UNO Wrestling: Young Mavs not green UNO Wrestling: Young Mavs not green
BY ROB WHITE
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
UNO's Cody Garcia, the 125-pound Division II national champion in 2006, returns after suffering a knee injury last December.
UNO wrestling coach Mike Denney doesn't worry about pushing the members of his team to perform.
He worries more about holding them back.
After last year's disappointing third-place finish at the Division II national tournament — which followed three straight championships — Denney decided to start practice a full week later than normal. He'll continue to emphasize saving his athletes' strength, both physical and mental, throughout the season.
"We want them peaking at the right time," Denney said. "We don't want them to over-train, which is what happened to some guys last year. It isn't an exact science. There's an art to it. We're just going to try to have them fresher at the end. They're just so highly motivated that it's hard to hold them back."
Though the Mavericks must replace a national champion — three-time 174-pound king J.D. Naig — they also welcome back a past national champion who wasn't able to compete in the second semester last season.
Cody Garcia, the 125-pound champion in 2006, returns after suffering a knee injury last December.Both he and returning 149-pound champion Todd Meneely will be able to join the team on a full-time basis for the second semester. They are unable to practice with the team and can compete only as unattached wrestlers during the first semester in order to retain an extra season of eligibility.
Six other Mavs return after competing in the national tournament last year: 133-pounder Jeff Rau, 141-pounder Sim Bribieseca,
165-pounder Ross Taplin, 184-pounder Austin Boehm,
197-pounder Jacob Marrs and heavyweight Tony Lewis.Taplin, who placed third as a freshman and was among the top 165-pounders all last season while going 32-14, was upset twice at the national tournament. He's expected to bounce back strong, though it's still to be determined whether he'll be at 165 or 174. Denney plans to have Taplin at one weight, with redshirt freshman Aaron Denson of Millard South taking over the other spot.Marrs (35-9) and Lewis (30-18) are expected to provide major points at the top two weight classes.Though seniors are a rare commodity in the Mavs' wrestling room, any lack of experience isn't an issue.
Garcia, Bribieseca, Boehm and Marrs are sophomores, while Meneely, Taplin and Lewis are juniors.
"I just feel good about this bunch," Denney said. "Even though it looks like we're a young team, I don't consider us young. These guys have competed at a high level."
The UNO roster (KANSANS ONLY LISTED):
• Juniors
Tony Lewis, 285, Ulysses, Kan.
Ross Taplin, 165-174, Abilene, Kan.
• Sophomores
Cody Garcia, 125, Hutchinson, Kan
Jacob Marrs, 197, Oak Hill, Kan
• Freshmen
Kyle Allen, 157-165, Clay Center, Kan
Matt Rein, 125, Abilene, Kan.
Judd Schroeder, 165, Newton, Kan.
Taiten Weatherbee, 133, Hays, Kan.
The UNO schedule:
• November:
3, at Daktronics Open, Brookings, S.D., 9 a.m.;
10, at Nichols Open, Fort Dodge, Iowa, 9 a.m.;
17, Kaufman-Brand Open, 9 a.m.
• December:
2, at Northern Iowa Open, 9 a.m.;
8, at Nebraska-Kearney Open, 9 a.m.;
29-30, at Midlands Tournament, Chicago.
• January:
5, at Dana Open, 9 a.m.;
12-13 at NWCA National Duals, Cedar Falls, Iowa;
19, Brand Open, 9 a.m.;
25, at Augsburg (Minn.), 7 p.m.;
26, at St. Cloud State, 2 p.m.
• February:
1, at Central Oklahoma, 7 p.m.;
2, at Nebraska-Kearney, 7 p.m.;
8, MSU-Mankato, 7 p.m.; 13, Augustana, 7 p.m.;
21, Northern Iowa, 7 p.m.
• March:
2, North Regional at Mankato, Minn., 10 a.m.;
14-15, Division II Nationals, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.