On Friday night, the Binghamton University wrestling team kicked off the 2010-11 season with its annual Wrestle-Off dual meet at the West Gym. The team was divided into two squads ‘ Bearcat Grey and Bearcat Black. The Grey team consisted mostly of incumbent starters and veterans, while the Black team was compiled of newcomers and wrestlers seeking to break into the starting lineup. The Grey team won the dual 39-7.
It’s difficult to gauge the wrestlers’ progress since they wrestle each other in training, but Binghamton head coach Pat Popolizio liked what he saw from his team during the meet.
‘I thought overall the guys performed pretty well,’ he said. ‘It’s tough having intrasquad ‘ Wrestling each other is always a challenge because they practice with each other. I liked the aggressive style. Obviously we have things to fine tune, but there was a good attitude out there.’
The most wide-open competition is in the 197-pound weight class. The dual featured two 197-pound matchups early on, and the two winners of those matches squared off in the final match of the night. Sophomore Cody Reed defeated senior Matt Berretta 4-3 in double overtime in the first match at 197. Sophomore John Paris then went on to beat fellow sophomore Mike McKeever by major decision, 12-3. Reed beat Paris 10-3 at the end of the night, presumably giving himself the upper hand in the competition at the weight class. Berretta’s experience may keep him in the mix throughout the season.
At 174 pounds, freshman Tyler Beckwith, who was expected to have a stranglehold on the starting position after an outstanding high school career, fell 3-1 to senior Ryan McGarity. Beckwith is the top 174-pound recruit in the country, according to InterMat. He posted a 210-10 record at Greene High School, but it may take time for him to adjust to the collegiate level.
Another heralded recruit, freshman heavyweight Lance Moore, lost to senior Dan Bittner 7-6 in four overtimes. Moore, who attended Johnson City High School as a senior, went undefeated last season, posting a 32-0 record en route to a state championship. Bittner went 14-9 last season.
Nick Meinsen is another freshman who won a state championship in high school. The John Glenn High School product was pinned by sophomore Dan Riggi at the 6:40 mark in a 133-pound match that began the dual. Riggi’s win earned him a match against junior Anthony Jerome. Jerome bested Riggi 3-1.
Although the matches are intended to give the coaching staff a better indication as to who will start in dual meets, this competition was not the end-all, be-all for the younger wrestlers who are getting their first taste of college wrestling.
‘It’s a long season,’ Popolizio said. ‘You’re going to see young guys keep building and getting better. It’s just the early part of the season. It’s not where we start, it’s where we end.’
The Bearcats are scheduled to have their first official competition this Sunday. They are set to host the Binghamton Open at 9 a.m. in the Events Center. Twenty schools will be represented at the tournament, including No. 1 Cornell University. Popolizio is looking forward to building off of last year’s success and taking the team to even greater heights.
‘We made a lot of mistakes [Friday], but overall I think having an aggressive style is something we’re trying to work on,’ Popolizio said. ‘Being a little more aggressive is going to help in the long run. Our returning national qualifiers all look great, our young guys look young, and we’ve got to build off that.’