For two Ohio wrestlers, next weekend will be a first. For another, finishing first is the only thing on his mind.
Three Bobcats will compete in the NCAA Championships in St. Louis next weekend, including two-time All-American Jake Percival (157-pound weight class). Joel Weimer (197) and Jeremiah Beltran (HWT) will make their first tournament appearances.
But with the different levels of experience come different goals. Weimer and Beltran both hope to achieve All-American status. Percival hopes to win it all.
I think
once you get down to the top four or five guys it's all about who's going to wrestle hard and anyone can win
he said. First of all
you gotta think you can win. And I think I can.
Percival has finished fourth and fifth in Nationals in his first two years at 149. This season he has been at 157, a much more comfortable weight class, he said.
I feel
with the number of weigh-ins we have
I'm not going to have to worry about my weight as much
he said. Last year I worried about my weight and not my matches. I won't have to worry about it as much
unlike some of the other guys.
He might have to avenge his only loss of the season, which came in an exhibition match.
Earlier this season Percival lost to Stanford's Matt Gentry in the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic. In that match, Percival went down 8-0 before running off five straight takedowns in the third period.
I'm not worried about it affecting Jake
coach Joel Greenlee said. I think it's affecting Gentry way more than it's affecting Jake ... I know it's in the back of his mind.
Weimer and Beltran, though, also have seen their fair shares of NCAA qualifiers this season.
I've seen a lot of them
Weimer said. I've lost to some
