Division I is a distinction meant to represent the class of a sport. When Division II Ashland comes to The Convo on Saturday, it will be looking to show that there is some pretty good wrestling at the lower levels too.
Coach Joel Greenlee already knows that.
(Ashland is) an extremely tough team
Greenlee said. We're going to really have to be on top of our game against them.
The Eagles are ranked No. 12 among D-II schools and sport ranked wrestlers at 141-, 165- and 285-pound weight classes. Ashland will be the second D-II squad the Bobcats have faced this season. No. 19 Findlay defeated the 'Cats 18-15 in December.
The elimination of D-I wrestling programs across the nation is a reason Greenlee pointed to in explaining the success of schools like Ashland and Findlay.
There are not as many opportunities to wrestle at the D-I level he said. That sends a lot of guys to other places.
Ohio's 174-pound Antoine Love spent last season at Iowa Central Community College, a member of the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association. Love finished third in the nation for the Tritons and said that the talent level was anything but low.
You can't really take it easy against any wrestler Love said, but I feel that there are a lot of talented wrestlers at that level.
Saturday won't mark the first time the 'Cats (13-6, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) and the Eagles (2-3) have faced off. Ashland topped the Bobcats last season, 16-14.
Jake Frerichs, at 157 pounds, said that, this time, things could be different.
We didn't really wrestle very well last year
he said. But we get them at home this year. When we wrestle at home we're a completely different team.
Success at home has not been a problem for Ohio this season, going 3-0 at The Convo and besting their opponents by a combined score of 80-33.
Joining the Eagles in Athens is Virginia, a team that also beat the Bobcats in 2005.
The Cavaliers (4-4) are lead by No. 16 Eric Albright at 133 pounds. Albright is 24-7 on the season and will be Ohio's Terry Jackson's second consecutive ranked opponent. Buffalo's No. 17 Mark Budd topped Jackson in a 2-1 decision last weekend.
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Ohio 174-pound wrestler Antione Love tries to swing Buffalo wrestler Nate Rock from him and onto the mat during their match on Jan. 27. The Bobcats face Ashland and Virginia tomorrow in The Convo.
