Well its over. It did not end the way that we as Hawkeye Wrestling fans would like it to end, but it did end with a Champion for our final match of the year. A nice spring board to next year. Ah next year, what will it hold? Who knows. There has been alot of frustration this year on this board about what is or isn't being done by our coaches and wrestlers. 1st i will say i don't think our coaches are doing anything different than they have in the past. Did you see the passion of Tom Brands during the Ramos Match last night? That is not the reaction of a coach that is not trying to get his wrestlers to wrestle with high intensity. Then there is Mcd. We have learned since his unusual showing at nationals that he does have a nagging injury and that explains alot. Our nationals performance. We finished 4th. Not bad if you look at the facts. First we lose Telford on the first day. Then Mcd just can't wrestle due to injury. Then it was quite apparent that with an injured knee, that Evans was not himself. These three situations didn't do anything to help our Nationals tourney. Not making excuses, just stating facts.
So what does next year hold?? I think that with Ramos, Evans,Burak and Telford returning, we have a solid base to build off. With guys like Clark, and Dzweia and others waiting in the wings, i beleive we will be ok.
The one thing i feel we lack is an emotional leader (insert Ramos and or Evans). This team needs someone or a couple of people to step forward and take the leadership roll on this team and get the young guys going. Winning each match by 1 or 2 points is not going to win a big ten or a Ncaa title. We need a leader that when they go out of bounds during a match they run back to the center circle whether they are winning or losing. We need a leader who shows some nastyness. I think back to when the Brands, Herfernan, McIlravy, Banach's and others were on the mat for Iowa, when they walked onto the mat they had a certain edge to their walk that told the opponent with out saying anything you have just entered the toughest match you will ever have and you had better bring it for seven minutes or suffer. The closest thing we have had to that for the last few years is Ramos and Evans. I remember talking with ISU fans when tom or terry brands would give a guy an extra shove out of bounds and they would say that was terrible sportsmanship. Well maybe so, but it also sent a message to the opponent. Maybe i am wrong, but that is the type of attitude that we need to get back to. Look at how PSU wrestlers have wrestled the last couple of years. They don't go out to just wrestle, they go out to score and score alot and bury their opponent. We are not far from this, we just need a leader to take this team to the next level.
I love my Hawkeye Wrestling, hence my forum name, fuldose, i love a fuldose of Hawkeye Wrestling every chance i get. I may not be the most informed poster at all times but i know what if see out of this team and we are not that far from standing on top of the podium again. I have all the confidence in the world in our coaches, staff and wrestlers. Just remember, our program could be like our friends in ames, and lord knows we are a long way from that.
So what does next year hold?? I think that with Ramos, Evans,Burak and Telford returning, we have a solid base to build off. With guys like Clark, and Dzweia and others waiting in the wings, i beleive we will be ok.
The one thing i feel we lack is an emotional leader (insert Ramos and or Evans). This team needs someone or a couple of people to step forward and take the leadership roll on this team and get the young guys going. Winning each match by 1 or 2 points is not going to win a big ten or a Ncaa title. We need a leader that when they go out of bounds during a match they run back to the center circle whether they are winning or losing. We need a leader who shows some nastyness. I think back to when the Brands, Herfernan, McIlravy, Banach's and others were on the mat for Iowa, when they walked onto the mat they had a certain edge to their walk that told the opponent with out saying anything you have just entered the toughest match you will ever have and you had better bring it for seven minutes or suffer. The closest thing we have had to that for the last few years is Ramos and Evans. I remember talking with ISU fans when tom or terry brands would give a guy an extra shove out of bounds and they would say that was terrible sportsmanship. Well maybe so, but it also sent a message to the opponent. Maybe i am wrong, but that is the type of attitude that we need to get back to. Look at how PSU wrestlers have wrestled the last couple of years. They don't go out to just wrestle, they go out to score and score alot and bury their opponent. We are not far from this, we just need a leader to take this team to the next level.
I love my Hawkeye Wrestling, hence my forum name, fuldose, i love a fuldose of Hawkeye Wrestling every chance i get. I may not be the most informed poster at all times but i know what if see out of this team and we are not that far from standing on top of the podium again. I have all the confidence in the world in our coaches, staff and wrestlers. Just remember, our program could be like our friends in ames, and lord knows we are a long way from that.