By BRIAN VanderBEEK
BEE STAFF WRITER
In a few words, Billy Exline can describe the difference between California and Iowa, at least as far as the states’ respective levels of passion for wrestling is concerned.
“Back here, if there’s a choice, the cheerleaders go to wrestling meets instead of the basketball games, “Exline said.
Or exactly the right perspective, in Exline’s view, to qualify as a great place to be a college wrestler.
Exline finished third in the 2004 state wrestling championships at 119 pounds for Turlock High. Two weeks ago, he made his debut in the NAIA national tournament and finished sixth at 125 pounds for William Penn University of Oskaloosa, Iowa.
He began the season slowly, losing in the squad’s wrestle-offs to begin the season as WPU’s No. 3 wrestler at 125. But by the end of the season he had posted a 31-11 record and recorded seven pins.
“We were real happy with him this year, “said WPU coach Gary Garvis. “I knew he had pretty good ability coming in, but was questioning myself when he lost in wrestle-offs. But he just kept working and continued to improve during the season.”
NAIA athletics, when compared to the NCAA’s three levels, can be a different kind of experience for an athlete coming directly from high school. Unlike the NCAA, there are no limits on age, no five-year athletic clock.
So when Exline showed up at a meet, there was a very good chance the opponent shaking his hand before the match was 24 or older, and perhaps had served in the military or had started a college career years earlier at a Division I school.
“It’s so much different going against older guys, “Exline said. “My own older teammates would try to kill me in practice. They’re grown men and so much tougher. But it’s what I expected.”
There were other adjustments Exline had to make. At Turlock, he was one of around 800 in his graduating class. At WPU, he’s one of 1,000 students in the entire school.
And on the mat, he’s found a difference in the style of action he needed to learn to be successful.
“In California, wrestling is done in a scrambling style, “he said. “Here, it’s kind of a boring, low-scoring match, much more technical. It took me some time to get used to the style.”
But there’s one aspect of Iowa wrestling he embraced immediately. In the Hawkeye State, wrestling is king.
“Wrestling is the lifeblood here, “said Garvis, who also is the university’s dean of students. “You can’t get into the state tournament at Iowa without an advance ticket, and I use that in my recruiting.
“I tell recruits that if you want to be an All-American in track you don’t go to Alaska, and the same applies to wrestling — you go where the All-Americans are.”
Exline joined the All-Americans, going to a school that has won all 49 of its dual matches since moving from NCAA Division III to NAIA in 2001. And his sixth-place finish this season gave him All-American status.
“I came here because this was out of California, “Exline said. “I wanted to do something different after high school and this is definitely different.”
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