Eau Claire wrestling team falls to 0-4 in overall dual meets
Strong individual performances not good enough for Blugolds, freshmen work hard
Nick Gourdoux
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: Sports
On Saturday, Nov. 22, the UW-Eau Claire wrestling team traveled to Minneapolis to compete in the Augsburg Open.
In the 12 weight classes involved in the tournament, Eau Claire finished in the top three only once.
"It all comes down to conditioning and hard work," senior Andy Miller said. "We have a lot of guys missing practice, for whatever reason, so they may not be in good condition."
Senior Josh Holforty took third place in the 197-pound gold bracket, making him the highest finisher among Blugolds. Holforty, who was recently ranked No. 4 in the nation for the 197-pound weight class by the National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, lost to the eventual second place finisher, Chadron State's (Neb.) Josh Majerus, 2-6. Holforty was then matched against NWCA No. 3-ranked Tony Willaert, of St. John's (Neb.). Holforty successfully pinned Willaert five minutes and 49 seconds into the match for the win, which secured third place.
"We have a lot of young guys, so it's kind of expected that we'd have a rough start," Miller said. "Those freshmen seem to be working hard and trying to get better."
Freshman Keith Dawson took fifth place in the 174- pound silver bracket, making him the second highest finishing Blugold.
Junior Andy Johnson took sixth place overall in the 149- pound weight class, and Miller finished in seventh place in the 133-pound bracket.
Eau Claire then traveled to Decorah, Iowa, to compete against ninth-ranked Luther College on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The Blugolds were only able to win two matches on that occasion.
Miller won a major decision in the 133-pound category, tying the score at 4-4. Three matches later, in the 157-pound weight class, Junior Joe Ames won, 8-5, decreasing the deficit to 7-15. The Blugolds were unable to win any of their remaining games, resulting in their 34-7 loss.
"We've got to keep looking forward to our next competition," Ames said. "We need to put our past behind us and look to the future."
The loss drops Eau Claire's record to 0-4 on the season in dual meets. The Blugolds will play again tonight in Whitewater. The team will then travel to La Crosse to compete in the La Crosse 2x4 duals.
"We'll just do what we can," Ames said. "There is going to be a lot of nice competition for the whole team. It'll be good for the team - JV is going to get to wrestle, varsity is going to wrestle - everyone will get some more experience."
Miller also maintained an optimistic view on the team's upcoming matches.
"Quick turnarounds are always hard, especially with wrestling," he said. "A lot of the veterans should lead the way and we should be fine heading into Saturday."
In the 12 weight classes involved in the tournament, Eau Claire finished in the top three only once.
"It all comes down to conditioning and hard work," senior Andy Miller said. "We have a lot of guys missing practice, for whatever reason, so they may not be in good condition."
Senior Josh Holforty took third place in the 197-pound gold bracket, making him the highest finisher among Blugolds. Holforty, who was recently ranked No. 4 in the nation for the 197-pound weight class by the National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, lost to the eventual second place finisher, Chadron State's (Neb.) Josh Majerus, 2-6. Holforty was then matched against NWCA No. 3-ranked Tony Willaert, of St. John's (Neb.). Holforty successfully pinned Willaert five minutes and 49 seconds into the match for the win, which secured third place.
"We have a lot of young guys, so it's kind of expected that we'd have a rough start," Miller said. "Those freshmen seem to be working hard and trying to get better."
Freshman Keith Dawson took fifth place in the 174- pound silver bracket, making him the second highest finishing Blugold.
Junior Andy Johnson took sixth place overall in the 149- pound weight class, and Miller finished in seventh place in the 133-pound bracket.
Eau Claire then traveled to Decorah, Iowa, to compete against ninth-ranked Luther College on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The Blugolds were only able to win two matches on that occasion.
Miller won a major decision in the 133-pound category, tying the score at 4-4. Three matches later, in the 157-pound weight class, Junior Joe Ames won, 8-5, decreasing the deficit to 7-15. The Blugolds were unable to win any of their remaining games, resulting in their 34-7 loss.
"We've got to keep looking forward to our next competition," Ames said. "We need to put our past behind us and look to the future."
The loss drops Eau Claire's record to 0-4 on the season in dual meets. The Blugolds will play again tonight in Whitewater. The team will then travel to La Crosse to compete in the La Crosse 2x4 duals.
"We'll just do what we can," Ames said. "There is going to be a lot of nice competition for the whole team. It'll be good for the team - JV is going to get to wrestle, varsity is going to wrestle - everyone will get some more experience."
Miller also maintained an optimistic view on the team's upcoming matches.
"Quick turnarounds are always hard, especially with wrestling," he said. "A lot of the veterans should lead the way and we should be fine heading into Saturday."
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