Big weekend ahead at Journeymen Classic

Sunday, November 13

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Big weekend ahead at Journeymen Classic

November 10, 2016 | Wrestling

Varsity Magazine All-Star Classic Highlights

Fourteen to wrestle for UW program’s first time at New York event

By: Kelli Grashel

MADISON, Wis. — A big weekend lies ahead for the Wisconsin wrestling team as the squad sends 14 wrestlers to the Journeymen Classic in Troy, New York at Hudson Valley Community College. Some of the nation's best will be opening their season at the collegiate competition.

"I told the guys this: go out and be the best you can be," head coach Barry Davis said. "That means compete hard for seven minutes, put yourself in positions to win, get to your ties, and all the small things. If we're doing all the small things right and on the attack, the results will speak for themselves.

"But you can't go out and feel things out and let the clock run down. So, go out, be aggressive, get your ties and go. Wrestle the full seven minutes and go from there."

Wisconsin is headed into uncharted territory as it heads to the Journeymen Classic for the first time in program history. Wrestlers from seven of the nation's top-25 ranked teams will be on tap for the Badgers in the big competition. UW will face competition from two top-10 ranked teams in Ohio State and North Carolina State.

But the 20th-ranked Badgers will be bringing some stout competition of their own to the mat on Sunday. Returning NCAA qualifiers Ryan Christensen and Ricky Robertson will be hitting the mat for the first time this season, but they'll be checking in at new weights. Robertson will jump up to 197 pounds, while Christensen will be dropping down to 174 for the first competition of the year.

Three of the Badgers' starters — Andrew Crone (149), Luke Rowh (141) and Eric Peissig (197) — will also be making the trip to New York looking for a strong start.

Six Badgers will be making their debut for the Cardinal and White outside of unattached competition in open tournaments. Michael Cullen (125), Eli Stickley (133), Cole Martin (141), Izaec Quintanilla (157) and Hunter Ritter (184) will be getting their first taste of some top-ranked opposition.

Rylan Lubeck, a 2015 NCAA qualifier, is fresh off his opening weekend at the Pointer Open where he took first place at 157 pounds. He defeated UW teammate Quintanilla 4-0 in the Open's final. In total, seven Badgers competed in the Pointer Open and all seven went to the finals of their respective weight classes. Five of them brought home first-place crowns.

Connor Medbery rounds out the 14-man roster headed to New York. He and teammate Isaac Jordan return this week from a historic trip to Cleveland and the National Wrestling Coaches' Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic. The Badgers' duo made their marks in the UW record books, winning both of their individual matches against some of the nation's most elite competition. UW wrestlers are now 13-12-1 all-time in the All-Star Classic.

Jordan was a comeback kid at the classic, winning his match 5-3 despite facing a 3-0 deficit midway through the second period.
After taking an Olympic redshirt season, Medbery made his triumphant return back to college wrestling with an exciting top-talent matchup and won 5-2. The Badgers' third-ranked heavyweight wrestled No. 2 Ty Walz of Virginia Tech.

"I had full confidence in all of our coaches, I can't be in everyone's corner all the time," Davis added. "I have total confidence in Coach Ruschell, Coach Brandvold and Coach Eppert, I think they went down there and got the job done. They're capable of doing that and it turned out great."