|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 3-8-84 |
||
|
|
||
|
Five Spartans Journey To Fierce Nationals |
||
|
by Joe Roderick |
||
| Spartan coach T.J. Kerr never knows what to expect when he and his teams venture to the NCAA wrestling championships. Two years ago, five Spartan wrestlers qualified for the NCAAs. Two wrestlers, Wayne Jones and Eddie Baza, soared out of oblivion to place high. Jones finished third at 126, while Baza claimed fourth at 134 to vault the Spartans to ninth place. Last year, five wrestlers also qualified. All five had the potential to do some harm. But all five never made it past the first round. The result: a 42nd-place finish for the Spartans. This year, five SJSU wrestlers will journey to the NCAAs, which began today and run through Saturday at Byrne Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, NJ. Will it be boon or bust for the Spartans this time around? "I think for the first time, all our wrestlers have the potential to place," Kerr said. "Hopefully they can do it." But this isn't the type of ordeal where a wrestler simply walks in, puts forth a minimum amount of effort, and then walks away with a medal in his hand. The No. 1 seed isn't immune from faltering. The No. 32 man can receive a bolt of energy and levy a big boy or two. "I've seen too many upsets in the first round," Kerr said. "A guy might not be feeling good. He might have sucked a lot of weight. He gets a few bad calls against him. And pretty soon, it's over." Three of the five Spartan wrestlers--Albert Perez (126), David Barnes (142), and Andy Tsarnas (190)--are familiar with that "it's over" feeling. All three lost in the first round. All three are seniors now. Sophomore Darryl Pope (158) and junior Marvin Jones (177) aren't in that "win or it's over for good" predicament. They'll perhaps get another shot in the future. But Kerr wants all his wrestlers to put out the maximum effort. "I keep telling them to get past the first two rounds and then we'll see what happens. After that, anything can happen." But that's the thing about the NCAAs--anything can and will happen. Here's a look at how each Spartan could fare: 126 pounds- Perez, 25-4 this year, eked into the nationals by a hair. He lost in the PCAA finals to Fresno State's Joe Ismay, but was awarded one of the four wildcard berths given to wrestlers who finish either second or third. A rib injury hampered Perez late in the year, but the pain is minimal now. "I'm not going to worry about it," Perez said. "I'm just going to go out there like nothing's wrong. I can't let anybody stop me." If anybody can stop Perez, it's Michigan State's John MacFarlane, who'll be the likely No. 1 seed. Others to watch are Iowa State's Kevin Darkus and Ismay. "They're all going to be tough," Perez said. "They'll be a lot of guys who dropped down from 134." 142- Barnes, a three-time PCAA champion, would like to wipe away the memory of his past NCAA matches. In 1981, he was pinned by Wyoming's Chris Ball in the first round. Two years later, he lost to Iowa State's Randy Conrad. "Back then, i didn't have the strength, skill, or mental edge to go with those guys," Barnes said. This weight class is laded with dangerous wrestlers. The top dog is Cal State Bakersfield's Jesse Reyes, ranked No. 1 in the nation the likely No. 1 seed. Reyes didn't just beat Barnes, he pinned him in the second round in a dual meet against Bakersfield last month. Barnes has lost a few other matches, compiling a 31-5 record. One of those losses came against Oklahoma's Luke Skove, who'll also be on hand. "I had him beat," Barnes said. "He came back and beat me in the last ten seconds." 158- Of all the Spartan wrestlers, Pope may be the most awed by the NCAAs. He beat Utah State's Steve Ross in the finals of the PCAAs in what many considered a major upset. To Pope, though, it was no big deal. "To me, it wasn't a surprise. I knew i could do it." Pope, 23-10-1, is on a roll. "He has the potential to place," Kerr said. "And i'm not just blowing smoke because he's one of my wrestlers. A lot of coaches were impressed when he beat Ross." Inexperience could be a problem for Pope. But what sophomore wouldn't be a little jittery competing in the nationals for the first time. "There's a lot of pressure on him," Kerr said. "I had a talk with him this week. he can't worry about which guys ranked and which guy isn't. Just because a guy is ranked, doesn't mean squat. Anybody can get beat." But Oklahoma State's Jim Zylinsky isn't just anybody, though. Zylinsky, the defending 158-pound champion, hasn't been beat in two years. "He's a legitimate stud," Kerr said. "He's the only untouchable wrestler," Pope said of Zylinsky. "Realistically, i don't think i can beat him. That' not a good attitude, but technically he's solid." 177- Marvin Jones is still psyched out by a flexible cast he wears around his left hand to protect a thumb injury suffered in January. "Without the cast, i'd be 100 percent," he said. "It takes away from some of my attacking moves. I can't grip the legs with it." Jones, though, had no problems beating Fresno State's Gene Allison, 13-3, in the finals of the PCAA championships. But the cast has become a mental obstacle. "Before i got injured, i had the capabilities of winning it," he said. "Now, i'm looking for a fourth or a fifth. I just hope to make it to the semis." Jones, 26-6 and once ranked fifth in the nation, will have to get by Oklahoma's Dan Chaid or Minnesota's Mike Fox if he is to finish in the final four. |
||
