Following a season-defining comeback against then-No. 16 Wisconsin, the Penn wrestling team will head into its most important stretch of the season with the confidence that they can compete with any team in the nation.
Over winter break, the 12th-ranked Quakers (1-0) will head to Northwestern for the Midlands Open -- regarded as the most competitive collegiate tournament save the NCAA Championships. Three of the top five and twelve of the Top-25 nationally ranked teams plan to participate in the 60 to 65 team, two-day, double elimination meet.
Penn will not only be tested as a team, but the five Quakers ranked in the Top 20 of their respective weight classes will have the opportunity to prove their skills under the national spotlight. An impressive showing at the tournament would help the Quakers, who have improved steadily and extensively over the past several years, to gain respect among the nation's best.
"It's a very big tournament for us in terms of assessing where we are technically and competitively and also an opportunity to move up in the rankings and to gain seeding at the NCAAs," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "So it's big for us in a lot of different ways."
Traditionally, Penn has competed admirably at the Midlands, but last year most of the squad were disappointed with their performance. Yet, the Quakers did not have as many ranked and seeded wrestlers as they will this season, and expectations did not approach those in place for this year's team.
"I think right now, the way we have been working in the room and the way we competed last weekend, I think we're on pace just to do a lot better," senior Brett Vanderveer said. "I think we'll come home with some place winners and hopefully finish very high as a team."
After the Midlands Open, the Quakers will have only three days rest before they head to Dallas for the Lone Star Duals on Jan. 3. There, they will have four difficult dual meets all in one day against No. 8 Michigan, No. 24 Boise State, Northern Illinois and Central Oklahoma.
Michigan, who will provide the Quakers toughest competition of the weekend, has seven wrestlers ranked in the Top 20 of their weight classes, including No. 6 Mark Moos at 125 pounds, No. 17 Clark Forward at 141 pounds, No. 19 Josh Weitzel at 184 pounds and No. 6 Greg Wagner as a heavyweight. The Quakers have wrestlers ranked in the Top 20 in each of those weight classes along with No. 15 Paul Velekei at 184 pounds.
"We have several individuals on our team who were recruited by Michigan, individuals on their squad who we recruited," Reina said. "They offer a very strong combination of academics and wrestling as do we. That's a very big dual meet for us in a lot of ways."
Boise State has only one wrestler ranked in the Top 20, but has solid wrestlers in every weight class.
Northern Illinois received an honorable mention in the latest WIN-Magazine poll and has three wrestlers ranked in the Top 20.
Vanderveer -- who was dominant last weekend at the Penn State Open -- and Reina both stressed that the Quakers need to stay aggressive on offense regardless of their opponent.
"Coach basically said start concentrating on getting after it, don't focus too much on the score or winning or losing," Vanderveer said. "Just if you get after it, winning will take care of itself and I think that showed this weekend through our whole team.
"I think we really went after it and I think it is a good starting point. I think it will lead to good things over the break at Midlands," he added.
