Wrestling hunts fifth straight title: No. 10 Quakers have won four straight Ivy titles, now look for national glory

Eight hundred eighty-seven miles. That's what separates the Penn wrestling team from glory, from a national championship. The season's ultimate goal lies 887 miles and five months away, at the Kiel Center in St. Louis. Penn's is a team steeped in history, in glory and in tradition. Just 20 years ago, the program fought for its life as Penn's administration threatened to disband it. Now, strengthened and inspired by the new Pottruck Wrestling Complex, the Quakers -- ranked in the preseason as the No. 10 team in the country -- will try over the next five months to win their first-ever national title. "No one's scored any points yet at the national championships, so right now we're in the same position as any other team," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "We've always finished higher than our preseason national ranking [but] at this point in time, there's a great deal of work and learning that needs to be put in. NCAA Championships are in March, and we've just begun our season." "It would be a little cocky to say we're going to win a national title," added Penn junior Yoshi Nakamura, who last year tied Brandon Slay's Penn record with 33 wins for the season. "You can never count anybody out. We're definitely working towards it." The Quakers return six NCAA qualifiers -- Bandele Adeniyi-Bada (Hwt.), Justin Bravo (125 pounds), Matter (149), Jason Nagle (133), Nakamura (157) and Rick Springman (174) -- four of whom are individual champions from last year's Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Tournament. "I think our potential is unlimited, and we can climb higher and higher," said Penn's Tim Ortman, a sprint football star who will wrestle at 157 and 165. "Looking at the lineup, we've got a lot of guys that can place. We can hang with or beat any team in the country." While Reina is as optimistic as his wrestlers, he is keeping the team more focused on maximizing performance and staying the course. "It is kind of like a race with the finish line in March," Reina said. "You want to run fast and that's development and improvement. You want to be faster and smarter." That development towards the final goal comes from a season of dual meets and open meets. The toughest challenge of the early season will come when the Quakers host Penn State on December 11. The Nittany Lions finished last season at No. 4. "There are some big dual meets where we want some key performances, like Penn State," Matter said. "We should win those, but we kind of have a bullseye on us so we're going to have to perform." The Quakers have more than earned their status as targets. Penn has captured four straight Ivy League and EIWA titles. Staying out of the line of fire this season does not just mean continuing on the winning track for the Quakers -- the Red and Blue must remain healthy to succeed. "Staying healthy is important," Nakamura said. "We have to take care of our bodies, and if we do that, I don't see anybody stopping us." Perhaps the best measure of where Penn is before March will be at the Midlands Open at Northwestern. Of course, during last season, when Penn had its best finish ever at No. 11 in the country, it was the first time since 1995 that the Quakers did not make the top 10 at Midlands. That does not mean at all that they don't want to have a better showing there this time around. "The Midlands tournament is big and tells you where you're at in regards to the national level," Nakamura said. "It's a very tough tournament, and everyone there is at the NCAA Tournament and a good result there is promising for the future. We have to remember that it's all practice, though, until Easterns and NCAAs. It's a halfway mark for us." Still, the Quakers are not taking anyone lightly. In January, Penn travels to Purdue and Michigan, as well as the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Dual Meet Championship at Penn State. Plus, every team in the Ancient Eight and EIWA will be out for an upset when the Red and Blue come calling. "You're always focused," Matter said. "In any athletic event, you never look by anyone. That's been pounded into our brains. It is hard, though, and sometimes you overlook some of the easier opponents. We have one of the best coaching staffs, if not the best coaching staff in the country, and they make us ready every time we step out onto the mat. They make sure we're ready to do that." If the Quakers are equally prepared every time they step out onto the mat for the next five months, then by the time they get to the Kiel Center for the NCAA Tournament, Penn's wrestling tradition might just get richer.