Sean Reynolds at Dave Schultz tournament

[Conquistadors]

I thought that Illinois fans would be interested to see that Illinois recruit Sean Reynolds participated in the Dave Schultz tournament in freestyle. He was at 66 kg (approx 145 pounds)-- I have to admit that I thought that Sean would be bigger by now. How is he going to fit into a line-up with Troy Tirapelle at 149 and Michael Poeta at 157 (both freshmen now)?

Anyway, the weight class that Sean wrestled in was absolutely stacked with former NCAA champs and high placers. Chris Bone beat Eric Larkin in the finals and Jared Frayer beat Arsen Shakhrutdinob of Russia for 3rd place. Others in the weight class include NCAA Champs Cliff Moore, Aaron Holker (safely back from Iraq), Bill Zadick, NCAA runner-ups Philip Simpson and Dylan Long, and AAs Jamarr Billman and Jeff Ratliff. Also present was Canadian World Medalis Evan McDonald.

Sean beat Dylon Long 5-1, 1-1 before losing to Philip Simpson 2-0, 2-0. In the consolations he lost to Cliff Moore 1-0, 1-0. So everyone he wrestled was an NCAA finalist. As we all know, freestyle success does not necessarily indicate folkstyle success, but still an impressive outing for young Sean. Just how he'll fit into the Illinois line-up, I don't know.

[ugly1]

I thought that Illinois fans would be interested to see that Illinois recruit Sean Reynolds participated in the Dave Schultz tournament in freestyle. He was at 66 kg (approx 145 pounds)-- I have to admit that I thought that Sean would be bigger by now. How is he going to fit into a line-up with Troy Tirapelle at 149 and Michael Poeta at 157 (both freshmen now)?

Anyway, the weight class that Sean wrestled in was absolutely stacked with former NCAA champs and high placers. Chris Bone beat Eric Larkin in the finals and Jared Frayer beat Arsen Shakhrutdinob of Russia for 3rd place. Others in the weight class include NCAA Champs Cliff Moore, Aaron Holker (safely back from Iraq), Bill Zadick, NCAA runner-ups Philip Simpson and Dylan Long, and AAs Jamarr Billman and Jeff Ratliff. Also present was Canadian World Medalis Evan McDonald.

Sean beat Dylon Long 5-1, 1-1 before losing to Philip Simpson 2-0, 2-0. In the consolations he lost to Cliff Moore 1-0, 1-0. So everyone he wrestled was an NCAA finalist. As we all know, freestyle success does not necessarily indicate folkstyle success, but still an impressive outing for young Sean. Just how he'll fit into the Illinois line-up, I don't know.

Sean won't be in the line-up for 2 more years, so Troy and Mike will be Juniors then. I think Troy or Sean will have to go to 141 for them both to fit into the line-up. Either that or one of them better grow into a 165 pounder. From what I hear Sean can already beat Troy, but no matter what Illinois will have a very good line-up for many years to come. Just think in 2 years the line-up could be...

125-Kennedy
133-Gomez
141-Reynolds
149-Tirapelle
157-Poeta
165-Bergsrund
174-Dergo
184-Bond
197-Guida
HWT-Weight

Obviously this is just a guess at weights and I am not sure what year Flores or Weight are. If Flores is still around in 2 years he will be the starter some where. There could be worse problems than trying to fit all of that talent into a line-up. My question is how do you keep convincing guys to come to school there and sit on the bench for a couple of years waiting for their turn?

[Conquistadors]

Sean won't be in the line-up for 2 more years, so Troy and Mike will be Juniors then. I think Troy or Sean will have to go to 141 for them both to fit into the line-up. Either that or one of them better grow into a 165 pounder. From what I hear Sean can already beat Troy, but no matter what Illinois will have a very good line-up for many years to come. Just think in 2 years the line-up could be...

125-Kennedy
133-Gomez
141-Reynolds
149-Tirapelle
157-Poeta
165-Bergsrund
174-Dergo
184-Bond
197-Guida
HWT-Weight

Obviously this is just a guess at weights and I am not sure what year Flores or Weight are. If Flores is still around in 2 years he will be the starter some where. There could be worse problems than trying to fit all of that talent into a line-up. My question is how do you keep convincing guys to come to school there and sit on the bench for a couple of years waiting for their turn?

Somehow Ok State manages to convince top-caliber lightweights to join them.

It wouldn't suprise me if Sean can beat Troy in the practice room now. That isn't the same as performing week after week in Div I. Also, watching Troy I have the feeling that he is just beginning to figure out how to wrestle Div I. Troy is aggressive and physically strong right now, but I bet by next year he'll be more "aggressive-smart" and even stronger.

Just my guess, but I seriously doubt that Sean will be able to make 141 in two years. Maybe I'm wrong.

I'm pretty certain that you should switch weight classes for Bond and Guida.

Matt Weight will be a senior next year. Also, I think the Illini are hoping that John Wise comes along. I watched him at Midlands and he looked to have the size and great athleticism, but just lacked experience at the Div I level. So maybe if his wrestling skills improve over the next 8 months he'll be able to be competitive at the Div I level. Tough competition at this level.

