Published Friday
November 2, 2007
Wrestling: Denson will drop a weight for first season
BY ROB WHITE
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Redshirt freshman Aaron Denson has made UNO wrestling coach Mike Denney a happy guy by taking a decision out of his hands.
Denney said the Millard South graduate, who wrestled unattached at 174 pounds last season, volunteered to trim down to 165 and allow Ross Taplin to move up from 165 to 174.
"Aaron took it upon himself to do that for the team and see how he feels at that weight," Denney said. "I hope he goes down there and feels really good, because he and Ross are two of our top guys, and to have them at the same weight would not be good for us. He's going to give it a go, and we're appreciative of that."
The Mavericks will bring out a full complement of wrestlers for the Nov. 10 Nichols Open, which moves this year from Fort Dodge, Iowa, to Ames, Iowa.
UNO, awaiting the return of past national champions Cody Garcia and Todd Meneely for the second semester, was ranked seventh in the Division II preseason poll that came out last week. Denney said the rankings didn't include Garcia and Meneely — the ratings committee was informed that the two would be out.
However, the Mav wrestlers, third nationally last year after three straight national titles, didn't take too favorably to their preseason placement.
"It stirred them up a little bit," Denney said, laughing. "There was a little bit of an undercurrent. It helps us as coaches, because it's a great motivational tool and we didn't have anything to do with it."
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