COLUMN: Wrestling's ranking rises under Reina

From Rick Haggerty's, "House of Haggs" Central Michigan is ranked ninth in the nation; Penn is No. 20. Chippewas coach Tom Borelli is one man who thinks the Quakers' ranking is a bit too low. "We've seen them a number of times, and we think they're a top-10 team," Borelli said. Judging by recent history, the top 10 is just where this team should be headed. Since making its first appearance in the top 25 five years ago, Penn has moved up every year. Last season, the Quakers finished 13th. But the rankings are nothing more than a reflection of how this team has continued to improve over the past five years. A major reason for this improvement can be found in Penn coach Roger Reina, but Reina does not have any secret formula for the success of his teams. The fact that Ivy League schools cannot give athletic scholarships leads many people to believe that Ivy schools are at a distinct disadvantage in recruiting. For Reina and the Penn wrestling program, however, that's a tired notion. "I think the excuse that Ivy League schools can't give athletic scholarships is a cheap excuse," Reina said. "It's an excuse for lack of dedication and lack of performance. "They don't take their scholarship papers out on the mat to compete. It's one person against another person and it's really how hard you work." The hard work of the Red and Blue cannot be denied -- each day Reina is down on the mats coaching and practicing with his wrestlers in the sweaty, padded wrestling room of the Hutchinson Gymnasium basement. While work ethic keeps Penn on the way up, Reina is still able to recruit with the best of them. For Reina, getting a recruiting class that features All-Americans is a yearly achievement and his philosophy about the program allows him to sell it rather easily. Wrestlers know that there will be no financial reward for being the best in their sport and Reina looks for athletes with visions that extend past the next four years. Yoshi Nakamura, a Wharton sophomore who interned with Charles Schwab last summer, shares Reina's outlook. "I had a friend who wrestled for Penn and I knew Penn was a tough wrestling school. But I also knew the Wharton school had a lot to offer," Nakamura said. "You can't beat that combination." So while Nakamura and his teammates will be well prepared after graduation, they are also set to dominate the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association once again. Before reaching the conference championships in March, though, Penn must fight through the rest of its schedule, including this weekend's match against Ivy rival Cornell, currently ranked 18th. A win over the Big Red would certainly move the Quakers closer to the promised land of the top 10, and Reina is looking for all of his wrestlers to perform up to their abilities on the same day -- something that he hasn't seen yet this year. "We haven't molded as a team yet," Nakamura said. "Once we reach our full potential, I don't think there's anyone who can stop us." On one of the padded posts in the Penn wrestling room, a note lists 15 things an athlete must do to become a champion, leading to one final statement: "Do better than your best everyday." As a program, Penn has followed this advice for the past five years. Now, what remains to be seen is if each athlete can follow it at the same meet. If they can, Central Michigan coach Tom Borelli will not be alone in thinking that Penn belongs in the top 10.