[Achilles]

My guess would be poeta would stay at 165, why would he go back down? he is building into a 165 now. And Reynolds would be 57 or 49 tirapelli would fill the other, and i bet reynolds would tool tirapelli in a match. Poeta has allready established him self at 165 he pretty much beat Churella who was ranked #1 in many polls, and after the top 3 graduate i would think that he would be right there in the running for a title at 165, why hurt the team and throw poeta into a harder weight class by bumping him down to 157?

[u of i]

in response to some of those comments:
-flores is "planning" on going 125 next year
-poeta will most likely go 157 next year seeing as he cuts no weight whatsoever and only weighs in at about 161
-guida would be at 184 but i dont know if he'll be a starter
-bond will be at 197 and should be a top level competitor next year
-by next year wise should almost have guaranteed his spot as a starter, he just needs some experience, his natural farm boy strength along with some added experience will make him very tough

[ugly1]

I know Flores is planning on going 125 next year. My projected line-up was for 2 years from now. I wasn't sure if Flores will still be around in 2 years. If he is, then you will have Gomez, Flores, and Kennedy trying to fill 2 spots.

I don't think there is any doubt that Sean could compete at the D-1 level week to week.The guys he wrestled this past weekend were no slouches and he did pretty well. I do understand what you are saying though. I agree that Troy is just going to keep getting better. He is solid right now and the experience is going to help him tremendously. I think he has the ability to pull off some upsets and make some noise come March. Of course he has to get through the Big 10 which is a meat grinder at 149. I think he will qualify for the NCAA tournament. I don't know if Sean can make 141 in 2 years. I was just trying to figure out a way to get him and Troy into the line-up together.

Thanks for the correction on Bond and Giuda. I don't know why I had them switched.

The coaches were hoping Poeta would grow into a solid 165 pounder and he hasn't grown as much as they were hoping. I think he will be at 157 for the rest of his career.

Like I said trying to fit all of Illinois talent into a line-up is a nice problem to have.

[Achilles]

I know Flores is planning on going 125 next year. My projected line-up was for 2 years from now. I wasn't sure if Flores will still be around in 2 years. If he is, then you will have Gomez, Flores, and Kennedy trying to fill 2 spots.

I don't think there is any doubt that Sean could compete at the D-1 level week to week.The guys he wrestled this past weekend were no slouches and he did pretty well. I do understand what you are saying though. I agree that Troy is just going to keep getting better. He is solid right now and the experience is going to help him tremendously. I think he has the ability to pull off some upsets and make some noise come March. Of course he has to get through the Big 10 which is a meat grinder at 149. I think he will qualify for the NCAA tournament. I don't know if Sean can make 141 in 2 years. I was just trying to figure out a way to get him and Troy into the line-up together.

Thanks for the correction on Bond and Giuda. I don't know why I had them switched.

The coaches were hoping Poeta would grow into a solid 165 pounder and he hasn't grown as much as they were hoping. I think he will be at 157 for the rest of his career.

Like I said trying to fit all of Illinois talent into a line-up is a nice problem to have.

What about troy can he make 141, he looks pretty small, and i doubt he can beat pero so that would explain why he is at 149.

[Conquistadors]

Just think in 2 years the line-up could be...

125-Kennedy
133-Gomez
141-Reynolds
149-Tirapelle
157-Poeta
165-Bergsrund
174-Dergo
184-Bond
197-Guida
HWT-Weight

I just noticed the new Intermat High School all-class national rankings. Kennedy is currently ranked 10th at 130 and Dergo is 8th at 189. Considering the weights they are wrestling at as seniors in high school, I'm not sure they would be able to drop down to the above suggested weights in two years.

I'm guessing that Gabe Flores will "man" 125 for the next two years. Last year, in the first half of the season he had earned approximately 12th or 13th rankings. For next year a shot at AA isn't all that unlikely, considering how much more varsity experience he'll have next year compared to last year. But that is a long ways off.

[ugly1]

I just noticed the new Intermat High School all-class national rankings. Kennedy is currently ranked 10th at 130 and Dergo is 8th at 189. Considering the weights they are wrestling at as seniors in high school, I'm not sure they would be able to drop down to the above suggested weights in two years.

I'm guessing that Gabe Flores will "man" 125 for the next two years. Last year, in the first half of the season he had earned approximately 12th or 13th rankings. For next year a shot at AA isn't all that unlikely, considering how much more varsity experience he'll have next year compared to last year. But that is a long ways off.

I agree with you on Flores. At first I wasn't sure if he was a Sophmore or Junior this year, but since he a Soph. I expect him to be at 125 for Illinois over the next two years.

Kennedy is going 125 for the state series, and who knows how much he will grow, but his Mom and Dad aren't big. So, 125 is a possibility for him in college.

I don't know about Dergo, I was just guessing. I don't think he is cutting to maintain 189.

