Approaching the EIWA Championships this weekend, maybe all the wrestling team needs is a few words of inspiration from its former leader.
Roger Reina, who led the Quakers for 19 years before retiring in 2005, made an appearance at practice this week to speak to the team about how to approach the tournament, held at East Stroudsburg.
"He kind of ran through the tournament with the guys and talked about some of the years where Penn might have not been the favorites but still won the team title," current coach Zeke Jones said.
And this appears to be one of those years. Going through a tough schedule, Penn's 8-7-1 record, including losses to five higher-ranked teams, does not make it the team to beat this weekend.
"Our team has had a lot of gut-checks this year, we've gone through a lot," 174-pounder Matt Herrington said. "I think it's helped us find our weaknesses early on."
According to Jones, Cornell, with three wrestlers seeded at the top of their weightclasses coming into the tournament, appears to be the favorite this year. The last time Penn took an EIWA title was in 1999.
But the larger goal for the Quakers this weekend is advancing as many wrestlers as possible to the NCAA championships to be held March 15-17 in Detroit. Jones's goal is to send eight to the Motor City.
47 wrestlers from the EIWA will make the cut for the tournament, whether its through finishing in the top slots of their weightclasses or through a wildcard bid.
Seeded at No. 1 in the 133-pound weightclass, defending national champion Matt Valenti will continue to pace the Quakers.
"Matt's the leader of the team, so how Matt goes, the team goes," Jones said. "I think that energy will come from Matt as the leader of the group during the tournament."
Valenti will meet a formidable opponent in Cornell's Adam Frey, whose only loss this season has come at the hands of Valenti. Seeded No. 2, Frey may have a chance to avenge his loss in the finals.
"The conception would be that there is pressure on me, but it's something I try to avoid," Valenti said.
Matt Dragon, who won an EIWA title last year at 149 pounds as a freshman, will have an even greater chance at doing so again with Harvard's Andrew Flanagan not competing because of an injury.
And for one senior, this is the last chance to garner an elusive EIWA title. Herrington, previously named an All-American, has yet to take home the hardware.
"I guess I've had a lot of times this year where I was questioning my abilities," Herrington said. "Finally I'm at the point now where I can just let it all go and have no regrets."
