The Quakers' opening tournament witnessed the resurfacing of proven stars and the emergence of fresh new faces.
Quakers All-American Matt Herrington captured the 174-pound title at Michigan State Open yesterday, while Matt Valenti, last year's national champion at 133 pounds, recorded a second-place finish for the Red and Blue.
For all the accolades earned by Penn's veteran grapplers yesterday, however, the spotlight perhaps shined most brightly on the team's newest additions. Coaches and teammates alike had nothing but praise for their freshman standouts, Thomas Shovlin and Rollie Peterkin.
"They're the future of Penn wrestling," head coach Zeke Jones said. "Rollie Peterkin and Thomas Shovlin really fared well."
Jones also expounded on the important experience his freshmen gained after stepping on a collegiate mat for the first time.
"I think they got a really good taste of college wrestling," he said. "They showed that they can compete at a high level. . They're certainly going to compete for high honors this year."
Despite all the excitement surrounding the rising freshmen, Herrington still had time to reflect on his hard-earned championship victory.
"It was a great way to start the season," he said. "I definitely got the ball rolling and it was a great chance to see where I am so far."
His coach agreed.
"Certainly, Herrington did a super job," Jones said. "He came out on top and really competed well."
Jones did stress, however, that a long season lies ahead, and that his new champ must further strengthen his technique in order for the victories to continue piling up.
"He got an opportunity to compete against some of the best kids in the country," he said. "But there are certainly some areas that he can continue to improve on."
Away from the Herrington hoopla, Matt Valenti quietly voiced his disappointment with his personal performance. Valenti holds himself to the highest of standards - for the defending champ, anything less than a title is simply unacceptable.
"I'm never happy losing a match," Valenti said. "I'm pretty disappointed and not very happy with my performance."
However unhappy he was with his own performance, Valenti found solace in the knowledge that the future of his beloved program is in good hands.
"Rollie and Thomas came out and wrestled very well," he said. "They both came out and showed their true colors."
Although Peterkin was enthusiastic about beginning his wrestling career, he knows that he has a long way to go before he can reach Valenti's vaunted status.
"He's still my role model," Peterkin said.