[tirapell]

Ah...next year and beyond for the Illini. My thoughts:

125: Flores (only going 133 because of Ott)
133: ?
141: Pero
149: T. Tirapelle (perfect weight for him, probably will stay here all career)
157: Poeta (could easily be 165 next year, but 157 might be better for team)
165: Smith-Bergsrud
174: Reynolds
184: Guida
197: Bond
HWT: Wise


The year after that for the Illini:

125: Flores
133: ?
141: ?
149: T. Tirapelle
157: S. Reynolds (Reynolds I think will get a little bigger like his brother)
165: Poeta (I think Mike will grow into 165 in 1-2 years)
174: Smith-Bergsrud
184: Guida
197: Bond
HWT: Wise

All speculation. We'll have to wait and see...

[ugly1]

Ah...next year and beyond for the Illini. My thoughts:

125: Flores (only going 133 because of Ott)
133: ?
141: Pero
149: T. Tirapelle (perfect weight for him, probably will stay here all career)
157: Poeta (could easily be 165 next year, but 157 might be better for team)
165: Smith-Bergsrud
174: Reynolds
184: Guida
197: Bond
HWT: Wise


The year after that for the Illini:

125: Flores
133: ?
141: ?
149: T. Tirapelle
157: S. Reynolds (Reynolds I think will get a little bigger like his brother)
165: Poeta (I think Mike will grow into 165 in 1-2 years)
174: Smith-Bergsrud
184: Guida
197: Bond
HWT: Wise

All speculation. We'll have to wait and see...

How about Gomez at 133?

[u of i]

For as solid as gomez is and was, and as one of the reigning top wrestlers in illinois high school history, he just hasnt panned out too well in college. I'm not sure what exactly it is, but maybe college wrestling just isn't his style. In my personal opinion, i don't think gomez has enough strength at this point, no matter how good his technique is. From watching him all year in the wrestling room, 75% of the time i would have to say that manzella is the better wrestler than him and that klinger is at about the same level. Maybe he's burned out, maybe he doesn't have enough conditioning, or maybe i'm just an idiot, but either way, Gomez needs to take it up a notch to get into the starting lineup. And this is in NO WAY taking away from how good Gomez is.

[cshsBA]

i have a suggestion... if you're in the room, then you're a wrestler, why don't you talk to gomez about this issue rather then a bunch of complete strangers... i wouldn't want to be gomez reading this and not knowing who amongst, what he thought were is friends, is trying to impress a group of total strangers by telling them intimate information about how he's been doing in practice... not to mention any ncaa rules you may be violating by offering this kind of info... so i guess its up to you, but if they want to know how joe is doing, let joe answer for himself...

[ugly1]

I didn't take the post about Gomez as "u of i" bashing Joe. I just thought he was giving his opinion that Joe is a very solid wrestler, but he needs to bring it up another notch to get into the starting line-up. Which was a response to my question "what about Gomez at 133?" I really doubt that their are NCAA rules being violated by this discussion.

[cubby54]

Hey U of I,

Since you have been up in the wrestling room and have seen practice, do you think Ben Zulauf will have a chance at Heavy in the future. I know he is really light 210-220. In H.S. he placed twice at 215 when he would weigh-in under 200 both years. I wish he would gain weight and be at 240. How does he and Wise do against each other. I know he beat Wise at the Northern Open. I am curious because I was his Middle School Wrestling coach. He has come a long way since then. He never made State in the IESA and in 7th grade he even had a losing record on the "B" squad. He is a great kid with a huge heart. I guess he has overcome poor coaching:)

[Conquistadors]

i have a suggestion... if you're in the room, then you're a wrestler, why don't you talk to gomez about this issue rather then a bunch of complete strangers... i wouldn't want to be gomez reading this and not knowing who amongst, what he thought were is friends, is trying to impress a group of total strangers by telling them intimate information about how he's been doing in practice... not to mention any ncaa rules you may be violating by offering this kind of info... so i guess its up to you, but if they want to know how joe is doing, let joe answer for himself...

cshsBA, calm down, buddy. I don't think that U of I is giving away intimate secrets. If you look at Joe's record this last year, you'll see that his performance thus far in college has not been a spectacular success (remember, many-- even most-- h.s. state champs are not spectacular successes at the Div I level-- the competition is tough). So Mr. U of I is just telling us his observations. I could be wrong, but Illini practices are not secret (anyone, correct me if I'm wrong). I appreciate Mr. U of I's information and opinions. If wrestling wants to expand it's fan base, it needs to communicate with its fans MORE.

Next year, Coach Johnson will put out the individual who he feels will perform best at 133. And us Illini fans will root for whoever it is.

[Achilles]

I think in highschool Joe was just so much older and more mature than everyone else and now that he is in college everyone is just as strong or stronger. I saw him wrestle at UNI this year and it just looked like he couldn't muscle guys around any more and didn't really have a good enough way of attacking college wrestlers. He was quick and had impresive good leg defense though

[u of i]

cshsBA,
I appreciate your honesty, but I think that you took my comment totally out of context. And for one thing, i'm actually not a wrestler, i'm a student at U of I and I work for the wrestling team. In no way am I trying to impress a group of total strangers, I was answering a simple question. Somebody asked what do you think about Gomez at 133, and I told them what I thought based on what I see. And I am a former wrestler so I figured that I would do my best to give a knowledgable answer, and if that offends you, then so be it but it was not intended. In what way am I violating NCAA rules??? Every practice that they have is an open practice to the public and any member of the community is allowed to come watch. I'm pretty sure they didnt ask: "Hey Joe Gomez, what do you think about yourself going 133 next year??" It was an open question to the forum so i responded with MY opinion. I don't think that I was condescending or offending anybody. But if it came off that way, I apologize. The only thing I said that could've been taken as offensive is that I thought Manzella might have a slight edge on him and that him and Klinger are at the same level, but I, along with everybody else except you doesn't seem to take it that way.

