen improvements.
“Wrestling wise, I feel a lot older,” Scott said. “When you come in as a freshman, I didn’t know how to drill at the first of the year. Now, I feel like I have improved so much that I know how to drill and work harder.
“I just want to go out there and wrestle the best because you have to wrestle the best in order to be the best.”
Being the best will remain the Cowboys’ goal as they prepare for their season opener Nov. 19 at the Omaha Open.
“We got a great bunch of guys with a lot of veterans in the room,” Smith said. “And they teach these younger guys how to stay intense in practice. Now it’s the time for us to step it up a notch.”
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