Wrestling pins national ranking

The Quakers head to Iowa City this weekend hoping gor a top eight finish at the Cliff Keen/National Wrestling coaches Association National Duals. The Penn wrestling team is determined to prove itself in its last major litmus test before championship tournaments begin at the end of winter. The 12th-ranked Quakers make their second-ever visit to the invitation-only Cliff Keen/National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals next weekend at the Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. "This is a peak in the season, but ultimately the main peak is going to be the season-ending tournaments at the Eastern Championships and the NCAAs," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "This is another real good opportunity for us to become better prepared for those season-ending events." Last year's inaugural participation gave the team valuable experience with elite collegiate competition. The mission on this trip is to improve from last year's top-12 showing in the tournament to the top eight, according to Reina. In the 1997 National Duals at Lincoln, Nebraska, Penn gave Iowa State a run, never trailing until the final stages of their first-round match. Both teams ended in a stalemate but the Cyclones won on near-fall points. The Quakers lost their ensuing consolation-bracket match to Penn State. "We tied Iowa State, which showed us where we were [nationally]," Penn sophomore Tim Ortman said. "But, we also were disappointed with the way we wrestled in the next two matches. "I think this year we want to go in there really focused and concentrate on each match we go through and not wrestle down a level . We want a more well-rounded performance than last year." Last year's Duals experience of six anticipated starters may translate in a higher finish this time around. Nevertheless, they encounter a tough field featuring eight of the top nine teams in the country, including host Iowa. "It's a good opportunity for our team to show where we're at nationally," Ortman said. "It's a good opportunity for us to move ahead in the rankings." Penn comes off a third-place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions, featuring a tough encounter with top-ranked Oklahoma State. This time, however, the Quakers are not comfortable with any moral victories. "When we were out west, we had specific goals in stepping up to that next level -- we had talked about it, and we didn't really do it," Ortman said. Reina has set up a tough schedule this season for the purpose of having the team better-prepared against higher-ranked opponents. "I thought we wrestled well, but I think we're capable of competing harder, and with more confidence against top-level teams," Reina said. "My expectation is that we step up against national-level competition." Among Penn's key veterans this weekend is senior co-captain Brandon Slay, currently ranked fourth in the nation within the 167-pound weight class, according to Amateur Wrestling News. Two of the three wrestlers ranked ahead of Slay are expected to be at the Duals. Points production will be expected from the younger team members as well, including Penn freshman Yoshi Nakamura, sophomore Mike Fickell and freshman Rick Springman. All three wrestlers saw action in Reno in the loss to Oklahoma State, possibly a positive heading into another big tournament. "Our younger guys have seen a lot of real strong competition, so I think they are going to be well-prepared for it," Reina said. "Our more experienced wrestlers competed in this event last year, so I think they'll be as prepared as anybody there."