[u of i]

cubby54,
in my opinion, zulauf is one of the harder workers on the team with a heart of gold. I've never once heard him complain, i've never once seen him quit, i've never once seen him leave a practice early or come late. But........ the fact being that he is so light is just too much for him this year. With that being said though, he is definitely in the running to be in contention for a starting spot in the years coming I'd assume. I'm pretty sure he doesnt weigh much more than 215 and for him to be able to compete with the other heavies that are 230-250 is very impressive. And as you mentioned, he did beat Wise being outweighed by about 25-30 lbs. If he can put on a solid 20-30 lbs in the next year or two, I wouldnt put it past him being the starting heavyweight if they don't pick somebody else up. But until he packs on some "good" extra lbs, i dont know if he'll be able to handle the weight disadvantage. And by disadvantage, I'm talking only losing matches by 1-2 points against the other heavies in the room. Until then, I'd say the next starting guy in the line-up would be Wise if he learns a more technical style of wrestling.

[cubby54]

u of i,
Thanks for your honest opinion on Ben. I think you hit everything on the head with Ben. I also enjoy your posts about the team, keep them up.

[Conquistadors]

Maybe I'm being naive here, by if Ben weighs "not much more than 215," has he considered dropping down and competing for the 197 pound position? Patrick Bond is the big time recruit (and as an Illini fan I hope he is a big-time success) who will most likely be the guy at this weight, but no one has the starting position until they earn it.

[u of i]

To be completely honest, i've never heard him mention it or heard anyone speak of it at all. I dont know if ben would even be able to get down to that weight, he's pretty ripped with i'd assume a relatively low body fat percentage for being a heavy. I'd have to think that they're focussing on bond being the starter at 97 next year. Who knows though

[Conquistadors]

... and i bet reynolds would tool tirapelli in a match.

Just want to reiterate that looking good in the practice room does not indicates success during Div I competition, especially week in and week out. Troy really put it together last week. Now, if he can improve from neutral things will really be looking up for him.

Just a few comments from the above thread:

Troy has a medium-stocky build. I would guess that over the next two years he'll add more muscle (as he matures/lifts). 149 is probably perfect for him.

Mike Poeta is not that tall and is not that stocky. I don't really see him "growing into" 165, though he may wrestle there in two years in order to make room for both Sean Reynolds and Troy Tirapelle.

Since the original posts, Matt Weight has decided to graduate this year (even though he has one more year of eligibility remaining). He's done a fine job as a small heavyweight. Hope John Wise has a good practice partner and will enter next year in great physical shape.

[Achilles]

Just want to reiterate that looking good in the practice room does not indicates success during Div I competition, especially week in and week out. Troy really put it together last week. Now, if he can improve from neutral things will really be looking up for him.

Just a few comments from the above thread:

Troy has a medium-stocky build. I would guess that over the next two years he'll add more muscle (as he matures/lifts). 149 is probably perfect for him.

Mike Poeta is not that tall and is not that stocky. I don't really see him "growing into" 165, though he may wrestle there in two years in order to make room for both Sean Reynolds and Troy Tirapelle.

Since the original posts, Matt Weight has decided to graduate this year (even though he has one more year of eligibility remaining). He's done a fine job as a small heavyweight. Hope John Wise has a good practice partner and will enter next year in great physical shape.

Haha, improve from neutral things. He has a long way to go from there, he wasn't even close to scoring on anyone last weekend. Yes things happend for him last weekend but... i hate seeing guys who do everything in matches and push the pace push the pace loose to guys who stall and take 20 seconds everytime to get set or get back to the center, just hate it, it isn't how wrestling is supposed to be. If you saw the Clum Rieter match which im sure you did, both those guys were pushing the pace making things happen, not stalling around catching there breaths or taking injury time (not once second of it durring the match). If he needs to work on anything its being a little bit tougher and wrestling like a man... but i could care less if he improves or not.

I agree with you about poeta's weight, he looks tiny even for a 157 lbr. Over the next few years he will grow into that weight and never will he be close to being a true 165 lbr.

[Conquistadors]

If he needs to work on anything its being a little bit tougher and wrestling like a man...

I can't fathom anyone saying something so moronic. You are questioning the manhood of a guy who wrestles in Division I !!! Most psychologists would conclude that only someone insecure in their own manhood could utter such nonsense. If you want to discuss wrestling, that is fine (e.g., Troy's weakness with taking down All Americans, or his ability to ride and turn All Americans). But silly insults of Div I wrestlers is just too juvenile.

So using your (il)logic everyone has to be compared to Clum and Reiter? Since Konrad and Wagner didn't score a takedown in the first seven minutes of their finals match I guess you are going to impugn their manhood as well. Nice.

