As a member of the Big Ten, Wisconsin's wrestling team has an annual opportunity to measure itself against the strongest wrestling teams in the country. Unfortunately, with nine teams in the national rankings, there is seemingly no good time for a young team to earn experience. After an undefeated non-conference season, the UW wrestlers earned only one more win after conference play began.
\It's been pretty difficult. It's been tough, especially on the younger guys,"" Head Coach Barry Davis said.
Intense competition leaves Big Ten teams without the opportunities to rebuild painlessly.
""The Big Ten is probably the toughest conference in the country, and it's definitely the largest,"" redshirt freshman Tom Clum said.
Indeed, the team competed with seven teams ranked 17th or higher during their conference season. This murderous stretch explains why Wisconsin hangs tough at 24th in the rankings despite losing seven of their last eight dual meets. Fortunately for the Badgers, a silver lining awaits. Eight freshmen wrestled in at least 10 matches this season, and unselfish upperclassmen have made the season easier to swallow.
""We're a young team and we have a lot to build on, so I think there's a lot of positive in the future,"" junior Ralph DeNisco said.
Davis agreed.
""I think for the younger guys it's been a good year,"" Davis said. ""We got a lot of experience, and some young guys got some big wins.
""Plus, [senior] Tony Black's had a good year, and DeNisco, as well as [senior Justin] Staebler. It's been a good year, but not really what you want.""
Despite its difficult season, the team refuses to dwell on its defeats. In describing the past month, Clum preferred to look ahead.
""We had a couple of tough matches, but we were just getting ready for the Big Ten Tournament and NCAAs,"" he said.
This winning attitude could help the Badgers take advantage of an excellent chance to avenge some earlier losses during the Big Ten Championships.
""That's what you work for, the Big Tens and then the NCAA Championships. You want to do well during the season, but it's going to come down to tournament time. That's going to be the key to everything,"" Coach Davis said.
Some wrestlers look forward to the chance to prove themselves independently.
""Even with me personally having a good year, it still hurt when we lost as a team--it's a team sport,"" DeNisco said. ""Now at the Big Ten and NCAA [Tournament], it becomes an individual sport, and you can worry about yourself a little bit more.""
The athletes are also looking forward to competing for a Big Ten Championship in front of their home crowd; the competition takes place March 8-9 in the UW Field House.
""I think it'll be a great advantage for us,"" Clum said.
DeNisco also had high hopes for the homestand.
""There's gonna be a lot of Wisconsin fans here, the gym's gonna be pretty crowded and I think it will have a positive effect on some of the young guys,"" DeNisco added.
The team's positive attitude will help them during next year's attempt to climb the rankings back to the top of the Big Ten, but they're not about to roll over and concede 2003 just yet.
""I want to win a Big Ten Championship,"" DeNisco said.
