Wrestlers stay up on competition
Riding time, and the extra points that come from it, has been key for the Penn State wrestling team recently.
By Dan Winklebleck
Collegian Staff Writer
For a wrestler, if anything could be more satisfying than quickly pinning an opponent, it would have to be completely dominating him. Punishing him, wearing him down for the entire seven minutes, knowing at the end of the match that he didn’t want to be there with you.
The No. 19 Penn State wrestling team did just that during the weekend, with Big Ten wins against No. 17 Indiana and Purdue. In their two dual meets, the Nittany Lions were able to stay on top of the competition, literally, and overwhelmingly lead their Big Ten foes in riding time.
Not only does riding the opponent — being in control of him, usually on top of him on the mat — give the edge in the match, it can be reflected in the score.
At the end of the match, if one of the grapplers has accumulated at least one minute of riding time, he is awarded an additional point. That point can be crucial in close matches.
The success of the Lions being on top during the weekend was evident, as they collected the riding point in eight of their matches.
Also, in every win, the Lions led in riding time, taking 14 of the 20 matches, showing the importance of being on top.
“It’s definitely something we want to do, “Penn State coach Troy Sunderland said. “We want to be on top cranking people, making them tired, making them carry our weight. And the bonus point is nice.”
Being on top seemed to be a comfort zone for the Lions, who have been inconsistent at certain weights. However, they showed what they could do as far as controlling a match against two tough Big Ten teams.
At 133 pounds, No. 20 Brian Heller collected two of the riding points for the Lions, accumulating more than five minutes of riding time, in his two victories.
Not to be outdone, No. 20 DeWitt Driscoll (141 pounds) piled up more than three minutes of riding time against No. 15 Mike Simpson of Indiana on his way to a major decision.
“The longer you ride somebody, the worse it’s making it for them, “Driscoll said. “They’re getting tired, they’re starting to break down mentally, they don’t want to be there. Then the next thing you know, they don’t want to be in the match at all. So being able to … punish a guy from the top is a definite advantage.”
While riding an opponent is a great way to physically beat him, it can be a survival method as well. Joel Edwards, who recently moved up to wrestle heavyweight, knows he has to be on top to be successful in his new weight class. Edwards will be usually giving up at least 10 pounds to his adversary, but knows how being on top and riding an opponent can work for him.
“If I stay out of trouble, I can ride any heavyweight in the country, “Edwards said, describing the different style he will need to wrestle at heavyweight.
Riding and controlling an opponent can win a close match, and if the Lions can continue having this kind of success for final stretch of the Big Ten season, the old cliché of “coming out on top “will be a familiar one.
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