[tirapell]

Haha, improve from neutral things. He has a long way to go from there, he wasn't even close to scoring on anyone last weekend. Yes things happend for him last weekend but... i hate seeing guys who do everything in matches and push the pace push the pace loose to guys who stall and take 20 seconds everytime to get set or get back to the center, just hate it, it isn't how wrestling is supposed to be. If you saw the Clum Rieter match which im sure you did, both those guys were pushing the pace making things happen, not stalling around catching there breaths or taking injury time (not once second of it durring the match). If he needs to work on anything its being a little bit tougher and wrestling like a man... but i could care less if he improves or not.

I agree with you about poeta's weight, he looks tiny even for a 157 lbr. Over the next few years he will grow into that weight and never will he be close to being a true 165 lbr.

I don't check this board very often, but I know Conquistadors posts here (he's boycotting TheMat to avoid people like Achilles) and he has some good things to say. Plus I still have friends that coach in Illinois and it's good to see how their teams are doing.

Achilles, I'm hoping you're still in high school...or at least young enough to not know that you're ignorant. At least then we all can hope that someday you'll realize how rediculous you sound.

Do you know how many people would love to 'stall' their way to the Big Ten Finals? Most people would punch their mother if it meant wrestling for a Big Ten Championship. You make it sound so easy ;) I don't care if he won by not scoring any points and getting them all to disqualify themselves. Winning in college is not about 'looking good', it's about finding your strengths and wrestling to them, something it took TT a while to figure out.

If you don't appreciate an unseeded & unranked wrestler beating three Nationally Ranked Top 8 opponents in the same day, then you probably should just stick to watching high school wrestling, where there's more 'action' to excite you.

[Achilles]

I don't check this board very often, but I know Conquistadors posts here (he's boycotting TheMat to avoid people like Achilles) and he has some good things to say. Plus I still have friends that coach in Illinois and it's good to see how their teams are doing.

Achilles, I'm hoping you're still in high school...or at least young enough to not know that you're ignorant. At least then we all can hope that someday you'll realize how rediculous you sound.

Do you know how many people would love to 'stall' their way to the Big Ten Finals? Most people would punch their mother if it meant wrestling for a Big Ten Championship. You make it sound so easy ;) I don't care if he won by not scoring any points and getting them all to disqualify themselves. Winning in college is not about 'looking good', it's about finding your strengths and wrestling to them, something it took TT a while to figure out.

If you don't appreciate an unseeded & unranked wrestler beating three Nationally Ranked Top 8 opponents in the same day, then you probably should just stick to watching high school wrestling, where there's more 'action' to excite you.

Well i post on this message board because i love wrestling, i like to post more about college because that is more important to me and i follow it more but i post about highschool too.

I said previously that i can appreciate it, but i could appreciate it alot more if he was wrestling like Lincoln McIlravy on his way to beating three wrestlers ranked higher than him, you know what i mean? i said he had a hell of a tournament. It was more the taking his time going back to the center and injury time ect. that i was upset about. And i would rather watch any D1 college match than watch highschool wrestling. The day i see someone wrestle like that to an Olympic final is the day ill accept that as a good form of wrestling. And yes college is different than freestyle but who was the last american wrestler that was considered great that didn't wrestle freestyle?

[Achilles]

I can't fathom anyone saying something so moronic. You are questioning the manhood of a guy who wrestles in Division I !!! Most psychologists would conclude that only someone insecure in their own manhood could utter such nonsense. If you want to discuss wrestling, that is fine (e.g., Troy's weakness with taking down All Americans, or his ability to ride and turn All Americans). But silly insults of Div I wrestlers is just too juvenile.

So using your (il)logic everyone has to be compared to Clum and Reiter? Since Konrad and Wagner didn't score a takedown in the first seven minutes of their finals match I guess you are going to impugn their manhood as well. Nice.

I wouldn't be the first to say this stuff about Troy, where i was sitting ppl thought it was rediculous and you should have heard the iowa fans durring the Eustice match(but that is another story). Lol insecure about my man hood, good one way to attack me like that. And by most psychologists you would be reffering to Freud who is considered and idiot by most to all comtemporary psychologists???

I used the clum reiter match as a comparison i could give plenty more examples, but Konrad wagner??? they are frickin heavy weights, lets be serious.

Ok i respect Troy for being a fellow wrestler, but that is it. I wouldn't have ever called anybody out like this in a public forum if i wasnt so pissed off about how he uses injury time and takes breathers between action... further more this allowed him to gain an opportunity to beat one of my buddies who obviously works much much harder than troy because he wasn't even close to being tired durring there match. I dont know who you are but it sounds like you are a hard core Illini FAN, who follows them closely, your obviously gonna go to bat for Troy i guess i picked the wrong forum to disscuss this on.

[sweetsweep22]

going back to some of the original comments about reynolds, i have some questions. has reynolds been going to school? if so, then if he isnt going to be in the lineup for two more years, he will already be a senior when he does join in. i know that he will still have four years of eligibility, but what will he be doing for four years at u of i acedemically if he was already a senior when he got there? also, with the talk about how gomez has been struggling in college, what do you think is the recipe for a good college wrestler? i ask this because i know a kid from my area who is trying to decided whether or not to wrestle in college. he never had near the success in high school that gomez did (he placed fifth his senior year), but he is tough as nails and i think has all the potential in the world. can kids who had an average-above average high school career become succesful college wrestlers?

