The Binghamton wrestling team is set to hit the road this weekend to participate in the New York State Championships hosted by Cornell.
At the Championships, the team hopes to continue an already solid start to the season. BU (4-2, 1-0 EIWA) recorded a 2-1 at the Northeastern Duals last Sunday, capped by a hard-fought 19-12 loss to a nationally ranked program in North Carolina.
“We are challenging this team to be the best version of itself no matter the situation,” BU head coach Matt Dernlan said. “Whether it’s practice, whether it’s a team we will face this weekend or whether it’s a top-15 team like UNC — and I think they have really embraced that mentality.”
In BU’s first tournament of the season, three wrestlers placed in the top four of their respective weight classes. Sophomore Steve Schneider placed third in the 184-pound class. Sophomore Vincent DePrez placed fourth in the 157-pound class while his twin brother, redshirt freshman Anthony DePrez, finished third in the 165-pound division.
After a 23-17 freshman campaign last season while wrestling at 174 pounds, Schneider has been moved up a weight class to 184 for 2015-16. So far, at his new weight, Schneider has recorded an impressive 6-2 record, with one of those losses coming against last season’s national champion in that class — Cornell’s Gabe Dean.
“We knew coming out of high school he was probably going to grow one or two weight classes once his body finally matured and he’s not quite there yet,” Dernlan said of Schneider. “He’s not a full-fledged 184-pounder, but it’s a more natural weight class for him.”
Last year, Schneider was one of three Bearcats to place at the NYS Championships, placing fourth to help Binghamton place sixth out of 28 total teams. But for Dernlan, this weekend is about more than how his team finishes.
“We are more focused on the development and improvement of the team,” Dernlan said. “Our takeaway this week is more about improving from past weeks … Our concern is the growth and development of these young guys week to week.”
Binghamton currently has 11 wrestlers with records above .500 this season, but only two are upperclassmen. However, BU’s abundance of youth doesn’t equate to a lack of leadership. Senior 174-pound Jack McKeever has 50 career wins at BU and is now the leader of the young Bearcat squad.
“Jack has seen it all, he’s been through the wars, he’s been through the hard fights and he knows what each stage of the season brings, not only from a physical standpoint but a mental stand point,” Dernlan said. “Jack is a one-stop-shop when it comes to leadership. In every phase of his life he leads.”
The Bearcats will certainly need to lean on McKeever’s leadership this weekend, where they will be up against some very tough competition, including eighth-ranked Cornell — a perennial power on the mat.
“If we can continue to be the best version of ourselves, then I think we will see another big gain here this weekend,” Dernlan said.
The New York State Championships are set to kick off on Sunday morning from Barton Hall in Ithaca, NY.