Michael Rand, Star Tribune
There was that name again: Manny Rivera. It seemed coach J Robinson couldn’t be asked about his Gophers wrestling team without bringing up Rivera. Last year, sprinkled in with guys who were ranked No. 1 in the country, the little 141-pounder from California was always mentioned. In the preseason this year, it was the same thing. A reporter would always wonder, “What’s so special about this guy? “Rivera, a junior, never has been an NCAA All-America. On a team filled with three- and four-time high school champions, Rivera never even won one high school state title.
But then you really watch him where he lives: the wrestling room. In the bowels of the Bierman Athletic Complex, preparing for tonight’s showdown between the No. 3 Gophers and No. 1 Oklahoma State at the Sports Pavilion, Rivera is so drained from practice that he almost appears disoriented. His T-shirt gives no evidence of its original shade of gray; it’s heavy, dark and sweat-soaked throughout. He is the last wrestler remaining, and one thing is clear: Rivera might not have as many accolades as others, but he has the intangible quality coaches love.
He gets it.
“He’s relentless, “said Chad Erikson, a Gophers All-America at 141 pounds in 2001 and ’02 who sometimes works with Rivera. “His style is the one we want every one of our guys to have.”
Why does he work so hard? Rivera contemplates that simple question and offers a perfect answer.
“It’s just from past history, “he said. “Every time I’ve ever really worked hard for something, it’s paid off.”
A long way to go
Hard work paid off last season, when Rivera cracked the starting lineup and went on to post a 28-15 record while qualifying for the NCAA championships as a sophomore. It has continued this season, in which Rivera is 13-0 and ranked No. 5 in the country at 141 pounds in the InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association poll.
But the work needed to get to this point is what defines Rivera. The El Monte, Calif., native started attending Robinson’s wrestling camps the summer before eighth grade. With every bead of sweat evaporating into the Minnesota air, Gophers coaches became more impressed.
However, when it came to picking a college, his parents, Manuel Sr. and Oralia, worried about him going to such a cold, faraway place. In retrospect, Rivera said, adjusting to life here was “one of the hardest things “he has ever done.
“My freshman year, there was never a day I wasn’t tired, “he said. “I was getting beat up on the mat all the time. I was away from home, which was a culture shock. But everyone here was good to me. That helped me out a lot.”
Good things, as Rivera pointed out earlier, come to those who work.
“He’s just diligent, “Robinson said. “He keeps getting better and better. He’s a late bloomer, and he’s just starting to come into his own.”
Holding the key
Rivera played a big role last year when the Gophers defeated Oklahoma State twice in dual meets, winning by decision and pin in those two matches. But he was also part of a contingent of Gophers wrestlers who came up short of All-America status (minimum eighth-place finish) at the NCAA meet, where the Cowboys cruised to their fourth consecutive team title while Minnesota finished a distant second.
Rivera will be a key figure on both fronts again this season. He is expected to wrestle tonight against Oklahoma State’s Nathan Morgan, who moved up a weight class and is ranked No. 3 at 141 pounds.
“It’s a key match in the dual, “Rivera said. “This will for sure let me know where I’m at.”
As for the big picture, Dustin Schlatter thinks he already knows where Rivera is headed. Schlatter, a former National High School Wrestler of the Year from Massillon, Ohio, is perhaps Rivera’s opposite when it comes to expectations coming into a college career. Schlatter, also a tireless worker, won an NCAA title as a true freshman last season. He looks at Rivera and predicts greatness.
“If he keeps going like this, “Schlatter said, “I think he could be a national champion.”
That, it seems, is what Robinson saw all along.
“A great work ethic, “Robinson said, “can overcome many things. “
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