[Bijan160]

Dergo wrestled 171 at state and kennedy wrestled 125, i dont know if kennedy could make 125 again, especially in two years but i bet that dergo will wrestle 174

[BARR]

going back to some of the original comments about reynolds, i have some questions. has reynolds been going to school? if so, then if he isnt going to be in the lineup for two more years, he will already be a senior when he does join in. i know that he will still have four years of eligibility, but what will he be doing for four years at u of i acedemically if he was already a senior when he got there? also, with the talk about how gomez has been struggling in college, what do you think is the recipe for a good college wrestler? i ask this because i know a kid from my area who is trying to decided whether or not to wrestle in college. he never had near the success in high school that gomez did (he placed fifth his senior year), but he is tough as nails and i think has all the potential in the world. can kids who had an average-above average high school career become succesful college wrestlers?

Sean Reynolds will be enrolled at U of I starting this coming fall. Sean and the coaches will then have a choice of redshirting next year or putting him in the line-up. I say look for Sean to All-American at 141 next year.

[Tofurky]

Sean Reynolds will be enrolled at U of I starting this coming fall. Sean and the coaches will then have a choice of redshirting next year or putting him in the line-up. I say look for Sean to All-American at 141 next year.

That would require him beating out former All-American Cassio Pero for the starting 141 spot, wouldn't it? I know that he had a pretty rough season in 2005-06, but he still holds that spot and has for two seasons. In three seasons with the Illini he has amassed 55 wins (two of which were not close to being full seasons). I have to imagine that as much as people are completely dogging him that he will be a very tough person to go through should Reynolds decide not to redshirt next year.

[BARR]

That would require him beating out former All-American Cassio Pero for the starting 141 spot, wouldn't it? I know that he had a pretty rough season in 2005-06, but he still holds that spot and has for two seasons. In three seasons with the Illini he has amassed 55 wins (two of which were not close to being full seasons). I have to imagine that as much as people are completely dogging him that he will be a very tough person to go through should Reynolds decide not to redshirt next year.

You are absolutely right and I am not trying to put Cassio down. He did have a rough year this past season, but he is still a very tough wrestler. He had to deal with a few injuries and such. I like Cassio as a wrestler (I am sure he is a fine young man, I just have never met him) and I wouldn't be shocked if Reynolds did redshirt and Cassio was the AA next year for U of I at 141.

With that said, I do think Sean will be a 4x All-American for U of I and possible National Champ. I think he is that good and has that much potential.

I guess no matter who starts next year, I won't be surprised and I see an AA at 141 next season either way. Just my thoughts.

[Achilles]

That would require him beating out former All-American Cassio Pero for the starting 141 spot, wouldn't it? I know that he had a pretty rough season in 2005-06, but he still holds that spot and has for two seasons. In three seasons with the Illini he has amassed 55 wins (two of which were not close to being full seasons). I have to imagine that as much as people are completely dogging him that he will be a very tough person to go through should Reynolds decide not to redshirt next year.

A former all american who didn't win a match at big tens this year? Maybe it would require beating him out but i doubt it, the way he wreslted last year the coaches might give anybody else the spot who shows in any way that they are competitive, especially a freshman.

[Tofurky]

A former all american who didn't win a match at big tens this year? Maybe it would require beating him out but i doubt it, the way he wreslted last year the coaches might give anybody else the spot who shows in any way that they are competitive, especially a freshman.

Wow. That is an awfully bold statement to make on behalf of the Illini coaching staff. I doubt that anything is "given" to anyone in that room. My best guess would say that every single thing taken from that room is earned on a daily basis. I sincerely doubt that Alex Tirapelle's extremely poor performance at the 2005 national tournament placed his starting position in any doubt coming into his senior season as far as Johnson and Heffernan were concerned. Pero had an off season - what part of it he did wrestle. Who the hell knows what he was going through this season that took his focus away from the mat and made him perform at a lower level this year than last? It could have been injuries, academics, personal issues, family problems, financial issues, on and on and on. I, for one, will hardly presume what was going through his head this year that made him perform to less than he is clearly capable of. I do know this much: he lost to Brandon Rader - an All-American this year (6th) - then went on to defeat Micahel Keefe of UTC in the wrestlebacks in his next match. This is the same Michael Keefe who placed ahead of Pero at nationals the year before (Keefe 5th, Pero 8th) and also was an All-American who did not place this season. Pero's next match was a medical default for lord knows what reasons. Beyond that, I'll go one step further to state that I wouldn't ever pretend or infer that I know what the Illini coaching staff are thinking about a kid who is a former All-American and two-time national qualifier coming into his senior season and his place on that team.

[Achilles]

Tofurky,
Dont compare Tirapelle was seeded #1 coming into that tournament and like #3 coming in to this year... both years not placing. My point is alot of times coaches will give another guy an opportunity to prove himself if the starter isn't getting the job done. Yes he did AA, but even in doing that he got alot of "gifts" (and dont attack me by saying this, because alot of ppl in the country feel this way they just dont talk about it any more because cassio has fallen off the radar) in the way of injury defaults. Im not saying that cassio isn't a good wrestler because as you noted he has beaten some All-Americans of last year... but thats not what gets it done. And in my mind not getting it done=coaches not being satisfied... why wouldn't they let reynolds take the spot especially if he can beat pero or is very close to it.

