The Penn wrestling team will end its pre-Ivy League schedule in grand fashion at Ohio State in the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals beginning tomorrow afternoon.
The eighth-ranked Quakers (1-1) join the other top eight teams in the nation in the 16-team tournament.
All 16 teams are in the top 25 nationally, with the Red and Blue the only Ivy League representative.
"More than anything this is a tremendous opportunity for exposure for our wrestlers," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "Seeing this level of competition for both Ivies and Eastern Championships will be phenomenal."
The Quakers enter the tourney as the eighth seed and will face No. 24 Fresno State in the first round.
The Bulldogs are led by 125-pound senior Stephen Abas, a three-time All-American and top-ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight class.
"He's tremendous, not only here but at the world level as well," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "It's a great opportunity for Mason [Lenhard, Penn's 125-pounder]."
Abas is the highlight of a very strong lightweight group that is the strength of Fresno's lineup.
"Their first four weight classes are very competitive," Reina said. "It will be a rough going early. We'll need to make up some ground in the upper weight classes."
Should the higher seeds win their first round matches, the Quakers would face the No. 1 team in the nation, Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers return nine starters from their 2001 national champion squad, the only team in NCAA history to have All-Americans at all 10 weight classes. The only replacement is 133-pound Ryan Lewis, filling in for departed senior Brett Lawrence.
Lewis, by the way, is No. 1 in the country in his weight class.
"He's probably better too," Reina said. "They're just a very rugged team."
There would be marquee matchups across the board if the Quakers advance. Penn senior co-captain Yoshi Nakamura (No. 2 nationally at 157 pounds) would face Minnesota's Luke Becker (No. 3).
The two faced off at the Midlands finals in December, with Nakamura taking that match.
Rick Springman, Penn's senior co-captain, who along with Nakamura is undefeated on the season, would face Jake Bolkman (No. 6 nationally at 174). Springman, with his No. 3 ranking comes in with a slight edge.
"Even where we're favored, we're mildly favored," Reina said.
Penn is not cowed by the prospect of playing the top team in the land, as they have done so as recently as the 2000 season, when they lost to Oklahoma State.
