By Guy Cipriano
Penn State senior 157-pounder Nathan Galloway gasps as he tells the story.
There’s the anticipation.
There’s the shakes.
There’s the mental fatigue.
It’s one of those feelings an athlete vividly remembers, when the expected moment arrives and the nervous system works in frantic ways.
“I got myself so worked up that I could barely stand, “Galloway said. “It wasn’t that I wasn’t in shape. I was just so nervous.”
So was Galloway discussing:
a) one of his trips to the NCAA Championships?
b) one of three appearances in the PIAA Class AAA finals during his career at State College High School?
c) his first major national tournament during those dazzling preadolescent years?
No, the exhausting two hours occurred on Oct. 10, the first official practice for Penn State’s wrestling team. The practice started Galloway’s final push toward meeting some wild expectations.
That push continues today during Penn State’s annual Wrestle-offs at Rec Hall where four younger wrestlers are attempting to snag Galloway’s starting spot.
Galloway has qualified for three NCAA championships while compiling a 76-47 career record.
But…
“Nothing is guaranteed, “coach Troy Sunderland said. “That’s for sure.”
Galloway has embraced the challenge.
“It has been a good experience in the room, “he said. “I have three or four guys that really want to kick my butt in Wrestle-offs. I have never had that before. It has been a new challenge for me. It has helped me work a little bit harder.”
The group competing for the 157-pound spot includes sophomores Jon Clemens and Jason Lapham, and freshmen Craig Owsiany and Josh Rohler, a prized recruit from Ohio. Galloway realizes some fans want to see a new 157-pounder this season.
“It probably cost the freshmen a little bit of an extra beating earlier in the year, “said Galloway, who has never obtained All-American honors. “Those guys come in with an attitude. I like that. That’s the attitude that I came in here with. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.”
Nobody knows the perils associated with early hype better than Galloway.
His decision to stay home and sign with the Nittany Lions started fuzzy dreams.
As a 12-year-old, his trophy collection swelled to 150. His youth success translated into high school glory. Galloway became the first wrestler from a Centre County high school to claim three PIAA titles.
Before winning his third state title, Galloway signed with Penn State. When he entered the program in 2002, Galloway thought his high school success would extend into college.
“My goal coming into college was probably to be a three-time All-American and I wanted to win nationals, “he said. “I wanted to win it my junior year so I could really hang back my senior year. Things change real quick.”
Galloway went 30-15 as a freshman and qualified for the NCAA championships. But he missed the tournament because of a neck injury that required surgery. The injury forced Galloway to redshirt in 2003-04.
The past two seasons have been filled with close calls. He went 2-2 at the 2005 national championships, defeating two seeded wrestlers, but suffering a two-point and sudden-victory defeat. He also went 2-2 last year, suffering a narrow loss to top-seeded Trent Paulson of Iowa State in the second round.
“I still think I could be a two-time All-American coming into this year had a couple of different things gone my way, “he said. “But what I have learned is that you can’t change the past. I have one more chance to make things happen to what I believe I should have accomplished so far.”
Galloways appears to be taking the last-chance theme seriously.
He increased his weight to 179 pounds this summer, so once fat-shedding concludes he develops into a larger 157-pounder. The weight-control process included a summer trip to the supermarket with strength and conditioning coach Eric Childs who has helped Galloway with his diet.
On the mat, Galloway has taken steps to become a more physical wrestler. When opponents shoot, he wants to counter with a better shot. When opponents head slap, he wants to slap back harder.
Galloway also has attempted to regain the swagger that he developed in high school.
“The final thing is getting it instilled in my mind that there’s really nobody better than me, “he said. “I have beaten everybody at my weight class at some point in my life. There’s absolutely no reason that I shouldn’t believe that I can’t beat anyone on any given day. Getting that confidence is the final thing that I have worked on.”
Senior 174-pounder James Yonushonis, a Philipsburg-Osceola graduate who has known Galloway since junior high, has noticed the changes.
“I thought he looked more committed this year even when we had wrestling camps in the summer, “Yonushonis said. “He seemed to train a little harder and focus more on wrestling. I think that’s definitely what he needed and this is it for the both of us. It would be great if we can come out of the year with high achievements especially being the hometown guys.”
Galloway said he will be committing his “whole life “to wrestling this season. He’s scheduled to graduate in May with an Information Technology Systems degree. His spring schedule includes just one class.
“It has been an ongoing discussion to get him to understand that he has a limited amount of time to become an All-American or national champion, “Sunderland said. “This is his last go-around. He needs to be aware of that and wrestle and train accordingly.”
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