And im not pretending to make statements on behalf of the illini coaching staff, because quite frankly i have no clue what goes on there, but in the past i have seen J Rob, Zalesky, Davis... all do the same thing, and they have there teams peaked and ready for big tens and NCAA's

[Tofurky]

Tofurky,
Dont compare Tirapelle was seeded #1 coming into that tournament and like #3 coming in to this year... both years not placing. My point is alot of times coaches will give another guy an opportunity to prove himself if the starter isn't getting the job done. Yes he did AA, but even in doing that he got alot of "gifts" (and dont attack me by saying this, because alot of ppl in the country feel this way they just dont talk about it any more because cassio has fallen off the radar) in the way of injury defaults. Im not saying that cassio isn't a good wrestler because as you noted he has beaten some All-Americans of last year... but thats not what gets it done. And in my mind not getting it done=coaches not being satisfied... why wouldn't they let reynolds take the spot especially if he can beat pero or is very close to it.

And im not pretending to make statements on behalf of the illini coaching staff, because quite frankly i have no clue what goes on there, but in the past i have seen J Rob, Zalesky, Davis... all do the same thing, and they have there teams peaked and ready for big tens and NCAA's

Again, whatever is going on with Cassio that helped contribute to his poor showing this year is something to take into consideration. I am certain that if something is going on that the coaching staff is aware of it and has taken note. To simply throw another guy in there after one season doesn't fit the bill. Hell, that would mean almost all of the Illini wrestlers would need to be replaced based on their showing this past season compared to the one prior to that. Is that logical? No. I think that Cassio will be fine next season with or without Reynolds breathing down his neck.

Barry Davis hasn't had his teams ready for much of anything in a while now. Jim Zalesky, well, we see where his placing in the Big Tens took him this year. J. Robinson doesn't often remove former All-Americans from their starting positions. I think you are being extremely selective in what you're referring to and not looking at the bigger picture. This sort of thing doesn't happen that often and coaches don't simply punish former All-Americans if they have a drop off in results the next season, but I believe you do know that yet are focusing on a very, very few and very, very specific situations.

I think that using Tirapelle is fine comparison in so far as he didn't live up to expectations. Alex peaked at the wrong time two seasons in a row. However, you defend him and attack Pero after one off season. That's absolutely ridiculous. What was Pero ranked coming into this year? 8th again? He placed third at Big Tens last year, too. He was #6 going into Las Vegas this year, in case you don't remember. The kid simply didn't meet YOUR expectations for him this year. Who is to say what the coaching staff had in mind?

As far as strongly insinuating that Cassio Pero purposely injures his opponents to gain victory, I'd love to see your proof. In fact, those are some pretty slanderous statements you're making unless you know for a fact that it was done with intention. If your "proof" is that it happened three times last season (Martin, Driscoll and Simpson), I see that as coincidence and not hard fact. Wrestling is a rough sport and kids are injured all the time. When the competiton is that fierce, the opportunity for injuries to occur is much higher than normal. Coincidence is far from proof.

[Achilles]

Tofurky,
Again you are missunderstanding what i am saying, where to start...
By being ready for competition i was referring to the teams conditioning, and peak preformance. At big tens this year the teams that were in the best shape were Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisc. IMO. I have seen gus get removed from the starting lineup after a string of bad matches let alone an entire season... but im not saying that he will be removed because of the last season because the last season doesn't matter anymore. I AM saying that if Pero wrestles like he did last year, that i wouldn't be surprized if they threw Reynolds in there.

I DIDNT say that Pero intentially injured his opponents, i did say that he got three big gifts in the form of injuries. If you could be an AA by injuring guys, i know a couple mean bastards that would have been NCAA champs along time ago.

And i still think that you cant compare Alex T to pero, because although AT didn't get it done at NCAA's the past couple years he has allways been seeded and ranked very high and consistantly beats top competition... where Pero isn't seeded high ever and doesn't consistently beat top competition. Infact pero has never beaten anybody in the top three maybe five like AT has. All said and done Reynolds might be better than him anyways.

And why make excuses for him, "whatever is going on with him". I mean yes he didn't live up to expectations but that doesn't mean that something is going on with him at all.

[Tofurky]

Tofurky,
Again you are missunderstanding what i am saying, where to start...
By being ready for competition i was referring to the teams conditioning, and peak preformance. At big tens this year the teams that were in the best shape were Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisc. IMO. I have seen gus get removed from the starting lineup after a string of bad matches let alone an entire season... but im not saying that he will be removed because of the last season because the last season doesn't matter anymore. I AM saying that if Pero wrestles like he did last year, that i wouldn't be surprized if they threw Reynolds in there.

I DIDNT say that Pero intentially injured his opponents, i did say that he got three big gifts in the form of injuries. If you could be an AA by injuring guys, i know a couple mean bastards that would have been NCAA champs along time ago.

