Nick “The Nightmare” Simmons Continues Dominant Season

Michigan State’s Nick “The Nightmare “Simmons Continues Dominant Season

Michigan State 125 Pound Sophomore Shuts Out Minnesota’s Bobbe Lowe Friday As Strong Season Continues

By Anthony Maggio “Staff Writer
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There wasn’t a match all season long where fifth-ranked Bobbe Lowe was held scoreless. He lost two matches to ranked opponents (including No. 2 Kyle Ott) by a single point at National Duals for his only two losses this season.

Then he ran into Michigan State’s Nick Simmons.

The third-ranked redshirt sophomore was dominant on Friday night as he cruised to a 9-0 victory over Lowe in what was supposed to be the premier match of the evening. The victory moved the Williamston, Mich., native to 21-0 for the season and 4-0 lifetime with two falls against Lowe.

“He was ready for a lot of what I was going to do,” Simmons said. “But I just wrestle how I know how. I expect domination on my part.”

Simmons, who recently won his first career Midlands title, didn’t score in the first period as Lowe tried to slow down the match. But Lowe said that tactic is what eventually did him in.

“I think I went out there with the wrong mentality, trying to slow the match down and not wrestle my pace, which is not me,” Lowe said. “I’m more the guy that goes out there and tries to hit some shots, get the guy tired. I think it was something I just thought about too much.”

Simmons started down in the second period and escaped in just seven seconds. He took a 3-0 lead on a takedown with a minute left in the period and rode out Lowe until the horn.

Simmons nearly pinned Lowe in the third period, earning three back points after a takedown. He rode out Lowe the rest of the way for the riding time and the 9-0 victory.

“He probably should’ve gotten the fall,” coach Tom Minkel said. “He’s very strong for his size “surprisingly strong. He’s got great mental toughness and he’s a hard-nosed kid.”

Part of what makes Simmons so tough to wrestle is his unorthodox style. Lowe calls Simmons’ style “funky,” adding that it’s a difficult technique to simulate in practice.

“You don’t have anyone in the room who wrestles like him,” Lowe said. “So you just kind of watch tape and do the best you can. But you can’t really blame it on that. You have to blame it on the fact that I didn’t go out there and I didn’t wrestle the way I should have.”

Minnesota coach J Robinson added that Lowe didn’t have a great week of practice, which didn’t help his cause against one of the Big Ten’s toughest wrestlers.

“He’s always had a pretty hard time with Simmons,” Robinson said. “But I think that week of not having good practice kind of weighed a bit on Bobbe, so it wasn’t the best situation for him.”

Still, opponents and coaches alike give Simmons plenty of credit.

In addition to his style, Simmons has a tremendous work ethic and is in great shape. While slowing things down didn’t work for Lowe, speeding the match up may not have made a difference. Simmons has tested his mettle against a host of other ranked opponents this year and come out on top every time.

His mental toughness has been proven time and time again, but at no point more so than in mid-January at Oklahoma State. Simmons fell behind 5-0 to Coleman Scott, but earned a pair of back points in the third period and earned the riding time as well to come back for a 6-5 victory in one of wrestling’s most hostile environments.

“He’s very unorthodox and he’s very tough,” Minkel said. “He’s in great shape and has enormous confidence. There isn’t a match he doesn’t think he’s going to win. He’s just having a heck of a season.”

Simmons took an Olympic redshirt year last season and won Pan-American gold while falling just short of making the 2004 Olympic team in Athens. While his biggest weakness as a freshman was getting off the mat, he’s come back to the Spartans much improved in that area, making him tough to ride.

“We really worked hard to get him sound “good position, good shots and penetration and still let him be himself,” Minkel said. “Coaching him you want him to be fundamentally sound, but you don’t want to screw him up.”

Coaching hasn’t seemed to get in the way this season, as Simmons continues to look nearly unbeatable.

Simmons was the first wrestler this season to hold Lowe scoreless, a feat he didn’t even know about until he was told after the match. While he was pleased with the accomplishment, he didn’t need it to boost his already off-the-charts confidence level.

“My confidence level is high, it’s always high going into a match,” Simmons said. “I only think one way. “But it feels great because he’s ranked right behind me. Hopefully I can finish out the rest of the season like I did tonight.”

Minkel doesn’t have any reason to think he won’t.

“Nick is an extraordinary young man,” Minkel said, “and a nightmare to wrestle.”