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SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 3-7-83 |
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Wrestlers Move On To NCAA Finals |
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by Mike McGuire |
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| They're a pretty quiet group, save for the pre-practice horseplay. When you talk to them, it's hard to tell that
they're some of, if not the best, wrestlers on the West Coast. Wrestling coach T.J. Kerr said that this team is pretty quiet. He has characterized them as not very boisterous and not at all cocky. "Their celebration after the PCAA victory was low key," Kerr said, "which is within the character of this team." The Spartan wrestling team has six members who are going to the NCAA finals that are to be held at the Marriott Hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. "It's the first time that they are going to hold them in an off-campus facility," said Kerr, "because the whole thing has gotten so big." Kerr says that the championship is the third largest money-maker for the NCAA, adding that it is a "very well attended" function. The Spartans are sending Al Perez (126), John Middlestead (134), Dave Barnes (142), Jay Slivkoff (150), Andy Tsarnas (190) who was voted PCAA Wrestler of the Year, and Jerry Morrison (hwt). Under Kerr's guidance, the Spartans have been to the NCAA tournament eight times. The best finish for the team was last year, when they finished ninth. Kerr said that year was "unbelievable considering the budget that we have." Kerr is confident in the team's ability to do well at the tournament. "I think we'll be ready to go," Kerr said. "Most of them have been here before, so you don't have to worry about the bigness of the tournament bothering them." Dave Barnes (142) has made one trip to the NCAA tournament before, and was pinned in his first match. "I really look forward to it," Barnes said. "It's kind of the final test of are you ready or are you not." "No matter how ready you think you are," he said, "you've always got a little bit more that you could be learning. When you get back there, you find out what your weaknesses are." All the wrestlers said that the workouts increase in intensity, citing the "iron man" drill as an example. The "iron man" is a drill in which a wrestler stays on the mat and wrestles a new man every round, or whatever other time limit the coach uses. The wrestler doesn't get time for a break, an endless line of rested wrestlers is all he has to look forward to. "Yes, it definitely becomes more intense," said Al Perez (126). "They're working us. All the members of the team are still required to attend practice even though they are not going back East, it's a team effort with all the wrestlers working with and encouraging the wrestlers heading to the championships. "Everyone has a big part," Andy Tsarnas said. "It's designed for the six people that are going, but everyone is pushing the six guys." The Spartans have to work hard in the "pit," as the wrestling practice area is called, while trying to balance academics and all the traveling the team must do. However, nobody expressed any regrets. "I think that's the hard part actually," said Jay Slivkoff (150), an engineering major. "You have to go see your teachers to try and get ahead and when you get back you got to try and catch up. That's kind of been the story all season." Each of the wrestlers going to the NCAAs said that they were keeping the tournament in perspective, meaning that they were training and preparing themselves as if this were just another tournament and emphasizing that they just want to be able to wrestle the best that they can. "Last year i was a little too psyched," said John Middlestead (134). "I'm looking at it as just another tournament and concentrating on not putting too much pressure on myself." Al Perez (126) who is heading back East for the second time, has been working hard all season and wants to wrestle as best he can so that next year he can be ranked. "I feel that i'm in the best shape of my life," Perez said. "Mentally i'm just really concentrating. I'm going to take it one match at a time." Heavyweight Jerry Morrison, who has been the NCAAs twice before, is also confident about his chances at the championships. "You know, i feel really good," Morrison said. "I'm going to give 110 percent because i've been there before. I'm trying to go down deep and not be too cautious. Hopefully, in the future, this sport will help me with my career." The Spartans have put in a lot work this season and hopefully it's going to pay off this week when they go back and face some of the best wrestlers in the nation. "Everything is revolving around us (the six going)," John Middlestead said, "they're pushing us to help us." |
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