And i still think that you cant compare Alex T to pero, because although AT didn't get it done at NCAA's the past couple years he has allways been seeded and ranked very high and consistantly beats top competition... where Pero isn't seeded high ever and doesn't consistently beat top competition. Infact pero has never beaten anybody in the top three maybe five like AT has. All said and done Reynolds might be better than him anyways.

And why make excuses for him, "whatever is going on with him". I mean yes he didn't live up to expectations but that doesn't mean that something is going on with him at all.

I don't know that either Iowa or Wisconsin was peaking at the right time for Big Tens. Iowa finished sixth and Wisconsin finished seventh. Now, Iowa did have their guys peak two weeks later, but not Wisconsin. Their conditioning is one thing, but that sort of thing, I feel, needs to translate to the mat and carry them through tough competition. For either team the first weekend in March this year, that simply did not happen.

That leads, really, into your comment about me making excuses for him. Pero wrestled a total of 24 matches this season. That was down from the 45 he wrestled the year before. I don't believe that I need to tell you how significant a jump that is. I believe that those numbers alone show that there was something else going on there. You have a returning All-American who puts in more than 20 less matches the next season? It doesn't make sense to simply state that he was under-performing.

Here I am quoting you from a previous post: "Yes he did AA, but even in doing that he got alot of "gifts" (and dont attack me by saying this, because alot of ppl in the country feel this way they just dont talk about it any more because cassio has fallen off the radar) in the way of injury defaults." In journalism when you quote yourself and place quotation marks around a certain word in the text, that means you are inferring something that isn't stated. Sure, it could be read a number of ways, but I have read a post of your's in another thread about Pero being injured at nationals where you said "I guess cassio proved all the ppl that said 'he only AA'd because he injured everybody' right [sic]." If you read this forum regularly, which I do, it appears fairly clear what your intentions were in your statements. The words are right there and seem to be pretty plain and simple. If that isn't what you meant, then more clarification is needed.

I see your point about Tirapelle and Pero. I guess we'll just have to see where it goes next year, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Pero is going to surprise a lot of folks. You just might be one of them, Achilles!

[Achilles]

I don't know that either Iowa or Wisconsin was peaking at the right time for Big Tens. Iowa finished sixth and Wisconsin finished seventh. Now, Iowa did have their guys peak two weeks later, but not Wisconsin. Their conditioning is one thing, but that sort of thing, I feel, needs to translate to the mat and carry them through tough competition. For either team the first weekend in March this year, that simply did not happen.

That leads, really, into your comment about me making excuses for him. Pero wrestled a total of 24 matches this season. That was down from the 45 he wrestled the year before. I don't believe that I need to tell you how significant a jump that is. I believe that those numbers alone show that there was something else going on there. You have a returning All-American who puts in more than 20 less matches the next season? It doesn't make sense to simply state that he was under-performing.

Here I am quoting you from a previous post: "Yes he did AA, but even in doing that he got alot of "gifts" (and dont attack me by saying this, because alot of ppl in the country feel this way they just dont talk about it any more because cassio has fallen off the radar) in the way of injury defaults." In journalism when you quote yourself and place quotation marks around a certain word in the text, that means you are inferring something that isn't stated. Sure, it could be read a number of ways, but I have read a post of your's in another thread about Pero being injured at nationals where you said "I guess cassio proved all the ppl that said 'he only AA'd because he injured everybody' right [sic]." If you read this forum regularly, which I do, it appears fairly clear what your intentions were in your statements. The words are right there and seem to be pretty plain and simple. If that isn't what you meant, then more clarification is needed.

I see your point about Tirapelle and Pero. I guess we'll just have to see where it goes next year, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Pero is going to surprise a lot of folks. You just might be one of them, Achilles!

Ok tofurky maybe Pero would surprize me, but that would only happen if he wrestled a consistant season against top guys and finished above 7th.

But teams finishing well in Big Tens and NCAA's has alot to do with the individuals, but the one thing the coaches can control is conditioning and peaking (tightness of skills the individuals do have) and the teams i mentioned had the best of that from what i saw both at big tens and at NCAAs. Maybe they didn't finish as high, but with the wrestlers they put out on the mat, they wrestled very well. Guys like Dallas Herbst aren't "supposed" to finish in the round of 12, or Luedke getting AA. But guys like Ott, AT, T Byrd, and althouh undersized but even Poeta usually are. Im not trying to rip down the program just trying to show my point that those teams were prepared despite the points they racked up. Thanks and i hope Pero surprizes me too, he could be very exciting to watch.

[builtceltictough]

wat year is donny reynolds and if he is still at illinois do u think that he can have success like he did in high school?

[Achilles]

He was ranked as high as 9th this year, but fell off at the end of the year. He is either going to be a junior or a senior, i think senior

[BARR]

wat year is donny reynolds and if he is still at illinois do u think that he can have success like he did in high school?

He is going to be a Senior. I think he was at the wrong weight this year, just like a couple of other guys. I look for him to be back at 165 next year and I think he has a shot at All-American. He has battled injuries his whole career at U of I, but if he can stay healthy I think he will go out on a high note next season. I think he will All-American somewhere between 5th-8th place.