Wrestlers take on nation's elite at Midlands

While most students will be at home getting ready for the big new year's weekend, the Penn wrestling team will be in Evanston, Ill., December 29-30 for the Midlands Open Tournament. But there is no place that the Quakers would rather be. The Midlands is considered to be the most prestigious meet of the year next to the NCAA championships. Two-thirds of last year's NCAA individual champions competed at the Midlands prior to winning their titles. And while Penn has sent individuals to the meet in the past, this is the first time that the Quakers will be going as a team. "The invitation is largely based on our dual-meet success the past two years," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "But it's also a recognition of the strength of the current team." The Quakers will come back from the Midlands to compete in the Millersville Invitational on January 6, where they hope to defend the title they won at last year's tournament. Penn's toughest competition will be Seton Hall and Maryland, who finished second and third at the tournament last year. The Quakers will also face off against fellow Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association members Harvard, Rutgers and East Stroudsburg. "The Millersville Invitational will give a lot of the team a chance to compete," Reina said. "Unlike Midlands, where only the top ten wrestlers compete, we'll probably bring 25 people to Millersville." The final competition for the Quakers over winter break will be the Virginia Duals. The tournament is a double-elimination dual-meet format featuring sixteen of the country's top teams. This is the third straight year that Penn has been invited to compete. Two years ago, Penn lost its first two meets, but last season the Quakers compiled a 3-2 record on their way to a seventh-place finish. To repeat last year's performance, Penn will have to defeat some of the nation's elite teams, including Minnesota, Illinois, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Lehigh. "We schedule tougher competition now so that we'll be stronger at the end of the year when it matters most," Reina said. Each of the three meets will help to the continue the learning process for this year's young team. The Quakers will have to bounce back from a disappointing performance in the Penn State Open, where they placed eight wrestlers in the quarterfinals, only to go 1-for-8 in those matches. "We were on the verge of accomplishing a lot more at Penn State," Reina said. "There were some really important lessons to be learned there, and I don't expect us to have to learn them twice." Reina has been encouraged by the work ethic and attitude of this year's young team, although he expects nothing less than what they have shown. He believes the team is acting like it has something to prove. He singled out the performances of freshmen Brett Matter, Eric Stultz, and Andre Rodzianko, who have all claimed starting spots. The Quakers will also be helped by the return of two of its key wrestlers. Clinton Matter will return to competition after missing the Penn State open. Joey Allen, who is still getting into shape after football season, will probably compete for the first time this year at the Virginia Duals. Reina made it clear he is still not satisfied with how his team is competing now and is looking for improvement as the season progresses. "I expect everyone to step up their level," Reina said.