Wrestling triumvirate pins down team chemistry

Last summer, after most Penn students took their final exams of the year, they went home to recover. But after taking their last exam, Penn wrestlers Josh Bailer, Clinton Matter and Brandon Slay hopped into two cars and drove west to work at an investment firm in San Francisco and to continue their training. The three friends were up at 6 a.m. every day to lift weights, were at work by 8:00, at Stanford to wrestle by 6 p.m., and were home by 10:00. "We knew we had to train hard to show that we were serious about the upcoming season," Slay said. Their arduous daily sessions were tiring, but they felt the training was necessary for the year ahead. "Instead of looking at it negatively, we looked at it in a positive way," Bailer said. The personal commitment made by the three captains is deeply instilled in the entire Penn wrestling team, and their leadership plays a large part in those values. "Throughout their careers, they have been personally committed to accomplishing their goals," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "The three are surrounded by a group who have done the same." The friendship among the three captains has boosted their own careers and has helped the rest of the team excel, as well. "Since we're so tight, that reflects on the team," Bailer said. "It serves as a sense of confidence and tightness for the whole team." This weekend, the Quakers move into their dual-meet style tournaments with the National Dual-Meet Championships at Lincoln, Neb. Penn is the first Ivy-League school and the first team in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association's history to be invited to this prestigious tournament. "It is a great honor for the program and the University to compete there," Reina said. "We've proven that we can compete at this level, but now we need to enter it with poise, confidence and focus to be successful." In attendance will be 13 of the top Division I teams in the country, along with the defending Division II and III champions. The tournament will feature top-seeded Iowa, ranked No. 1 in the nation, as well as Oklahoma State and Iowa State, the second and third seeds, respectively. The Quakers are currently ranked No. 18 in the nation and for them to be invited to this tournament truly shows Penn's talent. They will be the only team there which does not offer scholarships. With its No. 18 ranking, the Red and Blue have been able to successfully recruit top wrestlers, despite being limited by Ivy League regulations. The Quakers also have maintained a top-10 academic ranking among all the wrestling teams in the country. "We have performance-oriented goals and we concentrate on individual technique along with maintaining poise and confidence," Reina said. "Over the years, this focus that has built this program has not and will not change." Dual-meet tournaments demand that 10 strong performances be given and it provides an opportunity for a team to build camaraderie. "The chemistry of the team is still coming together," Reina said. "This weekend will really help them develop." Some have heralded this Penn team as the best the Ivy League has ever seen. This added pressure has only been working to their advantage. "You just have to wrestle up to that," Slay said. "To get better, we have to wrestle guys better than we are. Our schedule gets tougher and we've done better every year." The Quakers ended last year's season ranked No. 23 in the nation and broke the top 20 this season. "We handle it as best we can and the team does, as well," Bailer said. "Everyone has performed up to, if not surpassed, those expectations." Eight of Penn's wrestlers are currently ranked in the top five in the East, of which three are nationally ranked in the top 10. All three captains have been ranked nationally, as high as No. 2. "That's what it takes," Reina said. "It is this time of the season and this kind of event where you look toward your captains, they have made a huge commitment."